Leagues Everywhere

Not played much lately I have not really had the time. I thought it would be a good idea to do a few weeks work to give me a bit of extra spending money for Florida.

It's a bit of a shock actually going to work but managed to put a little away over the past 5 weeks to pay for the spending money we need.

I have been looking for players or teams to play on and I have signed up for St Peters in the Stalybridge Church League starting in September. It's funny because I also contacted Norman Routledge a contact from Paul Dunning who plays in Macclesfield. He passed my details on to the Team captains and I have been contacted to a chap called Geoff from Disley which is only a few miles away to arrange a game and see if I can play for them. I am going to see them on Monday they play 250 up and you gain or lose 5 points on each win or loss.

This has put me in a bit of a position as both teams play on a Thursday and I want to play for them both. Still I will see which league has the best players and go with that as the criteria. The only thing is the St Peters lot are a really nice bunch of lads I have got to know them well over the past month or two.

I went to St Peters on Thursday, I played Phil the Captain beat him 100-12. However I did suffer my first defeat. One of the other players Mark turned up he was a much better Billiards Player. I beat him 100-40 in the first game having had a 29 and a 20. But in the second game I scored 16 on my first visit and had positioned both balls for middle pocket losers. I decided to play the white ball first pushing it down to the top of the table position and then I missed the red in the middle. I had played so well to get the balls in this position and fluffed it.

This put me off and before I knew it Mark had got a few little runs and 12,13,16. I just went to pieces and the harder I tried the worse it got. He beat me 100-71. I made it up later beating him 150-80 but he can play a bit.

I have just realised the Denis Wood Memorial Open is on in Birmingham next week. I had forgoten about that one I had sent my cheque off a couple of months ago I must buy a new waistcoat as mine is rather small. I must spend as much time as I can getting some practice in. I am getting lots of little breaks but I am always breaking down around the 30 mark. I can't understand it I know what I want to do I just miss really stupid shots that I get 10 times out of 10 in practice.

You know it never rains when it pours. I have been contacted by Derrick Hey from the police tournament he is from a small village called New Mill, near Holmefirth which is 16miles away over the Woodhead pass he has a vacancy on the billards team. They play on a Tuesday, it's a bit of a trek, the Woodhead is 1500ft high so if it snows during the winter it might be little hard to get to I suppose I could go the long way round over the M62. Still I have said Yes. Things are looking up for my first full year of Billiards.