This marked the twelfth year that our annual finals had been held at our Foleshill Road hosts, and the fifth year we'd spread events over two days, rather than cram everything into one day as had been done in the past.
I'll start, as always, by thanking our hosts, Mandy and Steve, and all their staff, for their help in hosting not only the weekend's proceedings, but for all their help over the last twelve years. Thanks also go to all the other people who have come together to help run this event. From Mike Dicks and crew from Tablesport for the tables, to the referees who had the thankless task of ensuring fair play by all. If any of the above were missing, the weekend would have been a lot harder.
One other person I'd like to take the opportunity to thank is Baz Golby. Baz worked tirelessly over the few weeks prior to the weekend, indeed months, upgrading our arena with a fresh lick of paint, and new artwork, and I'm sure you'll all agree he did a fantastic job – thank you Baz. Oh, and I'm sure everything was ok with the missus, just as long as you managed to clean up the paint on the table, on the wall, on the carpet...
2011/12 proved to be another difficult season, as whilst we did have new teams join the league, some of them folded mid-season, as did some well established ones, and by the end of the season we had a staggering ten '''bye's across the eight divisions. On top of that, a large number of you again struggled for players on a regular basis, some of you turning up two or three players short on a weekly basis. Whilst a number of new teams have already registered for the 2012/13 season, we're still waiting for confirmation from a number of existing teams about their participation, and a final decision on next season's divisional formats won't be made until we have concrete numbers. If this applies to you, please let us know asap if you will be registering for the new season.
The last season saw a slight change to our playing rules, and also the doubles playing rules changed to Scotch Doubles. Both have been received well, and at last month's AGM you voted to stick with those new rules. We also saw the introduction of the new Trio Cup incorporating darts, dominoes, and pool, and despite initial scepticism, those who took part thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and I'm sure it's now here to stay. Sadly, the 2012 AGM proved to be another lengthy one, despite starting well, and for that I apologise.
The league continued its long associations with Reds Pool and Snooker Club, and the Royal Warwicks Club during 2011/12, but sadly the sponsorship deal with Rileys lapsed, although Reds kindly picked up the baton, and now sponsor the League, as well as the Singles, Doubles, and all subsidiary competitions. We also enjoyed new sponsorship deals during the season, first with today's hosts, the Bishopsgate Club, who kindly sponsored our new team competition, the Trio Cup. The other deal we won was for advertising space on our website, courtesy of Mark Junday, and his Atomic Black Belt Academy. I'm pleased to confirm that Reds have confirmed their continued support for the 2012/13 season, and we are currently in negotiations with someone interested in sponsoring the Challenge Cup.
I would firstly like to personally congratulate all of this weekend's finalists. Everyone playing here over the next two days should be applauded on their achievements over the last year, from the familiar faces here once again, to the people making their first appearances at our annual finals.
At County and National level, Jon McAllister was crowned the Blackball European Under 18 Champion for a fourth time, and was also part of the England team that won the Under 18 title.
Sadly, five of our league members have passed away this season. So, please, can I ask you all to raise a glass today in memory of our departed friends, may they rest in peace.
May '''11 – Steve Davies (New Spires)
June '''11 – Kevin Simmonds (Rileys Rehab)
November '''11 – Eric Jones (Butts Retreat)
January '''12 – Jim Littleford (Hastings 1066)
January '''12 – Tom Friar (Old Crown '''B')
So there we have it, another year almost over, and time for the pool players and their cues to do the talking. On behalf of the Committee, I would like to wish all of this weekend's competitors the very best of luck.
team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts | ||||||||||||
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Craftsman 'A' | 19 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 107 | 45 | 62 | 49 | ||||||||||||
Reds 'A' | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 105 | 55 | 50 | 47 | ||||||||||||
Reds Select | 20 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 93 | 65 | 28 | 42 | ||||||||||||
Rileys | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 97 | 63 | 34 | 39 | ||||||||||||
Hen Lane Social | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 85 | 67 | 18 | 37 | ||||||||||||
Reds X | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 84 | 76 | 8 | 27 | ||||||||||||
Maudsley | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 69 | 91 | -22 | 23 | ||||||||||||
Spencer Club | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 56 | 101 | -45 | 18 | ||||||||||||
Hastings 'A' | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 62 | 98 | -36 | 13 | ||||||||||||
Brandon Club | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 59 | 98 | -39 | 11 | ||||||||||||
Wheatsheaf | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 47 | 105 | -58 | -1 | ||||||||||||
The Craftsman 'A' made it four on the bounce, as they successfully defended their Premier Division title for a third successive time. Paul Quinn's squad recorded the best frame difference in the whole league, only losing two matches all season, although one of them was at the hands of division newcomers, Rleys, who put a dent in the Craffy's three year undefeated home record. For the history buffs amongst you, that last home defeat was also during January, and was also at the hands of another Hertford Place side, Rileys Lounge. Finishing in the runners-up spot for a third successive year were Reds 'A', finishing 5 points behind the Craffy. The City Centre side, led by Dean Davies, were the only other team to beat the Craftsman 'A', turning around a 3-1 deficit to secure an unlikely 5-3 win. Reds Select finished a further 5 points back in third, their highest finish in three years, and one of only three teams in the league not to draw a single match, whilst the aforementioned Rileys filled fourth spot, just 3 points adrift of the top three. At the wrong end of the table, the Hastings 'A' struggled all season, but scraped Premier Division survival for another season with a final week win over the already relegated Wheatsheaf. Newly promoted side, the Brandon Club struggled for players on a weekly basis, and weren't so lucky, finishing 2 points adrift in the playoff spot. With the Royal Warwicks folding just a few days before the season started, the only automatic relegation spot was filled by the Wheatsheaf. Despite registering over thirty players at the start of the season, they too struggled for players most weeks, even failing to play two matches, which in turn cost them 7 penalty points for late cancellations. With the Brandon Club folding since the end of the season, their playoff match against the Brooklands 'A' will not be taking place today.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts | ||||||||||||||
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Hastings 1066 | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 103 | 65 | 38 | 43 | ||||||||||||||
Old Crown 'A' | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 106 | 69 | 37 | 39 | ||||||||||||||
Brooklands 'A' | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 97 | 76 | 21 | 39 | ||||||||||||||
Rileys Reprobates | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 94 | 78 | 16 | 37 | ||||||||||||||
Rileys No SQ | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 93 | 83 | 10 | 33 | ||||||||||||||
Craftsman 'B' | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 85 | 91 | -6 | 31 | ||||||||||||||
Canley Arches | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 82 | 86 | -4 | 30 | ||||||||||||||
Lime Tree 'A' | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 80 | 92 | -12 | 26 | ||||||||||||||
Bishopsgate 'A' | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 79 | 89 | -10 | 25 | ||||||||||||||
Alvis Club | 22 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 68 | 108 | -40 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
Rileys Rehab | 20 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 66 | 91 | -25 | 14 | ||||||||||||||
Rose and Woodbine 'B' | 21 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 68 | 93 | -25 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
Paul May will probably be the first to admit that his Hastings 1066 side have thrown away the Division Three and Division Two titles in the last two years. They made no mistake this time though, and ran out convincing winners of Division One, taking top spot by a comfortable 7 points. It was frame difference alone that settled the runners-up spot, with the Old Crown 'A' taking the honours, Raj Prabhakar's side returning to the Premier Division after a three year absence. Finishing on the same points were the Brooklands 'A', who were due to play the Brandon Club today for their chance to play in the top flight. With the latter folding during the closed season, that promotion is now guaranteed. Rileys Reprobates finished two points adrift, and will have to wait another season for their chance at the big time. The Bishopsgate 'A' and the Lime Tree 'A' were both relegated from the Premier Division last term, and again found themselves at the wrong end of the division again, with just frame difference separating them. Fortunately for them, a 10 point cushion was more than good enough to keep them in Division One for another season. Not so lucky were the Alvis Club, who found themselves in the playoffs, and will have to beat Signal Box today if they are to keep their divisional status. The automatic relegation places were taken by Rileys Rehab and the Rose & Woodbine 'B', who respectively found themselves 2 points, and 10 points adrift of the safety zone. Rileys Rehab struggled for most of the season, and their last win was in the first half catch up week, when the Rose & Woodbine 'B' couldn't even turn up to play a home fixture. In fact, the Rose were so bad at sticking to the rules that they were docked a staggering 12 penalty points over the course of the season.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rileys Smileys | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 121 | 55 | 66 | 53 | ||||||||||||||
Bishopsgate Select | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 107 | 69 | 38 | 46 | ||||||||||||||
Signal Box | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 99 | 74 | 25 | 40 | ||||||||||||||
Royal Hotel | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 98 | 75 | 23 | 39 | ||||||||||||||
Charterhouse | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 98 | 78 | 20 | 39 | ||||||||||||||
Daimler Green C/C | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 98 | 75 | 23 | 36 | ||||||||||||||
Foleshill Ex- | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 90 | 86 | 4 | 31 | ||||||||||||||
Parkstone Club | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 81 | 95 | -14 | 26 | ||||||||||||||
Coachmakers | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 62 | 108 | -46 | 17 | ||||||||||||||
Old Clarence | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 63 | 104 | -41 | 15 | ||||||||||||||
Bell Enders | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 61 | 109 | -48 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
Rose and Crown HGR | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 60 | 110 | -50 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
Rileys Smileys took the two division jump in their stride, and made it a hat trick of titles in as many years, as they lifted the Division Two crown by a comfortable 7 points, to add to the Division Four and Division Five titles they’d won in the previous two years. Daz Fursdon’s squad had the division sewn up with two weeks to go, only losing the one match all season, and posted the highest points tally of any team in the whole league. The Bishopsgate Select improved on last season’s seventh place finish to take the runners-up spot by 6 points, Lee Pettitt leading his side back to Division One after a two year absence. Newly promoted Signal Box took the playoff spot by a single point, with the Royal Hotel and the Charterhouse snapping at their heels, with only frame difference separating the pair. If Kings want to enjoy promotion for a second successive season though, they’ll first have to beat the Alvis Club today. At the other end of the table, the Coachmakers finished 9 points adrift, but did just enough to keep themselves in the division, finishing 2 points clear of the relegation zone. The Old Clarence were formed from players from various teams, and were newcomers to the league in name only. They didn’t fare so well, although did themselves no favours with the three matches they gave away due to a lack of players, which in turn also cost them 6 penalty points due to the late cancellations. They’ll now have to beat the Old Crown ‘B’ today if they want to avoid relegation to Division Three. Bell Enders and the Rose & Crown were two of the three teams sharing the unenviable record of losing the most matches during the season, and only frame difference separated them at the death. Both were automatically relegated, with the former struggling for players all season, whilst the latter found life tough after returning to the league after a twelve month absence.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sphinx Club | 20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 104 | 56 | 48 | 41 |
Brookies | 21 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 90 | 77 | 13 | 39 |
Old Crown 'B' | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 94 | 74 | 20 | 37 |
Railway | 21 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 89 | 79 | 10 | 36 |
Vauxhall Club | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 86 | 82 | 4 | 33 |
Rocket | 21 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 85 | 82 | 3 | 33 |
Highway Club | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 90 | 78 | 12 | 31 |
City Howitzers | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 79 | 89 | -10 | 27 |
Rose and Woodbine | 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 77 | 91 | -14 | 25 |
Coundon | 21 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 68 | 99 | -31 | 14 |
Red Horse Rioters | 20 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 66 | 94 | -28 | 13 |
Old Red Horse (folded) | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 30 | 57 | -27 | 3 |
The Elephant & Castle took the leap from Division Six in their stride, as they added the Division Three title to the Division Six one they’d won last year. Simon Drage’s squad moved to the Sphinx Club mid-season, but suffered no ill effects from the move, and went on to win by 5 points. The team went on an astonishing unbeaten run last season, but came down to earth with a bump four weeks into the new season, when the Rocket handed them an 8-0 drubbing. Bizarrely, the other two matches they lost were against the two Red Horse sides that finished at the foot of the table. The Brookies finished in the runners-up spot to add to the Division Four bridesmaid’s trophy they’d won last year. Mark Tucker’s side built on last season’s strong finish, and were hopeful of finishing top dogs, that was until they lost several key players just before Christmas. Their league results confirmed that, as half of the six matches they lost all season came in their last five games. The Railway were relegated from Division Two last season, and just missed out on the chance for a swift return by a single point. The Rose & Woodbine clearly like to live life dangerously, and finished just outside the relegation zone for a second successive year. Despite losing last season’s Division Two playoff, the Nugget, from their new home at the Coundon, clearly enjoyed the experience (!), as they’re back here again today, this time fighting for their Division Three survival, and will have to beat the Barras Social Club if they want to avoid relegation for a second time in as many years. The Red Horse Rioters, having moved from the New Inn, were the only team to be automatically relegated, after the other team from the Old Red Horse folded mid-season.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weavers Arms | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 103 | 41 | 62 | 45 |
Walsgrave | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 88 | 63 | 25 | 33 |
Barras Social Club | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 80 | 64 | 16 | 33 |
Foresters | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 72 | 71 | 1 | 28 |
Christ The King | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 71 | 67 | 4 | 25 |
Spencers Retreat | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 71 | 81 | -10 | 23 |
Craven Arms - CS | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 63 | 74 | -11 | 22 |
Butts Retreat | 19 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 62 | 88 | -26 | 18 |
Craven Arms - WL | 18 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 61 | 83 | -22 | 16 |
Radford Social (folded) | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 39 | 41 | -2 | 12 |
The Arches | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 50 | 87 | -37 | 10 |
The Weavers Arms took the Division Four crown in style, reversing form with the team that had finished in front of them last season. Unbeknownst to the Committee, Kieron Farrell strengthened his squad during the closed season with a couple of locals. Those two locals turned out to be two ex Premier Division players, who to be fair just didn’t want to drive on a Monday night, but nonetheless helped the squad lift the title. They finished 11 points clear of their nearest rivals, only losing one game all season. Those rivals were headed by the Walsgrave and the Barras Social Club, with Baz Phoenix’s side taking the runners-up spot on frame difference alone. The pair finished 6 points in front of the Foresters, who occupied fourth place for the third consecutive year. The Barras Social will still get their chance at promotion though, but will have to beat the Coundon today to secure that promotion. At the other end of the table, the Butts Retreat finished 6 points clear of the relegation zone, and live to fight another day. The playoff spot was filled by the Radford Social who folded mid-season, so there will be no Division Four playoff today. The division had started the season with a ‘bye’, so the only automatic relegation spot was taken by new side, the Arches, who couldn’t even muster enough points to finish above the Radford Social, despite having played twice as many games, although they weren’t helped by the two fixtures they conceded, or the 4 penalty points they had deducted during the season.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts |
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Old Ball Hotel | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 109 | 67 | 42 | 49 |
Three Horseshoes | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 103 | 70 | 33 | 45 |
The Bell, Keresley | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 104 | 69 | 35 | 40 |
Lime Tree 'B' | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 97 | 79 | 18 | 36 |
Binley PMC | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 91 | 85 | 6 | 34 |
RAOB | 21 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 86 | 81 | 5 | 30 |
The Bell, Tile Hill | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 73 | 95 | -22 | 26 |
Broad St RFC 'B' | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 80 | 80 | 0 | 25 |
Three Horseshoes Eagles | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 82 | 94 | -12 | 23 |
Grapes | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 76 | 100 | -24 | 22 |
Charterhouse Club | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 73 | 98 | -25 | 20 |
Cherry Tree | 22 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 58 | 114 | -56 | 10 |
coming soon |
Play-offs |
Royal Warwicks 'B' | 5 | v | 2 | Grapes |
team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cedars | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 43 | 57 | 49 |
Bird in Hand | 17 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 76 | 60 | 16 | 32 |
Royal Warwicks 'B' | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 82 | 54 | 28 | 31 |
New Spires | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 74 | 70 | 4 | 26 |
Rileys Riff Raff | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 22 |
Masseys | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 67 | 69 | -2 | 20 |
Rileys Refugees | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 56 | 71 | -15 | 18 |
Gosford Arms | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 65 | 76 | -11 | 17 |
Maudsley 'B' | 15 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 42 | 73 | -31 | 15 |
Kings | 17 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 42 | 88 | -46 | 8 |
Division Six has produced two runaway winners in the last two years, and this year was no different, as the newcomers from the Cedars dominated the division from the off, eventually finishing 14 points clear. Most of the side made the journey over from Birmingham each week to play with Brummie pal, new Cedars landlord, and team captain Rob Collins, and I’m told they’d more than hold theire own in the top flight. Only time will tell if they are that good. still more than hold their own. The Bird in Hand showed much improved form to take the runners-up spot, Neal Rumble leading his side to double the number the number of wins they’d had last season. The Royal Warwicks ‘B’ had another good season, and finished 4 points behind the Bird to take the playoff spot. They’d looked good for promotion during this year’s campaign, but will have to beat the Grapes this afternoon, if they are indeed to enjoy Division Five pool next season. The chasing pack finished a further 5 points adrift, and was headed by the New Spires, who finished a place higher than they had last term. With one ‘bye’ in the Division throughout the season, there were no automatic relegation places after the Walsgrave X folded mid-season. The Gosford Arms and league newcomers the Maudlsay ‘B’, finished 7 points clear of the relegation zone, with only frame difference separating. Sandwiched between the pair and the two ‘bye’s were Kings, who will have to beat the Hastings ‘B’ today if they are to avoid a quick return to Division Seven. At least they’ll get a game today, which is more than can be said of last year when the Walsgrave Working Mens Club failed to show for their playoff match.
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team | p | w | d | l | f | a | dif | pts |
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Jaguar Social Club | 15 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 87 | 28 | 59 | 40 |
Craven Street Club | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 68 | 52 | 16 | 27 |
Hastings 'B' | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 61 | 53 | 8 | 21 |
Bull and Anchor | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 55 | 54 | 1 | 21 |
Convoy | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 54 | 66 | -12 | 13 |
Rileys Stars | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 44 | 64 | -20 | 13 |
Coachmakers 'B' | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 45 | 60 | -15 | 12 |
Coombe Abbey Inn | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 49 | 54 | -5 | 8 |
Coundon (folded) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 48 | -32 | 3 |
Division Seven was blighted by teams folding, and only eight teams saw the season out. That should, however, not take any of the gloss off the Jag’s fantastic season. The Craven Street Club joined after the season had started, but soon established themselves as a force to be reckoned with under captain Rich Storer. Even a change of captaincy mid-season didn’t put them off, and Alan Robertson carried on where Stoz had left off, and led his side to the runners-up spot. Finishing 6 points behind them in the playoff spot were another team new to the league in the shape of the Hastings ‘B’. IIt was only frame difference that separated them from the Bull & Anchor at the death, but it was good enough to give them a shout at Division Six pool next season. To complete the job though, they will have to beat Kings today. |
"Reds Pool and Snooker Club sponsored the Singles competition for a sixth successive year, and whilst the competition started with a lower than normal 260 entrants, all of the quarter-finalists of our Blue Riband event deserved a round of applause for reaching the final stages. It remained to be seen though, which one of these talented players would lift the Steve Ferguson memorial trophy, and earn the right to be called the ‘Best player in Coventry" |
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Callumn Mulhern | won | v | lost | tbc |
tbc | lost | v | won | Glenn Dunn |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Callumn Mulhern | 4 | v | 1 | Glenn Dunn |
"The Bob Rushton memorial was sponsored, by Reds Pool and Snooker Club for a sixth successive year, with the sponsors hosting the ‘last 16’ stage. 170 pairs had started the competition, with the lower than average number of entrants put down to the introduction of the new Scotch Doubles playing rules. By the end of the night we’d whittled that number down to our four Finals Weekend semi-finalists" |
1st Round | 2nd Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Jamie White and Tom McLean |
won | v | lost | Carl Shaughnessy and Chris Keen |
John Dempsey and Kev Farrelly |
won | v | lost | Vivek Makh and Connor Treacy |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
John Dempsey and Kev Farrelly |
4 | v | 3 | Jamie White and Tom McLean |
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
Today’s first semi final featured two teams from Reds, 2008/9 champions Reds ‘A’, and 2009/10 champions Reds X, ensuring that our league sponsors were guaranteed a team in tomorrow’s final. Match report coming soon | ||||
Reds 'A' | lost | v | won | Reds 'X' |
In today’s other semi-final, Rileys took on the defending champions, and five time winners, the Craftsman ‘A’. Match report coming soon | ||||
Rileys | lost | v | won | Craftsman 'A' |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Craftsman 'A' | 5 | v | 3 | Reds 'X' |
"This year’s semi-finals will be contested between three Division One sides, and one remaining Premier Division side. At least we’ll get to see two semi-finals this year after two disappointing ‘no shows’ last year" |
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
Today’s first semi-final sees the 2009/10 champions from the Lime Tree ‘A’ taking on the Hen Lane Social. Match report coming soon | ||||
Lime Tree 'A' | lost | v | won | Hen Lane Social |
The second semi-final sees 2007/8 semi-finalists the Brooklands ‘A’, taking on last year’s runners up, Rileys Reprobates. Match report coming soon | ||||
Brooklands 'A' | lost | v | won | Rileys Reprobates |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Hen Lane Social | 5 | v | 2 | Rileys Reprobates |
"Now in its seventh year, the Challenge Cup is only open to teams in Divisions Four through to Seven, and this year twenty six of them found themselves eligible to play. In the end, this year’s title will be decided between three teams from Division Four, and one from Division Five" |
1st Round | 2nd Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
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The first semi-final sees Division Four’s Christ the King taking on the sole Division Five team, the Three Horseshoes Eagles. Match report coming soon | ||||
Christ the King | won | v | lost | Three Horseshoes Eagles |
The second semi-final will be decided between two Division Four sides, with the Craven Arms facing the Weavers Arms – a Premier Division squad in disguise if ever I saw one! Match report coming soon. | ||||
Craven Arms WL | lost | v | won | Weavers Arms |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Christ the King | 5 | v | 4 | Weavers Arms |
"This season saw the introduction of a brand new competition. In an attempt to level the playing field, and give the teams in the lower divisions a chance against the big boys, a competition involving pool, darts, and dominoes was voted in at the April 2011 AGM. In its inaugural year, the Trio Cup was kindly sponsored by today’s hosts, the Bishopsgate Club, and saw 36 teams taking part" |
1st Round | 2nd Round | Quarter finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
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Today’s first semi-final sees the Premier Division’s Hen Lane Social taking on new Division Five champions, the Old Ball Hotel. Match report coming soon | ||||
Hen Lane Social | lost | v | won | Old Ball Hotel |
The second semi-final sees today’s hosts the Bishopsgate Club A’, taking on Reds Select. Match report coming soon | ||||
Bishopsgate Club 'A' | lost | v | won | Reds Select |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Reds Select | 4 | v | 3 | Old Ball Hotel |
"The Champion of Champions brings together the previous years League and Cup winners, to determine who really is the best team out there. The team that’s answered that question for the last nine years has been the Craftsman ‘A’.
For those of you who have already read the Knock-out Cup review, no we didn’t ‘cut and paste’ the write up. Three teams are involved in both competitions, so no, you’re not suffering a bad case of déjà vu" |
Last 16 | Quarter Finals |
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Semi Finals | ||||
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Today’s first semi-final sees last year’s Division One champions, Rileys, taking on the might of the Premier Division champions, and owners of this title, the all conquering Craftsman ‘A’. The pair currently share honours with one 5-3 win apiece, but that will have all changed by the time this match is played, as they also meet each other in the Knock-out Cup semi-final. Match report coming soon | ||||
Rileys | won | v | lost | Craftsman A' |
The second semi-final will be decided between last year’s Division Six winners from the Sphinx Club (nee Elephant & Castle), and the Alternative Cup winners, Reds ‘A’. Match report coming soon | ||||
Sphinx Club | lost | v | won | Reds 'A' |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Rileys | 5 | v | 4 | Reds 'A' |
"All our end of season subsidiary competitions were again kindly sponsored by Reds Pool and Snooker Club. In the first of this year’s competitions, a marginal improvement on last year’s nine year low saw just twenty six captains / vice captains contesting who would lift this year’s crown" |
Heats and Quarter-Finals |
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Semi Finals | ||||
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Roger faced another former champion in the semi-final, in the shape of the Craftsman ‘A’s vice-captain, Glenn Dunn. Glenn had enjoyed 2-1 wins over the Rocket’s George Toms, and Reds Select’s Martin Groves in the opening rounds, before booking his semi-final place with a 2-0 win over the Bishopsgate ‘A’s Jit Patel. The semi-final didn’t start well for Roger, as Glenn 7-balled him in the first. The intensive practice put in by Roger for a recent money match soon came into force though, as a good finish in the second to level the match, was followed by another good finish in the deciding frame. The final score, 2-1 to the four times singles champion. | ||||
Roger Clarke | 2 | v | 1 | Glenn Dunn |
By the semi-final, Daz’s opponent, the Spencers Retreat’s captain Glynn Meadows, had already played eleven frames en route, courtesy of consecutive 2-1 wins over the Butts Retreat’s Simon Anderton, Brooklands ‘A’s Steve Rice, and fellow Spencer Club player Frank Beechey. The other two frames came as a result of two re-racks against Steve. Glynn didn’t get off to a great start in the semi-final, having just the one shot in the opening frame – he broke, and Daz cleared up, although he had a great chance to take the second after Daz’s woeful attempt at using the spider to get out of a snooker. In the end, Glynn’s final shot of the match was a good old fashioned “s*#t or bust” shot, which ended with him potting the cue ball in the process. Daz didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth, and sank the black to secure his second 2-0 win of the night, and book his place in the final. | ||||
Glynn Meadows | 0 | v | 2 | Daz Fursdon |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Roger Clarke | 3 | v | 2 | Daz Fursdon |
"An average turnout of thirty one players competed in this year’s Aggregate knock-out, the second of the five subsidiary competitions sponsored by Reds Pool and Snooker Club" |
Heats and Quarter-Finals |
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Semi Finals | ||||
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Last year, Martin only dropped one frame on his way to being crowned the Aggregate winner. To book his place in tomorrow’s final, Martin would first have to get past the person he beat in last year’s final, Billy White. In their previous encounter, Martin had beaten Billy 3-0, and sadly for Billy, this encounter was like a bad case of déjà vu, as Martin sauntered into the final without dropping a frame. | ||||
Martin Kirby | 3 | v | 0 | Billy White |
The one person left between Glenn Dunn and his place in tomorrow’s final was Reds ‘A’s Jon McAllister. Jon had gone out at this stage last year, beaten 2-0 by the eventual winner, Martin Kirby. History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and sadly for Jon, history did indeed repeat itself, as he slipped up again at the final hurdle, again by a 2-0 scoreline. | ||||
Jon McAllister | 0 | v | 2 | Glenn Dunn |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Martin Kirby | 3 | v | 2 | Glenn Dunn |
"The number of our elderly comrades entering the Over 50s knock-out has increased steadily in each of the three years we’ve held this relatively new competition. Sadly, like our other four subsidiary competitions this year, the number of entrants suffered a blow, and only fourteen ‘old timers’ turned out at the sponsors, Reds Pool and Snooker Club, eager to be crowned this years Over 50s Champion" |
Last 16 | Quarter-Finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
The Coundon’s John Martin’s opponent in the first semi-final was Brookies captain Mark Tucker. Mark won the opening frame, before John drew level in the second. Mark had chances in the deciding frame, but a good clearance by John put paid to those chances, as he sank the all important black to record a 2-1 win and secure his place in the final. |
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Mark Tucker | 1 | v | 2 | John Martin |
The second semi-final was also settled in two quick frames, but sadly for the Royal Hotel’s Graham Meikle, it was Mick Adams who took the honours, once again making his way to the final without dropping a single frame in the three matches he played. On the evidence of the night’s play, Mick is clearly the man to beat tomorrow, and will be a very short price to retain his crown. |
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Mick Adams | 2 | v | 0 | Graham Meikle |
Final | ||||
Match report coming soon | ||||
Mick Adams | 3 | v | 2 | John Martin |
"The Charity Speedpool challenge was started ten years ago as a way to break up the tension on the day, with four teams invited to compete for the £100 prize in aid of a charity of their choice. Following increased interest in recent years, and the fact that our annual finals are now held over two days, eight teams are now invited to take part. Whilst it’s about having a bit of fun in the middle of a very busy schedule, you can be sure that every one of the eight teams involved will be aiming to lift the trophy tomorrow, and the £100 prize. Whoever wins though, the ultimate winner will be charity" |
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Bishopsgate Club 'A' - Kev Patrick appeal Jit Patel, Jeetesh Gandhi, Kev Patrick, Ryan Mandara and Narinder Kumar |
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Brooklands 'A' - CLIC Sargent Ian Wagstaff, Steve Rice, Dean Shepherd, D Grote and D Smart |
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Craftsman ‘A’ Originals – Myton Hospice Kev Farrelly, Keith Thompson, John Dempsey, Glenn Dunn and Paul Quinn |
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Craftsman ‘A’ Select – Myton Hospice Chris McDermott, Mick Adams, Callumn Mulhern and Dave Walkingshaw |
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Hen Lane Social – BASIC John Coyle, Mark Wilson, Alan Clarke, Kev O’Donnell and Carl Gough |
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League Select – Birmingham Children’s Hospital Roger Clarke will choose his team from the best players available on the day |
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Reds 'A' - Help the Aged Dean Davies, Adam Prewett , Craig Sturmey and Jon McAllister |
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Rileys - Cancer Research Jamie White, Jack Richards, Phil Parkin, Tom Burke and Luke Hart |
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Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Reds 'A' Help the Aged |
n/a | Craftsman 'A' Originals Myton Hospice |
"Reds Pool and Snooker Club again kindly sponsored the Ladies knock-out, which always attracts a hit and miss turnout. Two years ago, we had a record number of fourteen entrants, whilst back in 2000, the turnout was so low that they went straight to Finals Day. Yes, there really were just two entrants! Unfortunately, this year was on the low end of the scale, with just five entrants keen to be crowned Ladies Singles Champion" |
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Heats | ||||
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The only preliminary match of the night involved the Bell’s captain, Maggie Tune, against league newcomer Amy Harrison from Rileys. Amy broke the opening frame, potting two reds, and soon potted three more reds with some confident shots. Maggie had gone out in a preliminary match last year, and wasn’t about to let lightening strike twice, and stitched up her Premier Division opponent. Sadly, Maggie didn’t take advantage of the two shots given to her, and resorted to another snooker. This time, Maggie used her two shots well, although her shot on the black could have been better. When Amy had a clear shot at her balls again, her potting was confident, and accurate, but when it came to potting the black, she hadn’t counted on the cue ball following it down the pocket. Having been gifted the first frame, Maggie tried her hardest to give the second frame to Amy in a game strewn with missed chances. This time it was Maggie’s turn to give away two shots, and when Amy failed to take advantage, Maggie tried again, this time almost potting the black out of turn. In the end though, it was the Bell captain that emerged the 2-0 winner, although I confidently predict that Amy will lift the Ladies crown in the not too distant future. | ||||
Semi Finals | ||||
The first semi-final was a battle of the champions, as defending champion Tara Meadows from the Spencers Retreat took on two time winner, Jo McLaughlin, from Signal Box. Jo didn’t get off to the greatest of starts with a foul break in the first, and at the business end of the frame was looking at the wrong end of a snooker on her final yellow. Tara decided against a snooker though, instead going for the finish, and soon realised what a costly mistake that was as she watched the cue ball go ‘in off’. Jo didn’t need a second invitation, and duly potted her final ball and the black to take a 1-0 lead. Both players had chances in the second frame, and after some good shots, it was Jo’s turn to dish out the favours, as she snookered herself on her final yellow. Tara failed to take advantage of the ensuing two shots though, handing the frame, and a place in tomorrow’s final to Jo. Tara will be the first to admit that she didn’t play well on the night, and I’m sure she’ll be back with a vengeance next year. | ||||
Jo McLaughlin | 2 | v | 0 | Tara Meadows |
The remaining place in the final would be decided between Maggie, and last year’s runner-up, Sharon Poulton from the Highway Club. In a very tactical opening frame, with both players sizing each other up, it was Maggie who took first blood. Another slow frame ensued in the second, although Sharon put in a great attempt at a clearance, but missed the pot on her final red. Sharon had done enough though, and went on to level the match with an excellent pot on the black. Sharon’s joy soon turned to heartache in the deciding frame, as a foul break handed two shots to Maggie. Despite the gift, the frame turned out to be another slow tactical one, although the tide eventually turned in Sharon’s favour after Maggie potted one of her reds at a crucial stage of the frame. The twists weren’t over yet though, as Sharon handed the two shots back to Maggie after trying to get position on an awkward black. Maggie had her chance to secure the win, but failed to capitalise on Sharon’s mistake, and will surely be kicking herself at the wasted opportunity. Instead, it was a very relieved Sharon who was left with a simple black, as she duly booked her second consecutive spot in the final. |
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Maggie Tune | 1 | v | 2 | Sharon Poulton |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Jo McLaughlin | 3 | v | 2 | Sharon Poulton |
"Six years ago, we held our inaugural Under 18s Knock-out, kindly sponsored by Reds Pool and Snooker Club. Despite there being a fairly large contingent of junior players registered for the league, it was disappointing to see just eleven of them turn out at Reds for this year’s renewal" |
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Heats | Quarter-Finals |
Semi Finals | ||||
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In the top half of the draw, it was third time lucky for Rileys youth Jack Richards, as he progressed to tomorrow’s final having gone out in the early stages in each of the last two years. Jack’s opponent in the semi-final was the Brandon Club’s Tom Shelton. Jack took first blood in the semi-final clash, and had an easy finish in the second to make it 2-0, but ran out of position, handing the frame to Tom in the process. The deciding frame was an open one, and despite Jack missing a pot on the black earlier in the frame, he got a second bite of the cherry and didn’t make the same mistake twice, and recorded his second 2-1 win of the night to book his place in tomorrow’s final. | ||||
Tom Shelton | 1 | v | 2 | Jack Richards |
The bottom half of the draw was definitely the tougher of the two halves, as it included the winner and runner-up from each of the last three years. The teenager that proved the strongest though, was two time winner and defending champion, Reds ‘A’s Jon McAllister, in his final appearance on the Under 18 stage. Jon’s opponent in the semi-final was non other than Vivek Makh from Rileys Reprobates. These two have now squared up to each other four times in as many years, twice in the final, with Jon edging the previous encounters by two matches to one. The semi-final between Jon and Vivek was an entertaining one, with attacking play from both players, and they shared the first two frames. With a place in the final at stake though, the deciding frame turned into a tactical one, and it was Jon who turned the screws to edge the match 2-1, and so booked himself into his fourth consecutive Under 18s final. With Jon having turned 18 since the qualifying matches, this is his farewell swansong, and I’m sure he’ll be keen to leave as the first three time winner. |
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Jon McAllister | 2 | v | 1 | Vivek Makh |
Final | ||||
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Match report coming soon | ||||
Jon McAllister | 3 | v | 2 | Jack Richards |