Sotonsnooker

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News from the Social Clubs......

Presentation evening

Presentation night

TICKETS are now available for the annual presentation night and disco at Sarisbury Green Social Club on Saturday, 19 July, at 7.30pm.

Priced at £4, they include a sausage and chips supper if bought before July 12.

Contact league secretary Malcolm Brooke (078 1804 4836) for details and order forms.

LEAGUE Secretary Malcolm Brooke has announced that the presentation evening will be held on Saturday July 19 at Sarisbury Social Club, the same venue as last year.     Tickets will be on sale soon.

AN eight-team snooker super league and a handicapped Town Championship could be in place for season 2009/10.

The management committee’s proposals will be debated at the delegates meeting on May 15 and voted on at the AGM in August.

The letter that has been sent out to every club this week is also available on the website www.southamptonsocialclubs.co.uk.

Any comments or counter-proposals should be sent to league secretary Malcolm Brooke.  

Proposals for handicaps in the Town Championship and an eight-team super league.... reports Tim Dunkley

TEN snooker champions from across the region have reacted in horror at plans they say will devalue a competition that dates back to at least 1949.

The controversial proposal to handicap the individual knockout, known as the Town Championship, was spelt out to representatives of 33 clubs at the end-of-season delegates meeting at Woolston Trades & Labour Club.

Malcolm Brooke, secretary of the Southampton & District Social Clubs League, also revealed plans for an eight-team super league for the start of the 2009/10 season, which were generally met with approval.

Kevin Vane, whose City Transport A side lost out on the Premier title on the final frame of the season, said: “The teams that come up from Division 1 at the moment are on a hiding to nothing because they’re getting absolutely obliterated.”

And Jeff James, from Sarisbury Social B, agreed: “The Premier league is always tough to play in and always tough to stay in,” he said. “There’s four teams who can win it and the rest are there to make the numbers up.”

Ex-Saints star Ken Jones said: “It’s a good idea. There’s so many good youngsters around and they’ll all be playing each other.” But a few players are not looking forward to playing the same teams four times a season. 

Adam Nash, Town Champion in 2006 said.... “In one respect you want to play the good players every week but at the same time you want to play the up-and-coming teams as well, and I suppose they want to play you.”

In the discussion document circulated to all clubs, the league said: “There are now only about ten teams that are made up of players of a very high standard, with others yo-yoing between the Premier Division and the First Division”.

The plans will now be debated by the league’s management committee and voted on at the AGM at Freemantle Social Club on Thursday, 21 August.

General comments from previous champions:-

  13-time champion (1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1994, 2002) Chris Holland, 66, Shirley Social A

“That’s stupid. You don’t get Wimbledon handicapped; you don’t get the British Open handicapped.”

  1995 champion Dave Mumford, 39, Churchills’ A

“I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. It will never happen.”

  2001 champion Mark Benzey, 32, City Transport A

“It’s not as if it’s the same people winning it every year. It’s like a who’s who of snooker on that trophy.”

  2008 champion Danny Gallant, 25, Eastleigh Railway Institute C

“It takes away the prestige.”

  1988 champion Jeff James, 63, Sarisbury Social B

“It’s always been a hugely difficult tournament to win. It’s an honour to get your name on that trophy.”

  2007 champion Alex Dunkley, 20, Sarisbury Social A

“It won’t provide the best player in the Town. A best-of-three handicapped match is a lottery.”

  2006 champion Adam Nash, 29, City Transport A

“I think handicaps would be wrong. I think first-round matches should be best-of-five.”

1983, 1987, 2000 and 2003 champion Ken Jones, 63, Churchills’ A

“That’s a no-go, definitely. If you’re going to find a real champion, you’ve got to play off scratch.”

  1999 and 2005 champion Kevin Vane, City Transport A

“To be Town Champion surely you’ve got to be the best player not the best handicapped player.”

1996 champion Richie Martin, 39, Totton Rec

“Could the player who won really be called Town Champion if he had a generous handicap?”

CHURCHILLS Dave Mumford (Captain) and Ken Jones pose for Kevin Legg at the Chandlers Ford Snooker Centre. They are currently coaching two of the top youngsters in the Southampton District.... Shane Castle and cousin Billy Castle.

Darren Pearce is pleased with his 119 clearance in the town pairs. For a place in the last 8, Darren and his Totton Rec A partner Greg Moore beat fellow team mates Steve Allen and Richard Martin. The 119 is the highest break in tournament play in the Southampton & District Social Clubs League, beating Bob Cooper's 107 (Park Gate RBL A) some five years earlier.

previous years

2006 / 7 season

and on week number 3 of the 2006/7 season, Martin Jackson (Northam Social B) romps in with a fantastic 110 break to smash the division 3 record of 78 held by Colin Merritt of Botley Inst.

Meanwhile, Dave Mumford (Churchill's A) scored a fine 103 break against Park Gate A, and Andy Kane, after a spell of playing in the lower divisions, helps Churchill's B with a great 101 break against Totton Rec B.

Top Breaks 2004 / 2005

 view as follows   B&W    Pete Marchi   and  Individ's    and    pairs

DON'T FORGET TO VIEW

Premier Division

Division One

Division Two

Division Three

Division Four

Division Five

Team Knockouts

Individual Knockout

Pairs Knockout

Southampton & District Social Clubs League

now has it's website up and running on

www.southamptonsocialclubs.co.uk

© October 2007 by Antony Aldridge