Merseyside Quiz Leagues
Encyclopedia
History and organisation
The first Quiz LeagueQuiz league
A quiz league is an organization running quizzes on a home and away basis, usually in pubs. Like the pub quiz, it is chiefly a British phenomenon although the format has significant differences to a pub quiz due to the usual number of teams and the presence of individual questions.-Team format:Two...
on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
was formed in Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
in 1959 with just ten teams, making it one of the oldest in the country. Now the MQL, the largest independent quiz league in the UK, consists of teams spread amongst six large areas:
- LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
- Northern (BootleBootleBootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
, WaterlooWaterloo, SeftonWaterloo is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England.Waterloo is home to The Plaza Community Cinema and three primary schools...
and CrosbyCrosby, MerseysideCrosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
etc.) - OrmskirkOrmskirkOrmskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
- SouthportSouthportSouthport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
& FormbyFormbyFormby is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It has a population of approximately 25,000.... - WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
- WirralMetropolitan Borough of WirralThe Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
League Matches are played once a week during the season, which extends from September to March. Other MQL competitions include:
- Merseyside Challenge Cup (open to all teams - NB there is also a Plate Competition)
- President's Trophy (Inter-League Division One, representative sides)
- President's Shield (Inter-League Divisions Two, Three etc representative sides)
- Feeny Cup (End of season competition for the top three sides in each Division One)
- Rendon Cup (End of season competition for champions and runners-up in all other divisions)
- Mimir Trophy (an individual competition - open to all. Named after MimirMímirMímir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who is beheaded during the Æsir-Vanir War...
, the Norse God of Wisdom)
Additionally, each league organises its own knockout and/or cup competitions either during or at the end of the season.
Each area organises its Leagues via Local Committees. Representatives from the Committees serve on the MQL Council which takes decisions of overall importance.
Quiz teams come from pubs, clubs, works, offices, churches, sports and political clubs, etc. Players come from every walk of life.
All matches are played strictly in accordance with MQL rules which are continually refined and brought up to date. The rules are available on the MQL web site together with fixtures and general information. Each playing member is issued with a Handbook at the start of each season.
Highlights of the season - apart from the various Finals - are the Area Presentation Nights and the MQL Presentation and Finals Nights - at which an array of cups, shields mementos are distributed.
Prior to each season, teams register and present their own sets of questions. Strict security is observed to prevent fore-knowledge of question sets.
A number of leagues make annual contributions to charities.
Since its inception, MQL has helped other areas in the UK to form similar associations - and in some cases ex-members have carried the gospel overseas.
The appeal of the Quiz League is difficult to define. It is a form of intellectual masturbation, performed by aments who have no intellectual capacity whatsoever, but seek comfort in this inane substitute for true achievement. At the top levels, matches are played in a spirit of fierce competition, whilst lower down the scale the "Quiz Night" is more of a friendly social occasion.
For several years MQL supplied the teams and questions for BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
's Merseyquiz knockout competition.
In 1976, an individual competition was introduced with a unique format which ensures that players have an equal chance of answering questions without reliance on buzzers, extra bonus points etc. It is called the MIMIR competition and is named after the Norse god of wisdom.
In 1979, the Leagues adopted a depiction of Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
's Ravens as its badge and logo. One called Huginn represents Thought, the other called Muninn represents Memory.
After nearly 50 years, stories, jokes, legends and myths about the Leagues abound, and have become part of the social history of the area.
President
Ken Smith 2008-2011 (St. Mary's Old Boys' Club)Format
The league season runs from September to March with matches played on a home and away basis. Teams choose either Monday or Tuesday as their home night. The starting time for matches is 9 p.m.. Teams consist of 4 players, but to form a team you need a squad of about 6 people, not only to cover occasional unavailability of players but also as home teams provide officials such as question person, scorer and timekeeper. After the match which lasts approximately 30 minutes, it is customary for the home team to provide light refreshments (sandwiches) and a 'friendly' quiz. The only other major requirement is one set of questions from each team for matches to be played in other areas during the following season.Quizzes consist of 8 rounds each of 8 questions. Each player is asked a question in turn - he/she may attempt an answer for 2 points or pass it to a team mate for 1 point - a failure to answer a question or an incorrect answer gives the opposition an opportunity to answer correctly for 1 bonus point.
The Standard
Questions vary in difficulty and cover a wide variety of topics but are designed to be answered - answers below- Which film featured the song 'Unchained Melody' by the Righteous Brothers?
- Who said, "I never hated a man enough to give him back his diamonds"?
- In which county is Silverstone motor racing circuit?
- From which country does the wine 'Bull's Blood' come?
- Who wrote 'Murder in the Cathedral'?
- Which newspaper uncovered the Watergate Affair?
- How many minutes are there in a degree?
- What beverage did Andre Agassi advertise on TV?
- What is the capital of the new republic of Slovakia?
- Edward, the Black Prince, is said to have collected his spurs at which battle?
- Twelfth Night is the eve of which Christian Festival?
- Who was Anastasia and Drizella's step sister?
Answers: Ghost, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Northampton, Hungary, T.S.Eliot, Washington Post, Sixty, Nescafé, Bratislava, Crécy, Epiphany, Cinderella