“FINALLY…ROLLER DERBY RETURNS TO ABERDEEN!!”

After more than a year away, the Granite City Roller Girls were once again hosting a home bout! On March 30th, they played host to the awesome Middlesbrough Milk Rollers who were making their Scottish debut.

More than 230 people, including skaters from Dundee and Edinburgh, made their way to the Beach Leisure Centre in Aberdeen for what was sure to be an epic homecoming for the GCRG’s Northern Fights.

In addition to the usual merchandise and raffle stalls, the GCRG put on a cake stall to raise funds for the Dialysis Unit/Renal Ward at Abereen Royal Infirmary. The stall was manned by the teams 2 biggest fans, Batman & Robin! Raising a whopping £229.53.

With the skate outs done, kit check completed and demonstration finished, it was time to get underway…
MMR claimed Lead Jammer in the opening 3 jams through Ella Storey & Lolly Go Sprightly and opened up an early 11-8 lead. The Fights were up to the challenge though. They fought back almost instantly taking the next 4 Lead Jammer positions with 4 different jammers (Rock’n’Riot, Clinically wasted, Moscow Cruel and Crimson Chaos) which allowed them to take a 16-8 lead! MMR then exploded out of the blocks and for 8 straight jams, they claimed the lead jammer role. During that time, Ella Storey and Terri Sudron made full use of 2 power jams after Crimson Chaos was sent to the bin for cutting track. Clinically Wasted and Rock’n’Riot did their best to spark a quick comeback by leading the next 2 jams and getting another 7 points on the board but MMR were proving difficult to stop as they continued to explode off the jam line, taking 5 of the last 6 jams and adding another 16 points to their tally so far. Kami Tazzy, Ruby Riot and Moscow Cruel were able to add a few more points to the Fights score as the half drew to a close but at the end of period 1, it was MMR who were in control.

Half Time Score = GCRG 32 – MMR 120

During the half time break the raffle was drawn by GCRG’s very own Frost Damage who has only recently been released from hospital after a serious condition had kept her there for a few months. She is at long last on the road to recovery and it was lovely to see her back involved with her second family!

The second half got underway and MMR couldn't have asked for a more imposing start. Ella Storey racked up a whopping 30 points in the first jam after Rock’n’Riot had been sent to the bin early on for a low block. Moscow Cruel and Clinically Wasted did stage a brief fightback by getting another couple of points up for the Fights but MMR just could not be contained. In Jam 5, Lexi Palmer’ Off took advantage of a cut track foul by Moscow Cruel and scored 13 points in her one and only jam of the entire bout! Great effort! Ella Storey returned to the fray again for MMR with another 4 points in Jam 6 before Terri Sudron made full use of a power jam after a cut track foul by GCRG Jammer Crimson Chaos. She rattled in another 15 points. The Middlesbrough girls were not only jamming well, but jamming smart. The GCRG jammers may have been second out of the pack but they were constantly hot on the heels of the MMR girls, forcing them to call the jams off early. But MMR kept plugging away, adding a few points each jam and steadily increasing their lead. Jam 13 saw Krusty make her first appearance as a jammer in a long time for GCRG but even she was struggling to find a way through MMR’s tough defensive walls. Rock’n’Riot took a huge (legal!) block in Jam 15 which staggered her. She shakily returned to her feet and finished the jam but you could see that it had taken her by surprise. Jams 17 and 18 were again immense for Middlesbrough. Lolly Go Sprightly was awarded a power jam after Moscow Cruel cut track and was sent to the bin. She smashed in an impressive 30 points. Then it was the turn of Terri Sudron. Unfortunately, Moscow began the next jam in the bin but when she returned, she cut track again which allowed Sudron to notch up 25 points for her team. As the game drew to an end, Ella Storey got herself another 10 points, but GCRG’s Northern Fights had saved the best for last. In any sport, one of the key components is ending on a high note and Kami Tazzy did exactly that. MMR’s jammer Moose couldn’t stay out of the bin and Taz took full advantage. In only her 4th jam of the bout, she put another 15 points on the board. On every pass of the pack, she whipped the audience into a frenzy and they almost blew the roof off the Leisure centre, cheering BOTH teams on right until the final whistle!

Final Score = GCRG 54 – MMR 285

AWARDS
GCRG:
BEST JAMMER – ROCK’N’RIOT
BEST BLOCKER – KRUSTY
MVP – CLINICALLY WASTED

MMR:
BEST JAMMER – ELLA STOREY
BEST BLOCKER – THE LITTLE GRRMAID
MVP – TERRI SUDRON

A fantastic bout which had everything you could ask for. Drama, suspense, action, big (but fair) hits and an amazing finish. The fans were fantastic, the NSO’s and referees did a sterling job but the praise rightly goes to all the girls on track. They put on one hell of a show for the Aberdeen crowd! A huge thank you to Middlesbrough for making the long journey up north and I’m sure everyone at GCRG wishes them all the best in the future!

Up next for the fights…Glasgow’s Maiden Grrders on the 11th of May at the Beach Leisure Centre in Aberdeen!
HHITT!!!
- written by specMACular

- Photography by Vikki Pearce Photography