The Redcar Lakes team of Mark Andrews (-35), Gary Beckett (-20) and Dave Beckett (-10) secured the Summer Billiard League title with a match in hand. Redcar Literary Institute "A" had been the only team to mount a serious challenge to the Lakes squad, but when they were defeated by their own "B" team in the penultimate week of the season, it made irrelevant their scheduled clash with the league leaders in the final match. The Literary Institute "A" team of John Hartley (-55), Callum Robinson (+30) and Chris Hartley (+30) still finished clear in second place.
The new season started with the welcome innovation of including professional players, and David Causier made light of his -60 handicap. In his opening match of 120-up for the Ironopolis "A" team, consecutive contributions of 100 and 72 settled the encounter with his opponent having scored just 20 points. It is seven years since Causier last appeared in the Teesside Leagues. At that time he was handicapped by the Redcar League to owe 150 points in their games of 200-up. Considering the vast improvement in Causier's game since that time, this new handicap looks positively generous. Paul Bennett is also playing in the League for Beechwood and Lee Lagan continues to represent Hemlington. However, Lee's season did not start very brightly as he was comprehensively beaten 120-4 by young Mark Coates who completed the best win of his career with breaks of 50 and 37.
With the season barely begun, Darren Kell (Ironopolis) equalled the League high-break record with 123 in his team's home tie against the Samualsons Club. A few weeks later David Causier, who with his handicap was playing a 180-up game, recorded a 170 unfinished against Ayresome Quoit Club. However he still has some way to go to collect his bet that he would make at least six 180 breaks during the course of the season!
Billy Bousfield became just the second playing member of the Boys' Billiards League to be elected as an official when he took over from Keith Mallon as Secretary. The first official from the Junior ranks was John Hartley who became Chairman of the League four years ago, holding that position for a couple of years.