A lot of people have been making enquiries about this season's Mini-Prix tournaments. The brutal truth is that it is very unlikely that there will be many - if any. There may be one at Widnes in December sponsored by Auchton, Ltd. On the other hand there may not. There may be another one at Derby sponsored by Rees Bros and again there may not. The figures speak for themselves. For a Mini-Prix to be self-financing there has to be 62 entries. There has never been 62 entries, the record still stands at 61 (Huntingdon. Jan.'90.) It is therefore clear that the Mini-Prix needs sponsorship of some sort or other. Until fairly recently it was relatively easy to obtain some sponsorship from either the host club or some local commercial enterprise. Host clubs were often quite willing to support a one-day event to the tune of two or three hundred pounds in the knowledge that some of the money would be regained over the bar and that there would be a fair number of spectators gather to see the world's best players such as Norman Dagley and later Mike Russell (Especially Mike Russell!) Times have changed. There is a recession and not a lot of money about. The advent of the ABC tournaments has caused many amateur players to think carefully about how many events they can reasonably support at £12 a time plus expenses. One has only to look at the attendance at the last three Mini-Prix of last season. Thorne - 40, Spondon - 45, Middlesbrough - 30 (A disaster.)
But the Mini-Prix has a certain attraction of its own as being a stage for all billiard players, a showcase for all that is best in the game both amateur and professional, one of the reasons for the billiards revival, somewhere where local enthusiasts could see the very best players in action, a great advertisement for the game. It was for these reasons that I felt the Mini-Prix should not go down without a struggle and for these reasons that I approached the Billiards Committee of the WPBSA.
February, 1992
Dear Sirs
The Pro-Am series of billiards tournament generally known as, "The Mini-Prix," is now in its eighth year. From modest beginnings the Mini-Prix have become arguably the most important events in the billiards calendar. Much of the revival of interest in billiards over the last few years is due almost entirely to the Mini-Prix providing competitive billiards at a reasonable price in venues as far apart as Exeter and Middlesbrough, catering for all classes of players, and taking the game to clubs where world class billiards had perhaps not been seen for many years. In some ways the Mini-Prix is quite unique. In what other sport does the average amateur performer have the opportunity to play against the very best in the world - and, at times, even come out on top? This opportunity has resulted in a remarkable rise in the general standard of amateur play. As regards professionals, the Mini Prix has provided the opportunity for competitive play against all types of opposition and under all kinds of conditions, and there can be little doubt that players of the calibre of Russell, Gilchrist, and Murphy, would not have attained the standards that they have at so young an age had they not had this opportunity. More established players have regarded the Pro-Am as opportunities for competitive practice and especially when held just before a major tournament. No less a player than Bob Close has referred to the Mini-Prix as, "The life blood of the game."
If we consider the period from 18th June, 1989 (Ilford) to 28th April 1991 (Harrogate) - and I take this period as the figures are readily to hand, we find the following:- There were 21 events with a total attendance of 1149 and an average attendance of 50 (49.9.) 201 different players took part.
This gave a total entry fee of £13,788 at £12 per head. The entry take was in fact slightly less as I have not taken into consideration junior entries at £8.(Under 18) The major proportion of the Prize money went:- Russell £2415. Gilchrist £1690. Foldvari £1560. Close £1380. Hardcastle £720. Dagley £655. Murphy £590. Sethi £505 All these players are professionals. In addition a further £975 went to professional players, other than those mentioned above. This makes a total of £10,490.
During this same period only three amateurs took any significant proportion of the prize money i.e. Harvey with £450. Hirst £355, and McCann £275.
As regards entry fees, professional players made a total of 106 appearances equal to entry fees of £1272.
We thus see that Professionals paid 9.2% of the total entry fee whilst taking 76% of the prize money.
I have never heard any amateur player make any complaints, on the contrary, most players that I know are quite happy to have the chance of a game with Russell or Dagley regarding it as something of privilege. It has been suggested that there should be a system of handicapping but no-one has been very insistent.
The point I am making is that the continued existence of the Mini-Prix is crucial in popularising the game. It is a training ground for young players, provides competitive opportunity for more established players, provides publicity opportunities for top professionals (More than one exhibition offer has come from contacts made at the Mini-Prix,) and to use the words of another famous player, Herbert Beetham, "They are the best thing to happen to billiards for years and I wish they had existed forty years ago."
Bob Close was not far wrong in describing Mini-Prix as the, "Lifeblood of the game," The main beneficiaries are professional players, and it is in their interests more than any others that the Mini-Prix circuit should be maintained and seen as an integral part of their season.
The present system guarantees prize money of £700 divided:- Winner £250 Runner up £125 Semi-finalists £60 Quarter finalists £25 Highest break £30 Plate winner £50 Plate runner up £25"
An average attendance (50) will bring in, at £12 per head, entry fees of £600 (Taking no account of junior entries at £8.) Of this £600, £10.00 per head is paid to the host club towards prize money and admin, whilst £2.00 per head is deducted to go towards the Mini-Prix expenses. On an average day therefore, the host club will receive £500 towards prize money minus an admin charge of £50. As the Host club is responsible for £750 on an average day it has to find £300. The deducted £2.00 per head amounting to £100, goes towards the Tournament Directors fee (£50) and referees fees. (Qualified referees are paid £10 and are usually in receipt of a meal from the host club.) If the turnout is below average (Scarborough) it is generally necessary to come to some arrangement with the host club which usually means that the Mini-Prix organiser waives his admin fee. If the attendance is somewhat above average then there may be a small sum to put into a Mini-Prix fund to go towards the replacement of balls and the purchase of various items necessary for running tournaments. Quite clearly the Mini-Prix cannot be run without sponsorship of some kind. This comes from the host club. Some clubs manage to obtain some small amounts from local commerce or industry (e.g Auchton Ltd i.e. Arthur Johnson. David Rees will fund Derby.) Some clubs provide the sponsorship themselves (e.g. Roger Haycock sponsors a Mini-Prix from machine takings.) Sponsorship for the Mini-Prix is becoming rarer and over the last year the circuit has lost Huntingdon, Exeter, Yeadon, Harrogate, as there is no longer even a couple of hundred pounds of sponsorship money.
Whilst I am well aware of the difficulties involved, billiards is desperately in need of some measure of co-ordination. If the Mini-Prix were to be seen as the basis of a Professional Circuit, taking the game to whatever public there is (and, in the right places, there is. a public,) then a six-series season running from, say, October to March/April could provide one day tournaments at regular intervals, including, "Warm-up," events immediately before the Strachan, British Open, and World Qualifiers. If this were then coordinated with the ABC Amateur tournaments and the Amateur Championship, there would be the making of a billiards season to the mutual benefit of all players and especially professional players. This would give some real shape to the season and would, I feel sure, lead to better attendances and greater interest all round.
The Mini-Prix cannot survive without sponsorship. The ideal situation would be that in which there were one main sponsor for the series; any smaller sums from local sponsors would then be a real bonus.
On present arrangements it would cost some £2500 to sponsor a six-event circuit. However, the financial arrangements have become unsatisfactory. Tournament Director's and Administrator's fees are ludicrous and should be at least £100 per event.
The prize money structure could do with an overhaul with a view to making the tournaments sufficiently attractive so as consistently to attract the star players, whilst at the same time giving a fair deal to those who provide the bulk of the entry fees. The Mini-Prix ought to be in a position where Clubs could be paid to take an event rather than have to rely on those few owners enthusiastic enough - or generous enough - to support the tournaments. Events could thus be held in the best areas and venues. If a sponsor could be found to guarantee a, "Top-up," to at least maintain the present level of prize money, this would go a long way towards establishing the Mini-Prix on a firm basis providing what many amateurs would regularly support and providing professionals with a monthly sum to play for.
In the light of all the above it would seem to be an excellent investment in the future of the game if the WPBSA billiards section were to sponsor the Mini-Prix series on the lines outlined above. The alternative is that the professional game carries on as at present putting money into tournaments which are poorly attended, or spending rather large sums on tournaments held abroad. Neither of these alternatives go very far towards promoting the game - the professional game - in the British isles.
I should point out that I have no particular axe to grind in this matter and it would suit me fine if the WPBSA took over the running of the Pro-Am; but, in the interests of the game, I would ask the committee to give serious consideration to these views and, if they so wished, I would be prepared to enlarge on them at some future meeting.
Signed Tom Terry
It should be pointed out that The Billiards Committee does receive an annual grant from the parent body. Two or three thousand spent on the Mini-Prix would have been to the benefit of the game. I feel that the ideas outlined could have been the starting point for discussions on the future of the game in England. The Billiards Committee members duly considered the proposals and turned them down. They were perfectly entitled to do so. It is my opinion that they were being rather short-sighted to do so but time will show whether or not they were right or wrong. The point is that the Mini-Prix is in danger of passing into billiards history and this is a great pity after the hard work and enthusiasm that has been put in over the years by a number of people and particularly by Des Heald (I do not count myself amongst the number as it is only recently that I have been involved.) It may be that as the recession comes to an end the tournaments may resume, but the impetus has been lost and it would take a deal of work on somebody's part to get things moving once again.
It is the professional player's loss. The amateur has never had so many tournaments to play in. There is an enthusiasm in the air that has not been evident for years - if ever, but what a shame it would be if never again were we to see Russell, Gilchrist, Close, Dagley, Foldvari, and the rest of them in billiards combat with the best of the amateur world.
There was a magic in the Mini-Prix.