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The Merseyside Quiz Leagues (MQL) are a group of six United Kingdom quiz leagues based in Merseyside. Founded in 1959 they are among the oldest quiz leagues in Britain and claim to be the largest independent quiz leagues in the world. Many prominent British quizzers including Egghead Pat Gibson compete in the MQL. ==History and organisation== The first Quiz League on Merseyside was formed in Bootle in 1959 with just ten teams, making it one of the oldest in the country. Now the MQL, the largest independent quiz league in the UK, consists of teams spread amongst six large areas: * Liverpool * Northern (Bootle, Waterloo and Crosby etc.) * Ormskirk * Southport & Formby * Warrington * Wirral League Matches are played once a week during the season, which extends from September to March. Other MQL competitions include: * Merseyside Challenge Cup (open to all teams - NB there is also a Plate Competition) * President's Trophy (Inter-League Division One, representative sides) * President's Shield (Inter-League Divisions Two, Three etc. representative sides) * Feeny Cup (End of season competition for the top three sides in each Division One) * Rendon Cup (End of season competition for champions and runners-up in all other divisions) * Mimir Trophy (an individual competition - open to all. Named after Mimir, the Norse God of Wisdom) Additionally, each league organises its own knockout and/or cup competitions either during or at the end of the season. Each area organises its Leagues via Local Committees. Representatives from the Committees serve on the MQL Council which takes decisions of overall importance. Quiz teams come from pubs, clubs, works, offices, churches, sports and political clubs, etc. Players come from every walk of life. All matches are played strictly in accordance with MQL rules which are continually refined and brought up to date. The rules are available on the MQL web site together with fixtures and general information. Each playing member is issued with a Handbook at the start of each season. Highlights of the season - apart from the various Finals - are the Area Presentation Nights and the MQL Presentation and Finals Nights - at which an array of cups, shields mementos are distributed. Prior to each season, teams register and present their own sets of questions. Strict security is observed to prevent fore-knowledge of question sets. A number of leagues make annual contributions to charities. Since its inception, MQL has helped other areas in the UK to form similar associations - and in some cases ex-members have carried the gospel overseas. The appeal of the Quiz League is difficult to define. At the top levels, matches are played in a spirit of fierce competition, whilst lower down the scale the "Quiz Night" is more of a friendly social occasion. For several years MQL supplied the teams and questions for BBC Radio Merseyside's Merseyquiz knockout competition. In 1976, an individual competition was introduced with a unique format which ensures that players have an equal chance of answering questions without reliance on buzzers, extra bonus points etc. It is called the MIMIR competition and is named after the Norse god of wisdom. In 1979, the Leagues adopted a depiction of Odin's Ravens as its badge and logo. One called Huginn represents Thought, the other called Muninn represents Memory. After nearly 50 years, stories, jokes, legends and myths about the Leagues abound, and have become part of the social history of the area. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Merseyside Quiz Leagues」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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