Mixed Doubles.

[bigtj]

Any sign of the draw for the Sussex Mixed Pairs or were there not enough entries. TJ

[NigelS]

No unfortunately not enough entries Tony

[Ros]

That's sad :(
As far as I can see (from an earlier thread) there were four pairs entered at the time of the Sussex Singles/Doubles - how many did we need to have?

[NigelS]

Ros, 8 were required to hold the tournament

[SirKT]

Can we not re-open the entry Nige ?
With the one day competitions almost out of the way, there might be more interest.
Another idea might be to run it on neutral tables throughout the county after most of the winter leagues have finished.

Maybe it is time for a re-vamp.

Margo and I always used to enter years and years ago but stopped when we kept being sent down to the coast to play - even if we had drawn someone from Lewes or Billingshurst.

I cannot believe that Redhill can stage a successful tournament with 24 Mixed Doubles outfits and Sussex cannot. There are just as many lady players in Sussex which has ten leagues as in Surrey which has one.

Come up with an interesting format and players will flock to play in it - margo and myself included.

[NigelS]

Kev, the entry has bee re-opened once but we have still not had the required entries.

I agree it is a shame, as the competiion has a long history going back to the 1960's.

I will speak to MrH and check what entries we did have and decide with him whether to give the competition one last push.

There are enough mixed pairs out there judging by Brighton & Worthing entries alone.

[NigelS]

tommo said:

Maybe it is time for a re-vamp.

Margo and I always used to enter years and years ago but stopped when we kept being sent down to the coast to play - even if we had drawn someone from Lewes or Billingshurst.

I cannot believe that Redhill can stage a successful tournament with 24 Mixed Doubles outfits and Sussex cannot. There are just as many lady players in Sussex which has ten leagues as in Surrey which has one.

Come up with an interesting format and players will flock to play in it - margo and myself included.

You are right there Tommo it is probably time for a revamp as it is just not happening at the moment. The problem with holding it on the one day is finding a date, venue and tables. The calendar is already very full (which is of course a good thing) so i am not sure where it can be fit in.

One to discuss at the AGM

[davejones]

Has the Captains cup gone the same way!!!

[Ros]

sirkt said:

Another idea might be to run it on neutral tables throughout the county after most of the winter leagues have finished.

This was how it was run last year SirKT.

Q was my partner last year, we played Alan and Jean at the Limeburners and although I played like a complete muppet, we had a thoroughly pleasant evening out at a nice pub that none of us have played at often.

Surely Kevin Hall and Sandra Race could be persuaded to have a go?

I think the onus is on the men to invite some of the lady players to partner them. Think outside the box - it doesn't have to be someone in your team or even in your league! I was honoured when bigTJ asked me.

[Chunky Monkeys other half]

Hey Roz Kevin & i were one of the four couples who wanted to be entered.
Sandra

[Ros]

In which case there are five couples entered Sandra :)

I took my info from Nigel's thread about the Singles and Doubles entries, Dave Hampton's post of the entries as at 17th Dec:
barbilliards.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=sussex&action=display&thread=1192473529

The list at that time showed Hayley, Gina and Jean entered with their respective partners, the post immediately below that was from bigTJ entering with me.

I now see that Kevin had entered you on another thread, sorry for not spotting that before.

Surely it must be possible to find three more pairs? I'm sure Jenny Edwards would consider a good proposal! ;)

[ladyh]

Yes, come on Sussex, lets get this competition off the ground, up and running.

Yesterday there were some excellent games played by the Ladies of Sussex who enjoyed the experience of playing in these one day'ers or competitions.

I would prefer a one day competition, like the opens but I also know dates/venues are always a problem to organise. Could something be added on the back of the Sussex Masters? The tables and venue would be in place already.................

I think it would be 'chivalrous' ( :o cripes, don't know where that came from so early in the morning 8-) ) for the men players to ask the ladies of Sussex to partner them.

Perhaps all those interested lady players could come forward as I am sure there are plenty of 'willing' male partners available.

I think part of the lull in entries is to do with advertising this comp. I know this forum is an excellent site but only if you have a computer. Can we get forms to go round to the captains of Sussex or the Chairperson in each league to distribute?

I am happy to do any admin :-X ::) :)

Come on West Sussex, where are you??? HRP, I am amazed that you and TTO have not entered................. :( :-[ :(

H

[TTO]

I didnt know this competition was on will mention in to HRP - when is it as i am sure myself and hubby or somebody will play - if you will have us ;D

[HRP]

Would def be up for it if allowed to enter, depending on my shifts of course, when and where??

[Baby Guinness]

I would also like to enter if the comp goes ahead

[Ros]

pinkkay said:

Would def be up for it if allowed to enter, depending on my shifts of course, when and where??

We don't know when and where yet, for the last few years each draw has been played at a neutral table at a date decided between the two pairs involved.

Whilst I take tommo's point that we don't want to have to travel down to the coast for every game, I must admit I prefer this format to a 'one day' as it gives the chance to go out and play on some different tables at unfamiliar venues.

I hope the gentlemen have taken note that there are now three ladies who have declared an interest on this thread, mama Hall, HRP and TTO. As far as I can see none of these ladies have ruled out the idea of playing with a different partner from usual.

By the way, I agreed to be entered in the Captain's cup, but only if needed to make up the numbers.

I hope that you do get a Mixed Doubles competition this year.

Idea for next year: make it on a grander scale.
Use some of the money in the SCBBA coffers to put up a cash prize, say between £60 and £100.

Preliminary rounds zoned into four regions :
1. Western Sussex (= West-Sussex/Littlehampton/Billingshurst/Horsham)
2. Worthing
3. Brighton
4. Eastern Sussex (= Hastings/Eastbourne/Lewes/Mid Sussex)

The Two Finalists from each group to play off at a pub one evening on two tables (pub own table + one loaned for the evening from someone).

Too easy ?

If this has some backing, I'll propose the idea at next County AGM.

[JB]

Tommo
From a personal point of view i think introducing cash prizes in County & league competitions is wrong. Once introduced it may not be viable in future years without putting up entry fees to cover the cost. I also dont think people should need a cash incentive to support their county.

If the matches were played in zones i wouldnt enter the mixed doubles. The reason i enter Sussex Comps like the mixed doubles is to go to different venues that normally i would never go to like the Limeburners last year which we both really enjoyed.

In the last few years we seem to play in Brighton or Worthing and very rarely go outside these towns. We did say this year we wouldnt enter because of this although i ended up agreeing to enter after a few bacardis in Jersey!

To me i would much prefer to travel to Horsham, Eastbourne, Billingshurst, Littlehampton to play a sussex game than to play on a table in Brighton which i play probably 3 or 4 times each year. Surely thats what Sussex Comps are about.

[Ros]

jo said:

Tommo
From a personal point of view i think introducing cash prizes in County & league competitions is wrong.
......
If the matches were played in zones i wouldnt enter the mixed doubles. The reason i enter Sussex Comps like the mixed doubles is to go to different venues that normally i would never go to like the Limeburners last year which we both really enjoyed.
......
To me i would much prefer to travel to Horsham, Eastbourne, Billingshurst, Littlehampton to play a sussex game than to play on a table in Brighton which i play probably 3 or 4 times each year. Surely thats what Sussex Comps are about.

I quite agree on cash prizes - that seems a dangerous path to go down.

Agreed on the Limeburners, nice pub, good company, excellent evening!

I think it would be nice if the competition were to be played on the home tables of the entrants (not their own of course!) or another nominated table in their league, like an interleague table. Each pair could be asked to nominate either one or two tables as appropriate. Further to that, it might be possible to arrange the draw so that the pairs play outside the league area they normally play in.

[NigelS]

If HRP, TTO & Lorraine Hall can confirm that they have partners and who they are we may well have our 8 required.

If this competition is to take place it will have to be in the usual way, a knock out at neutral venues. Any changes to the format for the future can only be decided at the next AGM.

I will check with Mr H re the status of the other two comps, the captains cup and senior singles.

[Ros]

nigels said:

If HRP, TTO & Lorraine Hall can confirm that they have partners and who they are we may well have our 8 required.

I might be completely wrong here, but I think those three ladies have bravely put themselves forward as being available as playing partners for suitably qualified male players.

I sincerely hope there are PM's flying around in the background or that LadyH is playing matchmaker behind the scenes!

[Lord Cheeky]

HRP and TTO do have husbands who play the game and their husbands would be their partners, if they do intend playing the competition then perhaps both couples could play on the same night at the same venue as they have to come all the way from Havant, just a thought.

Well it was just a thought to give the thing a bit of a hoik (is that a word ?)

I am generally not in favour of making the game cut-throat which it would be at the later stages with money at stake. I too prefer the nicety of it being an amateur game and if it became 'pro' I would be the first to bow out.

So why did I come up with such a suggestion ?

Well, in trying to compromise again ! You try and please everyone and end up pleasing no-one. I was trying to combine the following ideas :
1. The old Tarratt 'champion of pub champions' where you won your zone to qualify for a last-32 or last-16 final set in a nice pub;
2. The one-off cash prize that went with it. I remember last year Glenn Chubb was pushing for a competition on a similar grandiose scale.
3. The thought that if people saw a poster up in a pub where they could win money, you might attract a few extra entries that you otherwise wouldn't have had.

Please bear in mind that I am only trying to help, I'm not trying to revolutionise Sussex bar billiards! I hate to see competitions vanish and that is the danger with the Mixed Doubles if it remains as it is. I admire your sentiment, Jean, of wanting to venture far afield to play, and test your skills on strange tables, but unfortunately there are not too many around as keen as you. If there were - no problem !

[Ros]

tto said:

I didnt know this competition was on will mention in to HRP - when is it as i am sure myself and hubby or somebody will play - if you will have us ;D

I took this to mean that TTO was open to other offers!

I too have a husband who plays Lord Cheeky, I partner with him in Mid-Sussex Mixed Doubles. But I also partnered this year with Trevor Rees in Mid-Sussex Open Doubles (after several years of partnering Sparky with one win and two R/U to show for it) and was delighted to accept bigTJ's 'proposal' for the Sussex Mixed (last year I partnered with Q)

Not pairing up with your husband or life partner for doubles has the advantage of usually being able to drag along your own scorer too! ;)

[TTO]

Lord Cheeky you are correct in that myself and HRP were planning on "playing with" our husbands ;D

does anyone know vaguely when the competion is as hubby works shifts?

[Ros]

tto said:

Lord Cheeky you are correct in that myself and HRP were planning on "playing with" our husbands ;D

does anyone know vaguely when the competion is as hubby works shifts?

In which case, my apologies TTO, I misunderstood your post. Although I can assure you it's more fun to "play with" someone else's husband ;) :o (Bar Billiards of course!)

nigels said:

If this competition is to take place it will have to be in the usual way, a knock out at neutral venues.

So once the draw is done (assuming we have our eight) you will have a venue, an opponent pair and a time limit (a few weeks usually) to get the game played, it will be up to the two pairs to negotiate a suitable time amongst themselves and within the availability of the venue.

[HRP]

;) ;)Must admit I would prefer to play with my own husband if possible!!! BFG and I look forward to it!

[SirKT]

What`s the full list of entrants Nige ?

[NigelS]

sirkt said:

What`s the full list of entrants Nige ?

I am checking with Dave whether he had any others but the entries I bleieve are as follows

mixed
Kev Hall/ Sandra Race
K & H Tunstall
A & J Brackenridge
C Cooper & G Sherratt
T.Jenner & Ros Appleby
S Vaux & ???
K Cole & ???
L Hall & ????

The last three to confirm their male partners

Captains
J.Brackenridge
A Farmer-Wright
R.Jeffries
P.Edwards
R Appleby
3 short fo entry of 8

Senior singles
????? none as far as i know!