1986 All-England U-22 Competition.

Sifting through a lot of old stuff the other day to try and find some information for Nigel, I came across an old programme with my following notes on the event:

The best young Bar Billiards players in All of England : that’s Sussex, as on Sunday (23rd November 1986) at the Sunallon Club, Horsham the County Under-22 team swept all aside to win the All-England U-22 Championship.

Sussex’s team consisted of TOMMY ORR (County Club, Littlehampton, Capt) aged 20; GRAHAM MEPHAM (Romans, Southwick) aged 17, and three local players DAVID VIZOR (aged 20) and MICHAEL FAIRS (both of Roffey SSC) and PAUL ROSE (aged 19) of the Green Dragon, Horsham.

The Groups, which were originally to have included Lincs and Bucks who were unable to attend, were re-drawn with Northants, Kent and Hampshire in Group A and Sussex, Berkshire and Oxon in Group B.

Sussex started with a ‘Bye’ in Group B whilst Oxon beat Berks 4-1. Then Sussex beat Berks 3-2, the winners being Tommy Orr with 4640 (3260 break), Graham Mepham and Dave Vizor. The same three players then won against Oxford to qualify for a Final against Kent, the winners of Group A.

This time, after Graham Mepham had again delivered, Paul Rose found the form which had earlier eluded him, and David Vizor had the championship within his grasp when with the drop of the bar imminent, he pushed too far and lost a patiently-compiled 4000 break which cost him the game.

It was left to the safe hands of captain Tommy Orr – who despite his tender years is already a regular with current Interleague champions Littlehampton ‘A’ – to secure the match and take the highest break award with the 3260 he had earlier fired against Berkshire.

The first point is that there was actually a County Team Event for Under 22's. This even shocked me when I discovered it.
Secondly, the likes of Johnny George will prick his ears up, and say why can't we have another one ? (It could be run as an Under-25s).
Finally, a comment on the players who took part. Tommy Orr was a promising talent. Is he still known around Littlehampton ?
Micky Fairs has developed into a fantastic player and turns out regularly for Horsham. Dave Vizor had a long absence but has just taken up the game again. We know of Choccie of course, but does his brother still play ? And Paul Rose used to play really fast and could regularly run up scores of 18k on the Green Dragon before he vanished suddenly from the scene.
And what about the rest of the counties ? Are there any of you out there from Northants, Kent, Hants, Berks and Oxon with vague recollections of having taken part ? This was just over 20 years ago, so you'd be late thirties/early forties.

[Chris_Sav]

Who were the Kent players in the finals pls Tommo??

Sav

There you have me, Sav.

I was part of an organising committee for Sussex consisting of C.Cordery, N.Luxford, J.Turner and me. As I recall, I had to act as Charlie's "gofer", organising scorers and collecting the slips after each game from the four tables.

I only really had recourse to collect the Sussex scores for a report in the local press afterwards.

It will be great if those names who remember taking part could emerge from the closet ! ;)

[NigelS]

Interestingly according to Pete's BBQ records, Kent won the under 22' s in 1985 and 1986 (against Berks and Northants respectively) then it turned into an individual event in 1987 won by Ricky Brownlow of Kent. The individual competition runs to this day, now being the under 25's.

However, accrding to you Tommo it was Sussex, not Kent, that won this event in 1986...

Don't think Chocie's brother still plays, (Stu will be able to tell you) he did though have a very good Jersey about 10 years ago when he reached the last 32 and Stu reached the last 16.

As I would not dare calling Fazza's stats into question, I can only deduce that because this one took place in November '86 it would have been looked on as a 1986/87 competition.

With the competition becoming a Singles in that year, it was probably offloaded on poor Charles to do on a take-it-or-leave it basis, and as thus it was SCBBA-organised and not AEBBA-organised and was swept into a corner and forgotten !

[Chris_Sav]

I remember Ricky Brownlow, he was from Maidstone.

Good player and a good laugh as well. Maidstone league still exists (just) but is no longer part of KBBA so I have little contact with them.

I know he didn't play for several years but made a reappearance a couple of years ago, whether he plays now I don't know.

Sav.

[PaulS]

My younger brother Jonathan was a member of the Kent team in '85 or '86, can't remember which, along with Ricky Brownlow among others. I think Doug Phillips who still plays in Tunbridge Wells may have been in the team as well. I was in fact the driver for the day and remember it well as Jonathan was the first Sainsbury to get an AEBBA winners trophy (I was runner up in 1982 AEBBA singles).

This is beginning to add up now.

Kent would have been the last 'official' winners of the under-22 or u-23 in late 1985 (1985/86 season).

Charles Cordery then organised his one on 23/11/86 which as I say I have a programme from. I recall that Kent under-22s were considered a "tasty" side and the Sussex team that was got together for the very first time were very chuffed to beat them, albeit on home ground.