The one that got away...........

Ever stood there forlornly on a Finals Night, thinking "that could have been me !"?

Here's a chance to get it off your chest, that heartbreaking semi-final defeat. Not the one please where you "should have beaten Katie", but the occasion where you came that close, but either the luck was against you on the night - or more simply it just wasn't to be.

I've had quite a few over the years, but will start the ball rolling with mention of the only two occasions - years ago but the memories still hurt - when I had a chance of making a Sussex Final but fell at the last hurdle:

1. The Team Captains Competition: I narrowly lost to Worthing's Charlie Preston;
2. The Champion-of-Champions: I had great chances but lost to Littlehampton's Colin Tucker.

At the rate you are going everyone will hate each other by the end :D ;)

I have only ever been in one final :o! Against my dad for the Axe & Compass pub competition. I lost :'(

I was beat on the day, I was heart broke and cried :-[ I was only 13 though ::) (pssh shouldn't be in pub finals at that age ;))!

I have never been in the second round of the Cambs Singles, yet I always get drawn against White Swan A players >:( on near tables :(
But I am not going to blame the tables as my opponent played on them too! This year I have a decent table and hopefully John will have an off day ;)

[Lolly]

This one is very easy for me to comment on.

The semi-final of the All England Pairs in Bournemouth, not too sure of the year, but I was partnered by my good friend Steve Oram.
We managed to get through to the semi-final facing Jon Bamsey and Alan Challenor. Jon won the first leg for them and then I secured the second leg with a late 8K break, but the dissaster for me was the 3rd leg. I was on a large break and just needed to get to the magic 10K mark to secure the leg and to make Jon and Alan basically play the last leg out. Nerves got the better of me and I tapped up after about 7-8K. They then went on to win the leg to make it even worse, and I was left with that horrid feeling of letting myself and more importantly my partner down.
But have learnt alot from that game, and know that I would not do it again.

Personally I would NEVER tap up, unless I was 100% certain the opponent will not win.
My team mates shout "oldham" (sounds like hold 'em for those who don't get it) and it puts my off as I don't want to "Oldham" I want to be dead certain I have won first!

If I was playing and on 5k I wouldn't stop as I would want to get 10k, then if possible get my highest ever break :) I love playing Bar Billiards :)

[fazza]

sithlord said:

My team mates shout "oldham" (sounds like hold 'em for those who don't get it) and it puts my off as I don't want to "Oldham" I want to be dead certain I have won first!

I am glad you explained what Oldham meant, my teammates shout "Bury" which I believe is near Oldham.

Johnny, you do worry me!

Yeh, I get really worried when my teammates shout "Skelmersdale" or "Oswaldtwistle". ::) Very disconcerting. :o

[barbelman]

lolly said:

This one is very easy for me to comment on.

The semi-final of the All England Pairs in Bournemouth, not too sure of the year, but I was partnered by my good friend Steve Oram.
We managed to get through to the semi-final facing Jon Bamsey and Alan Challenor.

Bamsey, the two-timing b*tch....I thought he always played with me at Bournemouth! :o

Tony

[fazza]

But you are very similar.... tall, bearded, wonderfully good-looking etc etc.
so I can understand the mistake!

[barbelman]

fazza said:

But you are very similar.... tall, bearded, wonderfully good-looking etc etc.
so I can understand the mistake!

Oh well, since you put it that way, I suppose I'll let him play/burden himself with me again......

Tony

[Lolly]

My humble apologies Mr Willis, my mistake. :(


As for the taping up Johny..........wait until your in the situation prior to saying what you would or would not do.

I'd had a good conversion record of Semifinal appearances into Finals over the years - really until 1980/81 when I first tasted bar billiards heartbreak. :'(
This was in the Horsham Singles Semi-Final against Tony Hawkes. I was hoping to meet my good mate Bill Phillips in the Final and was only a few hundred behind Tony half-way through in the decider when a ball came back nearly to baulk and after that the table got all clagged up. >:(
The last few minutes were excrutiating as I pitted everything including the the kitchen against clearing for the break-back but just couldn't do it. :(
When it came to Finals Night, Tony was to have his very own taste of heartbreak, losing to Bill on the last ball of the last game - with me thinking "That could have been me !" ;)

I was spared a repeat taste of the experience until exactly ten years later, when I bombed badly against Richard Deadman in the Mid Sussex Semi-Final, having beaten four tasty contenders along the way. :-*
I had prepared myself carefully for the evening, afternoon off work, went for a jog, had a nice bath, psyched myself up by playing "Eye of the Tiger", put on my best shirt and some brand new jeans, I felt great, the epitome of cool. 8-)
But I lost the toss, he surprisingly put himself in to bat and - without playing the split - kept rattling the balls into the hundred hole and despite a few anxious moments got away with everything. ::)

When it came to my turn to dominate the second leg I just couldn't seem to do it. :oTalk about anti-climax !

I've missed out in several semi-finals of Pairs and Mixed Doubles too, of course, but somehow they don't seem to hurt quite as much as there's someone else with whom to share the disappointment: A trouble shared is a trouble halved. ;)