Pool Politics in England.

[Chappers]

As a player I represent my county, I play Interleague, I play in my local league, i've played in the IPA tours and in many competitions over the years.
I can actually say I like to play 8 ball pool
The question i'm about to ask is "Do players think that politics in pool is slowly destroying the game"?
Banning players, threats of fines, teams folding up and policy changes without notice are a common thing now. I only want to go out and play pool but it looks like i've got to ask permission incase it offends anybody in charge.
I'd like to hear peoples views on this but please don't turn it into a slanging match.

[farrelld91]

Pretty much all the choice policy and similar stuff is a joke. Almost every organisation seems to be useless to me and cant organise a **** up in a brewry, scrap all organisations and play under one banner for uk pool imo

[billabong]

It covers across the border as well.

Guy up here played and won the under 23 world title at BB, then switched codes, and entered the WR under 23 and won that,
but not sure if he can play BB at the moment. Not sure exactly how it works, as some organisations only
implement the choice policy at a certain age . .

I know what you mean, most players just want to go and enter tournaments without having

to check out if they risk being banned from future events at different rules . .

One day maybe there will be just 1 governing body. Even if it precides over more than 1 rule set at 1st,

then brings the rules under one format, it'd be great . . . :encouragement:

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[grimreaper]

One set of rules would make it far easier . Not sure how how many sets of rules you have in the UK. Here we only have WR or the American rules for pool and you can play in both if you want too.

[old school]

I am with you 100% , politics is ruining the sport that I love.I will refer you to a small entry on Gareth Potts own website dated 31st July , you can read what he thinks.You only have to look at the number of absentees in the last World Championships in Blackpool to see it is having an effect ,.No Gareth Potts no Adam Davis no Mick Hill to name but 3 world class and ex World Champions.With no disrespect intended , a significant number of the top 36 ranked players were not there , what sort of World Championship is that , competitive yes but WORLD CLASS ??I have personally spoken to Gareth and he said , basically , I dont want to talk about it, this was after he suggested that it was a clash of sporting politics.I respect Gareths privacy on this matter as much as I respect Lee Kendalls fantastic acheivement , the question is " what would the World Championships have looked like , WITHOUT the politics ?

[Dave Walton]

Politics have held the game back. Too many people in positions of power only looking out for their own interests and not looking after the game and players. Until its under one governing body with one set of rules then 8 ball will continue to die a slow painfull death

[Mick Dundee]

Pool Politics in England.

I don't necessarily think different rules are the problem, but rather petty squabbles and one upmanship between organisations
I used to hold an EPA card and played inter league now as I play bb county I can't play this anymore
On the flip side several of my teammates play county and interleague along with playing blackball league pool, and they can play in the bapto or golden 8 ball no probs
Let the tournaments be open events every bodies happy

[Chappers]

Great to have the the views off people who play the game themselves. It also looks like both rule sets could benefit by joining together and putting all their efforts in making the game stronger in the future for the players, from pro level to grass roots.
Grimreaper we have two rule sets in England, World rules and Blackball. The current ruling is you can play one but not the other.
The possibility of one governing body would be amazing, imagine the World Championships with the best players in the country playing each other. The idea of playing a county game without restrictions on who can play. The game needs its grass roots players and young players for the future but in the current climate most decide not to bother progressing, its a shame really.
If only Carlsburg done governing bodies !!

[farrelld91]

I think everyone involved in uk pool must be able to see that one rule set is the best eventuality for the game the problem is the way theyve went about it means instead of working together to unite all players and come under one set of rule,s instead with choice policy it means you have to be one side or the other so the two main organisations are competing and will always try and out do the other but that effort should be going into promoting the game

I dont know any of the guys who are on the committees but it appears to me that there cant be many former players on them surely?

[Mick Dundee]

Pool Politics in England.

As I said I don't think it's a rule thing
Just a ruling body thing. I pretty much only play world rules at Yarmouth in the golden cue now and I enjoy it, the local league I play in is a blackball league hence me now playing blackball county
3 of my teammates play EPA county but are free to play in blackball tournaments as the blackball lot don't seem to care ( don't know about the EPA )
But unless you have an EPA card you're unable to play in many tournaments except as I say Yarmouth
The same problems are occurring between the two tours, as chappers said politics is spoiling the game but its the players who are losing out over the childish attitudes of people running the sport.
As I said have different rules by all means, but don't shut people out of tournaments because they dare to play a different code :crazy

[DEANO40]

The IPA tour is playing blackball rules next year

[billabong]

The IPA tour is playing blackball rules next year

Be good to see some of the top Blackball guys up here on the tour .

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[Chappers]

Just like to say thanks to everyone who posted on this thread.
Looking at the replies it looks like the players know what they want to play and make the game better the future.
It would be great if the governing bodies could see this and come to some compromise between themselves.

[tinytim139]

This issue as been long going, best bet for the latest viewpoint on the matter is cueclub forum. There is always an abundance of arguments on there which make quite good comical reading.

[Chappers]

Allways have a good laugh at CCI. It does make for some interesting reading !! lol