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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2006 15:58:16 GMT
Good point, Mark, and you're 100% correct in what you say.
But such misunderstandings have occured on this Forum in the past, and the wrong end of the stick has been grabbed with depressing regularity.
So best to do a "belt and braces" with the terminology, if only to fend off unwanted discussions and challenges in the future.
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petem
Full Forum Member
Posts: 338
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Post by petem on Nov 22, 2006 16:12:57 GMT
Why not call it The United Kingdom Open? Not Invitational as has been suggested on another message board
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2006 16:31:26 GMT
Still sounds a bit Insular.
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Post by milhouse on Nov 22, 2006 16:49:48 GMT
Why not the World Open ?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2006 17:36:06 GMT
Why not the Universe Open ? Wouldn't want to exclude any Extra Terrestial beings who might wish to enter, would we ? ::)
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CraigC
Distinguished Member
Posts: 765
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Post by CraigC on Nov 23, 2006 8:22:55 GMT
The European Open sounds good - throw it open to competitors from....erm....would Les Green fly over from Greece?
Actually, a Euro Open and a British Open would give a Grand Slam of events to go with the World.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2006 10:54:07 GMT
Well put. Plugs a 'gap'. Also, wouldn't anticipate any opposition to it from our friends in Jersey.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2006 11:08:21 GMT
The European Open sounds good - throw it open to competitors from....erm....would Les Green fly over from Greece? Actually, a Euro Open and a British Open would give a Grand Slam of events to go with the World. I am loving the sound of that! Hope it turns out more then an idea though :(
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Post by JerseyLugs on Nov 23, 2006 11:08:26 GMT
It would be interesting to see if English players would then decide to play in these new tournaments instead of having to fork out for a trip to Jersey (Not Cheap!!!) or would they participate in both ?
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Post by JerseyLugs on Nov 23, 2006 11:12:38 GMT
I'm not trying to be awkward but I don't think that many players from Jersey would make the effort to get to England for a new tourney although they would the ones missing out.
I personally think any new competition can only help and if it does get decent backing, from both sponsors and competitors it could only raise the profile of the game.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2006 11:54:39 GMT
...........but answering your first question, JerseyLugs, most English players who regularly got to Jersey are completely hooked, and any 'extra' competition is unlikely to detract from your total entries to the World Championships.
If anything I think the W/C will benefit from having the profile of the game raised on the mainland, which is what the new competition is targeted at.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2007 20:56:50 GMT
I'm BUMP-ing this thread which was started by our great leader. The latter part of the thread alludes to the possibility of resurrecting a British Open on English soil which was suggested by Katie. But the early pages are taken up by Glenn's idea of taking the game out of the leagues and down to the very grass roots of far-flung pubs with tables that could stage a house competition with the lure of sponsored prize money for reaching the top of the pyramid. Something like this was run in Sussex (sponsored by Tarratt Tables) back in the early eighties. I have been doing some research on the competition recently and have put up some details on the following thread : barbilliards.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1153911324This harks back to a fascinating era. To whet the appetite of Glenn's Brighton colleagues, there was the following representation for Brighton in the last 32 of the 1982 competition: The Caxton, Brighton - Terry Race (house champion) The Post Office Club - Jim Millward (ditto) The Park Crescent - J.Crighton (ditto) The Sudeley Arms - Tommy Walters (ditto) The Portland, Hove - Dave Elliott (ditto) The Montreal, Brighton - Harry Leeson (ditto) The Freshfield, Brighton - Chris Tupper (ditto) I can divulge further (eg for Worthing players) upon request. Anyway, BUMP ! Do we mean business about following up these competitions, or has the discussion so far all been just a load of hot air ?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 12:25:04 GMT
BUMP !
Thanks for asking ::) This was the representation from Billingshurst, Horsham and Crawley of House Champions in the last 32 of the 1982 competition:
Three Horseshoes, Cranleigh : Pete MacNamara Mucky Duck, Tismans Common : Tony Franks Cricketers, Wisborough Green : Nick Setterfield
Partridge, Partridge Green : Steve Eely Red Lion, Cowfold : Peter Wren Sunallon Club, Horsham : Paul Reynolds Green Dragon, Horsham : Mick Holmwood Bell, Horsham : John Slee
Grapes, Pease Pottage : Graham Daniels Downsman, Crawley : C. Wooton (any relation to Richard ?)
That's 17 down and 15 to go of the 'best of the best' of local champions in Sussex from 25 years ago.
Earlier comment repeated, for the sake of the original theme of this thread :
Do we mean business about following up these competitions, or has the discussion so far all been just a load of hot air ?
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Mark James
Distinguished Member
Mark James
Posts: 595
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Post by Mark James on Feb 20, 2007 12:36:22 GMT
tommo, I believe that I may have played in this event in 1982, certainly I did so in one year around that time, are you able to confirm from your records if this is so?
I would have been representing the Warwick Arms in Worthing, and I remember receiving the invitation letter from Tarratts which said that the final 32 players had qualified from a total entry of 2300! This figure may have been inaccurate, but not my recollection of it, I'm certain that was the number it said.
As a player of less than 3 years experience at the time, I was soundly thrashed in the first round, and I recall it as being something of an eye-opener, in that what I had previously regarded as good bar billiards was not so good after all!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 13:23:37 GMT
Thanks for you interest, Mark. You were indeed in the line-up, and I note that you came up against Gerry Smith, a very strong player from Mid Sussex, in the "Third Round Proper".
Thanks also for confirming the alleged total number of players entered in the competition. This will alarm quite a few people, but gains some authenticity when you consider that Tarratts were prepared to fork out over a grand in prize money in recognition of the increased usage of their tables throughout Sussex.
I can picture in my mind a green poster with a blank house championship draw set out on it, these were pinned up in all the pubs with a table, and the condition of entering the First Round Proper (played on neutral tables) was that this form was completed and returned to the organisers.
Say each of 128 pubs had an average of 16 players taking part, that multiplies up to 2,048 which sounds about right ! A golden age indeed !
Anyway, representation of champions in the last 32 of the 1982 competition from Worthing/Littlehampton/West Sussex:
Warwick, Worthing : Mark James Crabtree, Lancing : Gary Ridley Inland Revenue Club, Worthing: Dave Millard Rising Sun, Upper Beeding : M.Walker Downview, Worthing : Tim Rathbone Spotted Cow, Angmering: Bob Bungard Gratwicke, Littlehampton : Jim Cutler Wheatsheaf, Bognor : Derek Ifould Stargazer, Selsey: V.O'Neill
26 down and six to go !
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Mark James
Distinguished Member
Mark James
Posts: 595
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Post by Mark James on Feb 20, 2007 14:12:40 GMT
The Downview player above would be Tim Rathbone, rather than Rathborn, who was a team-mate of mine subsequently. He no longer plays bar billiards, but I still see him regularly around Worthing, where he is a taxi driver
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 15:07:31 GMT
Nice one Mark, That was a tester. ;) I was wondering if it was a misprint for Ted Rathborn, who came soon after that time to take over the Crabtree Lower Beeding as Landlord. He claimed to have had previous experience down on the coast. So it wasn't him, but at least (thanks to a bit of duplicity) now I know the facts ! ;D It does indeed say Rathbone on my programme. :-[
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 15:28:46 GMT
Anyway, so here are the six remaining house champions from the last 32 from 25 years ago, all from the Mid Sussex/Lewes area:
Chequers, Maresfield : Eddie Pilbeam Green Man, Horsted Keynes : Gerry Smith Royal Oak, Jacobs Post : Mark Spicer St Francis Hos. SC : Norman Vidler Crown, Newick : Ros Rees Weald, Burgess Hill : R. Lockwood
Earlier comment repeated, for the sake of the original theme of this thread :
Do we mean business about following up these competitions, or has the discussion so far all been just a load of hot air ?
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Post by milhouse on Feb 20, 2007 15:52:22 GMT
Earlier comment repeated, for the sake of the original theme of this thread : Do we mean business about following up these competitions, or has the discussion so far all been just a load of hot air ? Not hot air - in discussions..........
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Post by tommo III on Feb 3, 2024 11:39:38 GMT
Looking up some old (unrelated) stuff, I stumbled upon this old thread, and thought I'd give it a bump.... It took nearly 20 years, but it seems that the Chubbster's idea has come to fruition in the guise of the WBBA !
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