Joe Murphy Article December 2022

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I noticed in this last week’s BHW an advert for the position of Secretary/Treasurer for the SNFC;
saying this would be a Full-Time Appointment. Surely in this present climate within our sport
this has to be a PART TIME post. Back in 2006 when certain individuals including the then
president of the club; did not get their own way at the SNFC A.G.M. They walked out and within
a week or so formed the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club to compete against the SNFC.
During their first season they had 225 members (including members of the SNFC) sending 1531
birds to their inland race from Newbury. This year 2022 the SNRPC sent 399 birds to
Eastbourne; and 390 birds to their Newark young bird race (no details of members). This shows
the club are losing members nearly every year. When the SNFC present-day secretary took over
the post in the year 2014; we still had the challenge of competing against the Scottish National
Racing Pigeon Club; the club averaged between 431 to 645 members to the nationals. With
entries from 1355 birds to the Gold Cup race sent by 431 members. With 645 members sending
4855 birds to Maidstone inland national. At the present time 2022 the most membership was
from the inland race from Upper Heyford with 369 members sending (this includes fanciers who
are in both Scottish Nationals) 3002 birds. From the Alencon Gold Cup race 142 members
entered 713 birds and from their other channel event from Carentan; 97 members sent 396 birds.
Therefore, the SNFC creates most revenue from the inland race points. However; I have it on
good authority; subject to agreement; that the Central & East of Scotland Amalgamation is
looking to re-start up in 2023; This consists of races from the 250 miles stage to the South coast
of England; i.e.; Maidstone; Brighton; etc. They believe if the combination of the following
federations; i.e., Aberdeen, Dundee, Angus, Fife, Central, North West, Midlothian, Traprain,
Pentlandhills, East of Scotland, Scottish Borders ALL JOIN, they will be able to take the pigeons
to the longest South Coast race for a £1-00 A BIRD. Plus, the fact again subject to agreement
and some minor logistics, THEY can leave on the Friday night and be down in time to liberate
the next morning if the weather is good. If this transpires; it will take all the birdage away from
the SNFC inland nationals. Which would result in a massive loss of revenue to the club. Plus, the
fact that if this appointment is made for a full-time secretary, then that person will be entitled to a
full-time salary. Membership is dropping every year and you just have to look at the number of
fanciers who are calling it a day. We have just seen our ‘Greatest Fancier’ Billy Bilsland winner
of 14 nationals; give up the sport, plus there are others who are not so well known, but are
members of the national, the pigeon sport is dying and we ALL KNOW THIS FACT; so, a Full-
Time secretary will be a massive mistake in this present climate.
Here is Another Example of this Fact

I received an email with the sad news that the father and son partnership of Richard & Jamie
Combe of Elphinstone are also giving up the sport. Jamie wrote ‘Hi Joe, hope you are well. You
might have heard on the jungle drums but just to say that I'm intending to have an advert in the
BHW on Thursday 24 th  November edition, advertising all the birds for sale. My dad and his wife
are looking to move house and have put their house on the market now; so, the birds need to go
asap. I wondered if you could give it a wee mention in your column that week, please? I don't
have time to organise an auction so I’m just going to advertise them and sell them from the
paper. I have a week off work from Friday 25 th  November until Monday 5 th  December and would
hope to have the birds away during that week. I'll be happy to show any visitors the birds that are

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available, provided they make an appointment - strictly no unannounced visitors.  I will have a
sale list ready that can be e-mailed out so folk will know what is available. I can be reached on
07910 514078 or by e-mail jcelphi@hotmail.com
Anyone who follows the SNFC results or reads my column will have read about Richard &
Jamie Combe of Elphinstone; as their name has been at or near the top of SNFC results for many
years. They have also raced some wonderful pigeon over the years, including; ‘Setonpark
Caelan’ winner of The Joe Murphy Sporting Challenge; she did not only win this top award; but
she was the only pigeon recorded in race time. Which was something unique as this had never
happened before in my Sporting Challenge. Richard and Jamie also raced their famous ‘Midnight
Son’. A dark chequer cock, who was one of the best, if not the best, pigeon that Richard & Jamie
had the privileged to breed and race. His sire was ‘0400’ a black-splashed red chequer
Kirkpatrick stock cock. His brother was rung ‘0399’ and won 33 rd open SNFC Rennes as a
yearling and his sister, ‘3220’ won 22 nd open SNFC Sartilly. The dam of ‘0400’ was 8566 a dark
blue chequer hen who won 5 th open Sartilly (1) and 99 th open Sartilly (2) with the SNFC in 1995.
So, as you can see, ‘Midnight Son’ was bred in the purple! ‘8566’ in turn was a ½ sister of their
great hen ‘Sapphire’ a winner of 5 th open SNFC Sartilly (1) & 31 st open Sartilly (2) in 1993; &
29 th open SNFC Beauvais in 1994. Both ‘0400’ and ‘8566’ left a exceptionality amount of good
channel winners for the partnership.
As a young bird in 1996, ‘Midnight Son’ had 7 races out to Worcester (252 miles) and won 1 st
club from Penrith. He only had 3 races as a yearling from Preston, Stafford and finally Frome
with the SNFC homing early on the 2 nd day. In 1998 he was raced from Longtown, Penrith and
Leyland before being sent to Frome with the SNFC. Then on the 8 th June, after a one-day
holdover, he won 9 th east section, 16 th open from an entry of 4005 birds. He was then entered in
the SNFC Gold Cup race from Rennes and on the 28 th of June after a 2-day holdover; he won 72 nd
east section, 131 st open from an entry of 3019 birds. Finally on the 8 th of July this same year he
won 3 rd east section, 7 th open SNFC Sartilly competing against 2042 birds. These results with the
SNFC won him the coveted SHU Dewar Trophy for Scotland’s Bird of the Year. He also won
‘Bird of the Year’ in the Edinburgh and Lothians Social Circle. It was his performance from the
Sartilly race which gave him his name. The convoy were liberated at 09-00am, and he was timed
– (amid much excitement - at 00-31) by Richard; hence the ‘Midnight’ part of his name.
Somehow son Jamie, arouse from his bed when it was realised the cock was on the trap. He
reached the loft -dressed in pyjama top and shorts; and in his bare feet - at the same time as
Richard. And so, this is the reason the ‘Son’ part came of his name. ‘Midnight Son’ went on to
win 109 th east section, 241 st open Frome against an entry of (3827 birds); then won 65 th east
section, 155 th open from Rennes against a convoy of (2862 birds); and he then won 4 th east
section, 37 th open Sartilly from an entry of 1973 birds with the SNFC in 1999. He then met with
a serious injury in 2000 which greatly curtailed racing for a while until the partnership were sure
he had fully recovered but in 2002 he was sent to Reims with the SNFC and he won 45 th east
section, 62 nd open from a convoy of 2650 birds; thus, securing his SNFC Gold Award for
winning 5 times from France. Needless to say, he had nothing more to prove and was then retired
to stock and was the sire and grandsire of many good channel winner’s; not only for Richard &
Jamie but also for great fanciers like; Eddie Newcombe, Bobby Carruthers, Dale Newcombe (all
sadly no longer with us) and many others. To win 3 times in the top 10 of the east section of the
SNFC, was a great feat at that time and ‘Midnight Son’ and as far as I’m concerned ‘Midnight
Son’ will always be a Champion in my eyes. Richard and Jamie achieved many prizes within the
top 5 open positions in the SNFC results; for example; they were 2 nd open Tours, 2 nd open

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Chenoise, 3 rd open Sartilly, 4 th open Rennes, 5 th open Rennes and 3 times x 5 th open Sartilly. They
also twice won ‘The Fancier of the Year’ award in 1998 with Jim Renwick and in 2004 with my
Joe Murphy Sporting Challenge; and they were also runners up in 2006. They have also won the
SNFC overall and section averages plus the Gold Award mentioned above; They also won SNFC
Silver Awards won in 2008; 2009; 2015; 2016 & 2018. I have highlighted a good few of these
achievements in previous articles. My thanks to Jamie for his email and I hope Richard |&
Jamie’s sale goes well, look out for the advert in this week’s paper.
SHU Trophy Winners 2022

The SHU Celtic Trophy; was presented by Taffy Bowen of Wales; for the performance(s) Old
Birds up to 300 miles. The winners were G W & P McAloney with the following performances;
Race Point Organisation Date of Race Position in Race Number Birds Distance Velocity
Alnwick Lanarkshire 30/04/22 1 st Fed 5391 Fed 96-1091 1494

1 st Section 1509 Sect

Alnwick Lanarkshire 18/06/22 1 st Fed 2462 Fed 96-1091 1270

1 st Section 747 Sect

Thirsk Lanarkshire 07/05/22 24 th Fed 5072 Fed 154-627 1372

10 th Section 1408 Sect

Worksop Lanarkshire 21/05/22 31 st Fed 3447 Fed 213-1717 1329

15 th Section 1005 Sect

Worksop Lanarkshire 21/05/22 15 th Fed 3447 Fed 213-1717 1329
Yearling 7 th Section 1005 Sect 213-1717 1329
Budworth Lanarkshire 14/05/22 32 nd Fed 4250 Fed 189-1036 1246
Yearling 18 th Section 1160 Sect 189-1036 1246
Alnwick Lanarkshire 3/07/22 34 th Fed 1193 Fed 96-1091 1270

9 th Section 643 Sect

Wooler Lanarkshire 16/04/22 77 st Fed 3484 Fed 77-1057 1362

32 nd Section 973 Sect

The SHU Yearling Trophy Friendship Cup; for Outstanding Performance was won by S & S
Tierney of Edinburgh. From the SNFC Alencon race point flown on the 1 st July 2022, flying a
distance of 534 miles 449 yards recording a velocity of 1087.64 winning 21 st open competing
against 713 birds. This pigeon has already won 7 th section B 47 th open Yeovil, from an entry of
1631 birds, and also won 36 th open Carentan from an entry of 396 birds. We move on now to the
Annie Ross Bowes Memorial Trophy; which is awarded to the fancier who has donated their
free time in promoting the pigeon sport in Scotland. The winner of this award is Joe Allan of
Midlothian, nominated by Jimmy Simpson of the same federation. His letter is as follows; Dear
Andrew, I would like to nominated Joe Allan of Easthouses for the ARB Trophy. Joe is in his
83 rd year and has been an inspiration all over the Lothians for helping pigeon men; i.e., moving
their lofts also house moving; anything you ask Joe he would always help. He has been
Midlothian federation clock ‘convenor’ also convenor for the SNFC for more years than I can
remember. I am 70 years old and could not have done ½ of what Joe has done, he also ferries
race birds on Friday night from 12 clubs and brings the baskets back on a Saturday. As I have

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said before he is in his 83 rd year, suffers from C.O.P.D and has vowed to die ‘A DOO MAN’. He
lost his wife Violet 3 years ago and ‘Doo’s’ is all he has left. Hoping that you can give my
nomination consideration yours in sport Jimmy Simpson’. I would like to congratulate Joe on
winning this award, and I can also reiterate to Jimmy’s letter. Many years ago, I was asked to
help out a widow whose husband had passed; she was wanting all the pigeons and loft removed.
Our son Kevin was interested in her small stock loft and he purchased it. However; how was he
going to get it over to Thornton in Fife, where he would collect it. Joe Allan come to the rescue
and brought the loft over in his van. I have known Joe Allan for many many years, as we were
both friends of the late Chris and Roy Anderson of Ayton; who were great fliers in their day. On
many occasions when we visited the Anderson’s Joe would often be there as he had trained his
federation members birds from down in this area at least twice a week. Then he would drop in
and see the Anderson’s. Great memories and Chris and Roy had a fantastic team of birds, and the
pigeon club room was in the bottom half of their property; opposite the Black Bull Pub in the
main street of Ayton. Billy Bilsland lives in the top part of the village now, and we all know how
successful Billy has been.

Joe’s Joke

A Cup of Tea One day a mother was out, and dad was in charge of his daughter. She was only
maybe 2 ½ years old. Someone had given her a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of her
favourite toys. Her Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news; when she
brought him a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise
for such ‘yummy tea’, her mum came home. Dad made mum wait in the living room to watch
their daughter bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' Mum waited, and
sure enough, here she came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and Mum watched him
drink it up. Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the
only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum
Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to
joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online
editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk -
www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com
www.internationalracingpigeon.com or https://sites.google.com/site/internationalracingpigeon/
Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland?

© COMPILED BY JOE MURPHY