NOW that the half-way stage has been reached, the time seems appropriate for a brief review of the events of the first half of the season, and a few remarks about the prospects for the remaining half.
The season has witnessed some very important developments in connection with the governing body of the game, as the result of which the Control Council is now in sole possession of its own finances, and is, consequently, free to expand and enlarge its activities in any way which seems best to it for the general welfare of the game.
The institution of the National Break Competition for Billiards and Snooker will undoubtedly bring a large number of amateur players into touch with the Control Council; whilst a scheme, which is receiving early attention, to issue certificates of efficiency to Referees throughout the country, will also have the effect of bringing the vast army of amateurs into personal touch with the governing body through its officially certificated referees.
Fifty entries have been accepted for the English Amateur Billiards Championship, and sixty-one for the English Amateur Snooker Championship; this being, in each case, an increase of six upon last season's total. Play in the London section, in which twenty-three players will be taking part, will begin at Messrs. Burroughes and Watts' Hall, Soho Square, W., on Monday, January 7; play beginning at 2-30 and 8 p.m. daily. This will be followed at the same venue by the London Section of the Amateur Snooker Championship, the Competition Proper of the Amateur Billiards Championship beginning there on Monday, February 25.
Entries for the United Kingdom Professional Championship of English Billiards, and for the World's Professional Championship of Snooker closed on December 31, bat are not available at the time of writing. The conditions for the former Championship provide for the institution of a Qualifying Competition, from participation in which Davis, Newman, and W. Smith will be exempted, whilst the winner of it will be eligible for participation in the Competition Proper.
Conrad Stanbury, the Canadian Snooker Champion, is definitely coming to England to take part, and will sail from Halifax on Jan. 21.
Entries for the British Empire Amateur Billiards Championship close on March 30, 1935, and whilst it is hoped that representatives from South Africa, Australia, Canada, and India may be nominated to take part in it, no definite news is yet to hand on the subject.
The new experimental rule introduced by the Control Council last month, with the object of eliminating the "crawl" stroke at snooker, is meeting with a generally favourable reception, and amateurs are asked to give it a trial in their ordinary games during the ensuing six months, so that the Council may be enabled to judge, at the end of that period, whether it shall be incorporated in the official Rules of the game. In the meantime it will not, of course, apply either to the English Amateur Snooker Championship, or to the World's Professional Championship of Snooker, for this season, both of these being played under the ordinary Rules of Snooker at present in force.
The professional season in London opened on September 10, with a fortnight's match at Thurston's Hall, between Sydney Lee and Stanley Newman, resulting in a victory for Lee by 830 points. This was followed by another fortnight's game between Sydney Lee and Willie Leigh, in which the former gained a brilliant victory by 3,066 points.
During the next fortnight (from October 8 to 20) an interesting and popular innovation was introduced at Thurston's, Willie Smith meeting T. Newman in a series of twenty-four short games, one game being decided at each session. It was, originally, proposed to play games of 1,000 up, and this was adhered to during the first two days, but the scoring of 1,000 points occupying longer than was convenient, it was then decided to reduce the points in each game to 800 up. The result was a victory for Smith by thirteen games to eleven. The winner made chief breaks of 614 and 586. Newman's highest being 501 and 479.
Another series of twenty-four short games between T. Newman and Sydney Smith occupied the ensuing fortnight (from October 22 to November 3), Smith receiving a start of 250 points in each game of 1,000 up. Newman gained an easy victory by seventeen games to seven.
During the fortnight Newman made breaks of 992 (unfinished), 669, and 623 (unfinished); Smith's highest being 385, 380 and 365.
From November 5 to 17, Sydney Smith and Sydney Lee occupied Thurston's Hall, Lee receiving 7,000 points start. By the end of the first week's play, however, Lee's start had been reduced to 1,061 points; the scores being Lee (rec. 7,000), 12,487; Smith, 11,426. It was decided to substitute a series of short games during the second week, Lee receiving 150 points in each game of three-quarters of an hour's duration; a game of snooker being played between the two sessions of billiards.
Honours were easy in the billiards, while Smith gained a victory in the snooker by eight games to four.
A series of twenty-four games of 800 up, between W. Smith and T. Newman, which was concluded at Thurston's on December 1, resulted in a tie, each player winning twelve games. During these games Newman made breaks of 749 (unfinished), 532, 484, and 467 (unfinished); Smith's being 495.
Those old-time opponents, Inman and T. Reece, were once again in opposition during the fortnight ending December 15, Inman proving the winner of a match decided on the time-limit basis by 820 points. The final scores were Inman, 12,176; T. Reece, 11,356.