Mini - Prix 1989/90

There will be those readers who have never heard of the Mini-Prix. Mini-Prix is a now well-established annual series of Pro-Am tournaments played in venues as far apart as Exeter and Widnes. The brainchild of Mark Wildman and Des Heald, from small beginnings has grown in popularity and done much to stimulate interest in the game. B.Q.R. intends at some future date to publish detailed Mini-Prix yearbooks. This first issue, in giving a review of the season 1989/90 clearly cannot cover all 12 Tournaments in detail but future issues will carry full details of Main events and Plate.

1st Event: 18th June, 1989

Ilford Snooker Centre

A smallish field at the height of the '89 heat wave. Hot, sticky condition were against good billiards but there were centuries from Mark Hirst, Eugene Hughes, Bill Andress, Jim McCann, and the day's best of 151 from Clive Everton. In the absence of most of the best Professionals it was a very open event and was won by Slough Amateur Joe Jordan in a close finish against Eugene Hughes.

2nd Event: 30th July, 1989

St. James Snooker Centre, Luton

The St James Club offers some of the best facilities on the tour. Mike Russell put in his first appearance of the season making the day's highest of 347 but only narrowly beating Eugene Hughes in the Final. It seemed like Business as usual for the Marske man but Foldvari and Close were only just around the corner.

3rd Event: 2nd/3rd September, 1989

Victoria Social Club, Grimsby

The Grimsby Tournament Sponsored by the Humberside Leisure Services is one of the most popular, the 16 qualifiers from Saturday's play being accommodated overnight at the Grimsby Crest Hotel. Only a good performance from Welsh Professional Howard Griffiths in beating John Murphy stopped the Teesside contingent from taking all four Semi-final places. Russell looked unstoppable. He had a record hour's aggregate of 811, a top break of 377, and two centuries in beating Peter Gilchrist in the Semi; Gilchrist had himself had a 215 in an earlier round. Bob Close with breaks of 288 and 241 was clearly in good form. Russell opened up in the Final with 166 but Close waited for his opportunities and when they came took them to the tune of 131 and 90 to grab the season's highest prize of £500. This Tournament saw the last appearance at a Mini-Prix of the popular Alex French - he of the stentorian voice. After officiating at dozens of Tournaments Alex turned up at Grimsby minus beard and armed with cue for the first time as a player and to say "Cheerio" to many friends and acquaintances before leaving for France and a new job. Daughter Maggie was to take over.

P. Dunning beat J. Scott

4th Event: 24th September, 1989

Star Snooker, Leeds

A strong field for the Leeds Tournament Sponsored by Britvic Corona. The draw pointed to a Russell-Foldvari Final.and so it turned out but not before Russell had had a hard match against Norman Dagley making a rare Mini-Prix appearance, and not before Foldvari had scraped past Peter Gilchrist by a mere 27 points. The Final was a tale of two pots - both missed. Russell, first in, with the simplest of in-offs attempted a fine cut pot to stay at the spot end; the red ball settled on the lip of the pocket and Foldvari stepped in to make a break of 310. Russell, got in again, and such is his speed of play that he could still have snatched a win, but he missed a pot from the spot in his effort to beat the clock. There were 23 century breaks on the day. 81-year-old. Herbert Beetham handed out a few lessons in basic billiards on his way to the plate final.

5th Event: 22nd October, 1989

Woodside Snooker Centre, Norwich

The overhead air-conditioning system worked overtime but could hardly cope with the humid atmosphere so surprising for the time of year. This made playing conditions difficult, unfortunate as the Club had made every possible effort to make players welcome and provide good conditions. The Final was a repeat of Leeds. Foldvari got past Chester's Tony Done by a mere 17 points in the Semi, whilst Russell accounted for David Rees with breaks of 196 and 218. Russell at Leeds had had his chances, here he could only sit and watch as Foldvari went 0 (break off) 0.0.218.215.61.28 and 32* A total of 554 at an average of 79.1. Russell had a break of 67 in his score of 89! Sadly this was Joe Jordan's final Mini-Prix tournament. His last game was against John Barnett losing 325-155. He was not feeling too well and did not play in the Plate. Joe died just a few weeks later. He was one of the country's best Amateur players, he was a Gentleman and a gentle man.

6th Event: 12th November, 1989

Snooker Lodge, Exeter

A good turnout considering the distances involved for many players in this Tournament Sponsored by The Lance Ceramics. The Snooker Lodge is one of the best clubs on the circuit, the staff are friendly, the catering is first-rate and reasonably priced, and there is always a good crowd of enthusiasts to watch the play. It has to be reported, unfortunately, that the playing conditions were not good, and seemed to have deteriorated since last year's Tournament, when the editor of this magazine was on the receiving end of a 320 odd from Foldvari. Russell resumed his winning ways with a workmanlike performance and a great effort of 186 in the first round. Other century makers were Brian Harvey and Tony Done. John Scott did very well to reach the Final with wins over professionals Peter Gilchrist and Clive Everton. Spalding veteran Arthur Reeve, playing again after a long absence, had a fine - if very close - win in the Plate.

7th Event: 3rd December, 1989

Widnes Snooker Centre

A goodly crowd for the Widnes Tournament this year generously Sponsored by Arthur Johnson. It was a cold and foggy day in the Northwest but proceedings inside the Club were lit up by a brilliant and seasonable Star from the East in the person of Geet Sethi, twice World Amateur Champion now turned Professional. The Teesside men were on good form. Russell started with breaks of 212.188 and 141 but was on the end of a 277 and a 113 from Gilchrist in the quarters. Bob Close had 3 centuries on his way to the Semi. But there was no holding Sethi. The Indian gave a dazzling exhibition of top-of-the-table play making breaks of 107.292.157.118.153.123.106.167.107.126.129 and 173 at something just under 5 minutes per 100. With the British Open only a week or two away the Teesside Professionals had much food for thought on their way home. This Tournament saw the debut of yet another product of the Teesside Boys Billiards League, 17 year old David Causier. This boy's uninhibited attitude, his choice of stroke, and his obvious flair for the game was reminiscent of the Russell of a couple of years ago. Causier beat Herbert Beetham, Tony Mackinder, Des Heald, and Jim McCann on his way to a Semi-final with Gilchrist in which he put up a pretty good performance.

8th Event: 14th January, 1990

147 Snooker Centre, Huntingdon

The Huntingdon event was contested by a Mini-Prix record entry of 61. Contested is perhaps not the right word, there were 60 players + Mike Russell. On his arrival, the Marske man confided that he was "Buzzing." It seems that after a hammering from Geet Sethi in Leeds, and the retention of the British Open by his neighbour and rival Peter Gilchrist, Mike had decided to put in some practice. There cannot be a billiards player anywhere who does not wish that practice would do for him what it seems to have done for Russell. Sufficient to quote the figures:- in a total of 6 hours play Russell scored 4319 points with a best hour of 917. His breaks were 523, 442, 287, 230, 186, 182*, 179, 176, 162, 148, 137, 131, 129, and 125; together with umpteen 50s and 60s. Such figures could only have been bettered by the great pre-war nursery-cannon players, bearing in mind the different conditions for each game and the slowish start caused by the inevitable opening safety shots - not that Russell ever plays many of those! Nor was the Marske man playing against novices. His opponents included John O'Neil who has won a Mini-Prix, Bill Andress a leading Amateur, Ken Shirley who made 199* and still lost by 200, and, in the final, no less a player than Norman Dagley. It was a privilege to have been there.

B. Harvey beat R. Sunderland.

9th Event: 4th February, 1990

Woking Snooker Centre

Sponsored by the Surrey Demolition & Exc. Co. Ltd, it was a first time for Mini-Prix at Woking. The facilities were first-rate on every count - and how lovely to have plenty of comfortable seating. Let's hope that Woking becomes a regular fixture in the Calendar. It was rather ironical that the sponsors should have been a demolition company as the Tournament was held in the week of the great gales.

However, the real damage was done inside the club as Russell bulldozed his way through the opposition, once again making the game look as easy as shelling peas. He increased his record of 523 made at Huntingdon to 536 and he had a 349 against Martin Goodwill in the Semi. Goodwill had a lovely 193 in his match with Naisby showing the kind of play that was to bring him the Amateur title later in the year.

Foldvari cruised to the final where he broke off but left the red ball near the side cushion just out of baulk.

Russell screwed in-off into the bottom pocket and made 190, he followed this with 131 and that was that.

S. Naisby beat P. Tucknott.

10th Event: 18th February, 1990

Cuedos Topspot Snooker Club

The Bradford Tournament is always well supported. A good club, a lot of spectators and the added attraction of "Gazza" demonstrating his nurseries and masses.(More of Gazza in some future edition.) Pre-Tournament chat centred on whether or not Russell could make it a hat-trick of quintuple centuries in succeeding events. As it happened Mike was dumped in the first round by Steve Hardcastle and in the first round of the Plate by Dick Watts. How are the Mighty Fallen. It now seemed between Foldvari, Close, Wildman, and maybe Murphy and it was maybe Murphy who faced Foldvari in the final. There was a great game between 'Old' Herbert Beetham and 'Young' Bill Andress which ended in a tie. They played an extra ten minutes Andress winning by a solitary point after Herbert had missed a simple in-off the red but at distance, Herbert's eyesight is not what it was.

H. Griffiths beat R. Watts.

11th Event: 8th April, 1990

Harrogate Leisure Centre

The Leisure Centre is a spacious venue offering excellent facilities in every sense whose Director, Bob Ledger, is a great Billiards and Snooker enthusiast. The Draw pointed to a Russell - Close Final.

Russell had breaks of 220 and 253 but, although he had plenty of chances in the Semi, could not get going and was well beaten by David Rees. Close was not at his best, a late century getting him past Steve Hardcastle after being 100-behind, and staggering past Bill Andress by just 14 points The Middlesbrough Pro, just could not get started in the Final and was virtually annihilated by Rees who had played all day as if in a trance-hardly missing a thing and with a string of good breaks. Tony Done confided that he was, "After the Plate," as he needed the money. He was unlucky as Kenny Cockerill played really well to take the secondary competition on his only Mini-Prix appearance of the season- as he had done last year.

12th Event: 18th June, 1990

Willie Thorne Snooker Centre

Turnout on the low side. Club facilities excellent, playing conditions variable. The star players were quickly into their stride; Paul Dunning drew the short straw and sat out 95.82 and 162 from Russell; Ron Sunderland patiently watched 327 from Gilchrist, Dagley had a century, and Close an easy win. Gilchrist had more big breaks in the next round but then went out rather tamely to Bob Close. Russell came a cropper in the quarters. The Marske man sometimes shows a tendency towards underestimating his opponents. In a less careless mood he would have had the game against Mark Hirst won in the first twenty minutes. As it was, it was not until near the end that the Champion stirred himself with 136 to go 40 or so in front. Hirst went to the table and played out time with a fine break of 109* for perhaps the best win he has ever had. Reaction set in in the Semi and he was easily beaten by Norman Dagley, Close beating Howard Griffiths who had had his best day since Grimsby.A Dagley/Close final was something of a trip down memory lane. It was a beautiful game to watch. Both players made good centuries in their differing styles with Close the winner this time.

---