The 2019 Quiz was only decided on the first day of December as Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in Abu Dhabi, in his 42) 11TH win of the season and one of his easiest wins of the year. Several quizzers the length and breadth of Britain and one in China held their breath in the closing laps. Or would have done if they had realized how crucial the result was to their chances.
When the dust had settled, third prize goes to Kent cricket stalwart DAVID ELLEN (£78).
Second prize goes to one of the mighty Angus Connections, TONY ROGERS. (£117) who was in the lead for much of the year but was overtaken in the final weeks by
IAN MANLEY (£234), from Dorchester where in Olga Road you regularly trip over quizzers in the street boasting of their triumphs. How proud their agent, Justin Loveland, must be!
The podium for our Oval Ball prize (£39) (which sadly for Charlie Vine had long ago replaced the tie break prize) was dominated by the ladies. Audrey Huish was the only quizzer to name the winners of both the Six Nations and the World Cup. This was not enough to beat Moira Brewer (how delighted Quiz H.Q. would be to see a Brewer triumph) but Moira could not manage to beat JUDITH KNIGHT who got 5 out of 7 questions right for an awesome total of twenty points . Judith played her ace on the very first day of the quiz year when she predicted England would score four tries against Ireland. Cheque in the post Judith and clear bragging rights against the youngsters down South. This really is a family saga for if Hamilton had lost, Judith would have moved ahead of her son in law Tony into second place in the general table. Her daughter Julia finished in the top twenty.
Some oddities in the final table. Fathers and sons, John and Neil Dewhurst, Willy and Henry Guest, could only be separated by the tie break. Dutiful daughters, Lilia Eve and Mary Ann showed their parents the way to quiz; young Sophie lorded it over the mighty Brewer regiment.
Here’s how the four predictions of the final month turned out.
41) It was all there in the stats as STEFANOS TSITSIPAS became the fourth first time winner of the ATP Tour Finals in a row. He was a debutant, the youngest player in the field of eight to which there are no wild cards. When you pondered your quiz choices back in January, Stefanos had just beaten Federer in the Australian Open after winning the Next Generation finals a few weeks before. He was plainly a man to watch but only seven quizzers took the hint (both our Rubies, Rains and Newall were in the know.)The three players who have dominated world tennis for the last decade, Djok, Fed and Rafa, were in the field and attracted most of your votes.Nadal and Djokovic perhaps had main focus on Madrid and the Davis Cup (Q43), perhaps were just blokes in their thirties at the end of a long season; Fed veered from magnificent to the mundane.I don’t think we will see all three back in London in 2020, which leaves space for Stefanos and 2018 winner Zverev to take over at the peak of the game. Stefanos in particular looks like a good role model.
43) I love those rare occasions when the pampered millionaires of golf and tennis have to join a team. Golfers rarely turn down their chance to play in the Ryder Cup though journeymen like Poulter can often make fools of uneasy team players like the Tiger. The Davis Cup had a revamp this year. To win the previous version, players had to put aside four weeks of their year-now it is two at most. Still this was too much for the nine of the top twenty who were not in Madrid. Zverev preferred an exhibition tour rather than play for beaten quarter finalists Germany. Medvedev called off his season early rather than play for beaten semi-finalists Russia. I’m not voting for either in SPOTY.
Never mind-Madrid was full of dazzling young talent like 20 year old Denis Shapovalov who took Canada to the final and gave Nadal a scare. Match after match was decided by a third set tie break. Tie after tie went to the third rubber. One of the best things about the new format was the increased importance of doubles, the game most amateurs play Britain over performed even though national treasure Andy turned up ten pounds overweight after a month’s babysitting eating 3 a.m. biscuits. Kyle Edmunds stepped up and gave fans hope that his awful 2019 is just a blip.
SPAIN won as always seemed likely with a home crowd and a fit Rafa. Though the three courts of the Magic Box were rarely full except for Spain’s games, it sounded fun and was enthralling.
44) LIVERPOOL became mathematically assured of topping the Q44 Premiership race on the 10th November when the Reds beat the champions Man City at Anfield.It hardly needs saying that this was a game dogged by VAR controversy. Are Man City even second best? Two clubs, Leicester and Chelsea, managed by British managers, are now ahead in the European spots. Perennial contenders, Arsenal, Man Utd and Spurs toil in their wake.
One quizzer got all four November predictions right and his name is JOHN SNEDDEN and in so doing he moved from 70th place to 4th.I point this out to remind you that even if you start 2020 Quiz badly, an inspired Autumn can see you hurtle up the table. It’s not over till the fat lady sings.
Oh, there she is on cue. I hope you will all have another go in 2020 and manage to persuade others to join in.Just point out Ian’s new fortune if you need a selling point.
