MAD News & Occasional Blog
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“2022 – MAD Lose Rebranded Felix Roper Cup!” After the tragic recent passing of Felix Roper
(Isis CC) a rebranded Golf Cup was up for grabs. A summary of the day can be
found at the footer of the “Match Rambles & Scorecards” as The MAD
attempted to defend last year’s trophy.
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“2022 – Tour to I-o-W a Sunkissed Bonanza!” After many months in
the planning, Team MAD made their way across the Solent to discover the
hidden treasures of an Island where Gary Timms once lived and partied every
weekend. The weather was great, the pastings were sublime, and The MAD even
won a game of cricket which was nice. Top marks for all involved and who made
it such a memorable experience.
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“Some Batsmen Do Okay!”
Not
since the mid-noughties have The MAD enjoyed a season of so many batting
centurions, and two of these batters were actually playing for The MAD. Step forth James Bateman [subsequently buggered off to
Australia] and Chris Williams [subsequently scored another one]. Reports of
these astoundingly amazing deeds to the found amongst the “Match Rambles” as
per usual. |
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“2021 MAD Win Golf Challenge Cup!” After finally getting
it on in at golf against neighbours Isis CC the previous year, a refigured
FFTMCC ensemble caused shockwaves in amateur sport by going on to actually
winning something under the banner “FFTMCC”. A summary of the day can be
found at the footer of the “Match Rambles & Scorecards” of that year.
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“2021 – Tour to Brighton Finally Happens!” After
a delay due to some bug spreading around the globe and killing everyone, The
MAD finally got to Tour in Brighton. It was a revelatory affair where the
team rediscovered drinking inside in groups and ordering at the bar. There
was also some cricket and a write up of the matches and the obligatory
‘Player Ratings’ can be found in the usual “Match Rambles” section of the
website.
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“2020 Inaugural Golf Challenge Cup!” After being muted for
years, the Isis CC finally got in on at golf with the FFTMCC. The Golf
Challenge Cup will hopefully roll on every year with the two teams taking it
in turn to organise the day and nominate a charity to be the beneficiary of
all surplus monies (The Maple Tree was this year’s recipient). A fun day out
saw this year’s spoils going to the Isis CC, but next year…?
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“2020 Season Finally Starts!” Wednesday July 15 will forever be the date that
was synonymous with the return of MAD cricket following the UK lockdown. With
the ECB finally advancing their roadmap for cricket’s return in adapted form
(Stage 3 to 4), those grumpy old men in their discoloured whites could
finally get back out on those fields to bitch and moan.
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“2020 Tour and Brasenose Sports Ground Cancelled!” A double whammy of bad news for the FFTMCC on 24
June, as firstly news breaks about the cancellation of their much-maligned
Tour to Brighton followed by the Oxford colleges deciding to cancel the use
of their grounds for cricket for the remainder of the summer. So, no home
games at Brasenose and no fun by the seaside… at least for this year.
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“2020 Virtuality!” Has it really come to this? A month into lockdown
and Team MAD are now playing cricket… virtually, or at least having their
skipper Mr Timms, devise cunning quizzes to occupy their shallow minds using
the power of computers and an app called Zoom. This new cricketing format
looks to continue into the year….
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“2020 Season Suspended Indefinitely!”
2020 is shaping up to the worst season in the
Club’s history with the ECB (England Wales Cricket Board) announcing on March
18 all recreational cricket to be suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19
pandemic. Worse was to follow with the closure of pubs and restaurants on the
evening of March 20, soon to be followed by the eventual lockdown of the UK
on March 23. Then PM Boris Johnson got ill, very ill, recovered (just) and
had a baby…. There are no defining dates in the calendar as to
when things may return to normal or if the cricket season may be revived, so
it looks like Mike Reeves gets to keep his Player of the Season trophy a
little longer…. Elsewhere, David Emerson is holed up in
Wallingford with all the necessary gear and protection for a protracted fight
against the killer virus…. But just remember, club mates…. STAY SAFE!!! STAY MAD!!! |
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“2020 Floods!”
After a series of storms to blight the turn of
the decade, the groundsman is now officially taking bookings for carp fishing
down at Brasenose this season. There are various package deals available and
equipment rental for those not yet established in the sport. |
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“2019 – Tour to Minehead!” A fifth Tour of Duty to one of Somerset’s more
iconic seaside resorts. The weather stayed great on the most part, the beer
and cider flowed – and – The MAD won a game of cricket. Notable for people
sleeping rough and putting most their alcohol on Jake Hotson’s hotel room, a
write up of the matches and the obligatory ‘Player Ratings’ can be found in
the usual “Match Rambles” section of the website.
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“2018 AGM!” The
Far from the MCC’s 2018 Annual General Meeting was once again held in the
refined quarters of the Blue Room, atop the St. Aldates Tavern in the centre
of Oxford. It was the usual fare, whereby the club’s future and prosperity was mapped out diligently over the course of the evening
as the team got plastered. To
read up on the minutes of an extremely well attended meeting, please navigate
to the “2018 Match Reports” section of the website (footer), where you will
find a link the details along with various photos from the evening.
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“2018 – MAD Lose Another Friendly Cup Final!” As the sands of cricketing time run out and knees
become increasingly knackered, the FFTMCC reached and lost another Friendly
Cup Final this time to Moreton CC. Kindly hosted by Horspath CC who had
plenty of beer to sell, The MAD failed to chase down a wholly implausible
total whilst the action was beamed around the world live on YouTube. A great
day out nonetheless and played in excellent spirit throughout.
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“2018 – Tour to Felixstowe!”
One
of the most gloriously sunny MAD Tours in living memory, the sojourn to
Suffolk’s famous town of Felixstowe was a belter. Nobody won yet everybody
won with new friendships forged along the way. Notable for Delia Smith and a
drone, a write up of the matches and the obligatory ‘Player Ratings’ can be
found in the usual “Match Rambles” section of the website. |
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“2018 – Second MAD Book Launch!” The Far from the MCC officially launched their
second MAD book on Friday, July 6. Ten years after the previous incarnation
lit up Oxfordshire in 2008, the Marsh Harrier pub once again played host as
copies of ‘Never at This Level’ literally flew out the door (along with Gary
Timms). A guaranteed best seller (at least within the team itself), the book
charts the meteoric rise of a disparate pub team in 1998 to present day.
Featuring full colour photos throughout and written contributions from
several hands (some of it interesting), it can be yours for the paltry sum of
just £10 + P&P. Details are on this website… somewhere….
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“Bairstow Gets Batting Tips!”
Mike
Ashley likes looking down on people, so here he is doing just that with help
of some guy who is the spitting image of the guy who plays for England who is
pretty good across all formats of the game. |
