Is this a First

[davejones]

This year's Mens Doubles winners Mark James and Tony Lewis also won the Worthing Mens Doubles.

Has this been achieved before winning both their own league and Sussex finals in the same season?

I would be very surprised if it did turn out to be rare, Dave. I would imagine there have been very many joint Worthing & Sussex and Brighton & Sussex holders over the years - Jean Over perhaps being in double figures for holding both at Ladies Singles.

I've done a quick comparity check for the Horsham League, and discovered that the only-ever joint title-holders over the years have been John Thayre (Sussex and Horsham title in 1974/5) and Sam VanDenBergh (Sussex and Horsham Landlords winner in 1975/6, 1977/8 and 1980/1). Can't speak for Billingshurst league, but I'm sure there'd have been one or two there as well.

[NigelS]

davejones said:

This year's Mens Doubles winners Mark James and Tony Lewis also won the Worthing Mens Doubles.

Has this been achieved before winning both their own league and Sussex finals in the same season?

I have looked and it has never been done in Brighton, Dave. Although Dave & Chris Reeves have won Brighton 3 out of the last 4 years, in 2004, 2005 and 2007, the year they won the Sussex was 2006.

[Mark James]

As something of an interested party, as it were, I'd certainly like to know for sure if the feat mentioned by Dave has been performed previously.

One thing that I've observed playing doubles over the years is that not all players replicate their local league pairings when they participate in the Sussex competition. It's possible, therefore, that one player has held both their own league & Sussex titles simultaneously, but with a different partner for each.

The list of former winners of Sussex competitions can be found here:

www.sussexbarbilliards.com/Sussex/Ind%20comps/Ind%20comps.htm

Just to add, in case my earlier post raises a query for anyone checking against the list :
The Crabtree trophy was the Landlords Cup up until 1984, when it was re-commissioned as the Team Captains Cup.

Well done Mark and Tony - especially if your achievement does turn out to be unique as regards the Mens Pairs competition.

[dipper]

I have noticed another record on the Sussex doubles that only myself ( Roger Taylor) and Graham Lewis have won the competiton on consecutive years.

[Mark James]

Having now had a chance to study the engraving on the trophies, I think I can categorically answer the question re. Worthing & Sussex Mens Doubles.

Prior to this season, the only player to have won both titles in the same season was the mighty Sir Colin Smith, in 1983/84. He did not have the same partner for both, however. In the Worthing doubles, he was paired with Dave Lewes, whilst in the Sussex with Chris Tupper.

Bizarrely, Colin's accomplishment has a strange link back to Tony & myself. That was the very first season we entered the Sussex doubles. As a couple of very green young newbies, we battled our way through to the final (I still don't know how), where we were completely outclassed by Colin & Chris. However in our very first match in that competition we had beaten another Brighton pair, Mickey Winder and....... the very same Dave Lewes!