EASB - new adult tournaments

[Souwester]

A frequent criticism made against EASB over many years has been its lack of provision for adults. Apart from the Pro Ticket Tour for aspiring professionals, and one-off knockouts, the English Amateur and Paul Hunter English Open (and of course the Seniors Championship for the over-40s), there has been nothing else for players once they cease to be juniors.

For 2010-11 EASB has introduced six totally new events, of which five are either designed for adult players or open to all comers.

• Regional Amateur Tour for 18-40s - a series of three events in each of three zones
• Seniors Tour for over 40s - a series of three events in each of two zones
• National Combined Cue Sports Championship - a knockout competition including billiards and snooker, open to all ages, qualifiers played across regional venues
• English Six Reds Championship, open to all ages, qualifiers across regional venues
• Q-School Satellite Events (Turn Pro for a Tenner) - open to all, but primarily designed to fund places to World Snooker's Q-School next May
• Junior Billiards Tour for under 19s, four events played in each of two zones

[bongo]

The combined Championship will be interesting, that is, if snooker players can be bothered to play billiards. Though I have a feeling that billiard players may not like it so much because although they are better billiard players than the snooker players are when they play billiards, the billiard players will probably be having to contend with pot, pot, pot, pot, cannon, pot, pot, pot, pot, in off, pot, pot, pot... In other words, they will be potted off the table! And billiard players don't like that. Still, it is a good idea and if it is supported it could become a very prestigious annual tournament and I wish it every success. It will find out who the best all-round players are. You can pot as much as you like in snooker but the real skill is being an all-rounder.

And of course it is good to see under 19s billiards, hopefully we will not see all the events in the North as with the EABA's Junior Billiards tour.

Will all the details of venues and entry information be posted to the EASB website instead of just being sent to members?

[Souwester]

Bongo, the Junior Billiards is played in north and south zones, and you will be pleased to hear that two of the four southern events are scheduled for Plymouth (the others being at Kidderminster and Fareham).

[Souwester]

I gather there have been some hiccups with the EASB website (not least due to John Hartley spending an inordinate amount of time at the beginning of the week trying to salvage the Auld Enemy Clash, then trying to come up with an alternative plan!).

The website should be updated with all the details for the forthcoming season within the next day or two. The shop for online transactions might take a little longer though.

[bongo]

Bongo, the Junior Billiards is played in north and south zones, and you will be pleased to hear that two of the four southern events are scheduled for Plymouth (the others being at Kidderminster and Fareham).

Thanks for the post and that sound great. The only think I am concerned about is the support from players. We all know that billiards is in a very bad state and under 19s billiards even worse (with EASB's support this will hopefully get better) but the thing is that for the events in Plymouth you are going to have to rely from players travelling down to play in it from the places further up the country, I don't know what under 19s billiards is like in Kidderminster and Fareham, I doubt they have many more players under 19 than Plymouth. It sounds great, but my concern is the support that it will get.

[Terry Davidson]

bongo:

Did you enter the qualifier in Plymouth. If not, why not?

Terry

[bongo]

bongo:

Did you enter the qualifier in Plymouth. If not, why not?

Terry

What qualifier are you talking about? If you are talking about the World Open snooker, yes I did enter but didn't get very far!

[Snookster]

I'll defo be in the Over 40s and the Combined

[Terry Davidson]

bongo:

Yes, I was talking about the World Open. I saw the name 'Chris' as one of the finalists or semi-finalists in a Plymouth tournament and thought you had finally broken through.

Keep trying as it's all good experience and hopefully good fun

Terry

[bongo]

bongo:

Yes, I was talking about the World Open. I saw the name 'Chris' as one of the finalists or semi-finalists in a Plymouth tournament and thought you had finally broken through.

Keep trying as it's all good experience and hopefully good fun

Terry

Yes it's all good fun, it didn't cost anything to enter so I got a free best of 5 match which isn't bad.

[Snookster]

I just got my pack through yesterday, better get some practice in lol

Bongo: When will the next comp be down in Plymouth?

[bongo]

Bongo: When will the next comp be down in Plymouth?

Probably when the new season starts, I'm not sure of any before that.