ABC 1992-1993

Amateur Billiards Circuit: Second Event

Spalding Snooker Centre

The Amateur Billiards Circuit broke new ground with a visit to Spalding and the excellent Spalding Snooker Centre. The entry of 55 was a new record for the series and there can be little doubt that this will be exceeded before the season is out. Most of the country's leading amateur players were in attendance and there was a contingent from the North East who arrived by minibus on an initiative of Albert Hanson. Albert, in his role as secretary of the embryonic English Amateur Billiards Association reported that he had been invited to a meting with the W.P.B.S.A and was hoping for a favourable outcome. (See P4.) Albert Hanson has recently travelled far and wide in the interests of Amateur Billiards. Many of those present were of the opinion that he should not be out of pocket on their behalf and players made generous contributions both to Albert's expenses and the funds of the newly formed association.

Goodwill goes

Ex-Amateur Champion Martin Goodwill appeared, at least on paper, to have had a pretty good draw and be the favourite to reach the final from the top half leaving all the other top players to battle out the bottom half. But billiards, as Riso Levi might have said, is not played on paper, and Martin was beaten by 18-year-old Darren Kell of Middlesbrough (Teesside Boys.) There were some very close games. Bill Andress got past Andy Reeve by only 18, whilst Steve Crosland beat Alan Orton by just two, and Sharif Shauq beat John Coll by only 4. A Teesside boys clash between Wayne Fox and Steve Mason saw Mason through by 9.

Centuries for Causier and Salisbury

Albert Salisbury and English Champion David Causier both made centuries in winning their matches and ensuring a meeting in the next round. Sharif Shauq had a very good win over Steve Crosland as did Neil Rewhorn over Jim McCann. There were otherwise no great surprises.

Hundred Break Harvey

Brian Harvey had a very nice century against Grimsby's Bill Watson who was making his comeback to the circuit. The Salisbury -Causier encounter resulted in a rather easy win for the young Middlesbrough player. Only 8 between Phil Davis and Ellis Lloyd.

Close for Causier

Sharif Shauq had played well to get to the quarters and he continued to play well losing to Causier by only 16. Mick Andrew from Scunthorpe had two good breaks against Robin Sutcliffe, both players had done well to get this far.

Harvey Overwhelmed

Brian Harvey is a good player and an experienced one, but he could hardly get a look in as Causier rattled up over 600 points. Veteran Chris Ross had played steadily through the day and was a little too good for Mick Andrew.

Comfortable for Causier

This game was fairly even until about the half-way stage when a 92 and a run of smaller efforts put the Middlesbrough man into a comfortable lead which he held to the end. Ross played well without much luck. Causier was thus a winner in his first ABC appearance of the season. Well done.

Spalding Plate

A Hundred for Hodby

Tom Hodby from the Thome Snooker Centre had a fine century break. Martin Goodwill, smarting from his unexpected exit from the main competition, annihilated Dick Watts - no mean feat in itself.

Terry nearly wins

The BQR editor went down by just 3 to Teesside teenager Paul Bennett and might have won had he not been so silly as to point out to his opponent that he (the opponent) was about to play with the wrong ball. Century maker Hodby had not such a good game this time being fairly comfortably beaten by Graham Willis.

Great effort by Tutt

Gerry Tutt, a player from the Nottingham Institutes League, made a great effort and was beaten by Goodwill by only 14. Alf Crampin and Gordon Ridlington, travelling companions from Grimsby, met at this stage Gordon winning this time but by only 18 after making a fifty break.

Bennett through

As a far more experienced player, Tony Done might have been expected to win this one. In the event he was well beaten. Gordon Ridlington could count himself a little unlucky to lose by only 10.

A good win for Bennett

After some narrow victories it was Martin Goodwill's turn to be on the losing end of a close game. Paul Bennett had perhaps slightly the better of the run and took full advantage to score an ABC success. Opponents don't come much more difficult than Goodwill and the young Teessider should be well pleased.

A good turnout in a good venue. Clearly the ABC will go from strength to strength. Though Spalding is a little out of the way it must be to the good of the game that tournaments attracting national support should be held in more remote centres. If over fifty players will turn up at Spalding then it bodes well for the tournaments to be held on the more beaten (motorway) tracks as Leeds, Nuneaton, and Stoke. It could also mean that other more remote venues such as Exeter and Southampton will get a good attendance. We shall see.

Amateur Billiards Circuit: Third Event

Star Snooker Centre. Leeds

The December A.B.C. Tournament was held at the Star Snooker Centre, Leeds, and attended by 55 players, the same number as at Spalding. There was once again a good contingent from the North East and it is good to see the obvious enthusiasm of these young players.

Shelley crashes out; McFarlane by 1; Youngest ever entrant

Bridlington's John Bayes had an excellent game providing the upset of the round in putting out Peter Shelley. Tom McFarlane had made the long journey down from Scotland and had no easy draw against young Teessider Lee Conner winning by just one. Conner went on to take the plate. Bill Andress too had a rough ride against another player from the Boy's League - Lee Beck - the vastly experienced Andress prevailing by a mere 8. A miscue by Andy Reeve let his opponent, Jamie Moore of Nottingham, in to win by two. A quite remarkable feature of the day was the debut of eight-year-old Ron Wilson, yet another player from The Teesside Boy's League. Wilson put up a good show scoring 198 in his hour against Glen Cromack.

BQR Editor makes decent break

Tom Terry was drawn to play the British Under 19 Champion Lee Lagan. Lagan was soon into his stride with a 68 but the BQR Editor followed with 157 and was eventually a comfortable winner. The balls ran kindly a couple of times but the break could have been higher ending at a straightforward cross-loser. The closest game was that between Trevor Gent and Paul Bennett the young Teessider prevailing by a mere 15.

Two centuries for Andress. Crosland Goes

Steve Crosland was expected to reach the quarters but was a loser to Simon Snee in a desperate finish. Brian Harvey was also expected in the quarters but very nearly went the same way as Crosland. Goodwill had a century as did David Causier, whilst Bill Andress had two in an excellent win over Tony Mackinder.

Goodwill and Causier run riot

Martin Goodwill had three centuries in freezing out Simon Snee, including (To the disgust of the BQR Editor!) the day's highest of 176. Tom Terry held a slight lead over David Causier until the last twenty minutes or so when the amateur champion ran up a rapid succession of fifty breaks to win by over 200.

Goodwill this time

The clash between the country's two top amateurs saw a win for Martin Goodwill, his 50 break being the difference. Brian Harvey just missed a century in a comfortable win over Paul Bennett who had done very well to get this far.

Comfortable for Goodwill

Brian Harvey had played pretty well throughout the day but seemed unable to get into the game. Goodwill scored steadily if unspectacularly, he made a solid century break and finished the winner by over three hundred. The R.A.F man thus made it two out of three. Brian Harvey has a good record in both ABC and Mini-Prix but has recently not produced of his best in the final stages of tournaments. His day will surely come again.

Martin Goodwill thus became the first winner of the Fred Cundall memorial trophy. It would be a brave man who would bet against him winning it again next year.

Leeds Plate

Shelley looks the part

Peter Shelley, having been bundled out of the main event, was clearly going to make a determined effort to take the second prize, Andy Reeve could scarcely get a look in. The eight-year-old Robin Wilson was up against a very seasoned campaigner in Trevor Gent. Wilson did extremely well to score 92 and he will have learned something from his first tournament.

Good win for Lagan

Lee Lagan beat Dick Watts, by only 14 but it is always a good performance to beat the Taunton veteran. Shelley did not have it all his own way against Mick Andrew and won by less than his 74 break. Alan Orton just missed a plate century.

A high scoring match

Two hundred is a very good score in a half-hour game. For both players to reach that target is exceptional. Shutt did not quite make it (190) but the combined total of 447 is outstanding for amateur players.

"Oh What a fall was There"

Billiards is a funny game - though it is not meant to be. Fresh from 257 in a half-hour, Peter Shelley could score only 43 in his semi with Lagan. Even if your name were Walter Lindrum there is nothing to be done when the other chap is at the table. Lee Conner had a nice 79 in getting past fellow Teessider Lee Cuthbert.

Conner wins Teesside Duel

Lee Lagan started a shade favourite to take the plate but was unable to put any sizeable break together in reply to his fellow Boys' League player's 76. This was the decisive factor in Conner's 15 point advantage in an entertaining and hard-fought game. Well done to both players.

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