CheckerBroads Take the Track in 2012

What a year we have had!

Last December Manchester Roller Derby were settling into our new training venue, Sporting Edge, and embarking on a new chapter for MRD as a league.

17^th December 2011 brought a winter home game, Mistletoe and Grime, which was the CheckerBroads first double header alongside our men's team New Wheeled Order. The Broads took on Croydon Roller Derby in what we knew would be a tough game. The visitors won 163 to 126 in a fast paced bout.

In Jan 2012 we traveled to play a return game against Hot Wheel Roller Derby in Halifax. The CheckerBroads had a comfortable win at the previous bout, but we underestimated how much the hotties had improved since then. Final score: CB 91 – 189 HW.

We needed a win. We had lost our last four games and we were facing a return game against CCR’s Slay Belles. The last game was lost by a mere 19 points. We traveled with our fans to Birmingham full of positivity and a coach load of tactics. We skated hard and fast and won 135 to123!

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest

Two weeks later we went to play our friends the Liverpool Roller Birds. This was a strange game as we often scrimmage together, but we we’re all excited to play for real on the track. Final score: LRB 173 – 211 CB. It was the first time we had broken 200 points! It was a great game to play and we didn’t want the final whistle to go.

Then came Dundee Roller Girls in April. We beat them by 99 points last March and this time they traveled the distance to visit us. They turned things around and came out top: CB 129 – 202 DRG. The blow was softened by an amazing after party.

June brought us our next home game, a return bout against the mighty Severn Roller Torrent. We had a huge score to settle and we’re desperate for a home win…and we got it! Final score: SRT 84 - 203 CB.

In July we traveled across to Newcastle to play our return game against Newcastle Roller Girls. Last time we played the B-team and won by 7 points but the return game was against NRG's A-Team. We knew it was going to be tough. We went in cool, calm and waltzing...yes, waltzing was our skate out. Something did the trick as the final score was NRG 156 – 172 CB.

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest

Our training was paying off, our teamwork was stronger than ever, and the trust we had in one and other was being reflected on the track.

The fun continued in July when we were invited to the third Great Yorkshire Showdown. We were drawn against Sheffield Steel Roller Girls B-team the Crucibelles, and Hot Wheel Roller Derby. Final scores: MRD 48 - 95 HW and SSRG 56 - 75 MRD. It was a mighty day and we love LRD for putting on such a great event. We are ready for the next one!

In October MRD went international. We were invited to play the Amsterdam Derby Dames and sent a mixed A and B team to embark on our first European bout. We stormed our way to a win, ADD 131 – 201 MRD, and became international athletes.

November 17^th saw the biggest home event MRD had ever hosted. Our very own New Wheeled Order took on the formidable New York Shock Exchange, and we had our return game against the Impostors. Not to be out-shined by the boys, we opened the day with a big win: IRG 64 – 183 CB.

The last bout of 2012 brought 40 or so very bleary eyed rollergirls, refs and derby friends to Manchester Airport early on a Saturday morning for a bout in Dublin. Our wonderful B-team The Furies were played against Dublin's B-team, and the Broads brought our return game to Dublin's A-Team. This game was a challenge but we were able to narrow the point deficit from the last bout. Final score CB 93 – 164 Dublin. We traveled there and back in one day, and didn’t even time for a pint of Guinness!

This year has been a busy one. We have trained hard, learned from each other and the amazing teams we have played. We have sadly seen some of our best players go, but we have filled our team with some amazing new talent. We are all massively proud of how the CheckerBroads have grown as a team, we are definitely a strong force to behold!

The CheckerBroads are very excited to see what 2013 will bring and they hope to see YOU on the track!

HAPPY PACK!

Photo by Craig Richmond

New Wheeled Order: Year One

Twelve months, fourteen games. A year ago today, Manchester Roller Derby’s New Wheeled Order skated out to face Tyne & Fear in our first ever bout. Now that the season’s over, what better time to indulge in a little nostalgia and take a look back at the wins, losses and lessons learned over the year.

And what a year it’s been...

17th December 2011
Mistletoe & Grime: Home to Tyne and Fear

Okay, so we were a team then. Just. The twelve-man roster that took on Tyne and Fear included some very fresh legs (and shiny skates) and for some reason, the Order’s own Crash Matt was skating for the opposition...

Final score: T&F 206 - 113 NWO

9th June
Home to The Jakey Bites

Around six months behind us, the Jakeys paid us the honour of traveling from all over Scotland to play us in their first bout. With some great skaters - and three of Tyne and Fear  making guest appearances - the Jakeys played an aggressive game, but we’d been working to strengthen our walls since that first loss, and the Scots jammers struggled to break through.

Final score: NWO 272 - 103 TJB

Mens European Roller Derby Championships
Birmingham, July 28th/29th

Two days of derby, with seven teams playing each other in half-hour bouts to earn a top-four spot and continue through to the second day. A half-hour bout sounds easy, but the pace of each game was frantic from the first whistle, and staying focussed and energised was as important as the tactics.

Wins against the Crash Test Brummies, Tyne and Fear and (with a decisive points difference) The Inhuman League, saw the Order go through to day 2 in third place, finishing fourth overall due to a loss in the second of two painfully close games with The Expendables.

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest

The team voted our “game of the tournament” as the second bout with the Toulouse Quad Guards, proving that in roller derby, it’s not always about the win; sometimes it’s about setting a goal and achieving it. Despite the loss, taking so many points off the Quad Guards was a huge achievement for us, and every skater shares the pride in that result.

11th August/15th September
Talk Derby To Me: Away to The Inhuman League
Home to Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder

Two games coming close after the tournament taught us a lesson in the need to stay flexible in your tactics. Our strong defensive approach had been successful to that point, but facing teams playing “old-school” merby, with strong individual play and committed assists, saw us struggling to reform our walls and take control of the game. We took what we learned in both games back to training, and spent the next two months drilling a new style of play for us; our defence is still strong, but now so is our offence...

Final scores: TIL 148 - NWO 138 / LRT 170 - NWO 135

17th November
Shock the UK! Home to the New York Shock Exchange

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest

This game had been in the planning for nearly a year, and was worth the wait. Playing to one of the biggest and most supportive crowds either team had experienced, the game played out as many had expected, with the NYSE taking a convincing win, but again we set ourselves a goal and we achieved it. Never mind our points, the NYSE jammers had to fight for every single one of theirs, and we never gave them a second to relax, keeping the pressure at 100% right to the final whistle.

Final score: NYSE 266 - 59 NWO

2nd December
Away to the Crash Test Brummies

We could have ended the year with an upset, with a frantic first half of aggressive play by the Brummies who - as at the European Championships - forced us to play their game up to the half way point, seeing us in the changing rooms with a two-point deficit. It was a more focussed, calmer and more controlled New Wheeled Order that returned to the track for the second period, taking the lead, and then the game, by keeping tight hold on their jammers, assisting ours through the Brummie walls, and keeping - as far as we could - an empty penalty bin.

Final score: NWO 236 - 123 CTBs

So that was our first year as a bouting team, and if you think that was a big year, you have no idea what we have in store for 2013. We’re coming back bigger, stronger, faster, and with our most ambitious goals yet.

Every skater in the Order would like to thank all of our fans for the love and support we’ve experienced at each game.

Happy Christmas.

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest

Roller disco in Manchester this Saturday, 6-8pm

Help us raise the funds to send our team to play Dublin Roller Girls. Go on.

And whilst you're doing it, have ALL the fun on skates with yer mates.

The roller disco theme is "Irish and 70's" (we're indecisive) and it'll take place this Saturday 1st December at Sporting Edge.  Fancy dress is optional... but dressing up is fun and the best dressed wins a prize. Either Irish or 70's, or a hilarious combination of the two, the choice is yours.

There will be cake. Of course. And a DJ. Plus we'll have an array of beautiful MRD merch on sale.

Everyone is welcome, children included. Come on down and throw some shapes on skates.

£3 entry (includes skate hire)
6pm-8pm
1 Silverlace Avenue, Openshaw, Manchester, M11 1GN

RSVP here

Our bout in Manchester this Saturday is so big it has its own trailer...

You know it makes sense.
TICKETS.

(Moving graphic by Pete Gomer, artwork by Chris Howker)

5 reasons to attend New York Shock Exchange's roller derby boot camp in Manchester this month

SHE SAYS

Bootay blocking (Photo by Kate Robson Photography)

My top 5 reasons for attending the NYSE Bootcamp
by Booty Treatment, aged 30 ½

1.  The New York Shock Exchange work closely (and share trainers and refs) with the Gotham Girls, who are only the best roller derby team in the whole entire WORLD. (I once danced with Suzy Hotrod at an afterparty and was close enough to Bonnie Thunders to sweat into her beer. They’re seriously amazing in person, ergo the men stack up, because such awesome ladies would not hang out with uncool people.)

2.  Other things I could spend that £75 on include:

a) One slap up night out with my derby wife, complete with hangovers and regret.
b) Three sessions with a personal trainer who’s never heard of roller derby and thinks I skate round to cheesy music waving my arms.
c) Six new bout tee shirts to cut up and ruin with my derby stink.
d) Eight new wheels which may make me a better skater or may get consigned to the
pile of ‘seemed like a good idea’ along with the shiny pink leggings.
e) Twenty five pairs of Asda’s finest tights.

On reflection, that £75 is probably much better spent on a whole day of learning that I will carry with me for the rest of my derby career.

3.  Part of my brain thinks I am nowhere near good enough to go to a boot camp run by these guys. Um, guess what? That’s what boot camps are for. LEARNING. It’s empowering to get in over my head and manage to get up off the bench and go back for more. Vivi Section from Circle City Derby Girls (Indianapolis, USA) sums up my reasons for wanting to get my ass handed to me perfectly: “Had I ever had the chance to be hit so hard and so expertly? No, I had not. Had I ever been in a rotation with a jammer who played at Nationals? No, I had not. Was I going to miss an opportunity, this unique chance to get my ass handed to me, to get beaten up by a blocker who operates in a higher stratosphere of jammer-killing than one I had yet encountered? No, I was not.”

4.  I’m not worried about playing with guys. I’ve been hurt much worse by rookie players who went down like a shot deer in front of me than I ever have taking a huge hit from someone bigger than me. In fact, I really like playing with guys. I like that as someone who’s bigger than a lot of female derby players, I have to work not to get pushed around on the track. I like that my munchkin sized teammates can sail past terrifyingly giant men without being touched because they present a target zone that’s like three inches tall. I like the camaraderie and the thumbs up when I make a good hit and the fact that when we’re on the track, it doesn’t really matter who has boobs and who has balls, just that we all have skates on our feet and have a common goal.

5.  I’m not sure if it’s cool to admit this, but I really get a kick out of schooling men on the track. I’d like to say it’s because I’m a feminist and I believe strongly in equality, but really it comes down to playground politics. Boys and girls aren’t supposed to fight, it’s not…nice. What’s really not nice is not letting consenting adults decide what they want to do. If I want to be hit by men, I’ll be hit by men (in a safe and controlled environment mediated by referees and the most complicated rule set known to mankind). They just better believe I’ll hit back, and in a much better way after I soak up all the learnings at this boot camp!

HE SAYS

My top 5 reasons to be absolutely gutted I can't attend the NYSE boot camp
By Station, aged 38 ¹∕₆

1.  I skated against Abe Drinkin at the Men's European Roller Derby Championships in July, and the way he pulled The Expendables together into a coherent, focused team still blows me away. A lot of these guys hadn't even met before the first day of bouts, but Abe had them all working together in both defence and offence as if they'd been playing together for years. That level of derby knowledge, coupled with the kind of confidence that permeates a lineup and gets people communicating and working to the same plan... I need to train with players of that standard and hope some of that experience rubs off.

2.  Jonathan R and Ladies Knight - these guys have peerless technique, and the chance to learn from them would take my skating - particularly my jamming - up more than a notch or two. I train with some fantastic skaters, but our focus on tactics and gameplay doesn't leave a lot of time for a newer skater like me to refine my style and work past those bad habits I picked up along the way. An intensive session on jamming techniques and skills would hopefully see me dodging through and around walls, instead of relying on strength to try and blam my way through.

3.  Our coach brings a seemingly constant supply of tactics to training, and we work on how to perfect those that work for us as a team, and how to respond to those that we might encounter on the track, but there's always room for new ideas - left-field thinking that shakes up your understanding of the game. Roller derby is still so new in the UK - were it a person, the men's game wouldn't be out of nappies yet - so the opportunity to train with coaches that have seen the tactics and rules evolve, who maybe have more insight than most into where the sport is going, is a huge opportunity to consolidate our understanding of where we are now, ready for the new rules in January.

4.  As part of Manchester Roller Derby, I regularly train and scrim with the girls, but Booty highlighted one area where I really struggle - those tiny, high-velocity jammers that I just can't seem to out-manoeuvre. Sure, once their speed is gone I can hold them, but getting them stopped legally, that's hard, and I was looking forward to the chance to skate against the girls - both from MRD and other leagues - with input from these coaches, sharing their techniques for getting in low and legal, without low- or high-blocking. I know most leagues don't skate co-ed, but with small, agile jammers common in both the men's and women's game, and possibly becoming more so under the new ruleset, that's a skill upon which I'll be increasingly relying.

5.  As a player, I don't watch the track during jams in which I'm not playing. Seriously - I'll get yelled at if I'm staring at the track instead of talking to my lineup about our plan for the next jam. And as fans, you're watching at least half of the action from the wrong side of the track, so the one thing I was looking forward to most about the bootcamp was being able to discuss, examine, and learn how the NYSE had played on the previous day: "you did X, show me why". You can see what they do on the archived footage, but learning about how they do it - what they're thinking about and the plan they're working to - takes your understanding of their play so much further.

So, yeah, I had a long list of skills and experience I was hoping to take away from the day, so I'm highly disappointed, and just hope that you get to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.

NYSE BOOT CAMP WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY 18TH NOVEMBER. TICKETS HERE.

There is also a big important bout the day before, tickets and info here. 

New York Shock Exchange boot camp & bout in Manchester this month

New York Shock Exchange flee one wet city for another to bout Manchester Roller Derby and host a roller derby boot camp. What's more, both of these events will be happening on the same weekend.  How much roller derby can YOU handle?

First thing's first - THE BOUT.  This is one of only two bouts that the New York team is playing in the UK, and the only one to be held in the north of England.  This is the first ever intercontinental men's roller derby bout.  This is not to be missed.  The mighty New York Shock Exchange are one of the best men's teams in the world and will be crossing the pond to take on MRD's New Wheeled Order.  The Order are not to be sniffed at however, anyone who witnessed their impressive performance at the European Championships will tell you as much - expect fast and furious skating, hard hits and big spills!  In true MRD style there will also be full-contact female derby as MRD's CheckerBroads face off against Imposters Roller Girls.  The last time they met it was a hard fought game with Imposters taking it 117 - 89. This is a re-match that will sizzle.

Second thing's second - THE BOOT CAMP.  Manchester Roller Derby is very proud to be hosting its first ever boot camp in conjunction with the New York Shock Exchange.  The Shockers want to skate with you and share their tricks of the trade. With sections for both beginners and veterans, this bootcamp is open to all adult skaters of any gender. This is your chance to work on jammer footwork, blocking technique, wall building, pack speed control, and then put your new skills to test in a full on scrimmage.

BOUT information and tickets

BOOT CAMP information and tickets

KEY STATS

BOUT. DOUBLE-HEADER. SAT 17th NOVEMBER. 2PM. MRD CHECKERBROADS V IMPOSTERS ROLLER GIRLS. MRD NEW WHEELED ORDER V NEW YORK SHOCK EXCHANGE. ARMITAGE CENTRE, FALLOWFIELD, MANCHESTER. TICKETS £10.  

BOOT CAMP. SUN 18th NOVEMBER. 10AM - 8PM. NEW YORK SHOCK EXCHANGE. ARMITAGE CENTRE, FALLOWFIELD, MANCHESTER. OPEN TO ALL ADULT SKATERS OF ANY GENDER.  TICKETS £75.

Poster designed by Chris Howker 

MRD go to Amsterdam

As you may have noticed by our furious fundraising, MRD is sending a mixed team of female skaters over to Amsterdam in just under three weeks - to take on the Amsterdam Derby Dames.

This is the first time we have sent a full team abroad to compete - making us international skaters! How exciting!  To keep track of any updates, whether you can make it or not, here is the Facebook event.

Some information on the bout from Amsterdam Derby Dames...

The Amsterdam Derby Dames are already in the Halloween spirit! On 13th October 2012 they will be playing a home bout entitled 'Amsterdamned'.

The duel against Manchester Roller Derby promises to be more exciting than ever and Amsterdam Derby Dames are putting out a squad of their best players from the All Star Team. Speed, tactics and a dose of controlled aggression on the track will take centre stage.

Amsterdam Derby Dames invite you to join them on Saturday 13 October to witness this event at the Sporthal Bankras in Amstelveen. If you can't join them, you could always follow the scores on Twitter.

WHAT Amsterdam Derby Dames vs. Manchester Roller Derby
WHERE  Sporthal Bankras, Oostelijk Halfrond 9, 1183 EL Amstelveen
WHEN 13 October 2012 - Doors open at 3pm - Starting whistle at 4pm

For extra information on the game, see videos here and here taken at the recent Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto.

Poster image appears courtesy of Dennis Stempher Photography.

Live Roller Derby... Counting Down to MRD's next Home Bout

Only five days now....

Don't forget, this Saturday, Manchester Roller Derby are hosting an afternoon of hard-hitting, nail-biting roller derby. 

In the first bout of the day, our fabulous women's B team, Phoenix Furies, will be skating out against Furness Fire Crackers.

And if that wasn't enough, in the second bout you will be able to watch our amazing men's team New Wheeled Order take on Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder.

Doors open at 1pm, so get down to the Sugden Centre in Manchester for some shouting and cheering. Bring kids, friends, neighbours, whoever wants to come.

As usual there will be stalls selling all kinds of exciting stuff from jewellery to clothing to cakes to derby goodies.  

Tickets are only £7 if you book in advance (£6 concessions) or £10 on the door. Click here to buy tickets and/or RSVP our event on Facebook

Live Roller Derby: Two weeks and counting...

I have never been to a roller derby bout.

I know. This is quite possibly a mortal sin. Especially as I’ve been training with Manchester Roller Derby for the past four months.

I could give my excuses and explain that I’m not often free on a Saturday, and I was ill one time, and double-booked another time. Or I could just tell you how excited I am that in just two weeks I will AT LAST be watching my first live roller derby bout!

Manchester Roller Derby are hosting an amazing double-header bout on Saturday 15^th September. Yes, two bouts. The first sees MRD's Women's B team Phoenix Furies, skating against Furness Fire Crackers. And in the second bout, MRD's Men's team New Wheeled Order take on Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder.

Oh, I have so many reasons for being excited.

At last I’ll be able to witness first hand all the live jamming and blocking action. I mean, I’ve been to scrimmages, which are essentially practice bouts. I’ve watched and been a non-skating official at scrimmages. I've seen all the skills and techniques, the hard hits, penalties, falls, the fast jamming. But, I know from photographs, video clips, and talking to people in my league that bouts are a whole different experience.

My five reasons to be excited about seeing a live bout for the first time:

1. The Noisy Crowd

I can’t wait to be shouting, cheering and clapping along with more than two hundred other people. I want to hear the roar that Captain Malice from New Wheeled Order says you can hear on the track and from anywhere in the building whenever there is a big hit. I’m not sure whether I dare sit in the suicide seats right at the front. But I will be there, right in the middle shouting go, go, go!

2. The Skate Outs

I can’t wait to see the teams skating out, and hear their names introduced by the announcer. And some of my friends will be skating out, so I think I might yell until I’m hoarse when their skate names are called out. So many derby names are clever or funny plays on words or puns, and hearing those names over the PA, as the teams skate out… that’s got to be exciting… especially when they are names I know and love.

3. The Boutfits

Roller Derby is well-known for its amazing, alternative style. Personally I think it’s the coolest sport around. I love that each player can be an individual, as well as wearing team colours or patterns. All the face paint and war paint, the painted numbers on arms, the crazy socks, the hot pants, fishnets or patterned tights, the bandanas, the glitter and glam. And that’s just the girls...

4. The Derby

Of course, I’m there to watch the sport. I know how hard all the players train on their skills and endurance. I can’t wait to see it all put into action on the rink. Derby is so many things as a sport. It’s fast, skilful, tough, exciting, nerve-wracking, full-on contact. I can’t wait to watch the jammers racing round the track, the blockers trying to get in their way, assists breaking through so the jammer can whizz round again and score (hopefully many) points.

5. The Whole Event

Add to all the above... The stalls selling all kinds of cool (from jewellery to derby kit to cakes)... The fact that kids come along and get excited watching their mum, dad, big sister or brother playing derby and get high fives from all the players after each bout... All the derby love that fills the whole rink because people so genuinely LOVE playing, watching and talking about derby... And (hopefully) the after party

Sigh.

Two weeks and counting down...

Tickets are on sale now at only £7 if you book in advance (£6 concessions) or £10 on the door. Click here to buy tickets and/or RSVP on Facebook

Many hands make light work

Roller derby is an all-consuming pastime, as anyone involved in its ‘extra-curricular’ activities will attest to, but it doesn’t have to be.

I’ve been a member of Manchester Roller Derby’s committee since it was born in May 2011, and acted in a similar capacity before its birth. As PR Manager, it has been my job to promote the club and its events, oversee the design of any publications, write press releases, develop and maintain relationships with media professionals, ensure consistency in branding, and oversee social network management and website design. Bit of a mouthful I know, and that’s not even all of it.

It all sounds a bit boring and corporate, but can be lots of fun and very satisfying. The main reason I do it is because I want to use the skills I possess to let everyone know about the club I love and am hugely proud to be a part of. The fruits of this labour have seen us featured on BBC Manchester Online, The Telegraph, Chimp Magazine and the Manchester Evening News.

We have a club filled to the brim with talented individuals from all walks of life. We do what we do with minimal funding and outside support. Everyone who works to make the club the best it can be is a volunteer driven purely by passion and belief. Many of the volunteers in committee roles have been involved in some capacity since they started skating at MRD.

It can be easy to criticise how things are done, but it is important to remember that the people involved in the running of your roller derby club generally aren’t professional managers and are doing the best they can with the skills and resources they have. It is so difficult to make fair decisions that affect 80+ individuals with such colourful personalities and strong opinions as roller derby seems to attract! You will never please everyone.

As a skater for MRD’s A-team, the Checkerbroads, I will admit that my involvement in the adminstrative side of roller derby has on occasion affected my mental state when I should be focusing purely on skating, tactics and working with my team - whether it’s focusing on the wording of a release that needs to be written and sent out rather than a specific drill, or separating myself from various aspects of bout preparation in order to focus on the bout in hand. I guess this is an inevitable side-effect of not being ‘just a skater’, but it is beneficial to have more of a rotation of those involved and those not, like many clubs do these days.

Everyone at MRD has a life outside of roller derby. My life outside currently involves working long and/or late shifts at a shop (with the week’s rota decided a couple of days before if we’re lucky), practicing with my band, nights out for gigs, looking after my two kitties, weekly fitness classes and seeing my derby widow whenever our timetables allow. Some people have kids, work 12-hour shifts in stressful jobs, are carers, have Masters and PhDs to work on or have other important commitments. Despite these commitments, you will still find these people offering hours of their time and effort to help the club grow. This isn’t something that will happen of its own accord.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: ‘We have a club filled to the brim with talented individuals from all walks of life.’ If you skate for us and have the skills, time and enthusiasm (or any of these things) – speak up! MRD has so many great ideas, but not always the manpower to make them happen. If we had people coming up with ideas and then going ahead and making these things happen, well… the sky would be the limit!

This is a call to arms. Don’t just skate for your roller derby club, own a part of it.

Much love,
Kate Push #11

MRD tearing it up. All images by our official photographer Shirlaine Forrest.

Getting involved...

MRD member? Get involved! Below is a brief description of each area and its current key contact.

• Bouts (Cecil B. Demented) - Event management for our home bouts, also works hard to ensure our away bouts run smoothly. Works closely with PR and finance.
  
• Training (Vic Tori Bee) - Our training taskforce. Concerned with all aspects of training - from session plans to recruitment to ensuring our floor-time is efficiently used. Works closely with secretary and PR.
  
• Secretary (Jowanna Clout) - The backbone of everything at MRD. Arranges committee meetings, takes minutes, records training attendance, collects subs, looks after club documents/policies, insurance and much more.
  
• Officials (Skabarella) - Our group of incredible referees and NSOs. MRD is very proud to be able to field our own dedicated officials team - both for home and for away games (not just for our own club either!). Also arranges training for budding refs/NSOs and works alongside PR to promote recruitment of officials.
  
• Treasury (Ma Rollin' Munster) - For the accountants in town, or anyone who likes numbers. Makes sure our outgoings don't exceed our incomings, keeps lots of records and works out how we can turn a profit! Works closely with merch and our secretary.
  
• Merchandise (Skulldozer) -Involves research of new items, evaluation of current stock, writing merch reports, looking after the online shop, selling advertisements in home bout programmes and stalls at bouts. Works closely with PR and MRD's sponsors.
  
• Fundraising (Kerried Alive) - Looks into any grants we may be eligible for, applies for funding, arranges fundraising events. Works closely with PR and treasury.
  
• PR (Kate Push) - All about shouting about our club and raising its profile. This involves writing/sending out press releases, arranging all promotion for home bouts and other events and looking after our website and social media presence. Works closely with fundraising and merchandise.

SkullDozer's musings on life, love & merchandise

Dear friends,

I’ve been Head of Merch with Manchester Roller Derby for two years now and have seen it grow from a few t-shirts ordered on the spur of the moment to a fully functioning, profitable business. Bearing this in mind, now seemed like a good time to write a little blog about merchandise, its importance and how it can help your league. It’s good to share!

While working through the initial ideas that every league has (Which logo do we use? What colours should we have? How should we organise ourselves?) one of our members decided to take the plunge and order a few t-shirts, just to see how they would look. Needless to say they were an instant hit, if only with ourselves – OMG! We have our new league ON A T-SHIRT!! Newer leagues thought of all that PR stuff before they’d learnt to skate together but we took things slowly, step by step, and figured it out as we went.

The t-shirts proved popular and soon made the money back, although didn’t make any profit initially as they were sold at cost price. The next order we put in had our names on the back and these arrived on the day of our first bout. You can imagine our excitement! We had ordered a few extra to put out on a stall at our first game and made a little profit with that. We put this profit back into the club and placed a larger order next time. Through this process we slowly, slowly built our monetary reserves with a small profit each time, and gradually began to expand our range of merchandise.

First off, we invested in badges, and then stickers. Now we stock fridge magnets, keyrings, tote bags and we are expecting our very first delivery of embroidered patches any time soon! We found that little cheap things sell the best, the “pocket-money” priced things. Everybody wants a souvenir from the game, especially if it was a particularly exciting game or your team did a win - and not everybody can afford £10 for a t-shirt.

My advice to new leagues is to DO merch. Do a decent range and do it early. Build up your pennies by small profit margins at first, increasing this as you get more established. Use your money wisely – see what other teams are selling and constantly research suppliers. New supply companies are popping up all the time and you can often benefit from the new deals they use to lure people in. Loyalty is a great thing and it’s easy to find a company then stick with them, but if you find somewhere that prints the same quality shirts for cheaper, or they can offer you other advantages, move to them.

It’s very easy to get caught in the trap of “Well I want it, so why wouldn’t anybody else?” but think carefully before you order 1000 custom-made onesies, or glittery deely-boppers – ask the rest of your league to see what everyone else thinks! Pay attention to what the public ask for at your games and if you’re not sure – don’t order.

Legally you must declare your takings for taxation purposes, but only if you earn over a certain amount. Work closely with your treasurer, write down absolutely EVERYTHING that’s sold and keep records. Excel is amazing, I keep everything on a spreadsheet and report back to the treasurer once a month. Keep ALL your receipts and don’t spend your own money if at all possible, your treasurer should have a process in place for requesting funds, so follow them and work things out together.

It’s also useful to have a sub-committee to help with the organisation and research. We recently set one up, which means I only deal with three people ordering personalised t-shirts, as opposed to 70! Set up something similar and delegate to them. It’s much easier to ask one person to research keyrings, someone else to research promotional items such as pens and another to look at posters, rather than bog one person down with all the research and consequently end up with nothing. Derby is a life-eating hobby as it is - its easy to ignore the seemingly less important aspects!

Another thing: have an online shop! So many leagues only sell their merch at games and they really are missing out. If time is an issue, give another member a selection of stock and ask them to post out items bought online. It’s important to think carefully about postage costs – don’t underestimate them as your league will lose money, but don’t overestimate them either; no-one wants to pay £6 postage on a £10 t-shirt! Consider selling a goody bag for the small items - its pretty pointless listing a badge for 50p, then charging £1 postage on it. Always put a postage policy on there and state your responsibility for items lost in the post.

Finally, work with a web developer to build a decent platform for your online shop and have a photographer take photos of your merch items at their best! Consider using real people to model the clothing - you’ll probably find you have quite a few camera hogs in your league and this will show off the fit so much better than a plastic dummy or laying it flat on the floor.

If you are lucky enough to have a sponsor, work closely with them also, find out what works for you both and use it. We are sponsored by Extreme Largeness who are currently listing our products on their website, you can see our stuff here.

We are currently working on our website and building our own online shop, come see the results so far and see what you think! http://www.manchesterrollerderby.co.uk/

love,

SkullDozer

Photographs taken by Shirlaine Forrest, featuring SkullDozer and Penny Pinch'er of MRD

AmsterJAM: MRD fundraiser band night

So, when we said we'd play the Amsterdam Derby Dames away, logistics were not at the forefront of our collective mind. As has often been the way at MRD, we like to jump in feet first and work it out as we go.

Hence, we're holding a band night at Manchester's beloved Roadhouse on Newton Street - a cosy/sweaty venue where you'll have seen many a band over the years - to raise pennies that'll help us towards the cause.

We've got three fantastic local bands playing and there'll be skaters galore milling about, trying to look all comfortable and aloof off eight wheels.

BANDS

Incassum "blend a vicious combination of melodic vocals, snarling growls and screams with a hint of face tearing riffs".

valkyrianmusic.com

Pocketknife "mix chunky distortion with scratchy chords, with vocals influenced by Pj Harvey and Brodie Dalle. Their stop-start clipped style cuts through the full sound to create a semblance of a band who aren’t bothered by making listening to them difficult. But it’s certainly worth it".

alaintolhurst.wordpress.com

Twin Planets "amalgamate the best of their New Wave & Post-Punk idols with a contemporary, alternative dynamism (and) are - without doubt - going to continue to rise."

Alex Mortimer-Jones, Top Hat Magazine

E-tickets are available from our website, here, and they'll also be available on the door for the princely sum of £5.

AmsterJAM takes place on Thursday 2nd August 2012 at The Roadhouse, Manchester - doors open 7pm. Your local roller derby club needs your support!

What's going on at MRD right now?

Good question! I believe LOTS is the answer.

This blog post will provide a brief summary of events coming up that you may (read: will / should) have more than a passing interest in. We know that there's nothing worse than finding out something very exciting happened yesterday or last week and you weren't involved - so we're doing you a favour!

Saturday, 21 July 2012, 6pm - 8pm

MRD ROLLER DISCO at Sporting Edge

Skates! Music! Cake! What more could you want? Fancy dress encouraged (we're going with a spaceman theme... let your imagination run wild). Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult and skate hire is also available. Entry is £2, you can RSVP to our Facebook event here.

Thursday, 2 August 2012, 7pm

AmsterJAM - An MRD fundraiser at The Roadhouse

We are proudly hosting a band night to help raise money to get us to Amsterdam so that we can bout the Amsterdam Derby Dames this October. Bands TBC very soon (but should include Incassum and Pocketknife, amongst others). £5 entry, Facebook event here. E-tickets will be available via our website very soon.

What else?

In addition to these largely social affairs, we will also be involved in some skating and hitting. This will take place on Saturday, 28 July 2012 in the form of the GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOWDOWN (GYS). It really is great, you know. This will be MRD's third year in the tournament - the first year being MRD's first ever bout and the first ever GYS. This time we have a full squad of skaters new and old and cannot wait.

Also on the weekend of 28 July (as if it wasn't busy enough!) our amazing men's team, New Wheeled Order, will be heading over to Birmingham for the first ever Men's European Roller Derby Championship. It's kind of a big deal. Like them and we will like you.

Then MRD has a bit of a break (I think...) until mid-September when we host another roller derby double-header in our beloved hometown. Think we shall save that for a blog post of its own though, eh? Can't harm to RSVP though, gwan - Facebook event here.

Is that the crazed scribbling of important dates in diaries we can hear?

Finally, although not exactly in-keeping with this summary of forthcoming events - MRD would like to say a massive WELL DONE to our B-team, the Phoenix Furies, for fighting so furiously in their bout against Liverpool Roller Birds on Saturday. You did yourselves and MRD proud!

Skatanico on the Phoenix Furies...

As Manchester Roller Derby is growing at a fantastic rate, we now have three established teams; New Wheeled Order (our all male team), Checkerbroads (all-female A team), and I am very proud to be a skater with the Phoenix Furies (all-female B team). The Furies work closely with their dedicated captain Ma Rollin’ Munster and vice captain / aspiring referee Undutchable to develop strategies and ensure game play is included in practice sessions in the run up to bouts.

Phoenix Furies’ first bout against Preston Roller Girls (PRG) on Saturday 21st April was an absolute delight! As far as I’m concerned, no one would have guessed that this was some skaters’ first bout as the scores were very close all the way through. A couple of skaters had played in a rookie bout hosted by MRD called Bonfire Fight on 5^th November 2011.

In the end Preston took the well deserved win at 148-115. Every single skater for the Furies was on top form and both teams were forced to work equally hard throughout the bout. We had a few 15 point jams from Faunication, and Spozilla received a well-earned ‘Best Jammer’ award! Both teams enjoyed the game and the day as a whole, gaining friends as well as experience. It was amazing to have our very own Checkerbroads watching and cheering us on, as well as some skaters from our neighbouring league Rainy City Roller Girls.

Since our first bout the league has had another intake of skaters, and our training manager Tori Bee has nurtured many of these new skaters through their minimum skills. They have now flown the nest to get their feathers ruffled in scrimmage and to become beautiful bout-ready Phoenixes! Everyone at MRD has been massively impressed by how quickly the new skaters have adapted to the addition of game play and strategies, with all of them excelling in MRD’s mixed fortnightly scrimmage (and often stepping up to the jam line!).

It’s clear to see that our newest Furies have fallen victim to the inevitable bite of the derby bug, and their determination and perseverance is paying off. Now that they have had a taste of scrimmage they want to sink their teeth into a full-on bout and we will be so proud to be stood with them on the track when they do so during our next game against Liverpool Roller Birds B-team on Saturday 7^th July at Greenbank Sports Academy!

For more information and for ticket links, visit the LRB event page here.

- Skatanico

NSOing – How to support your league off skates

By Captain Malice

Non-skating Official

non-skating official [non-skeyt-ing uh-fish-uhl]

noun

1. To officiate without wearing roller skates.

I love this sport. Consider me well and truly bitten by the derby bug - any excuse to be around it, I’ll take. I’ve been training for around nine months, delayed by work, weather and injury. For most of that time I have been pre-minimum skills. We needed people to help out with NSOing at scrimmage, so the lovely Minx Subordination taught me how to NSO allowing me to spend time watching and learning whilst supporting my league. When I was asked to help out with NSOing a bout, I thought, ’Sure, why not? I get track-side seats and get to help out.’

My first bout, working under El Toupee, saw me penalty timing for the inaugural bout of the team I’d been training with. I’ll be honest, I broke the cardinal rule and I cheered… three times. El Toupee gave me the disapproving look each time, I don’t recommend it. But other than breaking the cardinal rule of officiating, I did a good job. The players and refs went for their victory high fives and that was it. I stood there, trying to remember if the NSO’s get high fives and no one moved. Minx was in charge, she didn’t go for high fives and she asked us to tidy up, and then off to the pub it was!

Nursing many a beer that evening I couldn’t help but think that I’d earned a high five; refs and skaters get their high fives and NSOs are just as needed. Couldn’t help but feel a little sad. However, my next NSO job was at Hot Wheel and they let me. I ran that track, took my high fives with pride. I felt better about things, but to date that’s the only bout where the NSO’s have been encouraged to run a lap of high fives. NSOing isn’t a thankless task; we’re always appreciated by the refs and the players, but NSO’s need high fives too. (Editor: There's got to be a t-shirt in this somewhere...)

I’ve learnt more about the game of roller derby from NSOing than watching countless videos online. Now I’ve passed my minimum skills I won’t be able to NSO at as many bouts. I’ll never hang up my NSO shirt, but my derby life is moving towards playing in bouts with perhaps even some bench managing down the line. In addition, I will shortly be making my announcing debut in Liverpool for our awesome Phoenix Furies bout against Liverpool Roller Chicks! I’m fine with it now, but I know the same nerves I had on the way to my first training session and my first scrimmage will kick in on the drive over on the 7th July and I’ll be fine the moment I start, same as I always am.

With every new intake we have at MRD I’ll always recommend that our newer skaters take up an NSO role (at least at scrimmage but also at a bout if they can) and I’ll continue to do so to every new skater I meet. Helping the league to put on a bout might not seem like much, but the advantages for new skaters are well worth the time invested - they get to see a whole new side to the game. You won’t be in the programme, your name won’t be cheered - if you do your job perfectly, no one will give you a second thought - but without NSOs, bouts don’t happen. A better understanding of the game is there for the taking and the comfort and knowledge that you are helping your league. So go out and NSO, you never know, you might get a high five out of it. ;)

Captain Malice and the lovely Esjay NSOing

(image copyright Shirlaine Forrest)

- Captain Malice

Derby Baby

I used to have a pair of those metal skates that I tied over my shoes when I was a kid in the seventies, rackety, useless things with hard wheels that juddered over every bump. Then when I was thirteen my birthday present was an amazing pair of blue and red roller boots. I skated with my mates up and down Lancashire terraced streets, and then after a year I stopped. My roller boots went to a jumble sale, and I never imagined that at thirty eight, I might be wanting another pair of skates.

A friend (Abby Dasher) asked me to come along to her first Zero to Hero session at MRD a year ago. I sat at the side of the rink, feeling too nervous to join in. To be honest, I thought NO WAY could I ever do that. Everyone looked tough and confident (and hot), even the beginners. They all seemed to be fearless skaters, not wavering when they were told to fall on both knees, or skid across the floor. And so comfortable in hot pants and crazy tights. I thought, WOW, I love it. But figured this was no place for me, with all these gutsy, sexy, confident women. Leave the building, I thought. Go home and write a poem, read a book, watch TV.

Abby went skating week after week, and kept saying COME, YOU WILL LOVE IT! I listened to her stories, saw her photos, admired her growing confidence. But still felt I was the wrong kind of girl for derby. Always the last to be picked for teams at school. Not a sporty girl, or competitive, in fact a bit of a wimp to be honest. Why would I want to bash into other people? And more importantly why would I let other people bash into me? And what if I fell...?

Yet, here I am. Searching on the internet for my first pair of derby skates, debating whether to get Anarchy pads or invest in some more expensive pads, and what kind of wheels do I want? I have a bruise on one side of my bum. It's the size of an apple. And on the other side, I have a set of bruises that look like stairs. I have sore shoulders from blocking in training, and my shins hurt.

I only signed up for the Zero to Hero training session, because Abby Dasher kept pestering me in a lovely way to DO IT, DO IT. I resigned myself to it. I sighed, and worked out that if I just tried it once, I would be able to say, no roller derby is NOT for me.

Only, there was something about that first session, all lined up along the wall with Tori Bee whizzing round us, telling us you can do it, You're all amazing... praising our awkward one knee falls and our nervous skating. And the others in the group, all looked to me from a distance like the most confident, gutsy women (and men) in the world, and even up close, they seemed tough and up-for-it, but when we got talking I found out most of them were nervous as well, a bit jittery or unfit, new to skating, or maybe scared of falling. We laughed when we got it wrong and tried again, and everyone encouraged everyone. And actually it was surprising that I enjoyed it so much.

So, I kept turning up. Me. In hot pants. Never thought I would see the day. In skates at nearly forty. Never thought I would love anything remotely like a baseball slide, or that I would laugh so much one session giving and receiving shoulder blocks while racing around the rink with Sledge Hannah, or that I might feel so proud of myself for improving my laps, moving from a first effort of 16 laps in five minutes to this week's 22 laps.

I'm not quite a Hero. I still have a lot of work to do and practice. I don't push myself as hard as some people. Yes, I want to graduate from Zero to Hero and get the chance to join MRD's new training team, the Rookie Monsters. I want to learn more about roller derby and how to play and maybe, perhaps if I psyche myself up for it play in a bout one day. But I have more personal reasons for coming to roller derby. This is why I keep coming...

... because, for many years, probably since school, I avoided team games and anything competitive because I was always one of the least strong, fast or capable. I was always seen by others as not being good enough to be in a team, or letting down a team that had to choose me. And now, I have the opportunity to take my time to be good, learn at my own pace and in my own way, without feeling as if other people think I'm crap or that I'm letting anyone else down.

I still have those little doubts sometimes that maybe everyone has about themselves, but I feel so much more confident... at everything, because I'm trying things I thought I was too scared and soft to do. I still don't like falling over, but I'm learning to pick myself up and carry on. I feel proud of my bruises sometimes, because they are a sign that I'm more confident and gutsy than I imagined. I feel more assertive but less angry. I throw a bit of the weeks frustration into a shoulder block and I get praised for doing it. I can see myself very slowly improving so that maybe next week, I might get 23 laps, or my laterals might get tighter and faster, and I might fall over and laugh.

It's hard to explain how important this is. I guess people have many reasons for starting roller derby. I started by accident, through persuasion, not really understanding the game or what I might benefit from it. I wasn't looking for it to change my life, but it already has because I've realised I'm tougher than I thought.