Thirteen Ball
Active Member
Oh here we go again.....
I refer your attention here.
http://www.themouthpiece.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29081
Bands have to borrow, especially at this time of year, to turn out anything like a band at this contest. Would you rather only three bands turned up and the contest was over by half past four?
Plus, as I understand the word 'Ringers' are top-class players parachuted in on key positions in order to win, right?
All our borrows - for which we remain very grateful - on the day came from either the same section (Skelmanthorpe) or a lower section. (Frickley south Elmsall and Elland) so can hardly be called ringers.
And where our players turned out for other bands to return the favour - or even just because they were short a player as I did for Ireland Colliery Chesterfield, we took our places BELOW the regulars for each band.
If nobody helped each other out at these things, half the march contests in the country would fold as nobody could turn out a full band. And frankly, I'd rather that didn't happen.
This argument has flared up after every march contest, and has been proven, time and again, to be largely irrellevant. No band who competed contradicted the rules on borrows, because there aren't any - so live with it.
If you feel that strongly, don't show up next year. I'll still be there, and I'll still be willing to help out anyone who's a man short.
