The entry and arrival of Mr. J. R. Hooper, the Australasian champion, has given a wonderful impetus to our Amateur Billiard Championship which is now shaping an interesting course at Burroughes Hall in Soho Square. There is something piquant, something that grips the imagination, in a player travelling some 15,000 miles to take part in a billiard contest in which his active participation might be confined to one game of 2,000 points up. It is not only a plucky venture and enterprise, but it reveals all the best sporting traditions that never fail to make an appeal to a sports-loving Britisher. Our visitor comes with the highest credentials, and his attempt to carry the amateur title overseas for the first time in the history of a competition instituted as long ago as 1888, will be followed with keen and sympathetic interest. Should the capable Australian be successful in his quest for further honours there will be few, if any, amongst us inclined to withhold congratulations on what would be a wonderful achievement.
But is the blue riband of the amateur billiards world in serious danger of becoming part of Mr. Hooper's luggage when he returns to his far-off Australian home? My own view is that, whilst our welcome visitor is a force to be seriously regarded, the title will remain in the old country. And to come still more directly to the point, I am of opinion that Mr. Sidney Harold Fry (the holder) will create a new record by winning the cup for the seventh time, and for the third year in succession. Mr. Fry will be fifty-two on January 25 next, an age when most people feel inclined to eschew competitive events calling for great physical and mental strain. But our champion is a law unto himself in this respect, and at 52 he is playing better than at 42 or 32.
I have seen most of our amateur billiards giants during the past couple of decades or so-Messrs. Virr, Good, Lonsdale, Breed, Symes, Major Fleming, etc.-but none has appealed to me as being so well equipped for vital match play as Mr. Fry has proved to be during the last five years. Indeed, one would go so far as to say that Mr. Fry has claims to be regarded as the greatest amateur player we have seen in public in this country.
He first won the title so long ago as 1893, and followed this up with victories in 1896 and 1900. Subsequently, he forsook billiards for several years, but returning to his old love he regained the title in 1916. But his most notable achievements were his triumphs in 1919 and last Spring, because his form all through was in advance of anything ever before served up in the competition, and he "proved" himself in those temperamental qualities, without which all other qualifications are of little avail.
The keynote of Mr. Fry's game is soundness, but he is often very brilliant, as becomes a player who holds the championship record break of 236. His cue action impresses me with the conviction that here is a player who thoroughly appreciates that the best results are obtained by "sticking the cue right into the ball." It gives that clear and crisp impact which not only yields most excellent results to the strokes, but it appeals to the eye and the ear of the onlooker in a way that adds to the joy and pleasure in watching good billiards. Keen and alert, there is nothing slovenly in the methods or in the deportment of our champion when at the table, and it makes of him an attractive cueist as well as a real good player.
And so, whilst Mr. Hooper may conceivably defeat all the rest of his prospective opponents, I look to Mr. Fry to prove to the world that under the prevailing conditions of the championship we have one capable of upholding the supremacy of British amateur billiards. Unfortunately, the luck of the draw does not permit to Messrs. Hooper and Fry an opportunity to meet in the final. But should nothing untoward happen in the interim they will run up against each other in one of the semi-finals. And it is casting no reflection on the ability of their respective intermediate opponents for one to predict with some degree of confidence that Mr. Hooper will then be in a position to test the quality of the title-holder.
Each has been pretty favourably drawn. In heat 1 Mr. Hooper meets the veteran Mr. Sam Christey, champion in 1892, 1901 and 1903, and as the latter can hardly claim to be his former self, the Australian should make good his passage in the next round. In this round Mr. C. E. E. Riley (a new aspirant of whom little is known) should provide the Australian with his second victim. Mr. J. Seaman, a good, sound exponent from Birmingham, will likely be Mr. Hooper's opponent in the third round, and in winning this heat, as I confidently anticipate he will, the Australian will be ready for the semi-finals.
Turning to Mr. Fry, one finds that his first hurdle (in heat 2) will be a young and promising player in Mr. J. R. Fraser Farrar, who comes from Fulham way. Mr. Farrar was in the Great War and gained commissioned rank, and since being demobilized he has sharpened up his billiards a good deal with a few lessons from Claude Falkiner. Of the enthusiastic and improving type, honours will come the young Fulham amateur's way in due course, but he will find the holder a little too good for him.
In the second round Mr. Fry's opponent is likely to be Mr. A. E. Graham, a talented if somewhat erratic exponent hailing from Ilford. Mr. Graham-a left-hander by the way-is one with whom no liberties can be taken, and no one knows this better than the champion, who has met Mr. Graham in several important games. Mr. Fry, however, should win comfortably enough and be ready for (probably) Mr. Percy Wood, the Stock Exchange player who, curiously enough, is from the same "stable" as Mr. Graham, and just about the latter's form.
Thus one may gather the strong possibility of Messrs. Fry and Hooper meeting in the first of the semi-finals and giving us the amateur contest of the century on February 7 and 8 next. By that time Mr. Hooper will be much more at home amongst us, and one or two good judges of the game are already predicting disaster for our champion. My own opinion-and it can only be an opinion- I have already made known.
Of course, there are other dangerous candidates in the field besides Messrs. Fry and Hooper, but space does not permit of more than a passing reference to them. There is Mr. A. W. T. Good (champion in 1902, 1905 and 1915) who is making a welcome reappearance for the first time since resigning the title four years ago. Then there is the dour and determined Major A. L. Fleming, the hero of the 1909 event, and ex-Lieutenant J. Graham Symes, a dual winner in 1917 and 1918. Over and above these past champions there are Messrs. W. B. Marshall, who gave Mr. Fry food for reflection in the last final; G. A. Heginbottom, of Stalybridge, a frequent runner-up; T. Truffas, another Lancastrian who comes with a big reputation in this, his first attempt; and J. G. Taylor, of Walsall, who got into the semi-finals last spring. Mr. Harry Bond (late of Ilford) and the policeman from Richmond way-Mr. R. Layfield-are other new aspirants expected to do well.
But to summarize the whole situation I have an idea that I shall not be very wide of the mark in nominating the following to fill the last eight positions:-Messrs. Seaman, Hooper, Fry, Wood, Symes, Marshall, Bond, and Good. For the semi-finals I will take Messrs. Hooper, Fry, Marshall, and Good, and history may easily repeat itself by Messrs. Fry and Marshall again opposing each other in the most vital stage of all.
To the announcement as to entries and heats made on the third page of the cover of this issue of The Billiard Player, we may add the following:-Semi-finals (2,000 up): February 7-8, Winner heat 19 v. Winner heat 20; February 8-9, Winner heat 21 v. Winner heat 22; Final (3,000 up), February 10-12.
Heats will be decided as follows:-Preliminary rounds: In four sessions, each of 500 points. Semi-finals: In three sessions, each of 666 points. Finals: In six sessions, each of 500 points.
The matches are marked and refereed by Mr. W. J. Ayres, chairman of the Billiard Professionals Association, whose portrait is included in the complete presentment of the amateur championship contestants that appears overleaf. We are rather proud of this page of 25 pictures, which represents the writing of about one hundred letters and much special photographing by The Billiard Player in various parts of the country.
An interesting point in this year's championship is that if Mr. S. H. Fry should win he will hold the championship record for seven wins, against six each by Mr. A. P. Gaskell and Mr. H. C. Virr.