THE Chase’s professional quizmasters have been beaten by a brainy bunch from Bolton.

For the eighth year in a row, the Astley Bridge Conservative team has won the Bolton Premier Quiz League.

This time the players outsmarted runner up team, the Albert from Bob’s Smithy.

Among the Albert’s roster of players is Anne Hegerty and Jenny Ryan, who appear as The Governess and The Vixen, respectively, on ITV’s quiz show The Chase.

The team from Astley Bridge includes John Connolly, retired policeman Anthony Wilkinson, dental technician Michael McGreavey, office worker Andrew Teale and retired teacher Anne Scott as first substitute.

Mr Connolly is the oldest member of the team. At 73, he has been quizzing for 25 years with different teams in the area.

He said the victory was hard won: “To beat a couple of professionals, it’s a great challenge. They are a very good team.”

He added: “It’s like Manchester United being beaten by Accrington Stanley!

“The standard has improved incredibly over the past years.”

The final match was not without its drama, Mr Connolly said: “We should have been playing at home but the electricity failed at the Conservative Club.”

The team had to relocated at the last minute to the Finishers Arms on Church Street.

On his quiz team tactics, Mr Connolly said: “All quizzes are easy if you know the answers.”

The team found out the good news on Wednesday and will collect their prize on Monday.