The Derbyshire Pub Quiz League is an association of people who like the challenge of a well run pub quiz in a friendly and civilised atmosphere. Teams of four players meet on a Wednesday night during the season, either in the pub in which they are based or in the pub of the opposing team, depending on whether it is home or away match. The matches consist of rounds of individual questions alternating with rounds of team questions. At the end of the match, points are awarded according to how the teams fared and these determine the position of the team within the division of the League. (As the League covers the entire county, it is divided into divisions* to avoid extensive travelling. In some areas there is an upper and lower division, to attempt to match teams of similar ability.)
A match at The Abbey, Darley Abbey
After the match proper, it is customary to hold a “beer round” of further questions, with the team losing the beer round buying drinks for the winners. Light refreshments, ranging from a plate of sandwiches to a sumptuous hot dish, are then served with lots of enjoyable conversation to round the evening off.
If you wish to join the League as an individual, you will find details of the pubs at present taking part on this website or by us via the “Contact” page. Most existing teams welcome new blood. If they get plenty of applicants, they can set up another team playing from the same pub. You may also wish to enter a new team into the league. For this you will need four players plus someone to act as question reader and scorer for home games. You will also need suitable premises to hold the home games. Please contact us for more information and assistance.
Arrangements vary from pub to pub, but we have found that most landlords welcome an event which will regularly bring up to a dozen customers (for many teams bring supporters to cheer them on) into their establishments on a slack weekday night. Indeed many landlords pay their team’s league fees and provide the refreshments.
The questions, of a good and interesting standard, are supplied by the League and sent to the venues in sealed envelopes by post.
The DPQL is a not-for-profit organisation. Each year it contributes to local charities through the Chairman’s Charity Cup night.
Since 2008 the League has organised the Brain of Derbyshire event for those wanting an even greater challenge.
Two teams consisting of players from the league have appeared on BBC2’s Battle of the Brains. The 2009 team, Never on a Wednesday, won both their matches.
Never on a Wednesday: Ian Robertson, Ian Pyefinch, Dave Edwards, Gordon Taylor, Geoff Jackson (Capt.), Dave Tagg, Iwan Thomas, Roger Springthorpe
The Derbyshire Pub Quiz League is a full member of the Assocation of British Quiz Leagues.
* Naming of Divisions
Divisions are named with an attempt to reflect the area covered, using traditional Derbyshire references: for instance, current and past divisions have represented Derbyshire Hundreds (Scarsdale or Appletree, themselves re-organisations of earlier Wapentakes); legal areas (such as the reach of the Barmote courts); and the historic rivers which traverse our county (Amber, Derwent, Dove, Erewash, Trent). All this as far as pragmatism allows.
Derbyshire Pub Quiz League 2022-2023 