WEEKLY UPDATE 23 OCTOBER 2025

Congratulations to Princeville A on winning the team Knock Out Shield, awarded to the winners of the 6 man team competition. Princeville A collected another 3 points this week, at home to Pudsey, meaning that they have secured 11 of the 15 points available to them. Bradford Deaf Centre also picked up 3 points this week, at home  to Princeville B, and finished second with 9 points, while Princeville B had 7 and Pudsey 3. This is Princeville A's first trophy since winning the league competition in 2017/18.

It was very much a team effort for Princeville A this week, as after adding handicaps, the best winners were only 33 points by Trevor Kershaw and 29 by Peter Turner - who hung onto 29 points from a handicap advantage of 55. Trevor seems to have been on particularly fine form with breaks of 42 and 34. At the Deaf Centre it was the middle games that effectively settled the contest, with Richard Bowes and Jeremy Dixon both recording comfortable victories, after the first two games had both finished close, once handicaps were added. Richard including a break of 45.

This coming week is the start of the league program, when again there will be 8 three man teams. Certainly at Princeville, the teams will show a number of changes from last season, while Richard Bowes will be lining up with one of the Deaf Centre teams. Fixtures are Deaf Centre A v Princeville B, Deaf Centre B v Princeville D, Princeville A v Pudsey A and Princeville C v Pudsey B.

Following a review on new players handicaps there are two changes, with Michael Cookson and Gerry Garland effectively swapping places. Michael will now play off 100 and Gerry off 90. There will be a further handicap review, at the mid point of the season, for all players marked on the list with an asterisk 

Just a gentle reminder to captains not to 'clutter' the scorecards with breaks of less than 30 by players in the handicap category 35 and below. Breaks over 20 should however be recorded for players in the other two categories (40 to 80 and 85 and above)

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 MICK COCKCROFT FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT

As reported previously Mick Cockcroft - one of the league's Life Vice presidents - died recently. For those wishing to pay their respects to the league stalwart, his funeral will be held on Friday 24th October at 2.40pm at Scholemoor Cemetery and Crematorium. Necropolis Road, BD7 2PS

 WEEKLY UPDATE 17 OCTOBER 2025

With one week left to go in the 6 man team competition for the Knock Out Shield, three of the four teams could still lift the trophy.

Princeville A are in pole position, as they lead the table with 8 points, and any sort of win will guarantee them top spot. A loss, but by less than 121, will secure them the aggregate point against Pudsey and probably a place in a play off final against either Bradford Deaf Centre or Princeville B, depending on the result of their game at the Deaf Centre. A loss by more than 121 could however open up a range of other possibilities. Good luck to all for this final round of fixtures, which are - Bradford Deaf Centre v Princeville B and Princeville A v Pudsey

In this week's matches, Princeville A's ever changing line up was more or less at full strength and fine performances at the top and bottom of the order led to a 121 point win. Chris Jarvis seems to have been in top form scoring 174, against John Allan, who must have wished he'd extended the holiday which has kept him out of the Pudsey team for the past two weeks. At the other end of the order, Peter Turner more or less kept pace with Peter Allan, and with a 55 point handicap advantage contributed significantly to the teams overall success.

At Princeville, the B team were off to a bad start, when Graham Bentley failed to leave the balls safe from the break off, and never really got going until he found himself nearly 100 points adrift of a rampant Ian Ford. Despite a better period late in the game, which got him up to 87, he still finished 80 points adrift (90 with handicaps added ) at the bell. Deaf Centre's dominance on the same table continued, as reserve Gerry Garland left Princeville newcomer David Walker floundering in his wake and winning by 85, which was far more than the 20 point handicap difference between the pair. Deaf Centre then dominated on the other table in the last game, as Peter O'Connell finished 40 in  front of the usually high scoring Edward Lawson. A 161 aggregate victory leaves the defending champions, Bradford Deaf Centre, still in with a chance of retaining the trophy if Princeville A slip up this week.

The following week (28 October) the 3 man team league competition will start, but with several new names across the league who will be in which team. The fixtures are Deaf Centre A v Princeville B, Deaf Centre B v Princeville D, Princeville A v Pudsey A and Princeville C v Pudsey B

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 WEEKLY UPDATE 10 OCTOBER 2025

I understand that not everybody was able to view last week's update, so I've done a cut and paste, and reposted it below. As far as I can see it now seems to be OK. Just a reminder that this season's league fixtures are now on the Fixtures and Results page. I've also updated the Past Winners page and added a couple of tables on the Knock Out Competition page. The first one shows average scores of each player so far, and the second is the traditional Players Table but with handicaps added to everybody's scores to determine wins and average. After a computer update next week I'm hoping to produce handbooks shortly.

This week's two matches both resulted in home wins. Pudsey were still without top board man John Allan, and after running Princeville B close the previous week, were well beaten in the return fixture. Meanwhile, Princeville A were only able to field three of the six players selected for that team before the season started, but still finished only 27 points adrift at the Deaf Centre, and so secured the aggregate point over the two fixtures. Consequently the league table now shows the Princeville teams in first and second places in the table, but Pudsey, at the bottom, are only 4 points behind Princeville B at the top, and with two more rounds of fixtures still to play all teams have 5 more points to compete for.

With handicaps added Dave Howarth and Peter Allan had small wins for Pudsey but Princeville B's winners were all by larger margins, with Paul Devitt's being the best against Ralph Allan. Ralph generously commented of Facebook

'I've had some good games over the last few seasons but last night's was one of the best in my short career. I got absolutely hammered by a true gent, billiards played how one day I'd like to play, just simplicity to the highest standard and control of the balls second to none. Thank you for the lesson Mr Devitt it was a pleasure to have been on the same table' (Editors Comment - Very magnanimous in defeat Ralph - and good luck with the continued development of your own game).

At the Deaf Centre Richard Bowes seems to have hit something like top form, with break of 50 and 42 in scoring 203, but Chris Jarvis stuck at it to score 143 in the 50 minutes (highest combined scoring of the season - 346). Jeremy Dixon also topped 200  in a big win against Brian Haigh but stand in skipper Gareth Kershaw pulled some back for Princeville A and Dave Bowers, making his first appearance of the season, kept close to Ian Ford in a low scoring game, which helped Princeville's aggregate position.

The final two rounds of fixtures in this short competition sees the Deaf Centre playing  Princeville B (at Princeville this week) while Pudsey will welcome back John  Allan for their matches against Princeville A (this week at Pudsey)

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary

 WEEKLY UPDATE 3 OCTOBER 2025

Wins for both Princeville teams this week, which sees them first and second in the table, but with only 3 points between top and bottom it could all change next week, when Pudsey visit Princeville B and the Deaf Centre entertain Princeville A.

It was mightily close at Pudsey, where John Bedford had a good win against Graham Tudor, while on the other table Princeville's newcomer David Walker returned from a week in Portugal to discover what happens when Peter Allan starts to get the running. All was looking good for the Princeville man around halfway, with the scores about level (and David with a 35 point handicap advantage to add in) but then the running changed and Peter ran out a 134-86 winner including a break of 22.. The second two games went roughly with handicap but with myself and Paul Devitt conceding points on handicap to Dave Howarth and Ralph Allan the difference was 104 in Pudsey's favour going into the last two games. While Paul got away first I was never in front against Dave until the last 15 minutes, when a 37 break contributed to a relatively small 38 point win, but Paul seemed to have the better of it against Ralph from the start and when the scores were added up Princeville B had won by 2 points. Phew.

At Princeville, I'm told Chris Jarvis and Richard Bowes never got to grips with the new cloth, Richard winning, but by less than the handicap difference. On the other table Jeremy Dixon contributed to the Deaf Centre's cause with a small win against Trevor Kershaw. Ian Ford had the highest score of the night with 151 against Princeville debutant Michael Cookson, who recovered from a slow start to score 81. Gareth Kershaw was again Princeville A's hero, with a 121-94 victory over Ihjaz Hussain, despite a significantly higher handicap. Smaller, after handicap, contributions from Steve Gatenby and Peter Turner led to a 49 point victory for Princeville A.

Halfway stage in this short 6 man team competition and everything still to play for

All the appropriate pages have been updated and I've also added this season's league fixtures. A slightly different format this year, with teams from the same venues enjoying one another's company on consecutive weeks, but with different pairings each time

Stephen Kershaw

Secretary