There is, as you may imagine, much excitement at The Bridge as the event is to be the highlight of the sports team's year (They don't get out much admittedly), be that as it may, plans for OBs and ongoing commentary are already far advanced, (Roy Felstead has bought new batteries for the OB unit) and sports reporter extraordinaire Dan Tipton, (the Welly Wanging world's equivalent of Eddie Waring), is already warming up his tonsils in preparation for the big day. I am also very pleased to announce that local writer, historian, broadcaster and avid welly wanger in his spare time, Mr Graham Fisher MBE has agreed to be the events patron, and will attend on the big day to present prizes to the winning athletes. All monies raised will go to assist Age Concern Stourbridge & Halesowen in the fabulous work it does year in and year out.
This is all part of the wider event that is the Age Concern Family Fun Day, taking place from 10 am to 4pm on Saturday June 21st on the field at the rear of the former Mary Stevens Maternity Hospital, Hagley Road, Oldswinford, DY8 2JR. Also happening on the day:
Family Fun Dog Show, Run by DY5K9 Academy, inc a variety of catergories; waggiest tail, most like its owner, agility, fancy dress
Bridge Road-Show throughout the day featuring many of your favourite Bridge Presenters and Dan Richards! Plus have your photo taken with Bridget Mouse.
Entertainment for your delectation & delight from Joe Parkes, Black Country Gaz, Pedmore Panthers Cheerleaders, Malcolm Palmer & Stourbridge George Formby Society, Desert Orchid Belly Danceing Troupe, plus surprise guests.
Childrens face painting, treasure hunt and welly painting competition - with prizes!!
BBQ all day from 10am, plus sandwiches & snacks, & ice cream
Also: Put your loved ones in the medieval stocks (for a minimal fee), A wide variety of stalls run by local organisations & individuals, onsite parking & FREE ENTRY.
We've ordered great weather for the day, so what's not to like? Come along, bring the family and have some fun, and wang a welly whilst you're at it!
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THE FIRST ANNUAL BLACK COUNTRY (OPEN) WELLY WANGING CHAMPIONSHIPS
TAKING PLACE BETWEEN 10AM & 4PM ON SATURDAY 21ST JUNE AT
OLDSWINFORD
The origins of Welly Wanging in the Black Country are
steeped in myth, some say it originated with the coal miners of Sedgley as a
playful way of attracting a colleague’s attention in the dark and clamour of
the pit. Others claim it was taken up by the working bargees on the canals as a
means of expressing disapproval should the captain of another vessel cut them
up at the lock gates. Whatever the truth it has a long and honourable history
as a means of settling disputes in a, relatively, non- violent manner, and may date back further than we think!
The most
famous Black Country Welly Wanger is undoubtedly Frederick Arthur Bowen, known
simply as the ‘Gornal Welly-Wanger’, a man around whom legends have grown, his
prowess with the boot is widely renowned, it is said he once wanged a welly
from the tip of Castle Hill to the top of Kates Hill without so much as
breaking sweat, or spilling his beer, just to prove it was possible.
It is in the spirit of this famous man that we are proud to
announce the first ever annual Black Country Welly Wanging Championships. We
follow in the footsteps of our esteemed colleagues at Upperthong in Yorkshire,
acknowledged home of the sport and home too of the Welly Wanging World
Championships held each year during the Upperthong Gala weekend.
The Black Country Event is sponsored by Age Concern (Stourbridge
& Halesowen) & The Bridge Radio and will be played in strict accordance
with the Upperthong official code of practise
‘The sport is to be played with the upmost
of British sportsmanship and a large smattering of sense of humour. The premise
is blindingly simple – all competitors have to do is wang a Wellington boot as
far as possible within defined boundary lines, from a standing or running
start. It’s pretty much the same as the javelin event in the Olympics with the
exception that a welly is unlikely to ever skewer an unexpecting judge or
spectator’.
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Competition Rules:
The Rules of Welly Wanging in the Black Country differ
slightly from their well-known Yorkshire & Welsh counterparts:
Welly wanging is a sport open to all people irrespective of
age, sex, race, creed, religion, nationality and colour, and even Brummies.
The sport shall be a civilised affair. Fair play, good
humour and good manners shall be exhibited at all times.
No umpire shall be needed. A player’s word and their honour
shall be sufficient. However a referee will be provided anyway for the purposes
of having someone available for the crowd to abuse!
Distances shall be measured in yards, feet and inches. None
of this European nonsense.
The standard welly shall be whatever is available on the
day, we aren’t made of wellies you know!
No tampering with the welly shall be allowed. Factory finish
or natural wear and tear only. No silicone polish or aerodynamic alteration is
to be applied.
A maximum run-up of 42 paces shall be allowed. This distance
was chosen in memory of Douglas Adams, himself a proponent of the sport.
The run-up shall end with a straight line of 7 feet in
length, commonly known as 'the lock', that being the width of a standard Black Country Canal Lock Gate.
The welly shall land within the area defined by the straight
lines as laid out by the event organisers, this playing area being known
alternately as the Thong (after the Yorkshire home of Welly Wanging) or more
colloquially in the Black Country, as the ‘Swine’.
There shall be four categories: Men’s and Women’s, and Boys
and Girls (u-14’s).
The welly shall be projected using any action of the arm or
foot for the respective categories.
The use of wind assistance is allowed and, indeed,
encouraged. Waiting for a suitable gust, however, is limited to one minute. No
artificial or man-made wind is to be used.
The winners of the two adult categories at the Black Country
Championships shall receive the
traditional local trophy, a ring of locally made and delicious black pudding
and respect from all Welly Wangers and right thinking people across the world.
Winners of the Children’s category shall receive pretty much the same really,
plus the added bonus of playground kudos and the envy and respect of their peers.
The overall champion will also be
presented with a Golden Boot, a memento to treasure always.
The above rules are to be applied, sparingly and with no malice aforethought!
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Throwing Techniques:
There are a number listed on the Upperthong website, not all are accepted as
universally successful, but all are legitimate within the rules of the
competition.
Flicking it off the
end of your leg – Rarely successful, can result in torn ligaments!
One handed - This is a
commonly used technique, where the competitor uses a single hand to wang his or
her welly. This can be attempted either right or left-handed, but we reccomend only using one boot per hand at any given time, or chaos will ensue!
The disinterested
sidearm shuffle – this is regularly used by partners/parents/children of
dedicated welly wangers , who are taking part simply to support/humour the
welly wanger in their life, whilst secretly wishing they were doing something
more meaningful ie buying a bag of sugar or cutting their toe nails! This
technique rarely wins any prizes, although success in beating their loved ones
mark often results in recrimination and resentment before the natural sporting
nature intrinsic to the welly wanger reasserts itself.
Double handed – This
is often used where there is a particularly large welly, so that both hands can
fit securely around the boot. Propulsion in this position usually involves a
shot-putt or discus style swing and spin technique. The challenge with this technique is
managing to maintain accuracy whilst pursing maximum velocity. Spectators
beware!
Between the legs –
This is where the competitor throws the welly from between their legs, facing
towards the target and bending the legs slightly to accommodate the swing. This
is a commonly applied technique for smaller competitors and beginners. Not a
good idea for anyone with a dodgy back.
Backward throw – This
is when the competitor throws the welly over their head, whilst facing away
from their target. Whilst this enables a large back swing, it also means that
the target is out of sight for the duration of the throw. The competitor must
also be wary of having the boot land on their head when throwing in this
position !
World Records
According to the Guinness Book of World Records the furthest
Welly Wanging throws were set at Hämeenlinna, Finland, on 12 October 1996. The
measured throws were :
Men - 63.98m by Teppo Luoma (Finland)
Women - 40.87m by Sari Tirkkon (Finland)
These may be impressive, but they are measured in metric, so disallowed in the Black Country !
History of Yorkshire Welly Wanging:
History has it that
the sport originated from a spat between two farmers in the local pub one
night. An unfortunate incident saw the spilling of ale into the wellington boot
of an innocent and unwitting bystander. Notwithstanding the virtual criminal
act of spilling ale in the first place – something that would almost certainly
have caused a chorus of boos, hisses and well deserved verbal abuse directed at
the clumsy oaf. The farmer whose trousers were now sodded and whose foot was
drowned up to the ankle was not best pleased by all accounts. In a fit of rage
he removed his boot and preceeded to chase the drink spilling fool out of the
pub swinging hard and fast with his improvised rubber weapon.
Unfortunately, with
only one boot he was considerably slower than his prey. And so in a fit of
frustration he wanged the boot as hard as he could in the direction of the
faster farmer. It’s unclear whether he missed or managed to clonk the chap on
the back of the head.
It just remains to see who prevails on the day, so go to it
good people of The Black Country and remember the traditional cry ‘More power to the Welly!’
Mark Williams OOTB (Order of the Boot)
With all due thanks and reverence for the World Welly Wanging Championships at UpperThong, may your wellies never wither.
