The Billiard Season of 1920-21.—A Retrospect.—II

Scotland was wont to be a stronghold of amateur billiards and its championship competitions were amongst the most interesting events of their kind in the British Isles. But Scottish billiardists do not appear to have recovered their pre-war enthusiasm for big events and another season has passed without an attempt to galvanize into life the dormant amateur championship of Scotland.

No contest has taken place for the title since 1914, when A. Croneen (now a captain in the Army) was the winner, and unfortunately there appears to be no immediate prospect of its revival. Since Mr. Robert Wilson, of Edinburgh, was stricken by the illness which ended in his much-mourned death a few months ago, Scottish billiards has had no genius to guide its destinies. Mr. Wilson, than whom no one rendered more signal service to the game in the extreme North, is difficult to replace, but out of regard for his memory and all that he did for Scottish billiards, someone might attempt to reinstate an event which used to be amongst the most successful of the year.

Welsh enthusiasts were more enterprising. The war held up their chief event, but during the past winter the local Association was reconstituted, the championship revived, and launched on a further career which holds out every promise of being successful. Some new aspirants came forward to do battle for the amateur championship of Wales, and although the old champion, Mr. J. Cable, easily retained the title, a few of the new hands gave promise of severely testing the holder in the very near future. Altogether the revival of this competition proved most successful, and the new local executive are to be congratulated on making it so.

Next to the national championship, that organized for Midland players is amongst the most important and successful in the country. It invariably provides keen and clean sport, and last season's event proved no exception when Mr. J. G. Taylor, of Walsall (a regular competitor in the English championship) regained the title that he held some few years ago. Mr. Taylor, advancing years notwithstanding, is still amongst the best dozen amateurs in the country.

Blues are not given to billiard players at either University—an honour long overdue— but it is good to know that the grand old game holds its own at Oxford and Cambridge. The challenge cues were again keenly competed for, whilst the inter-Varsity match again provided one of the great sporting events of the year.

Cambridge were the victors, but only after a great struggle, whilst the Oxford cue fell to Mr. P. Nickson (Corpus) and the Cambridge emblem to Mr. C. M. Precious (St. John's).

Apart from the chief competitions of the season, there was much in the doings of amateurs throughout the country to inspire a hopeful confidence that the game is coming into its kingdom. One sign of this was to be found in the opening of many new public billiard rooms, and the installation of tables in places that had not previously known the game. And despite all this the demand for tables from the everyday hundred-upper far exceeded the supply. In a word billiards generally enjoyed a great "boom" year and there are signs that the climax of its popularity has not yet been reached. One cannot make detailed reference to all the local championships and handicaps decided during the season because of their multitude, but it may be of general interest and form a convenient reference for readers of The Billiard Player to conclude the amateur retrospect by tabulating the winners of the leading events. Here they are:—

In the August issue I hope to conclude this Retrospect with a reference to the professional phase of the season.