Cumberland News

Carlisle club wins three prizes at one weight

wrestling By Roger Robson

Last updated 13:13, Friday, 13 June 2008

THE wrestling at Morpeth Fair in Northumberland takes place in Carlisle Park alongside the River Wansbeck and several Carlisle wrestlers made themselves very much at home.

On a shelf of lawn between bog, trees and litter bins, Carlisle Wrestling Club took all three places in the 11 stones. Watchai Noimai and Richard Dixon wrestled well, but Andrew Carlile was a class ahead on the day, using minimum effort to win his fall. . . a nudge here, a cunning twist there. He was obviously well extended in the final with Dixon, but rode Dixon's attacks and won with twists.

Following on from that, John Harrington took up the baton for the Carlisle club, winning the first fall of the final by inside-clicking Fraser Hirsch, down from Dundee.

Hirsch is a powerful and canny wrestler and fought back with a typical grab for hold and a wrench buttock off the right side.

This served only to inspire Harrington to one of the falls of the day when he outside-hiped, and then finished off with a buttock.

In the heavier weights the Northumbrians came into their own with Jason Davidson felling Andrew Ord with two outside-hipes in the 15st final, and Darren Whitfield did much the same to Jason Davidson in the All Weights final. Usually Whitfield and Davidson have close bouts, but this time it almost looked like an old fashioned barney as Davidson went down so easily. Whitfield was as surprised as the rest of us, for the reason was that Davidson had picked up an injured shoulder which rendered him less competitive.

It speaks well for the two wrestling academies that two coaches from each were in top spots: active wrestlers remain the best inspiration for the next generation of wrestlers. The pupils in general lost the war, but they also won some wonderful battles.

Craig Ridley of Slaggyford was on excellent form in the Under 16s when he beat the dangerous Jack Hale in the final, but the fall which probably made his day would be the hank that splattered his coach, Andrew Carlile. Watchai Noimai, in turn, took a spectacular fall from his coach, Alan Jones, when he swung him on and sent him flying.

Andrew Ord may have lost to his coach, Jason Davidson, when he went down to two outside-hipes, but it was Ord who showed him how to do it in their first bout. The experienced wrestlers are winning, but are pushed every step of the way by the young callants.

Results:

Morpeth Fair

Under-10 Years: 1, Joe Hale; 2, H Bertram; 3, C Bertram.

Under-13 Years: 1, C Spence; 2, G Crane; 3, L Spence.

Under-16 Years: 1, C Ridley; 2, Jack Hale; 3, J Daley.

Under-18 Years: 1, J Oliver; 2, N Birdsall; 3, C Naylor.

11st: 1, A Carlile; 2, R Dixon; 3, W Noimai.

13½st: 1, John Harrington; 2, F Hirsch; 3, A Jones.

15½st: 1, J Davidson; 2, A Ord; 3, R Dixon.

All Weights: 1, D Whitfield; 2, J Davidson; 3, John Harrington.

Dates:

Saturday June 14: 2pm Roman Wall Show U13/U17/111/2/131/2/AW. 6pm Lowgill Sports & Sheepdog Trials, Lancaster U12/U15/U18/13/AW.