Playing for the Western SC; Alf Nolan included breaks of 68 and 38 when competing a whitewash over his opponent from the Samuelsons Club in his 120-up match. A regular achievement for Alf in the 60´s and 70´s, but more of a rarity these days.
The Cleveland Billiards & Snooker League, after lengthy debate, have rejected a proposal to change the format of their Summer Billiards League to a 50-up format. The Cleveland League, founded in 1896, boasts one of the oldest billiard leagues in the World. With most member clubs having only one table, the billiards is played over the summer months, and perhaps for this reason, has for many seasons struggled to attract more than four or five teams, despite being so close to the hot- bed of billiards in central Teesside. It had been proposed that the three- man teams would each play two games of 50-up (non-handicap) to replace the current system of one game of 150-up (handicapped). But the new format found very little support amongst the regular billiard players, and failed to attract a significant level of new interest. Hartley's Handicap
John Hartley (-45) secured the Cleveland League Individual Billiards title at his first attempt, when he defeated John Bell (-35) by 250-145 at the Redcar Lakes Social Club in February. Bell had previously disposed of the holder, Richard Beckham (-115) in the semi-finals, while Hartley had narrowly beaten Dave Beckett (+10) by 250-231.
Lee Lagan (Acklam GC) made a break of 115 unfinished to defeat Darren Kell (Acklam GC) in the final of the individual billiards championship played at Guisborough Quoit Club in March. In the semi-final Lagan had made breaks of 68 and 82.
The Cleveland CIU Billiards League is scheduled to commence in May and extend through the Summer months.
Lee Lagan (North Ormesby Inst) who plays from a handicap of -100, lost on his home table for the first time in three years when he was defeated 200-76 by veteran Mick Fiddes (Eston & California).
Lee Lagan (Hemlington) set a new League record at billiards when he made a break of 123 unfinished one of his 120-up games this season, but his team finished behind the Ironopolis squad of Geoff Charville, Paul Boden and Darren Kell who finished top of the First Division in the Billiards League.