| No. 6 Vol. 1 : September, 1911 |  |
Price 2/6 per annum (Post Free) : Single Copies 2d (2½d Post Free). |
NOTES BY THE WAY
The Coming Season
The coming season, using the word in its generally accepted sense, promises to be of exceptional interest in the billiard world. As usual, the commencement of the season proper is marked by important matches at the Grand Hall, Leicester Square. Edward Diggle and Tom Aiken will be the first pair to claim the favours of the billiard public, as on the 4th inst. they commerice a match of 18,000 up, in which the Champion of Scotland receives 3,000 start. Ivory balls will be used, and a close and interesting struggle should result. Diggle showed wonderful form towards the end of last season, and his first big game this year will be followed very closely by billiard lovers, because if the Manchester player gets off the mark in a style which proves him to be in good form, his chance in the Championship is sure to be eagerly discussed.
For years, Diggle has played plenty of billiards well up to Championship class, but his health has not always been good enough to stand the stress of a strenuous battle for the Blue Riband of billiards. Happily, however, we have been given to understand that the health of the famous cueman has improved considerably, and we hope this may be taken as indicative of his entering the lists for the Championship.
Aiken, his opponent, is a player who wants a tremendous amount of beating in bonnie Scotland, but does not always find his real form away from his native heath. But when he is in a scoring vein the Scotchman plays magnificent billiards, and if the present match proves that he is rather more consistent than of yore, he would not be presumptuous in flying at the highest honours in the game.
Gray once more
Next on the programme, George Gray, the young Australian marvel, is billed to appear at Leicester Square. His match will commence on the 18th inst., when he will oppose W. Cook, the well-known nursery cannon expert.
What a sensation it would be if the son of the old Champion had up his sleeve a new cannon stroke which, in spite of the B.C.C. rule, enabled Cook to stop the all-conquering career of the gifted lad from the Antipodes. Continental experts aver there is no reason why mammoth runs of cannons should not be made without infringing the B.C.C. rules, and if Cook can only oblige with a stroke devised to meet the needs of the situation billiards will loom large on the contents bills of the evening papers quite early in the season. Most probably, the immediate result would be a cry for legislation to bar the new stroke, assuming, of course, that Cook actually turned it on to Gray and the public. Then the movement in favour of some revision of the rules to limit "red ball" billiards would also receive a great impetus, and contending experts would deluge the columns of the sporting papers with all sorts of suggestions.
Miss Ruby Roberts
Our reference to the rules of billiards, although pardonable, as the topic is sure to be much discussed during the coming season, has led us a little away from our programme.
So we will return to it with the announcement that early in October the evergreen veteran John Roberts will appear at Thurston's. His namesake and protegee Miss Ruby Roberts, has been engaged for some months by the firm, and will appear regularly in the Minor Hall, Leicester Square. It is hoped that ladies will take this opportunity of patronising a game for which they have so many natural qualifications. Miss Ruby Roberts is a graceful and accomplished player. The writer saw her practising the other day, and she seems to have improved considerably since last season. Even then she was quite the best lady player before the British public, and there is plenty of room for one or two other lady players capable of giving Miss Ruby Roberts a really good game. Possibly they may arrive on the scene as the season advances, when no one would be more pleased to meet them than the charming young lady from the Antipodes, who will be playing a great deal at Thurston's this season. Frankly, we are very keen on billiards for ladies, and entertain hopes that the advent of Miss Ruby Roberts will result in a large increase in feminine votaries of the game. Some time ago, the Secretary of a ladies' club in the West End informed us that members who were interested in billiards at all were decidedly enthusiastic, but that the proportion of players was small considering the membership of the club. This had been the case for some time, and it was curious that the number of billiard players never varied greatly. When one dropped out another took her place, and the total of the faithful few remained much the same year in and year out. But as there would be at least six times as many players in a gentleman's club of the same size, it is only too evident that billiards for ladies has yet to "arrive," as the Americans say.
Some Important Games
H. W. Stevenson, the Champion, will be playing at the Grand Hall during the coming season, and Inman and Reece, the inseparable pair of battling cuemen, will contest some more of those famous "needle" money matches for which they are so renowned. In addition, Cecil Harverson, fresh from his successful tour in South Africa, will soon be back again to delight the billiard public with the sterling and interesting displays he may always be relied upon to give. Diggle and Aiken have already been mentioned, but they will both be seen again at Thurston's before the season is out. Gray will also appear on several occasions, and John Roberts, the G.O.M. of billiards, will delight patrons of the Grand Hall with exhibitions of his unique skill.
Walter Lovejoy is also due to appear at Thurston's, and lovers of the game will hope that his health will permit him to come into his own at billiards. William Cook, the nursery cannon expert, and famous tutor, will be playing in the Grand Hall during the season. Altogether, it will be seen that a wonderful galaxy of first-class cuemen will appear at Leicester Square during the next few months.
In fact, it is not too much to say that such a variety of billiard stars will not be on show elsewhere, and that those who wish to see any great player now before the public can do> so by noting the games at the Grand Hall. Finally, the ladies must not forget the special games in the Minor Hall by Miss Ruby Roberts, as this innovation really ought to be one of the features of the coming season.