The B.&S.C.C English Billiards Championship

Record Entry

A record number of 106 players entered for the 102nd year of the Championship. Regional heats were played off to find 15 qualifiers to join Peter Shelley exempted as 1989 Runner-up, one more qualifier than usual, the Title-holder, David Edwards, having turned Professional. Last 16 matches were played at the Woking S.C. and the Excelsior, Leeds, to reduce to 8 for the Cubbington Club, Leamington, May 8th- 13th.

North-West (Widnes Snooker Centre)

There were some close games. Eddie McNicholas won one by 16, and Paul Dunning one by 13. The match between Geoff Seddon and John McIntyre was described as, "A Cliffhanger," Seddon winning by 26 despite a century from his opponent. Tony Done was perhaps a little unlucky in the draw.

South Eastern (Huntingdon Snooker Centre)

Des Heald was just favourite for this area. Main challengers Roy Bacon and Dennis McGuigan are short of competitive billiards, whilst Arthur Winn, who could have put up a challenge, withdrew. Heald had a hard match in the final in which Bacon, after a slow start, had fine breaks of 85 and 132.

Notts/Derby (Beaconsfield Club, Derby)

The standard of play was rather poor considering that David Rees and Jim McCann, were both in last season's international team and high in the Mini-Prix rankings. There were not more than half-a-dozen 50 breaks throughout. Eighty-one-year-old Herbert Beetham gave Malcolm Pilkington a hard time; Pilkington fell past club-mate Tom Terry but was then comfortably beaten by Rees in the Area final.

Surrey/Kent/Hants

The form of many of the players was unknown, but both qualifiers recorded useful breaks in their matches with some good 2 hour scores.

Yorks/Lines (Cuedos Top Spot, Bradford)

This was the largest area, 21 entries with three to qualify. The matches were played in three groups.

Group 1

This looked to be between two Steves - Crosland and Hardcastle - but it was Alan Firth who came through though by only 18 against Hardcastle in the Final.

Group 2

Bill Watson of Louth and Howard Sumner of Leeds seemed favourites. Bill Watson lost to namesake Dave Watson of Leeds, but Sumner came through in fine style with three centuries. Bill Turner still seems unable to bring his practice form to the match table.

Group 3

Mark Hirst and Terry Ward were the ones to watch, but Mark lost to Ted Warren of Huddersfield who then lost to Ward by only 7 points in an exciting finish.

South West (Topspot Club, Trowbridge)

This was a hard one. Martin Goodwill was by a shade the favourite, but with Brian Harvey, Dick Watts, and Bill Andress in the field, it was not going to be easy. In the event Harvey scratched - visiting Australia - while Watts and Andress fought out an exciting match Dick just getting home by a mere 13 points. Goodwill came through fairly comfortably.

Northern Area (Excelsior, Leeds)

There were no great surprises and no very close finishes. There was just 5 points difference after the first session Ward v Cromack though Ward had had a century. The York man eventually finished a comfortable winner.

Southern Area (Woking S.C.)

Goodwill and Rees were expected to get through and did both making centuries in the process. S. Pitts did very well to get past Dick Watts. The Taunton veteran was said to be a little under the weather at the time but he did make a century break and Pitts deserves credit. Des Heald started slight favourite to beat John Scott but the Luton man prevailed in a rather low-scoring match.

Finals

Cubbington Club. Leamington May 8th - 13th

Martin Goodwill and Peter Shelley were seeded to meet in the Final and that was the way of it.

Neither player could find anything like his true form.

Shelley reached his second consecutive final. Full marks to John Scott who got further than expected and challenged strongly in this Semi.

Goodwill's winning margin was approximately the same as Shelley's. The Final was thus to be contested by what many considered to be the two best players. Ward and Scott should be pleased with their showing at Cubbington and will be hoping to go one better next time round.

Martin Goodwill v Peter Shelley

Play started slowly, Goodwill scored 45 and 44, Shelley 32 and 97 to lead by 60 after half-an-hour. Neither player was at ease with the table. After an hour the scores stood at 242 - 248 and it was not until the last half-hour that the players seemed to find some fluency, Shelley with 69.28.22.21 & 22, but more effectively Goodwill with 267 points in his last 4 visits (72.56.81.58) to lead by 103 at the interval.

Shelley was first in with 25 missing a pot from the spot. Goodwill replied with 27 and 72, and, with smaller items built up a lead of 299 as Shelley, in 16 visits to the table, could score only 66 points. Goodwill then made his first century of the match, a rather scrappy 123, missing a top pocket pot but going nearly 500 in front. Shelley was only saved from total disaster by a late 80 (missing a drop cannon) but it had been an awful session for him.

This was a session in which Shelley had to reduce the arrears to have any chance. It was not to be. Though Goodwill scored only 439 at an average of less than 13, the Staffordshire man had an even worse time than in the previous session averaging only 9. It is true that the balls did not run well for him but he missed easy strokes and seemed unable to retain position for more than a shot or two. Goodwill did little missing three long-losers, a shot he had seemed sure of the day before.

It would have needed a Russell to have pulled this match out of the fire. Shelley's deficit of 573 at least removed any pressure and a very good crowd was hoping to see some of the brilliant play of which the Stoke man is capable. But Peter could manage only a 47 and it was left to Goodwill to provide the entertainment. He did this in fine style with two centuries displaying a fluent top-of-the-table technique; his 188 ended at the simplest of cannons played just a shade too slowly. Both men played some very good 'long jennies' from awkward positions; it was in the nature of the match that Goodwill's kept him going whilst Shelley's led nowhere. Disappointing for the Stoke player but a thoroughly deserved victory for the ex Teesside Boys Billiards League man. If Goodwill's career as an R.A.F. Pilot allows him sufficient practice time then he could look forward to an extended run as Champion - he will be a hard man to beat in any event.

The B.& S.C.C. was represented by Eric Hodgkinson who in his speech thanked all those who were involved in the staging of the Finals. Prizes were presented by three ex-World-Champions in the persons of Herbert Beetham, Jack Karnehm, and Norman Dagley. Herbert Beetham was the Guest of Honour and was presented with a leather desk set described as being, "From all the Billiard Players of England." Whilst this may not be strictly true, certainly many of them, thanks to the efforts of Des Heald and Malcolm Lax, had indeed subscribed. This set was presented by Mini-Prix organiser Des Heald. The evening concluded with a raffle and a buffet.

The Cubbington Club was an excellent venue for both players and spectators, Malcolm Lax and his team had left absolutely nothing to chance even down to the gentle tinkling of a bell to remind referees when it was time to call ten hazards. Malcolm asked the editor of this magazine to suggest improvements but he couldn't think of any worth mentioning.

The Table, installed by A and D Billiards of Birmingham, looked beautiful, though perhaps a shade on the slow side, and was praised by all the players. Spectator numbers were generally good with the final night, quite an occasion, being a sell-out. The Billiards Quarterly Review offers congratulations to all those who contributed to the success of this year's competition and especially to MARTIN GOODWILL English Amateur Champion 1989/90.