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Years in League: 2010-23
Division 2: 2013-18, 2019-20, 2022-23
Division 3: 2010-12, 2018-19, 2020-22
Sons Arising were formed in 2010 by captain Mike Taylor. Mike took a group of quiz newbies (Nic Mortimer, Dean Vaz, John Goulding) and showed them the ropes – notably Nic’s first game resulted in a 0(0) on the scoresheet. QLL stalwart Jon Jacob was also a team member for a handful of games and remains to this day, but only when he is not needed in a rival quiz league! The team name came from the original home pub The Rising Sun in Barbican. Predictably, this first season was not a roaring success for the team and they ended up at the bottom of Division 3, only winning 4 of their 17 games. However, they did then manage to capitalise on their 28-point handicap in the All London Cup, beating both Royal Oak and Gray Monks before being defeated by Broken Hearts in their second round match.
By the time the 2011-12 season rolled around, the team were fully-fledged quizzers but due to a number of factors they often struggled to field full teams. This resulted in a total of 13 different players, with many of these called in from the sidelines when times were tough, most notably Mark “The Beast” Labbett and future regulars Thomas Grinyer and David Smith. The team however, were notably stronger and managed 9 wins from 16 games, placing them 4th in the division by the end of the season. Shortly after this season, captain Mike Taylor decided to hang up his hat and let the team fly the nest. Nic Mortimer then opted to take up the captaincy and Sons Arising scored another two wins in the All London Cup before the summer break came around.
A summer of team reshuffling, new signings and venue bookings later and Sons Arising were ready for their third season in the QLL. They would now be playing home matches at the Dickens haunt Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street, complete with spit, sawdust and a roaring log fire. New players Jonathan Breakell and Paul Langley joined the team as ultra-regulars and new team captain Nic Mortimer also called on the skills of four more occasional (but vital) players, specifically Thomas Grinyer, Jon Jacob, Dean Vaz and David Smith. A hard-fought season followed, winning 11 of 16 games and taking it right down to the final match, but promotion eluded them once more, finishing 3rd.
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