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December 2008


Revolving black ball Winter League Match 4 Report

Division 1 Promoted team, Rileys Rebels, hold onto top spot after a 5-3 win over their promoted rivals Tap n Spile. Scott Haidarovic (2), Robbie Jenkinson, Karen Tomkinson and Lee Haidarovic all won. They lead by one point over both Rileys A and Rileys Cue who recorded 6-2 victories over the Tap n Spile A and Three Tuns A respectively. On target for the Cue were Mike Barker (2), Dave Barker, Rob Wharne, Mark Billingsley and Dave Whitfield. St. Georges picked up their first win with a 6-2 victory over the Rileys C. Jason Armishaw (2), Paul Dustan (2), Tom Tonna and Kev Plimmer were the victors. Both matches involving Joiners A and Hop Pole C, Emerald Club and Rickerscote A ended in 4-4 draws.

Division 2 Promoted side, Bear n Pheasant A, hold a 7 point lead at the top after their recent 7-1 win at the Rangers B. Sean Lucas, Rich Davies, Paul Loughhead (all 2) and Ant O?Brien all won. Staffs Bull B gained their first win with a 7-1 success over luckless Rileys Cue Ts. Dan Goodwin, Garry Livesey, E Holt (all 2) and Bene bates all contributing. Oxleathers also picked up their first win with a 5-3 victory at the Staffs Bull A. Dave and Chris Rose (both 2) and John Belcher were the victors. Highfields claimed an 8-0 victory over the Perkins to hold onto 3rd spot. Hop Pole A and Rangers A, St. Leonards and Rileys both ended in 4-4 draws.

Division 3 A three horse race appears to be developing in this division with the Luckpenny heading the pack on most wins. They ran out 5-3 winners over visiting Three Tuns B. On the same points in 2nd place are the Joiners who recorded a 7-1 success at the Albion B while 3rd place Albion A came away with a 5-3 win at the Bear n Pheasant. Bird in Hand gained a useful 6-2 victory at the Rickerscote B. Chris Hughes, Kev Warrilow (both 2), Russ Pibworth and Mark Malone all won. Rickerscote D gained a much needed 5-3 win over lowly Star and Garter. Brian Heath (2), Taz Stanyer, Wayne and Sarah Scobie all won. Newcomers Westway ran out 7-1 winners over Rickerscote C thanks to Aaron Lewis, Darren Willets, Mark Shaw (all 2) and Mark Bishop.

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November 2008


Revolving black ball Winter League Match 3 Report

Division 1 Newly promoted Tap n Spile are top of the league after 3 games. They recorded a 5-3 victory at the Rickerscote A. Mick Fox, Simon Pasquille (both 2) and Paddy Singh all won. Joiners A are 2nd after a 6-2 success over Rileys C while the Rileys Rebels picked up a useful 6-2 win over the Three Tuns. Robbie Jenkinson, Lee Haidarovic (both 2), Ant Whitehead and Scott Haidarovic all won. The Rileys Cue were held to a 4-4 score by the St. Georges and the bottom two sides Tap A and Emerald Club ended all square at 4-4. Hop Pole C shared the spoils with Rileys A.

Division 2 Promoted Bear and Pheasant A have started strongly and hold top spot in this division after running out 7-1 victors over the Highfields. Nick Backhouse, sean Lucas, Rich davies (all 2 each) and Ant O'Brien all won. Rileys are in second place after beating Hop Pole A 6-2 with Dave Kerr, George Bhogal (both 2), Chris Broomhall and Tom Wilson all winning. St. Leonards gained a fine 7-1 win at the Perkins. Rich Medway, Ben Lowe, Andy Challinor (all 2 each) and Craig Clements all won. Matches between Bull A and Rileys Cue Ts, Oxleathers and Rangers B, Rangers A and Bull B all ended in 4-4 draws.

Division 3 After 3 matches, the Luckpenny hold the only 100% record in the whole league with 3 wins out of 3. They ran out 6-2 victors over the Albion B. Dean Curtis, Liam Goodwin (both 2), Steve Gibbs and Dave Jones all won. Albion A are second after their 7-1 success over the Westway. The Joiners picked up an 8-0 whitewash at the Rickerscote C and hold 3rd spot. Rickerscote D picked up their first win with a 5-3 win at the Bird. Wayne Scobie (2), Brian Heath, Taz Stanyer and Sarah Scobie all won. The Bear and Pheasant beat neighbours Star and Garter 5-3 thanks to Robbie Simpson (2), Ian Hollinshead, Craig Bull and Charlie Grant. 3 Tuns B were held to a 4-4 draw against the Rickerscote B.

Revolving black ball Presentation Evening Photos

There is now a Photo Gallery page on the website that contains some photos of the winners at the recent Presentation Evening held at Ranger Social Club.

Revolving black ball Staffordshire Cup Knockout Finals Day

The trio of Dave Barker, Mike Barker and Dave Whitfield fell at the semi-final stage of the 3-Man Staffordshire Cup Knockout. The team were Stafford’s only representatives at this year’s Finals Day recently held at the Rileys Club in Hanley. It was the 2nd year running that the team have been to the semi-final stage of the competition and the 4th time in 5 years for the twins. The competition was eventually won by a team from Alsager.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 11 Report

Stafford Sunday A have booked their place at Yarmouth next spring after an excellent 10-8 victory away to Trent Trophies B in their final Inter-league match of the season. Both teams went into the match knowing that a win would secure a place in the top four so the pressure was on from the start. Regular players were missing from both sides but the Stoke team had the advantage of being able to call upon Carl Morris, the former world champion, to make his debut for them. The 1st half was neck and neck but TTB secured the 9th frame to take a 5-4 lead into the interval. Gav Davies, Dave Barker and Rob Wharne then won their frames to bring the scores level at 7-7. Mick Addison followed up with a victory over Kieron Bolton to put Stafford into an 8-7 lead. Giles Eastwood fell just short in his game before Mike Barker finished off his impressive season with victory over John Clowes to ensure a draw at worst. So the stage was set for Steve don’t rush me Finney to seal victory in the final frame. It was a tense affair against Dan Rush with good play from both players as teammates cheered and jeered but it was Steve who typically held his nerve and sank the final black of what has been the best ever Inter-league season for Stafford.

Stafford Blaze hosted Rugeley in the last game of the 2008 Inter-League Season, knowing a win would bring them off the bottom of the table for the first time this season and better the Stafford B record from 2007. Missing from the home line-up was Karen Tomkinson, Will Edge and Rob Mullins. However skipper Lee Haidarovic still believed there was enough ability in the rest of the squad to pick up the win. First up came the Blaze’s Player of the Year, Tom Tonna, against local player Dave Baker on table one and Scott Haidarovic on table two, and within a few minutes the Blaze found themselves 2-0 up after both lads were too strong for their Rugeley counterparts. Gaz Baker was next up knowing a win in the first half would give him a showdown against his father in the latter half, and win he did to make the score 3-0. Next up came Spence Trow and skipper Lee Haidarovic, however neither could extend the lead as both players were pegged back by some good clearances by their opponents to make the score 3-2. The remaining four games of the first half were shared as Ant Whitehead and Ricky Martinez picked up wins with Ben LeMaistre and the unfortunate Alan Alldritt losing. This made the half time score 5-4 to the Blaze. The second half started even with Tom Tonna again doubling up for the night and Scott Haidarovic losing a tactical battle against Rugeley’s MVP for the night Dion Borton who claimed his 2nd win. Then came Baker vs Baker and with the Blaze behind him Gaz came out on top to give a slight cushion in the total scoring at 7-5. Next up came Spence Trow and Lee Haidarovic whom were both trying to make amends for losing earlier on in the night and win they did, both in emphatic fashion giving their respective opponents no real chance to win. This made the score 9-5 and guaranteed at least a draw. The final four games included Ant Whitehead, Brendan Ruttledge, Ben LeMaistre and Ricky Martinez knowing that at least one win would seal it. Brendan and Ricky didn’t disappoint as both won their games to make the final score 11-7 to the Blaze. Skipper Lee Haidarovic would like to take this opportunity to thank all the squad for their efforts this season, and hope next year we can build on the foundations set out and make an impact in the league and cup. Great Yarmouth qualification was taken away from us this year by means out of our control, so next year we will try and make sure this will not happen again!

The results saw the Stafford teams finish the season in 3th and 11th places in the Inter-league table. Congratulations go to Mike Barker and Tom Tonna who topped the Inter-league Averages for their teams respectively.

Revolving black ball Staffordshire Cup Knockout Finals Day

The trio of Dave Barker, Mike Barker and Dave Whitfield are Stafford’s only representatives at this year’s Staffordshire Cup Knockout Finals Day. It is the 2nd year running that the team have been to the semi-final stage of the 3-man competition and the 4th time in 5 years for the twins. The Rileys club in Hanley hosts the closing stages of the singles, doubles and 3-man competitions on Sunday afternoon.

Revolving black ball Singles Knockout Finals Night

Photo of Chris Hanlon
Stafford Singles Champion Chris Hanlon

Chris Hanlon has added the Stafford Singles Knockout title to the Doubles title that he won a week earlier. Chris saw off the challenges of Andy Rogers (3-1) in the quarter-final and Mark Billingsley (4-2) in the semi-final before defeating John Grobnik in the final by the scoreline of 5-3.

 

 

SINGLES KNOCKOUT FINALS DAY
2nd November 2008
QUARTER FINALS     SEMI FINALS   FINAL
Chris Hanlon   3                
Andy Rogers   1   Chris Hanlon   4        
                     
Mark Billingsley   3   Mark Billingsley   2    Chris Hanlon       5
Mike Barker   1            
                     
Ricardo Martinez   3            John Grobnik       3
Daz Waters   0   Ricardo Martinez   0    
                     
Andy Rawlinson   1   John Grobnik   4        
John Grobnik   3                

 

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October 2008


Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 10 Report

Stafford Sunday A slipped to a disappointing defeat in their latest Inter-league match against Leek A. The Leek team took away all of the points after their trip to Stafford with a display of solid pool and, ultimately, taking their chances better than the home team. After trailing 6-3 at the half way stage it always looked an uphill battle to salvage a result and so it turned out as only 4 further wins in the 2nd half gave a final score of 11-7.

Stafford Blaze (Stafford Sunday B) travelled to Green Baize hoping to build on their impressive victory against Leek B in the next fixture of the Inter-league season against Trent Trophies B. However, numbers were tight as only nine team members were available for selection as Karen Tomkinson, Ant Whitehead, Rob Mullins and Brendan Ruttledge were all otherwise engaged. Starting off for Blaze was Tom Tonna and in stunning fashion he eight-balled his opponent off the break but that was where the joy ended as Trent Trophies B were relentless in playing some incredible pool to win the next 7 games without letting any of the Stafford Players have a sniff of winning. Only Ricardo Martinez in the last frame of the first half had any decent chance of winning his game and take his chance he did to make the half time score 7-2. Trent Trophies B arguably played the best pool seen by the Blaze this season as not only was their potting ability second to none but also none of their players seemed to make any mistakes which made it even more difficult for the Blaze to make any headway in trying to cut the deficit down. However, after some great individual efforts by the Blaze in the second half notably by Gaz Baker, Ben LeMaistre, Alan Alldritt and Tom Tonna who followed up from an 8-ball clearance in the first game with a 7-ball clearance here, at least the score was not as bad as it could well have been. With an end result of 12-6 to the Stoke based team.

The results leave the Stafford teams in 4th and 12th places in the Inter-league table with 1 remaining fixture this season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The last set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 14th November. Stafford Sunday A travel to Trent Trophies B in a battle for a possible qualifying place at Yarmouth whilst Stafford Blaze host Rugeley.

Revolving black ball Scotch Doubles Knockout Finals Night

Photo of Chris Hanlon
Stafford Doubles Champions Mike Barker and Chris Hanlon

Mike Barker and Chris Hanlon have been crowned the Stafford Doubles Knockout champions after progressing through a field of 8 pairings at this year’s Finals Day. The new Scotch Doubles system adopted this year saw a number of new faces contesting the final stages of the competition which can only be good for local pool. Mike and Chris dropped only 1 frame during the day and were deserved winners with Linda Simpson and Pippa Steele also playing some excellent pool to reach the final.

 

DOUBLES KNOCKOUT FINALS DAY
26th October 2008
QUARTER FINALS     SEMI FINALS   FINAL
A Whitehead / Alan Sim   1                
Craig Jones / C Parsons   2   Craig Jones / C Parsons   1        
                     
P Dustin / T Tonna   1   L Simpson / P Steele   2   L Simpson / P Steele   0
L Simpson / P Steele   2            
                     
A Villar / R Martinez   0           M Barker / C Hanlon   3
M Barker / C Hanlon   2   M Barker / C Hanlon   2    
                     
B Ruttledge / S Trow   1   J Armishaw / K Plimmer   1        
J Armishaw / K Plimmer   2                

 

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September 2008


Revolving black ball Summer League Knockout Finals Night

SUMMER LEAGUE K/O FINAL
8.00pm, 28th September
RILEYS A RILEYS C
GILES EASTWOOD W L ALAN ALLDRITT
DAVE ARROWSMITH W L RICARDO MARTINEZ
GAV DAVIES L W GAZ BAKER
MARK BILLINGSLEY L W CHRIS HANLON
DAVE ARROWSMITH L W CHRIS HANLON
GILES EASTWOOD W L RICARDO MARTINEZ
GAV DAVIES L W GAZ BAKER
  3 4  
Photo of Chris Hanlon
Stafford Summer League Knockout Champions Rileys C

This year’s Final saw an all Rileys affair with current league Champions Rileys A up against emerging 2nd division Rileys C. Captain Giles Eastwood set the ball rolling with some fine tactical play against Alan Alldritt to make the score 1-0. Dave Arrowsmith was seeking his 4th summer league winner’s trophy with a 4th different team and his potting power blew away Ricardo Martinez and gave Rileys A a 2-0 lead. Up stepped Gaz Baker for the C team and he recovered after a nervous start with some clinical potting to overcome a determined Gav Davies to pull it back to 2-1. County player Chris Hanlon was pitted against his practise partner and County Junior player Mark Billingsley. Mark broke and unfortunately a dry break let Chris in and he duly took his chance to level the scores 2-2. Chris then played Dave Arrowsmith at the start of the second half and with some exchanges of tactical play, it was Chris who took his chance and made it 3-2. Captain Giles Eastwood had it all to do, the former County player used all his experience to see off the challenge of Ricardo Martinez and take it to a decider. It was a rematch between Davies and Baker and this was a tight tussle as both players felt the tension and the importance of this game. Davies was in first and he knew he had to go for it, but he fell short on the black and a mistake gave Baker 2 shots and he cleared to give Rileys C their first major honour to the delight of his team mates.

 

SUMMER PLATE K/O FINAL
8.00pm, 28th September
TAP n SPILE A EMERALD CLUB
JOHN DANIELS W L MARK HOLLAND
TONY MASON L W JUSTIN MACKERETH
STEVE FINNEY W L DAVE BAKER
        BEN LeMAISTRE L W BRENDON RUTTLEDGE
BEN LeMAISTRE L W BEN EDGE
JOHN DANIELS W L BRENDON RUTTLEDGE
STEVE FINNEY W L WILL EDGE
  4 3  

Tap n Spile A kept the plate at the Tap (Tap n Spile winners in 2007) after a hard fought win over the Emerald Club. The Tap lost in the 2006 final (under the name the Bird) while the Emerald Club were runners up in 2007 (Crooked Cue A). John Daniels dished in the first frame to get the ball rolling but after that all the remaining games were tactical affairs. It was Steve Finney who showed the nerve at the very end with a long black and the white pinned up against the cushion that saw the Tap home to glory.


Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 9 Report

Stafford Sunday A bounced back from last month’s disappointing defeat with an inspirational victory over the pool superstars of Trent Trophies A in their latest Inter-league match. John Grobnik and Dave Barker saw the Stafford team off to the perfect start which helped to settle a few nerves. Dave Whitfield outwitted Steve Bridgewood and Mike Barker produced what was probably the finish of the night after his opponent had jawed the black ball going for game. Further wins for Simon Key and a crucial 9th frame win for skipper Giles Eastwood put the team into a 6-3 half-time lead with the Stoke side claiming 2 of their 3 wins with break and dishes. It was more of the same in the second half as the Stafford side continued to hold their collective nerve while the win column steadily increased. Frame wins to Gav Davies, Dave Barker, Mick Addison (over world champion Gaz Potts), Simon Key and Giles Eastwood secured the final scoreline of 11-7 to round off a memorable night. Simon Key was the man of the match after taking the prized scalps of Gaz Potts and Lee Kendall (England captain). The result puts the Stafford boys back into the mix in the chase for honours with 2 league games remaining.

Its been a long time coming but Stafford Blaze (Stafford Sunday B) have finally won their first Inter-league match of the season. No just stumbling over the line either as the side ran away with an emphatic 13-5 victory over Leek B. This despite the home tie having to be moved to a neutral venue (Rileys Hanley). With Gaz Baker, Rob Mullins and Ben LeMaistre unavailable it was left to 10 players to try and put a W in the win column and pick themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time this season. Starting off for the Blaze were the average leaders Tom Tonna and Scott Haidarovic and in stunning fashion played their counterparts off the park to record a quick fire 2-0 lead. Next up was experienced pair of Karen Tomkinson and Spence Trow and after the latter won his game to make it 3-0 it looked like Karen was going to put away her opponent. However, uncharacteristically she missed a relatively easy clearance which gave the Leek player the chance to clear. And clear he did to make it 3-1. Next up was Skipper Lee Haidarovic and Brendan Ruttledge and within minutes the score was 5-1 with Brendan 7 balling his opponent after his challenger’s break and Lee making a five ball clearance on his third visit to the table. Unfortunately, the run was halted by Leek B captain Colin Leather as he played well to beat Will Edge to bring the score to 5-2. However, Ant Whitehead and Ricardo Martinez found their form and potting ability to win the remaining 2 games of the first half to make the interval score 7-2 to the Blaze. The second half started in similar fashion to the previous games during the season as the first three games were not going Blaze’s way as only Tom Tonna won with Scott Haidarovic and the unfortunate Alan Alldritt losing to make the score 8-4. Next up to stop the minor comeback was Spencer Trow and he gave his opponent a lesson in tactical play to record a 9-4 lead which meant at least a draw for the Blaze. However, skipper Lee Haidarovic didn’t want to settle for that and it was up to himself and Brendan to finish it off for their first win of the season and both did so in emphatic style to make the score an unassailable 11-4. Further wins for Ant and Ricardo and another loss for Will Edge made the final score 13-5 and a well deserved win under their belts.

The results leave the Stafford teams remaining in 4th and 12th places in the Inter-league table with 2 remaining fixtures this season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 31st October. Stafford Sunday A host Leek A whilst Stafford Blaze play away at Trent Trophies B.

Revolving black ball Summer League Results

SUMMER LEAGUE K/O S/Fs
8.00pm, 21st September
RILEYS A  4 - 1  BUSHES A
        HOP POLE C  2 - 4  RILEYS C        

 

SUMMER PLATE K/O S/Fs
8.00pm, 21st September
EMERALD CLUB  4 - 2  RICKERSCOTE A
TAP n SPILE A 4 - 1 ST GEORGES A



SUMMER LEAGUE K/O Q/Fs
8.00pm, 14th September
RILEYS A  4 - 3  THREE TUNS
RILEYS CUE 3 - 4 RILEYS C
BUSHES B 2 - 4 BUSHES A
        HOP POLE C 4 - 2 TAP n SPILE        

 

SUMMER PLATE K/O Q/Fs
8.00pm, 14th September
EMERALD CLUB  4 - 2  NAGS HEAD
ST GEORGES A 4 - 1 ALBION B
RICKERSCOTE A 4 - 3 RILEYS
TAP n SPILE A 4 - 1 STAFFS BULL B

Revolving black ball 2008 Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM saw a record number of teams attending. The League is hoping to have 36 teams competing in the new Winter campaign due to start in November. Entries for the annual Singles and Doubles competitions need to be received by the League Secretary by the end of this week. The new league result cards (containing a new format) that were trialled during the Summer League were voted in and will continue to be used on a permanent basis. Finally, two new faces joined the committee in the shape of Pete Harvey and Dennis Kitchen.

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August 2008


Revolving black ball Summer League Quarter Finals Line-up

SUMMER LEAGUE K/O Q/Fs
8.00pm, 14th August
RILEYS A   v   THREE TUNS
RILEYS CUE v RILEYS C
BUSHES B v BUSHES A
        HOP POLE C v TAP n SPILE        

SUMMER PLATE K/O Q/Fs
8.00pm, 14th August
EMERALD CLUB   v   NAGS HEAD
ST GEORGES A v ALBION B
RICKERSCOTE A v RILEYS
TAP n SPILE A v STAFFS BULL B

ALL MATCHES BEST OF SEVEN FRAMES (4/3 SPLIT)

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 8 Report

A disappointing 13-5 defeat at home to Alsager has dealt a blow to the Inter-league aspirations of Stafford Sunday A. The visitors produced the sort of form that had deserted them up to this point of the season, seemingly taking every opportunity that came their way in the first half of the match. Only Mark Billingsley and Mike Barker provided any resistance for the Stafford team as they went into the break trailing 7-2. Alsager wasted no time in putting the match to bed after the interval and it was left to Simon Key, Mike Barker and John Grobnik to claim consolation frames for the home side.

Stafford Blaze (Stafford Sunday B) came away from their recent away trip at Leek A with a 13-5 defeat. It is one of the most difficult away trips of the season and the Stafford boys will be relieved to be back at home for their next tie.

The results leave the Stafford teams lying in 4th and 12th places in the Inter-league table at this stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 26th September. Stafford Sunday A visit league leaders Trent Trophies A whilst Stafford Blaze play host to Leek B.

Revolving black ball Summer League Week 12 Report

GROUP A Rileys A extended their lead at the top of this group to 9 points after they ran out convincing 8-0 victors over the Rickerscote C. The Tap and Spile edged into 2nd place with a 7-1 success at the Bear and Pheasant and look to cement their place in the quarter finals of the main draw. The Staffs Bull B improved their chances of qualifying for the Summer plate after defeating Rileys Cue Ts 5-3.

GROUP B Rileys Cue became the first team to qualify for the main draw. The 2007 holders extended their unbeaten run to 47 matches but were made to work hard for their 5-3 win at the Rickerscote B. 2nd place is still up for grabs with both Bushes A and St. Georges A fighting it out. Bushes A recorded a 5-3 success at Rileys while the St. Georges A returned from St. Leonards with a 6-2 win.

GROUP C Bushes B have virtually guaranteed their qualification for the main draw. The 2006 winners retain their unbeaten tag with a hard fought 5-3 success over the Albion B. 2nd place looks like going down to the wire with both Rileys C and Rickerscote A on the same points but the former have a better head to head record. The Ricky A ran out 7-1 winners at the Highfields and the Rileys C won 5-3 at the Luckpenny.

GROUP D This group is a 3 horse race vying for 2 places in the main draw. Holding pole position is the Three Tuns who lead by 3 points over the Tap A who themselves are 6 points ahead of the Hop Pole C, (who have a game in hand). Each of these teams recorded 7-1 victories over the Albion A, Hop Pole A and Oxleathers respectively. The Nags Head hopes were dented after they were held to a 4-4 draw at the Metro Bar.

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July 2008


Revolving black ball Announcement of AGM

Sunday 7th September 2008, Rangers Social Club, 7:45pm PROMPT

All existing and new teams are invited to apply to join the Parkside Electrical Stafford Sunday Pool League Winter Season 2008/09. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL TEAMS ATTEND THIS MEETING. It is an opportunity for all members (paid) to express their opinions and new ideas on how the league should be run. SO PLEASE ATTEND!

SUBSCRIPTION FEES - £45.00 per team

Teams who cannot attend on the night must contact the League Secretary, Dave Whitfield, and pay before the set date. Failure will result in a £5:00 surcharge.

MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED ON THE EVENING:

  1. Minutes from last year’s AGM.
  2. Chairman’s report.
  3. Secretary’s report.
  4. Treasurer’s report.
  5. Election of officers and committee members *.
  6. Proposed changes *.
  7. Constitution.
  8. Any other business (AOB).

* ALL TEAMS PLEASE NOTE that election of OFFICERS and proposed new changes must be put in writing and sent to the League Secretary by Sunday 24th August 2008. Changes CANNOT be made on the night. ALL TEAM REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE GIVEN A VOTING CARD.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 7 Report

A dramatic 10-8 win for Stafford Sunday A against Cannock Chase saw them cling onto hopes of a high finish to the current Inter-league campaign. A quick start for Cannock put them into an 2-0 lead before Stafford hit back when Mark Billingsley found his potting boots to despatch his last 4 balls. This was followed by some top performances by Rob Wharne, Giles Eastwood, Gav Davies, Steve Finney and Mike Barker as Stafford turned the tie on its head, taking a healthy 7-2 lead into the break. A second victory on the night for Rob Wharne and a win for Dave Barker extended the lead to a commanding 9-3. But drama soon followed as the 1st half win by Stafford skipper Giles Eastwood was disputed due to his break and dish being out of turn, a genuine mistake, as the Cannock player should have been breaking-off. A quick check on the rules confirmed that the frame had to be replayed and Giles gathered himself to put in another good performance with the same result as before. In the meantime frames were gradually slipping away from Stafford as Cannock pulled the score back to 9-8. New father Gav Davies thankfully had other things on his mind as he kicked off the final frame of the night oblivious to its relative importance to the team result. A tense, tactical battle ensued before Gav finally potted the 8-ball to the delight of his relieved team-mates.

Stafford Blaze (Stafford Sunday B) hosted a bottom-of-the table clash against Trent Trophies Tuesday as both teams searched for their first league win of the season. After a good outing last time against the champions, skipper Lee Haidarovic didn’t want to make many changes and those that were made were enforced with Tom Tonna and Ricardo Martinez both unavailable so there were starting places for the returning Scott Haidarovic and Ant Whitehead. The first four games of the evening had a familiar feel as what should have been four wins out of four ended up being just two making the score line 2-2. With Scott Haidarovic and Brendan Ruttledge winning their games but Will Edge and Gaz Baker losing even though they had very good chances to win but none was taken. Unfortunately, these two wins were the only “W” in the Blaze’s win column for the first half as Lee Haidarovic and Spencer Trow were convincingly beaten after favourable breaks for the away side and then further losses for Ben LeMaistre, Rob Mullins and Ant Whitehead when all three also had good chances to win, making the half time score 7-2 to TT Tuesday. For the second half, in came Karen Tomkinson and Alan Alldritt replacing Rob Mullins and an unfortunate Ben LeMaistre who still cannot bring his very good Sunday form to a Friday night. This half started in the same vein as the first with games that could and should easily have been won were lost with only Scott Haidarovic winning (to make it a personal 2 out of 2 on the night) with Gaz Baker, Brendan Ruttledge, Will Edge and Lee Haidarovic all losing. Spencer Trow then brought a game back for the home side with some great potting and tactical play, and further wins for subs Karen Tomkinson and Alan Alldritt (his first win of the campaign which was greeted with great cheers and a sigh of relief from Alan) to make the score 11-6. However, another defeat in the final game of the night featuring Ant Whitehead, made the final score another disappointing 12-6 defeat which leaves the Blaze still bottom of the league.

The results leave the Stafford teams lying in 3rd and 12th places in the Inter-league table at this stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 29th August. Stafford Sunday A play host to Alsager whilst Stafford Blaze have a difficult away fixture at Leek A.

Revolving black ball Summer League Week 8 Report

GROUP A Emerald Club hold top spot in this section after being held to a 4-4 draw at the Tap and Spile. Draw specialists Bull B picked up their first win with a 7-1 success at the Bear and Pheasant. Dan Banks (2), Dan Goodwin (2), Ben Bates, James Jeffrey and Garry Livesey all won. Rickerscote C and Rileys Cue Ts both shared a 4-4 score.

GROUP B Rileys Cue won the top of the group clash with a 5-3 success at the Bushes A. Dave Whitfield (2), Rob Wharne (2) and Mike Barker all won. St. Georges A jumped into 2nd place with a 6-2 win over the Bird in Hand. Scott Haidarovic (2), Ant Whitehead (2), Robbie Jenkinson and Lee Haidarovic all won.

GROUP C Bushes B dominate this group after their latest 6-2 triumph at the Luckpenny where Andy Pearcey (2), Mick Ferguson (2), Simon Davies and Ian Lewis all won. Rileys C hold 2nd spot with a 5-3 success over the Antelope while the Rickerscote A were made to work hard for their 5-3 win over visiting Albion B.

GROUP D Three Tuns inflicted a first defeat over the Nags Head with a convincing 7-1 success and now hold a slender 1 point margin over the Tap and Spile A. The Tap came from 3-0 down to record a 5-3 victory. Ben LeMaistre (2), John Daniels, Steve Finney and Tony Mason all won. Both the Hop Pole C v Metro Bar and Albion A v Hop Pole A ended in 4-4 draws.

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June 2008


Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 6 Report

Stafford Sunday A overwhelmed a depleted Rugeley side 15-3 in their recent Inter-league home clash. The away team arrived with only 6 players and therefore had to concede 6 frames before the match even started. Regardless of this head start the Stafford team still worked hard on the night to ensure that they took full advantage and build up a healthier number in the frames won column in the league table. Some solid play in the first half resulted in a 7-2 lead at the interval before the home team turned the screw further after the break dropping just one further frame to record their biggest win of the season so far.

Stafford Blaze (Stafford Sunday B) took the trip to Rileys Hanley for a tough away match to a Trent Trophies Team boasting the who’s who of pool players in Staffordshire with the likes of World Champion Gareth Potts, England International Captain Lee Kendall, England Under 21 Captain Liam White and top 10 World Ranked player Adam Davis in their team. Skipper Lee Haidarovic knew that this game was going to be extremely difficult but was not helped by the withdrawals of key players – Scott Haidarovic, Karen Tomkinson, Ant Whitehead, Alan Alldritt and Chris Hanlon – due to holiday and personal commitments. However, the remaining players plus the return of Rob Mullins provided Stafford with the nine players needed to try and challenge a team that has won this league for the past 19 years.

At the venue the skipper gave a “relax and enjoy yourselves” speech as the away team were serious underdogs and had no realistic expectations of winning the game. However this speech seemed to spur the Blaze on as after Tom Tonna was 8-balled off the break in the first game of the evening against Liam White, Gaz Baker then played some sublime pool to put a first win on the scoreboard for the underdogs against a very capable Jamie Croxton. The next two games were also shared as Adam Davis defeated Brendan Ruttledge but Spencer Trow played some exquisite pool to beat Jamie Latham to equalize. Next up was the current World Champion Gareth Potts taking on Blaze skipper Lee Haidarovic and after a few tactical plays, the world champion just had too much for the Stafford player. Next up was Will Edge against Stoke Singles Champion Daz Lightfoot and after some uncharacteristic mistakes from the latter, Will always had a chance to pull off an upset and after a few additional mistakes from both players it was the Blaze player that ground out a win to once against put the scores level at 3-3. Next up was the returning Rob Mullins against England Captain Lee Kendall and, after some great pool from Rob, he set himself up for a grandstand finish with one final coloured pot to set himself up for a straight forward black. Unfortunately, the ball stayed on the table and that was enough for Lee Kendall to clear up to put the favourites into a 4-3 lead. Jason Kaill then gave the home team some daylight with a win against Ben LeMaistre to make it 5-3 but not without a few nervy moments where Ben could have easily pulled off a win. The final match of the half saw Ricardo Martinez play Daz Shone and after some good potting from both players it was Ricardo who had the chance to clear and did so in superb fashion, making the half time score a surprising 5-4 to Trent Trophies.

The second half continued in a similar vein with the first four games being shared with Brendan Ruttledge and Gaz Baker losing out to an impressive Liam White and an 8-ball clearance by Jamie Latham whilst Spencer Trow and Tom Tonna beat Jamie Croxton and Adam Davis, with Spencer 7-balling his opponent after the break and Tom making a great clearance against one of the top players in the world! Next up was World Champion Gareth Potts against Blaze?s Ricardo Martinez and even though the World Champion came through victorious, the Blaze player matched him well throughout most of the game, but it was just one chance needed and Gareth didn’t need another one. Daz Lightfoot then tried to make up for his early nightmare game against Ben LeMaistre to put Trent Trophies in command for the first time in the evening and after some back and forth pool, came out on top to make the score 9-6. Next up was Stafford Blaze skipper Lee Haidarovic against England Skipper Lee Kendall with the England international needing the win to secure another victory for the reigning champions. However, there was to be a shock on the cards after the Blaze captain made a brilliant and calm 6-ball clearance and the black to claim a big scalp and keep the Blaze in with a chance of an amazing result. Will Edge was next up hoping to double his tally for the night against Jason Kaill who also was after the double win and, after a tense first few shots, Will Edge had a chance to win the game as he was given two shots with all of his balls available. However, a mistake on his last coloured ball meant that he could not clear up at this visit and gave the home player the advantage. However, in one of the most unbelievable shots of the night the Trent player potted the black but then followed through with the white to give Will his second win of the night. But on the other table the game had already finished with Daz Shone defeating Rob Mullins thus making the final result a very respectable 10-8 defeat to the champions Trent Trophies A.

The results leave the Stafford teams lying in 3rd and 12th places in the Inter-league table at this stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 25th July. Stafford Sunday A take on close rivals Cannock Chase whilst Stafford Blaze play host to Trent Trophies Tuesday at Rileys in a game they now must believe they can win after this performance.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league K/o 3rd/4th Place Play-off Report

Stafford Sunday B went into the 3rd/4th place play-off match in the Inter-league Knockout believing their fortunes would change against a team only a couple of places higher in the league table. Unfortunately, once again it just wasn't to be. Stafford Blaze gave a debut to experienced player Spencer Trow as three members of the team were unable to make the game due to holiday and work commitments. This also gave chance for some of the non-regular starters to come in and prove why they should be given a starting berth in the next match. However, only one of these players took their opportunity in a somewhat disappointing performance. The first half of the contest started quite competitively as great play and clearances by Karen Tomkinson and Lee Haidarovic put the home team in with a chance to erase some of the poor results that have been coming their way of late. However, that's where the competition ended as Leek B would win every other game in the half to leave Stafford Blaze trailing 7-2 at the interval. The second half started as bad as the end of the first as chances came for Stafford but the players could not capitalize on them as Chris Hanlon, Karen Tomkinson and Tom Tonna all lost the opening three games to give victory to Leek B by an embarrassing margin of 10-2. Both teams then agreed to fulfill the remaining games as the captains keep a log of individual averages which determine player starting positions. Now that the pressure was somewhat off, the Stafford players began to play some great pool when it was all too late as wins from Lee Haidarovic (a double on the night), Ben LeMaistre (his first victory of the season in all competitions), Brendan Ruttledge and Will Edge all won resulting in the unofficial final score of 12-6.

Revolving black ball Summer League Week 3 Report

GROUP A Rileys Cue Ts have started well in this group after they secured a 7-1 success over the Bear and Pheasant. Clair Maslin (2), Ianona Villar (2), Lynda Simpson (2) and Rhiannan Dagness all won. Emerald Club surprised winter league champs Rileys A, running out 5-3 victors and now occupy 2nd place.

GROUP B Summer 2005 and 2007 champions Rileys Cue extended their unbeaten run to 39 matches! They ran out 6-2 winners over the St. Leonards. Rob Wharne (2), Dave Whitfield (2), Dave and Mike Barker all won. Bushes A picked up their first win of the campaign with a hard fought 5-3 win over the St. Georges A while the Rileys have started well with a 6-2 success at the Bird in Hand.

GROUP C Rileys C inflicted a 7-1 drubbing at the Rickerscote A and now occupy top spot while the Antelope came out on top against the Highfields winning 5-3. Steve Hudson (2), Chris Turner, Sean Mullen and James Devlin all won.

GROUP D Tap and Spile A lead this group after their recent 5-3 win over the Albion A. Steve Finney (2), John Daniels, Ben LeMaistre and Tony Mason all won. Only 1 point separates the top 4 teams. Hop Pole A occupy 2nd place after they recorded a 6-2 success over the Metro Bar. Both the Three Tuns and Hop Pole C were held to 4-4 draws against the Nags Head and Oxleathers.

Revolving black ball New League Results Cards

New result cards (containing a new format) have been issued to each venue. These are to be used from now onwards. The new format is alternate break (4 breaks per side) with a set order for the second half. Half-time substitutions can still be made. A coin should be tossed at the start of each match to decide which team breaks first. The order of play in the two halves is illustrated below.

Home Team   Away Team
Player 1  v  Player 1
Player 2  v  Player 2
Player 3  v  Player 3
Player 4  v  Player 4
Player 4  v  Player 2
Player 3  v  Player 1
Player 2  v  Player 4
Player 1  v  Player 3

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league K/o Semi-final Report

Stafford Sunday B debuted their new look in the semi-final of the Inter-league Knockout competition with their corporate Stafford Blaze shirts and hoped that their luck would change at the same time. Unfortunately, they were soon to discover that their opponents did not come just for fun as they travelled with 6 county players and 1 ex-world champion (Carl Morris) supported by the World Ranked number 3 player. The writing seemed on the wall as Trent Trophies B produced some blistering pool to fly into a 3-0 start with Gaz Baker, Tom Tonna and Karen Tomkinson having no answer to their Stoke-based counterparts. However, the mood changed somewhat after the following two games as Scott Haidarovic and skipper Lee Haidarovic produced some equally great pool to bring the score back to 3-2 and the buzz around Rileys Stafford hit a high. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as only Brendan Ruttledge was able to build on the success of the Haidarovic brothers as Chris Hanlon, Ant Whitehead and Ricardo Martinez were all beaten convincingly to see the half time score stand at 6-3 to the away side. The second half started well as Will Edge once again found his piece of luck to win the opening game of the second half and keep Stafford Blaze within touching distance. However, only Scott Haidarovic and Brendan Ruttledge (who both claimed double wins on the night) produced further successes for the home side. This led to the final score of 10-6, and a stake in the 3rd/4th place play-off match for the Stafford team.

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May 2008


Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 5 Report

Stafford Sunday A were a very relieved team after they made hard work of beating Leek B 10-8 in their recent Inter-league away clash. The home team produced some good play to storm into a 4-0 lead before the Stafford side hit back to win 3 of the next 4 and then breathed a collective sigh of relief as Gav Davies captured the 9th frame to leave his team trailing by only 1 frame at the halfway stage. Three substitutions were made at the interval but nerves continued to jangle as Leek B took 3 of the next 5 frames to lead 8-6. Stafford then found another gear to level the scores at 8-8, setting the scene for a tense finale. Steve Finney showed what a good pressure player he is as he sent Stafford into the lead for the first time in the evening before Mike Barker held his nerve and confirmed the team victory with a well judged clearance. Contributing 2 wins on the night were Dave Arrowsmith, Gav Davies and Mike Barker.

Stafford Sunday B went into this match still searching for their first win of the league campaign. Gaz Baker and Tom Tonna kicked off the match on their respective tables and should have easily put the home side 2 up but once again poor decision making and good clearances by the opposition (which is becoming a regular occurrence this season) made the score 1-1 with Tom winning his game but Gaz after a fine break and seven ball clearance snookered himself on the black giving his opponent two visits that were enough to win the game. Ant Whitehead and Ricardo Martinez were the next players up and once again bad decision-making cost them their respective games too! Further defeats for Chris Hanlon, Brendon Ruttledge and Ben Lemaistre added to the Stafford team’s woes. Only the Haidarovic brothers, Lee and Scott gave the home side something to cheer about as they confidently won to go into the break 6-3 down. The second half ended with the same scoreline as the first - 6-3 to Afford - with only Gaz Baker, Tom Tonna (again) and the debuting Karen Tomkinson putting a “W” in the win column. Thus making the final result another 12-6 defeat which still leaves the Stafford team at the foot of the table. Next week sees the return of the Inter-league Knockout competition, which gives Stafford B a rest from their league struggles as they take on Trent Trophies B for a place in the Final where Leek A are awaiting the winner. The form book says the Stafford team will struggle. However, that book was thrown out the the window at the quarter final stage and they are hoping for a similar performance and result this time around too.

The result leaves the Stafford teams in 4th and 12th place in the Inter-league table at this early stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 27th June. Stafford Sunday B take on the big guns at Trent Trophies A whilst Stafford Sunday A play host to Rugeley at Rileys.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 4 Report

Stafford Sunday A returned to winning ways when they inflicted a 11-7 victory over Trent Trophies Tuesday in their recent Inter-league clash. The home match for the Stafford side kicked off with first-visit clearances by Rob Wharne and John Grobnik and the rest of the team were inspired to go on to win the first 8 frames of the night. The away team took the final frame of the first half to keep alive their hopes of a win which grew as they also claimed the first 2 racks after the turn-around. But Mark Billingsley continued his 100% winning record to take the local side to 9 frames and calm any nerves. More frames went to the away team before Giles Eastwood led from the front to secure his second win of the night and the team victory was secured. Mike Barker then won his second frame to ensure that the final scoreline reflected the dominance of the Stafford team.

Stafford Sunday B took the long journey to Alsager searching for their maiden win in the Staffs Inter League. Skipper Lee Haidarovic gave a debut to Emerald Club player, Will Edge, after two squad players and both reserves were unable to make the game. It looked like Stafford B were going to have a good night in Alsager after the first five games of the night as Chris Hanlon, Tom Tonna, Scott Haidarovic and Will Edge all won to take the away team into a quickfire 4-1 lead. However the remaining Alsager players then played some great pool to win the next four games to come back and lead 5-4 at the interval. Alsager won a further six games in a row after the interval - to gain an unassailable lead of 10-4 - thanks to a mixture of the rub of the green as well as some bad shot decisions from the Stafford B players. Debutant Will Edge further established himself with a second win of the night and another win from skipper Lee Haidarovic in the final game of the evening meant that Stafford suffered another 12-6 defeat that keeps them at the foot of the table. Stafford B will need to improve on their overall performance against Alsager to avoid defeat in future, however they will take hope from the fact that excluding this game they have performed well in the league without getting that little bit of luck needed to get some much needed points on the board.

The result leaves the Stafford teams in 4th and 12th place in the Inter-league table at this early stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 30th May. Stafford Sunday A travel to Leek B whilst Stafford Sunday B host Afford One at Rileys.

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April 2008


Revolving black ball Stan Bent Team Knockout Final

Rileys Cue are the new Stan Bent Team Knockout champions after a very close victory over Bushes B. In a tense final that ebbed and flowed it was left to Dave Whitfield to hold his nerve and sink the black ball in the deciding frame of the night. The Subsidiary Team Knockout final was a more straightforward affair as Bushes A raced to a 4-0 victory to bring some joy on the night to their pub.

              STAN BENT TEAM KNOCKOUT FINAL              
27th April 2008
Venue: Rileys
  BUSHES B   3 - 4   RILEYS CUE


              SUBSIDIARY TEAM KNOCKOUT FINAL              
27th April 2008
Venue: Rileys
RICKERSCOTE ARMS A   0 - 4   BUSHES A             

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 3 Report

Stafford Sunday A slipped to a disappointing 10-8 defeat at the hands of Afford One in their third Inter-league match of the season. The away trip started well for the Stafford side as they went into a 5-3 lead including a break and dish from Mike Barker and a top finish from Mark Billingsley in their frames. The Longton players then staged a comeback, winning 4 of the next 5 frames to lead 7-6. Back came Stafford A to retake the lead at 8-7 but that was their last taste of success as the Afford team handled the pressure better to secure the final frames of the night. Double victories on the evening for Rob Wharne, Mark Billingsley and Steve Finney were unfortunately to no avail.

Afford Rileys came back to Stafford with revenge on their minds after being knocked out of the Inter-league cup earlier in the season by Stafford Sunday B and didn't disappoint after a 12-6 win. With all their big hitters available it was Afford who played some outstanding pool with four matches ending with 7 ball clearances as the Stafford lads struggled to cope. Skipper Lee Haidarovic decided to gamble and give two fringe players a chance to cement their place in the first team with himself dropping to the subs bench. However, this didn't work out as only Chris Hanlon and Ant Whitehead managed to put a W in the win column after the first half of games. The second half started brighter as Gaz Baker and Ant Whitehead (again) won the first two frames of the half to bring the score back to 7-4. But their efforts were in vain as Afford then rolled off a winning run that put them well in command, needing only Stuart Marsden of Afford Rileys to win his game to claim the 10th win of the night and confirm victory to the away team. With Stuart having a 100% record in the inter-league going into the game (5 wins out of 5) the omens didn't look good and it was up to skipper Lee Haidarovic to stop the run. He didn't disappoint with a fantastic 6 ball clearance to keep Stafford B still in the match before the next two games went Afford's way. Ricardo Martinez won the final game of the night but it was all too late as Afford won 12-6.

The result leaves the Stafford teams at opposite ends of the Inter-league table at this early stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 16th May. Stafford Sunday B travel to Alsager whilst Stafford Sunday A host Trent Trophies Tuesday.

Revolving black ball Final Winter League Standings

Last Sunday (13th April) saw the final set of Winter League matches played with plenty of interest left for many teams. In the top division Rileys A were crowned champions after their 7-1 victory over the Emerald Club left them 1 point clear of Rileys Cue who completed a 6-2 success over Bird on Tap. St Georges A confirmed promotion to the top table as 2nd division champions with Tap n Spile joining them as runners-up. Taking their places in the middle division will be Nags Head who claimed the 3rd division title with Antelope taking second place.

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March 2008


Revolving black ball Winter League Match 20 Report

Division 1 Rileys Cue failed to take their chance of regaining top spot after they were held to a 4-4 draw at home to the Hop Pole C. Rob Wharne (Rileys Cue) however won the averages with 2 matches still to play with 24 wins. This leaves both Rileys teams on the same points with the A team on top having won more matches. Bushes B made certain of 3rd place after they ran out 5-3 winners over their A team. Mark Billingsley, John Grobnik (both 2) and James Holmes all won. The Rickerscote A are finishing strong with their 4th win in 5 matches after recording a 5-3 success at the Bird on Tap where Mark Sheerin (2), Mick Bryant, Gerard Booth and John Lainton all won.

Division 2 St. Georges A have won promotion to the 1st division at their first attempt after they came away with a 4-4 draw at the Staffs Bull A. The Tap and Spile need just 2 points to secure the other spot. Rileys C were made to work hard for their 5-3 win over visiting Amasal. Gaz Baker (2), Ricardo Martinez, Alan Alldritt and Chris Hanlon all won. Staffs Bull B are unbeaten in 5 games after they returned with a 5-3 success over the Rangers A thanks to Dan Banks, Dan Goodwin (both 2) and James Jeffrey. Perkins and Rileys both recorded 6-2 victories over the Oxleathers and Highfields Club respectively.

Division 3 The Nags Head march on with an 8-0 whitewash at the Rickerscote B and the Antelope strengthened their promotion chances with a 6-2 win over the Rickerscote C. The St. Leonards still hold hopes of catching them after they returned with an 8-0 win at the Princess Royal. Richard Medway, Ben Lowe, Paul Lamont and Andy Challinor all won 2 each. Rangers B and Rileys Cue Ts were both held to 4-4 draws at the Albion A and Bird in Hand respectively. The Albion B gained a rare 5-3 success at the Bear and Pheasant but still remain bottom.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 2 Report

Stafford Sunday A continued their good form in the new Inter-league season with an 11-7 victory over visiting Afford Rileys. The home team made all of the running in the first half as they went into the interval with a healthy 7-2 lead. A stuttering start to the 2nd half for the A side was put to rest by wins for Dave Barker and Mark Billingsley. The match victory was confirmed by Dave Arrowsmith and the winning margin widened by Mick Addison. Finish of the night came from Mike Barker in his first game of the tie. Surveying a messy table after a dry break by his opponent, Mike decided to go for game and found a variety of ways to sink his set of colours in front of an astonished opponent.

After a superb start to the interleague 2008 season with qualification to the finals in Great Yarmouth, Stafford Sunday B are struggling to get a grip within the confines of the league, where they are still looking for their maiden win. Their last showing produced a 13-5 defeat at Cannock Chase. However the scoreline was somewhat flattering to the home side as Stafford B failed to put away their chances in the first half. Instead of going into the break ahead, they found themselves trailing 7-2 with only Tom Tonna and Ricardo Martinez registering a W in the win column. Second half wins for Tom Tonna (again), Brendan Ruttledge and Gaz Baker, made the final score 13-5.

The result leaves the Stafford teams at opposite ends of the Inter-league table at this early stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 25th April. Stafford Sunday A travel to Afford One whilst Stafford Sunday B will be seeking their first win of the season at home to Afford Rileys.

Revolving black ball Summer League 2008 Details

The Summer League season will be played in a group format with the top two teams from each group going through to a quarter finals knockout stage. There will also be a minor competition for 3rd and 4th placed teams. All new and existing teams are welcome to apply.

To register a team in the Summer League, a representative will have to attend the signing-in at the Rileys Club in Stafford on Sunday 20th April between 6:45pm and 8:00pm. The cost of entering will be £30 per team. Fees MUST be paid before or on the night by either cash or cheque. Failure to register in time will result in a surcharge of £5. If you are unable to attend the registration evening then please contact either the Treasurer, Lynda Simpson, or the League Secretary.

The Summer League is planned to start on 11th May 2008.

Revolving black ball Winter League Match 19 Report

Division 1 The Rileys Cue travelled to 3rd place Bushes B and came away with an excellent 7-1 success. Rob Wharne (2), Kev Opie (2), Mike Barker (2) and Dave Whitfield all won. This victory leaves the Cue men only 5 points behind the Rileys A but they do have a game in hand. The Emerald Club got back to winning ways with a 5-3 win over visiting Bushes A for whom Brendan Ruttledge (2), Will Edge, Mark Holland and Dave Baker all won. The Bird on Tap and Hop Pole C settled for a 4-4 draw. Both the Rileys A and 3 Tuns had 8-0 claims.

Division 2 St. Georges A hold a slender 1 point lead at the top but have played a game less after they saw off Rileys C 6-2. Scott Haidarovic and Rob Mullins (both 2), Lee Haidarovic and Ant Whitehead all won. The Tap still have hopes after they ran away with an 8-0 win over the Perkins. Rangers A pulled off an important 5-3 away success at fellow strugglers Oxleathers. Nigel Lanes (2), Craig Jenkins (2) and Mark Hollowood all won for the Rangers outfit. Staffs Bull B picked up a fine 7-1 win over visiting Rileys while the A team returned with a 5-3 win at the Highfields.

Division 3 The Nags Head still hold an 8 point lead at the top over the Antelope. They both recorded 5-3 victories over the Bear and Pheasant and Rangers B respectively. The Rileys Cue Ts are finishing strongly after their recent 5-3 success over the Albion A. Clair Maslin (2), Ianoa Villar (2) and Elize Ainger all won for the ladies team. St. Leonards recorded a 6-2 win over the Rickerscote B to keep their promotion hopes alive while the Bird enjoyed a 5-3 success at the Albion B. Russ Pibworth (2), Craig Bull, Steve Jones and Mark Malone were the winners on the night.

Revolving black ball Staffs Inter-league Match 1 Report

Stafford Sunday A kicked off the 2008 Inter-league season with a convincing 13-5 victory over their B team. The players in the A side took control of the match as they established a 6-3 first-half lead. This position was strengthened as they added another 7 frames to the win column after the interval. Doubling up on the night with 2 victories apiece for the A team were Rob Wharne, Gav Davies, Mick Addison and Dave Barker. Gaz Baker was the stand-out player for the B side, winning both of his frames. The Stafford Sunday B team was blooding a number of new players in this match but already has a trip to Yarmouth booked later in the year after reaching the semi-finals of the Inter-league Knockout Cup.

The result leaves the Stafford teams at opposite ends of the Inter-league table at this early stage of the season. Player statistics from the Inter-league matches can be viewed on the Inter-league Averages page.

The next set of Inter-league fixtures take place on Friday 28th March. Both Stafford teams will be playing at Stafford’s Rileys as Stafford Sunday A play host to Afford Rileys whilst Stafford Sunday B face Cannock Chase.

Revolving black ball Winter League Match 17 Report

Division 1 It is becoming a close fight for the Parkside Electrical Sunday Pool league title as the Rileys Cue were held 4-4 at the 3 Tuns. This enabled Rileys A to regain top spot after their 8-0 whitewash over the Bushes A. Dave Richardson, Dave Arrowsmith, Giles Eastwood and Gav Davies all won 2 each. Bushes B returned to winning ways with a 7-1 win over the Rickerscote A while the Bird on Tap captured a 6-2 success over the Emerald Club. Steve Finney (2), Dave Shelley (2), John Daniels and Ben LeMaistre all won for the Bird.

Division 2 St. Georges had a free week but still hold top spot after the Tap n Spile again suffered defeat, this time 5-3 at home to the Rileys. Staffs Bull B gained a useful 5-3 success over 3rd place Rileys C thanks to Dan Goodwin (2), Garry Livesey, James Jeffrey and Dan Banks. Perkins won 5-3 against the Rangers A while the Highfields ran out 6-2 winners over the Amasal. Mick Jenkinson (2), Steve Preece (2), Mark Phillips and Mark Simpson all won.

Division 3 Only one point separates leaders the Nags and 2nd place Antelope. The Nags ran out 5-3 winners over the Albion A. Paul Loughhead (2), Sean Lucas (2) and Neil Backhouse led the way. The Antelope won 7-1 at the Albion B to close the gap. Rickerscote C came away with a 5-3 win at in form Rileys Cue Ts. Steve Rogers (2), Tracey Stanyer, Taz Stanyer and Robbie Fowler leading the way. St. Leonard still hold onto hopes of promotion, with a consecutive 7-1 win over the Bird in hand. Rangers B hold 4th place after their recent 6-2 win over the Crooked Cue D.

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February 2008


Revolving black ball Result Cards

All teams please note that failure to drop off results on time (the following THURSDAY) will result in deduction of points to the offending teams. It is the WINNING teams responsibility - NO EXCUSES. In the event of a draw - the home team has the responsibility. Drop off point is the Disks and Discs shop. SEVEN result cards were missing this week which means that the website doesn't get updated and the Newsletter reports don't get processed. Please adhere to this request!

Revolving black ball Stan Bent Team Knockout Semi-finals Draws

              STAN BENT KNOCKOUT SEMI FINALS              
20th April 2008
Venue: Rileys
RILEYS A   v   RILEYS CUE
Venue: Rileys
STAFFS BULL B   v   BUSHES B


              SUBSIDIARY KNOCKOUT SEMI FINALS              
20th April 2008
Venue: Rileys
RICKERSCOTE ARMS A   v   STAFFS BULL A
Venue: Hop Pole
ALBION A   v   BUSHES A

Revolving black ball Stan Bent Team Knockout Quarter-finals Report

All the home teams recorded wins and so progressed through to the Stan Bent Team Knockout Semi Final stage. Holders, the Bushes B, ran out 4-2 victors over 2nd div side Perkins. Mark Billingsley, John Grobnik (2) and James Holmes all won. The Rileys A comfortably beat the Rickerscote C from the 3rd div 4-0. Adam Lilburne, Dave Arrowsmith, Gav Davies and Giles Eastwood led the way. The Rileys Cue took on 3rd div leaders Antelope and was made to work hard for their 4-2 victory - Kev Opie (2), Dave Whitfield and Dave Barker were the victors. Surprise of the round was 2nd div high flyers St. Georges A who travelled to the Staffs Bull B and lost 4-3. The Bull B ran into a 3-0 lead but the Saints bounced back to level matters only to fall just short at the end. Garry Livesey (2), Dan Banks and James Jeffrey were the heroes.

Revolving black ball Subsidiary Team Knockout Quarter-finals Report

The Staffs Bull A knocked out higher league opposition to reach the Semi Finals of the Sub Team K/O. They ran out 4-2 winners at the Emerald Club. Sarah O'Donnell (2), Gaz Morris and Martin Van Cotsford all won. The Albion A enjoyed a fine 4-1 victory over the Rileys Cue Ts. Bushes A progressed to the semis with a 4-1 win at the Nags Head. Tom Tonna (2), Daz Waters and Jason Armishaw all won. The Rickerscote A travelled to the Highfields and returned with a 4-2 success to book their place.

Revolving black ball Winter League Match 15 Report

Division 1 the Rileys A ran out 6-2 winners over the Bird on Tap and still hold top spot but by only 2 points over the Rileys Cue (formerly Crooked Cue). The Cue men have a game in hand but have claimed all their 8-0 wins. The Hop Pole C have hit form after they came away with 6-2 victory at the Emerald Club (formerly C Cue A) and the Rickerscote A gained an impressive 5-3 success at the 3 Tuns where Mick Bryant (2), John Lainton (2) and Mark Sheerin all won.

Division 2 Tap and Spile still hold pole position by 2 points over the St. Georges A. The Tap ran out 6-2 winners over visiting Rileys C while the Saints gained a hard fought 5-3 win at the Staffs Bull B. The Oxleathers picked up their first win in 6 with a 5-3 victory over the Amasal thanks to Dean Hutton (2), Dave Lowe, Dave and Chris Rose all winning. The Rileys gained an important 6-2 win over fellow strugglers Rangers A that lifts them out of the relegation zone.

Division 3 the Antelope lost their second match in 3 after falling to a 5-3 defeat to promotion hopefuls St. Leonards who had Rich Medway (2), Ben Lowe (2) and Paul Lamont to thank. The Nags Head closed the gap at the top to 2 points after they recorded a 5-3 win over the Rickerscote C. The Rangers B still hold onto their promotion hopes after they came away with a 8-0 whitewash at the Albion B where Wayne Smith, Tom Bown, Chris Edensor and Mark Baglin all won 2 each. The Rileys Cue T?s ran out 6-2 winners over the Princess Royal (formerly C Cue D) while the Albion A moved further from the bottom after their 5-3 win at the Rickerscote B. The Bear and Pheasant and Bird drew 4-4.

Revolving black ball Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

A number of teams have recently changed their home location due to the closing down of the Snooker Club on Sandon Road. In division one, the Crooked Cue will now be playing from Rileys and will be known as Rileys Cue. Crooked Cue A, also in division one, are now playing from the Emerald Club. Division three outfit, the Crooked Cue Ts, have also relocated to Rileys where they will play as Rileys Cue Ts. The old Crooked Cue D team are to ply their trade in the third division from the Princess Royal.

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January 2008


Revolving black ball Winter League Match 13 Report

Division 1 the top three all tasted 7-1 victories in their quest to become league champions. The Bushes B achieved their fine win at the 3 Tuns where Mark Billingsley, Robbie Jenkinsn, James Holmes (all 2 each) and John Grobnik were the victors. They hold a 1 point lead over the Rileys who ran out winners over the Hop Pole C. Reigning champs Crooked Cue collected their 7-1 win at the Bushes A where Mike Barker (2), Rob Wharne (2), Dave Barker, Kev Opie and Dave Whitfield all won. Both the Bird on Tap and Ricky A claimed 8-0 wins.

Division 2 the top of the table clash saw the Tap n Spile run out convincing 7-1 victors over previously unbeaten St. Georges A. Mick Fox, Jamie Woolley, Paddy Singh (all 2 each) and Sean Calvert all won. The Rileys C ran out 6-2 winners at the Rangers A and still hold hopes of promotion while the Perkins returned to winning ways with a 6-2 win over the Amasal. The Highfields came away with a 5-3 win over local rivals the Oxleathers and the Staffs Bull A remain mid table after a 5-3 success over strugglers Rileys.

Division 3 the Antelope suffered a rare loss to a resurgent Bear and Pheasant. They lost 5-3 and so gave the Nags Head an opportunity to close the gap and they duly did with a 6-2 win over the Crooked Cue T?s. The gap is now 3 points and still all to play for. St. Leonards ran out 5-3 winners over the Rangers B and hold 3rd place.

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