WEEKLY UPDATE 5TH JUNE 2025

On Tuesday this week (3rd) the curtain came down on the 2024/25 season, when the Individual Snooker Final was played between John Bedford and Chris Jarvis at Gt Horton Conservative Club. Thanks once again to the club for hosting the league's finals, and the Presentation Evening a couple of weeks ago

John Bedford had played in this competition 4 times before, and never progressed beyond the first round, but this year he turned things round to lift the trophy. Can an extra 3 points on a handicap really make that much difference? - not if you are Chris Jarvis, because he had suffered a 10 point handicap reduction after winning the trophy last year, and still reached the final again. So well done to both players.

The table at the Conservative Club seemed not quite as fast as for the other finals 2 weeks earlier, but still proved a challenge for both players. The first frame took over 50 minutes to complete and was perhaps most memorable for a long passage of play where the green ball was sat on the lip of the baulk pocket, with the black almost touching it and very central. While It was not too much of a problem with reds on the table (other than tying up the black ball for much of the frame) both players seemed to be reluctant to pot the yellow ball, until John sunk it at perfect speed, to leave the cue ball on the baulk cushion and with the only access to the green. Chris had to this point been gradually reducing the 31 point handicap deficit, and certainly while the yellow was on the table, was still very much in the game. John however took most of the colours, with blue and pink putting him 27 in front, and 1 - 0 up

The second frame went very much John's way, as after a slow start for both players, he added early points to extend his lead beyond 40. Chris stuck to the task, but with pink and black tied up again, his efforts to reduce the deficit substantially were restricted. John however matched Chris's scoring for much of the frame and at 34 in front on the brown, was free to attempt an ambitious long pot which left the ball on the lip of the pocket. Chris had no option but to pot it  and realising his number was up, proceeded to pot blue, pink and black for a break of 22 - the highest of the match. It did however result in a comfortable victory for John by 60 -48 and ensured he lifted the trophy, having only lost one frame in the entire competition. Congratulations to him on lifting a trophy for the first time.

Thanks also to his partner who came along to support and took the photo below.

The League Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 16th July -venue to be announced later - when plans will be put in place for next season, and hopefully everybody will be back at the tables in September. In anticipation of that, both tables at Princeville have been recovered, and hopefully by then the Deaf Centre will be open and available again.

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary