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A BRIEF HISTORY
After leaving Maghull M C A of the Northern Quiz League, Wendy and Brian Cunningham formed the Ainsdale Railway Quiz Team and joined the Southport and Formby League for the 1986/7 season.
Following the refurbishment of the Railway Hotel, the team moved to the Ainsdale Sands Hotel in 1993. Apart from the founders, Keith Wilkinson and Derek Roberts have been in the squad for over a decade. Other players have moved South namely Pauline and Phil Mason and more recently Margaret and Dennis Holden. Unfortunately, the team lost a key player with the passing of Tom Roberts in 1996, and Stuart Martin in 2009, who had been the oldest player in the League.
Brian and Wendy Cunningham have now "retired" from playing but still support the team, and the family connection is continued by Dave Cunningham, currently a regular player . New recruit Cliff Owens is one of the youngest players in the League. Despite these changes the team won the second division championship in 1998 and was promoted to the first division but not for the first time. The team had previously several non-consecutive seasons in the first division by gaining promotion as runners up only to be relegated fairly quickly on three further occassions.
In 2017 the Sands Hotel closed, following the death of landlord Tommy Barton, and the team adopted the name Shifting Sands until a new harmonious home was found at the Grapes at Formby, a boon to the then three members from Liverpool. Two of these, the father and son pairing of Dave and Neil Cunningham, subsequently moved on, thus severing the family connection.
The Sands have also won the Maurice Jefferies Plate on 3 occassions 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Jack Gardner became the first Division 2 player to win the Individual Competition in 2010 when he was also runner up in the Pairs with Sheila Tickle, having won that competition in 2009 partnering Dave Dutton.
Team members have appeared on TV in Quiz Night in 1992 recording the highest ever score in round one, only to lose the contest. The team has also featured in quizzes on Radio Merseyside with mixed success. Ex player Wendy Cunningham won her heat of 15 to 1 and Going for Gold. Members of the current team have had mixed success on TV, Keith Wilkinson won his edition of Runway and was also on 15 to 1 and The Chase,
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