1983/84
This batch of bulletins from the 1983/84 season shows what a remarkable effort editor Tim Lane put into producing them: pages and pages of typewritten match results and league tables pre-date the computerised League Management System by more than three decades and must have required extensive stocks of typewriter ribbon.
Indeed, not content with reporting on Notts league, county and tournament happenings, in issue number 11 Tim attempts to broaden our horizons by annotating a gem of a game between GMs Walter Browne and Paul Keres (Vancouver 1975).
On a separate note, as we experiment with different formats for the annual County Championship I was interested to read (rather, to be reminded) that it used to be run as a one-round-a-month Swiss tournament. In 1983/84 the winner was Tony Dempsey whose arrival from Merseyside received the following mention: ‘As many of you will know, West Bridgford have recently acquired yet another 190-plus graded player…’ Sound familiar?!
That said, West Bridgford (played 15, won 14) deservedly won their third successive Division 1 title, with Sutton and Derby not far behind.
If anyone has bulletins #8 (November 1983) or #13 (April or May 1984), please let Drag Sudar or me know.
Stuart Humphreys