Amateur Snooker

[reverse_side]

bring back snazz!

[cueman]

in a funny way i can kinda empathise with chrissy as I don't feel the need to enter competitions anymore. I'm a pretty good player and like to play when I can but entering tournaments or leagues just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

I guess the fact that club snooker and leagues in general are such a let down, many clubs like Willie Thorne's to name but one are a shadow of there former selves. Perhaps its because of where I live, maybe other people around the country have a better situation than me. I just play for the social enjoyment now but still want to maintain a good level of consistancy for whenever I get the buzz to want to compete again, if things ever improve.

[pooliebell]

competition is healthy i have played pool like crissy have won trophies but snooker is totaly different ball game its good to play against so called better players to seen how far your game has improved

[Vic]

I used to love the buzz of playing in competitions and leagues, but the club I'm a member of now hasn't made any effort to run a snooker competition of any description for the five years I've been a member.

There's the league of course but I just can't put in the commitment for that anymore, I just want to see an occasional member tournament, even just the one at Christmas would be a start.
When I asked about a tournament for the members I was told they put one on a Sunday once but people couldn't be bothered to hang around all day to play all the rounds.

I mentioned there are other ways of running tournaments and was told I could try and organise it if I wanted. Good point I thought, but there's half a dozen staff here who get paid to run this club, surely they can't expect the members to organise and run the tournaments.

Mind you I was up there Saturday night and the staff spent most of the evening staring vacantly at xfactor and come dancing on the big screen in the bar area with not a care in the world that a few of the members might actually appreciate having a pint or two and enjoying the Snooker Grand Prix over on BBC2, I think everyone just didn't have the heart ruin their evening. ( I was too busy playing snooker )

There's not really another option as far as snooker clubs go, so I think I'll just have to put up or shut up.

Does anyone else's club do squat in the way of member competitions, and do you think the members should sort it out themselves?

[Semih_Sayginer]

imho, if the member runs tournaments for the club and its members then their should be some benefit

perhaps free tournament entry for your input of time running it, or even perhaps a reduced rate for "light" hire.

[Vic]

How hard can it be?
I'm thinking of a handicapped tourney, based on highest break of course.
Draws made and pinned up with contact details for members.
Top member contacts opponent and offers three dates to play on, opponent picks one.
Best of three frames, finals and maybe semis best of five.
First round to be completed by whenever, (first round loser goes into the losers draw), rinse and repeat.

Doubles and singles, a small entry fee and a modest prize for the winner.
Last tourney I played in was this format and a good time was had by all.

Is there anything I've missed?

[Semih_Sayginer]

How hard can it be?
I'm thinking of a handicapped tourney, based on highest break of course.
Draws made and pinned up with contact details for members.
Top member contacts opponent and offers three dates to play on, opponent picks one.
Best of three frames, finals and maybe semis best of five.
First round to be completed by whenever, (first round loser goes into the losers draw), rinse and repeat.

Doubles and singles, a small entry fee and a modest prize for the winner.
Last tourney I played in was this format and a good time was had by all.

Is there anything I've missed?

seems like a good enough format

only thing with handicapped events based on highest breaks is that not everyones highest break is anywhere near their average during a session.

one thing you could do to combat this is to run an open tournament for less prizemoney and entry fee.

when you run this, make players keep a note of any breaks over 20

any breaks over 20 will be averaged out for future handicap tournaments

no breaks over 20 and those players will be the highest handicappers in the first handicap event

etc....

then from there, work out handicaps based on number of times they beat their average break handicap mark

perhaps too much, but thats how id go about it

best of luck regardless

[Vic]

Thats a good way to ensure the fairest handicaps and something worth thinking about if things go well.
Thanks Semih, but I think I'll presume everybodys average is well below their best break and just divide people into beginner, half decent, pretty good and very good, and just maybe range it from a scratch start for the experts to +40 for the sub 20 breakers.
Is their a usual way of handicapping, or is multiples of ten as good as any.
This is already getting more complicated than I thought.

[Semih_Sayginer]

the norm that ive used or heard used is multiples of 8.

start at 8 for the best player. if he or she wins an event then they can move to 0.

players on 0 who win a further event stay on 0

id suggest making a maximum handicap mark though, as, if you keep making players who lose increase by 8 per tournament, then they could reach such a start that its almost impossible for the best player in the club to win against them.

[Welshsteve]

No your missing half a person, I am half welsh too.

I'm 100% welsh

I play in the Leamington & District Snooker League. I run the website for the league (see the link in my sig)

[inevermissblue]

I play in a local snooker league and have done so for nearly three seasons in this particular one. This is my problem. Since discovering that the Aramith Tournament Champion ball sets are the best to use. I find myself rather reluctant to put in the effort to turn up to away venues who do not have or do not wish to use them. The difference between old club sets(small cueball) and match sets is so great that i just can't be bothered to put the effort in anymore. It takes away all of my enjoyment for the game. Out of every single side in this particular division, there is only three clubs that don't tow the line. I'm all to aware that you can't make them use these TC sets but for the sake of progression and consistency you would think that they would?
Is there any way that the league could introduce a rule worded to persuade these remaining teams and the existing ones to use the correct match balls on "match" nights? without alienating teams?
Here is my suggestion. To give a team an alternative;

1; Any teams wishing to remain in division 1 must ensure that on match nights, the recognised match balls(Aramith Tournament Champion)are used.

2; Any teams not wishing to use recognised match sets shall be placed into division 2 or any subsequent division.

If anyone can think of a better solution to this problem or even a better way to word it then i would much appreciate it! Also does anyone else suffer this or even realise this problem? Its such a crime though, to recover tables, re-cushion them, clean them, do whatever you have to to keep a table in perfect playing condition only to continue to use balls that are often more than 10 years old! its just ridiculous!!! Please somebody, reply to tell me you have also witnessed this yourselves before i go mental!!!:snooker: :snooker: :snooker:

[hoddle28]

I play on the RIBSA (Republic of Ireland Billards and Snooker Association) Senior Circuit and I think they do an excellent job. There are 7 ranking events and the Irish Championships and No.1 Player gets the Main tour nominationation at the end of the season. They regularily have 100 + players in these events and after the first event this year they changed the match schedule timings to have one half of the draw on first played down to L16 and then the other half, with the L16 onwards played on the Sunday. This means minimal waiting around to play. Prize money is good 640 for winner 320 for Rup 160 for 1/4 65 for L8 and 30 for L16 guaranteed ireregardless of Entry fees. Also lovely cups and trophies. Some lads compalin bout some of the tables, but the tables for L16 onwards are excellent and in Ireland these days there are very few clubs around that can afford to have all their tables to pro standard and also have the public play on them when tournaments are not on. Refs are in place from L16 onwards and they have floating refs for earlier stages. RIBSA also have an Intermediate series, for those outside Top 32 in ranks, which i think they could run a bit better, although they do get 70 - 90 in most events, basics like trophies and photos are hit and miss in this series. see http://www.ribsa.net
The RIBSA Coach PJ Nolan is also a top man and excellent coach, he does great work with the youngsters (He coached the winner of the junior event at the crucible last Year Jason Devanney ) and has a growing portfolio of not just Irish Pro's like Vinnie Mulddon and David Morris, but other pro's as well.

I am PRO of our local County Association in limerick Ireland and we have current the Irish No.1 Mario Fernandez living in limerick and playing with us, we have a very good tradition of snooker here and have had many Irish International Like John Torpey, John Cronin (RIP), Frank Sarsfield, Jason Waters and Vincent Meaney in recent years. We have never had a Main Tour Pro residing in Limerick so we are very excited about the prospect of Mario making it this year. See our site http://limericksnooker.googlepages.com

Rgds, Kevin Mc Mahon
PRO Limerick Snooker Association.