ALTHOUGH the Champions Cup, sponsored by The Duke William pub of Ainsworth, had very much an end of season atmosphere about it, there was good news all round for Bury-Border Flooring members last weekend.

As the individual meeting took place at Goshen on Saturday, with one of the club's unsung heroes Steve Muff talking the trophy after a run-off with pre-meeting favourite Ben Scranage, another match taking place at Stoke-on-Trent would be the cause of further Bury celebrations.

The trophy meeting was somewhat marred by several re-arranged meetings taking place, reducing the available riders, and heavy rain fell before racing got uneder way.

Nevertheless there was no lack of quality in the line-up and there were half a dozen potential winners.

All the leading contenders took either first or second in their opening rides and after all had taken three of their five rides, no rider was unbeaten and four were tied at the top with 11 points.

As the twenty heats unfolded, 32 year old former Halifax rider, Steve Muff and genuine Bury discovery 15 years old Ben Scranage, were tied on 19 points with Matthew Parr one point adrift on18 and securing the third place trophy.

In the decider, Muff won the toss for start positions and took the lead. Not done yet, Scranage pulled off a brilliant pass but in the end the powerful Yorkshireman proved too strong and pulled off an equally good pass to take the trophy.

Steve, a former Yorkshire champion, has tasted success in the past but as a regular middle order rider in the Bury team he thought his individual trophy winning days were well and truly behind him and was delighted to lift the magnificent cup aloft to the cheers of his clubmates.

Young Tom Doyle was equally pleased to receive a 'Man of the Match' award for a battling performance in the strong intermediate standard competition with joint fourth place overall.

During the evening news came through that Stoke had beaten Leicester by 10 points in the combination fixture, and it was confirmed by the league executive that Bury have won the North and Midlands Regional Championship for the second year running.

All three teams had been tied on match points, losing just two matches each out of fourteen in the eight team league, but Bury's superior race points record secured the title along with the Northern Combination League won last week at Tameside.

Bury have won two out of the three championships they were hoping for, having to settle for runner-up to Tameside in the Northern First Division.