British and Irish quidditch teams
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In the fictional Harry Potter books, thirteen teams play in the fictional British and Irish Quidditch League. The League was established in 1674, and the teams compete annually for the League Cup.
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Appleby Arrows
The Appleby Arrows, a northern English team, was founded in 1612. Its robes are pale blue, emblazoned with a silver arrow. Arrows fans will agree that their team's most glorious hour was their 1932 defeat of the team who where then the European champions, the Vratsa Vultures, in a match that lasted sixteen days in conditions of dense fog and rain. The club supporters' old practice of shooting arrows into the air from their wands every time their Chasers scored was banned by the Department of Magical Games and Sports in 1894, when one of these weapons pierced the referee, Nugent Potts, through the nose. There is traditionally fierce rivalry between the Arrows and the Wimbourne Wasps.
Ballycastle Bats
Robes: Black with scarlet bat logo. Location: Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. Achievements: Twenty-seven times League champions and the second-most successful team after the Montrose Magpies (see below). Other information: Have a famous mascot, Barny the Fruitbat, who is also featured in Butterbeer advertisements.
Caerphilly Catapults
Founded: 1402 Robes: Light green and scarlet vertical stripes Location: Caerphilly, Wales Achievements: Eighteen times League champions and winners of the 1956 European Cup. Notable player: 'Dangerous Dai' Llewellyn, who was eaten by a Chimaera whilst holidaying in Greece.
Chudley Cannons
Robes: Bright orange with a speeding cannonball and black double 'C' logo. Motto: Modern day - 'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best'. Prior to 1972: 'We shall conquer'. Location: Probably Chudleigh, Devon, England. Achievements: Twenty-one times League champions prior to 1892. Have not won since. Other information: Fervently supported by Ron Weasley.
Falmouth Falcons
Holyhead Harpies
Location: probably Holyhead, Wales. Located in northern Wales.
Kenmare Kestrels
This Irish side was founded in 1291 and is popular world-wide for the spirited displays of leprechaun mascots and accomplished harp playing of their supporters. The Kestrels wear emeraled-green robes with two yellow 'K's back to back on the chest. Darren O' Hare, Kestrel Keeper 1947-60, captained the Irish National Team three times and is credited with the invention of the Chaser Hawks head Attacking Formation.
Montrose Magpies
Pride of Portree
Puddlemere United
Puddlemere United is the team that Oliver Wood signed onto after leaving Hogwarts.
Puddlemere United was founded in 1163, making it the oldest team in the British & Irish Quidditch League. The team's anthem, "Beat Back Those Bludgers, Boys, and Chuck That Quaffle Here", was recorded by singing sorceress Celestina Warbeck to raise money for St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries shortly before the publication of the edition of Quidditch Through the Ages that can be purchased by Muggles (non-magical people).
The team has won the League 22 times and the European Cup twice. Puddlemere players wear navy-blue robes emblazoned with the team emblem, two crossed golden bulrushes.
Albus Dumbledore is apparently a fan of this team.
Tutshill Tornados
The Tutshill Tornados were founded in 1520. The Tornados enjoyed their greatest period of success in the early part of the twentieth century with their Seeker, Roderick Plumpton, who played Quidditch for England and holds Britain's record for fastest capture of the Snitch (3.5 seconds.) Under his leadership, they won the league five times in a row, a British and Irish record.
The Tornados began their winning streak again in 1995, thoroughly disgusting Ron Weasley who complained most people seen wearing Tornado badges bought them last season. When he found one on Cho Chang he accused her of jumping on the bandwagon. She replied that she'd supported the Tornados since she was six. According to The Quibbler, the Tornados were winning the League through a combination of illegal broom-tampering, blackmail and torture.
Tornados wear sky-blue robes with a dark blue double "T" on the chest and back.
Wigtown Wanderers
This Borders club was formed in 1422 by the seven children of Walter Parkin, a wizard butcher. The 4 brothers and 3 sisters were a formidable team that rarely lost a game. According to legend, this is partly because the opposing team was intimidated by the sight of Walter standing on the sidelines with a wand in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other. A descendant of Parkin is often found on the team over the years.
In a tribute to their origins, the players wear blood-red robes with a silver meat cleaver on the chest.
Kennilworthy Whisp is a fan of this team.