Carleton Grangers triumph in Five Towns Quiz League’s Knockout Cup final

It was the 33rd because after 35 years of existence, the covid epidemic wiped out two earlier events, including one full season.

One shock of the night was that dominant team and league winners Lofthouse Lions were not in the Layer's Cleaning Knockout Cup final, having been knocked out in the semi-final by Flanagan's Army, who thereby took on Carleton Grangers.

That encounter took place second up, having been proceeded by the Layer's Cleaning Plate Knockout final, contested between Kippax Legionnaires and Old Tavern Allsorts.

Legionnaires came out on top by a score of 81 points to 71, having been a match where the winners were the leaders in the game for most of the match-up.

The second event of the evening was a much closer affair, with the two combatants being no more than two or three points apart for the whole match.

Flanagan's Army held the slight lead for much of that but in the last two rounds, nine and 10, Carleton Grangers came to the fore and managed to shade the Layer's Cleaning Knockout by 90 points to 82.

It has to be said that any team that manages to win a Knockout trophy in a competition containing Lofthouse Lions has scaled a major mountain and this was the case for Carleton Grangers.

The evening then concluded with presentations for the 2024/25 season, with, in addition to the two cup final winners the Division One champions being Lofthouse Lions; Division Two champions Flanagan's Army; the Division One Individual competition winner Diane Hallagan (Carleton Grangers); the Division Two Individual competition winner Neil Aspland (Olde Tavern Allsorts); and the Spirit of the Game Trophy, which is voted for by all current season players in the league, was won for a second occasion by Ian Moore.

He is the incoming league secretary, upon the retirement of long-time secretary and league founder Simon Curtis after 34 years, who also delivered an emotional valedictory address at his last finals' night in charge, where he hoped that the FTQL will look forward to and progress towards another 34 years at least.

Simon noted that the league is in good hands with Ian Moore.

The Member's draw for a season's free league fees, was won by Olde Tavern Allsorts.