Leading Professionals Meet B. A. & C. Council
Inman's Lawsuit Withdrawn
A letter having recently been received by the Council,
bearing the signatures of W. Smith, C. Falkiner, T.
Newman, and M. Inman, desiring a meeting with the
Council, to discuss arrangements for next season's professional championship, a meeting was specially called
on Monday, May 2, at 12.30 p.m., at the Tavistock
Hotel, Covent Garden, W.C., in order to afford the
professionals named the desired opportunity of discussing
this matter with the Council.
The meeting, which
was presided over by
Mr. G. N. E. Hall-Say
(chairman of the Council) was a thoroughly
representative one,
thirteen out of the sixteen members being
present. The chairman intimated that it
might be difficult to
discuss matters concerning the championship with Inman,
without prejudice to
his pending action.
At Nottingham, Inman's horse 'Twickenham' (F. Bullock
up) won the Rufford Abbey Plate.
Inman then stated
that he had instructed
his solicitors to withdraw this action. In
the unavoidable absence of Falkiner,
Smith stated that he
was authorized to
speak on his behalf.
Newman, Smith, and Inman were then cordially received
by the Council, the chairman assuring them that he was
most anxious to remove any erroneous impression,
which some of them appeared to have entertained in the
past, that the Council was not always desirous of
acting in the best interests of the players, as well as of the
game. This assurance being accepted in the spirit in
which it was offered, Newman proceeded to outline
certain suggestions which the players wished to submit for
the consideration of the Council. The chief of these were,
that a qualifying competition should be instituted for the
championship, the entrance fee to which should be £25,
the winner of this qualifying competition to be eligible
to play in the championship, other entrants to which
should consist only of past holders of the title, and
runners-up; that the championship competition be begun
on the first Monday in April, each year, and that the
entrance fee to the preliminary heats in the championship proper be £50, the stake money in these preliminary heats to be taken by the winner of each heat,
and the entrance fee to the final heat to be increased to
£100.
Another important suggestion put forward by Newman
was that the conditions governing the championship
should be published in November next, that the
entries should close on December 31, and that the
draw should be made early in January.
The players also expressed their wish that
the final of the championship should be
played in a neutral
hall, if possible, and
it was agreed that no
objection would be
raised to this most
desirable course being
adopted, provided the
players could secure a
suitable hall, and were
prepared to guarantee
the Council against
any loss that might
be incurred.
It was also agreed
that the players concerned be consulted
before the prices to be
charged for admission
to the championship
were decided upon,
and that samples of
the cloth to be used
on the championship
tables should be submitted to competitors,
for their approval.
The chairman stated
that the above suggestions appeared perfectly reasonable, and
would, he was certain,
receive the careful and
favourable consideration of the Council,
which was, at all
times, most anxious
to co-ordinate the welfare of the players
and the best interests
of the game, and the
professionals, having
thanked the Council
for the very friendly
manner in which they
had been received,
then retired.
At Leeds Inman is stated to have screwed back
direct to the top of the table from a near cannon at
the bottom. The editor of The Billiard Player once
saw John Roberts screw direct back from baulk at Thurston's in a snooker game on the octagonal table, from
a ball near the top of the table, although it has to he
borne in mind that the length of the octagonal table was
ten, instead of twelve, feet.