Hucknall Rotarians Crowned World Champions

At the first club meeting held in September, two members were acknowledge and congratulated for being crowned as World Champions during August.  While most eyes were focussed on the Olympic show taking place in London, the really serious competition was taking place 120 miles east of the Olympic stadium.

 

In an epic contest a team of nine men who had never completed before ended the tournament as winners and were duly crowned World Champions.  In their journey to the title they defeated the defending champions who were aiming for a hat-trick of victories.  Included in the winning squad were Hucknall Rotarians Jack Gray and Stuart Whitehead.  How many Rotary clubs can boast, not one, but two current world champions.  Gentlemen, we are proud of you.

 

In a ‘sport’ that certainly predates the modern Olympic games and dates back to the middle ages, ‘The Jolly Rogers’ of Nottingham defeated ‘The Pippin Doggers’  in the Dwile Flonking World Championship held at the Dog Inn, Ludham Bridge, Norfolk.

 

I resisted the temptation to write the headline:

 

‘Hucknall Rotarians crowned World Champions at Dog Inn.’

 

The following report from the Hucknall Dispatch describes this age-old traditional game:

 

 

A GROUP of Hucknall men on a stag weekend boating on the Norfolk Broads brought home more than a hangover.

The team of nine found themselves entering an age-old traditional pub game at one of their ports of call and came away as world champions!

It was at the Dwile Flonking Championships, held at the Dog Inn at Ludlum Bridge, that the Hucknall team, dressed as pirates, competed in this traditional drinking game.

“Hucknall is now on the map thanks to the drink-fuelled enthusiasm and skill that led to The Jolly Rogers’ team grabbing victory,” said a delighted Jack Gray, the groom’s future father-in-law, who captained the team.

During the game, ‘flonkers’’ use a pole to launch a beer-soaked cloth at opponents, with the aim of giving them a wet slap in the face.

And it seems that this group of ‘flonking’ amateurs from the Dispatch district had all the skills necessary to take the title.

Jack added: “We were mooring the boat when this lady approached us and told us about the contest. Recognising we were on a stag weekend, she suggested we enter.

“It was a cracking day and we all had a great time with everyone cheering us on shouting ‘Pirates, Pirates’.

“The contest is already on Youtube and is due to feature in a TV documentary on dwile flonking championships.”

Experts are split over when the game was first played.

Some say that it may have started in Norfolk and Suffolk in the middle ages as a traditional form of entertainment, while others believe it was invented by a group of Suffolk printing apprentices in 1966.

The word ‘dwile’ comes from Suffolk dialect meaning dishcloth and ‘flonk’ may have come from ‘flong’, a printing term to describe a paper mould used to create a type impression.

“We now have to return next year and defend our title,” added Jack, whose daughter Kirsty is due to marry Rob Gauntlett-Munn. “And I’m sure our antics will be mentioned in the best men’s speeches at the wedding.”

 

The winning performance can be viewed here:

Our main speaker at the meeting was Past President (twice) David Spencer who joined the club in 1984 who spoke about his work experiences in the Steel Window Manufacturing Industry.