September 13th 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Bootham A opened their season with a 5-2 home win against Acomb on Wednesday 8th September. Defending champions Fulford were forced to rearrange their opening match against Bootham B as a result of the late fixtures change following the withdrawal of Heworth. They were quickly into their stride though, continuing their good form of the last two season to record a 5-2 home win over Bootham B in tonight's game.

Paul Mahoney got Bootham B of to a great start with a 150-121 win over Phil Oliver making breaks of 22 and 16 unfinished along the way. John Anderson levelled the match with a 150-137 win over Bootham B captain Ian Robinson which included a 20 break. Richard Stroughair (29 break) added the next for Fulford with a 150-80 win over last season's Joint Player of the Year, Tim Fillingham. Tony Lambert levelled the match at 2-2 with a 150-126 win over Wayne Puleston before Alan Reed came from behind with a 14 clearance to make it 3-2 to Fulford with a 150-148 win over Chris Grainger. Brian Bickerstaff completed the victory for Fulford with a 150-127 win over George Long.

Bootham A host Fulford in the next round of matches on Wednesday 22nd September, with Acomb at home to Bootham B.

September 15th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Defending champions Heworth A lost their opening game 4-3 to Heworth B. A promising start with wins from Steve Burdett, Brian Shipley and Keith Lawrence over Huw Faircliffe, John Sherlock and Keith Watkinson put the A Team 3-0 up. Chris Thompson pulled one back for the B Team with victory over Dave Taylor, before captain Brian Birch made it 3-2 with a good win over Jason Milner. Dave Birch then levelled the match with victory over Kevin Gall and Mick Frampton took the deciding frame - holding on to take the frame after taking an early 30 point lead over Clive Whyte.

Fulford A began their season in style with a convinving 7-0 win over Fulford B. Wayne Puleston and Jeff Brown (20 break) enjoyed comfortable wins over Gary Bolton and Arthur Pegden respectively, to open the match. Richard Stroughair made a 22 break on the way to an easy win over Bernie Appleton before Sam England beat Bob Smith on the pink to make it 4-0. Wayne Hartley had an impressive win over Ray Thackway to add the next before Phil Oliver had a comfortable victory over Nigel Smith to make the score 6-0. Alan Reed took the final frame with a pink ball victory over George Toone to complete the whitewash.

Bootham A opened their season with a 4-3 win against their B Team, despite fielding a weakened team. Only four regular team members played in the victory, the highlight of which was Barry Rankin's 30 break. In the other game, Acomb A beat their B Team 5-2. Pete Lawson, Ian Gillies, Paul Clarke, Trevor Ventress and E.Addinall beat Jeff Keen, Paul Waites, B.Manson, John Ashwell and Phil Carlton respectively for the A team's points. Steve Rodgers and Kevin Ventress replied for the B Team with wins over Gary Robinson and Marcus O'Boyle respectively.

After the first round of matches Fulford A head the table - whilst their Billiards team are also top of their league. Acomb A are second, with Heworth B and Bootham A third. Defending champions Heworth A are fifth following their surprise defeat to their B Team, alongside Bootham B. Acomb B lie seventh with Fulford B in last spot. Barry Rankin is the early leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with his 30 break this week.

September 22nd 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

In an early season top of the table clash, defending champions Fulford earned a 5-2 away win over Bootham A in tonight's game. Bootham A could only field five players and so forfeited a point to begin with. Brian Bickersatff then got Fulford off to a great start with a 150-113 win over John Woodall before Richard Stroughair (29, 38 breaks) beat Barry Rankin 150-106 to add the second game. John Anderson enjoyed some luck on his way to adding the next with a 150-117, which left Fulford 4-0 up by virtue of the forfeited point. Ken Taylor pulled one back for Bootham A with a 150-126 win over Colin Neal and then Colin Robinson added the next beating Alan Reed in the final game. However, Fulford easily took the aggregate point for a 5-2 win.

In the other game, Acomb enjoyed a 5-2 win over Bootham B. Ian Gillies opened the scoring for Acomb with a 150-122 win over Chris Grainger and Peter Lawson added the next with a 150-141 win over Alf Appleby, who represented Heworth last season. Paul Mahoney pulled one back for Bootham B with a 150-139 win over Trevor Ventress. John Ashwell made a 22 break on his way to a 150-100 win over Bootham B captain Ian Robinson and Paul Clark had a close fought 150-146 win over Tim Fillingham to extend Acomb's lead to 4-1. Ray Stamp added the final game for Bootham B with a 150-144 win over Jeff Keen, but it was not enough to secure the aggregate point.

After the second round of matches defending champions Fulford head the table and, with their C Team surprisingly winning 5-2 against Bootham C in the Pairs league tonight and following Fulford A's 7-0 snooker win last week, Fulford are leading each of the leagues at the present time - certainly a very rare happening!

Bootham A and Acomb share second spot on 7 points, just three points behind Fulford, with Bootham B in last spot with 4 points. Richard Stroughair is the early leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with his 38 break this week, whilst there are several players who have won both there games so far this season.

September 29th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Fulford A held on to top spot with a 4-3 win over Acomb A. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford again Peter Lawson, before Trevor Ventress levelled the match with a black ball win over Alan Reed. Sam England made it 2-1 to Fulford, making an 18 clearance to pinch victory against Ian Gillies. Marcus O'Boyle then levelled the match in similar fashion, clearing with a 22 break to edge a victory against Wayne Hartley. Richard Stroughair regained the lead for Fulford with victory over Paul Clark before Phil Oliver ensured the victory with an impressive performance against Ernie Addinall. Ged MacKenzie took the final frame with a pink ball victory over Jeff Brown to pull one back for Acomb and make the final score 4-3.

Heworth B moved into second place in the league with a 5-2 win over Bootham B. John Sherlock won the opener for Heworth on the black against John Wortley, before Ray Stamp made a 22 break to beat Mick Frampton and level the game. Dave Birch had a comfortable win against Paul Mahoney and Mick Braithwaite then beat Chris Granger to put Heworth 3-1 up. Chris Thompson (22 break) extended the lead with a win over stand-in Bootham player K.Garner, before Tim Fillingham pulled one back with a win over Heworth newcomer Paul Walton. Captain, Brian Birch, completed the 5-2 win with victory over Ian Robinson.

Defending Champions Heworth A got back on track with a 5-2 win over Bootham A. Steve Burdett made a 32 break for Hewoerth whilst Barry Rankin and Colin Robinson picked up Bootham's points with wins over Dave Taylor and Brian Shipley, respectively. In the other game, Acomb B had a surprise 4-3 win away at Fulford B. Fulford's points came from wins by Gerald Chalk, Bernie Appleton and John Adcock.

After the second round of matches Fulford A still head the table, on 11 points with a 2 point lead over Heworth B. Acomb A and Heworth A share third place on 8 points with Acomb B and Bootham A sharing fifth. Bootham B lie seventh with Fulford B in last spot. Steve Burdett now leads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, whilst several players have won both there games so far this season.

October 6th 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Defending champions Fulford continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 5-2 win over Acomb. Wayne Puleston had an impressive win over Paul Clark in the opener, making breaks of 41 and 29 in a 150-78 win. An injured Richard Stroughair limped to a 150-101 victory over Trevor Ventress despite missing numerous good chances, to make it 2-0. John Ashwell rode his luck to beat Jeff Brown 150-115 and reduce the deficit before John Anderson ran out with a 16 break to make it 3-1, with a 150-143 win over Peter Lawson. Ken Bowser took the next for Acomb 150-128 against Phil Oliver before Brian Bickerstaff took the final game 150-140 against Ian Gillies and secure the 5-2 victory for Fulford. Bootham A beat Bootham B 4-3 on Monday 11th October in the next match.

After 3 rounds of games Brian Bickerstaff, John Anderson and Richard Stroughair (all Fulford) and Ken Taylor (Bootham) have won all three of their games in pursuit of the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season prize. Wayne Puleston's 41 break this week is the new leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, from Richard Stroughair's 38 break in the previous game.

October 13th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Fulford A held on to top spot with a 4-3 win over Bootham B. Bootham won the opener as Ray Stamp beat Wayne Puleston before Richard Stroughair levelled the match, clearing the colours to pink to beat Fred Hough. Wayne Hartley impressed with victory over George Long before Bootham's Paul Mohanty levelled the match once more with victory over Jeff Brown. Phil Oliver kept up his unbeaten record with a good win against Ian Robinson before Same England made it 4-2 to Fulford after Tony Lambert went in-off the final black. Debutant Pete Dunmore started brightly against Bootham's Tim Fillingham and built up a 29-3 lead before Fillingham made a 23 break and went on to win a close fought frame.

Heworth B also continued their 100% start to the season with a 4-3 win over Acomb A and remain in second spot, two points behind Fulford A. John Sherlock won the opener against Ian Gillies after he missed the final black but Marcus O'Boyle and Pete Lawson put Acomb 2-1 up with wins over Chris Thompson and Paul Walton respectively. Brian Birch benefitted from a walkover against Ged MacKenzie before Mike Braithwaite beat Ernie Addinall to put Heworth 3-2 up. Dave Birch contined his unbeaten start with victory against Trevor Ventress to extend the lead but Gary Robinson reduced the arrears with victory against Mick Frampton despite being 20 behing on the colours.

Heworth A moved into third spot, level on points with their B Team but having lost one more game, following their 5-2 win away at Acomb B. Neil Wood was amongst the winners for Heworth, whose only defeated players were Brian Shipley and Dave Taylor. In the final game Bootham A moved up into fourth place with a 6-1 over Fulford B who remain in last spot.

After the third round of matches Fulford A still head the table, on 15 points with a 2 point lead over Heworth B and Heworth A on 13 points. Bootham A are fourth on 12 points with Acomb A fifth with 11 points. Acomb B are sixth on 8 points ahead of Bootham B in seventh and Fulford B in last spot. Barry Rankin leads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with a 37 break, whilst several players have won all three of their games so far this season.

October 20th 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Defending champions Fulford continued their unbeaten start to the season with a hard fought 4-3 win over Bootham B. Ian Robinson won the opener for Bootham with a 150-136 win over Wayne Puleston. Richard Stroughair won the toss in the second game and opted to break against Tim Fillingham. Conceding 25 points start, he doubled the red off the spot from the break and made a 30 break to open with to immediately knock off the handicap! The game then went rather scrappy with both players struggling to score as freely as usual, before Stroughair completed victory with a 25 clearance to win 150-82 and level the match. Tony Lambert enjoyed a 150-107 win over Brian Bickerstaff to regain the lead for Bootham before John Anderson continued his unbeaten run with a close 150-147 win over George Long. Colin Neal started well to beat Alf Appleby 150-140 and give Fulford the lead for the first time before Chris Granger took the final frame with a 150-129 win over Alan Reed. This left the game tied at 3-3 but Fulford took the aggregate point by the slender margin of just 3 points.

In the other game Bootham A beat Acomb 5-2 for the second time this season. Bootham had wins from Colin Robinson (over Ian Gillies), John Darley (against Trevor Ventress), John Woodall (who beat Peter Lawson) and Barry Rankin (who impressed against Ken Bowser). John Ashwell beat George Tingle and Jeff Keen beat Ken Taylor in reply for Acomb.

After 4 of the 12 rounds of matches played, Fulford head the table with 4 wins and 19 points. Bootham A are second with 3 wins and 16 points, with Acomb third on 11 points with 1 win. Bootham B are in last spot on 10 points and have yet to win a game. In the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, only John Anderson and Richard Stroughair (both Fulford) have won all four of their games. Meanwhile, Wayne Puleston's 41 break is still the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list.

October 27th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Champions Heworth A took over the lead in the Carlsberg-UK Snooker League with a 5-2 win over Fulford A. Jason Milner won the openere with a 64-52 win over Wayne Puleston and Clive Whyte beat Jeff Brown in the next to make it 2-0. Kevin Gall beat Sam England to add the next before Brian Shipley made it 4-0 with a victory against Pete Dunmore. Neil Wood easily beat Richard Stroughair in a scrappy next frame to make it 5-0 but Wayne Hartley pulled one back for Fulford A with a good win against Steve Burdett. Hartley managed to withstand a 29 break by Burdett and the misfortune of his tip falling of his cue during the game to help Fulford A avoid the whitewash. Ttwo unbeaten players, Keith Lawrence and Phil Oliver, contested the final game with Phil Oliver a worthy winner to make the final score 5-2 to Heworth A.

Heworth B continued their 100% start to the season and remain the only unbeaten side so far this season. They completed a 4-3 win over Fulford B despite only fielding six players. Winners for Heworth B included John Sherlock, Mike Braithwaite, Mick Frampton and Dave Birch, who has won all four of his games so far this season. Bootham A were another side that could only field six players this week, but they still managed a 5-2 win away at Acomb A. Ian Gillies opened the match for Acomb A with victory over Bootham A stand in player G.Lyth. Colin Robinson then levelled the game with a win over Peter Lawson before Ken Taylor added the next by beating Gary Robinson. Mark Darley beat Marcus O'Boyle and Brian Coulson beat Ged MacKenzie to extend Bootham's lead to 4-1. Barry Rankin made it 5-1 despite a 32 break by his opponent Adrian Barraclough but a walkover for Trevor Ventress gave Acomb A the final frame. In the other game Bootham B beat Acomb B 4-3 to record their first win of the season.

After four matches in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, just one point separates the top four teams. Defending champions Heworth A lead for the first time this season on 18 points with Heworth B second on 17 points by virtue of the fact that they are the only undefeated team. Bootham A and Fulford A share third spot also on 17 points as they have both lost one game. Acomb A are 4 points adrift in fifth spot with Bootham B a point behind on 12 points and Acomb B a further point back in seventh spot. Fulford B remain without a win with just 7 points from their four matches.

Barry Rankin (Bootham A) still leads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with a 37 break and is among only four players to have won all four of their games so far this season. The others in the hunt for the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season award are team mate Colin Robinson, Phil Oliver (Fulford A) and Dave Birch (Heworth B).

November 8th 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Bootham A continued their good start to the season with a 5-2 win over Acomb on Wednesday 3rd November. Ian Gillies won the opener for Acomb against George Tingle and John Ashwell added the next by beating Colin Robinson. John Darley came from behind to beat Pete Lawson before John Woodall levelled the game with victory over Ken Bowser. Ken Taylor took the next against Jeff Keen to avenge his defeat in the previous match and Barry Rankin completed the win with victory over Trevor Ventress. Bootham A also took the aggregate point and the win took them to top spot in the league for the first time this season - at least until leaders Fulford played on Monday 8th November against Bootham B.

Fulford lost their first match of the season, 4-3 to Bootham B in the Monday night game. However, they remain top by just one point after another hard fought encounter. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford with a 150-126 win over Tony Lambert and Brian Bickerstaff added the next with a 150-145 win over Chris Grainger. Tim Fillingham pulled one back for Bootham, coming from behind to beat John Anderson 150-135. Ian Robinson then levelled the match beating Colin Neal by the same scoreline. This left Bootham B in front on aggregate by one point with four games played. George Long added the next for Bootham B, coming from 50 behind to beat Alan Reed 150-139 to leave Fulford needing to win the final game by more than 12 points to pinch the aggregate point and the match 4-3. However, despite catching Alf Appleby at 74-74 (giving 45 start to his opponent), Richard Stroughair could only manage a 150-145 win in the final game which finished at 10.30pm!

Stroughair's win however, leaves him alone in top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after five games. Close behind are John Anderson and Brian Bickerstaff (Fulford), John Darley and Ken Taylor (Bootham A) and John Ashwell (Acomb) with 4 wins from 5 games. Meanwhile, Wayne Puleston's 41 break remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list.

After 5 of the 12 rounds of matches played, Fulford still head the table but are now just one point clear of Bootham A in second spot on 21 points. Bootham B move into third spot on 14 points after their win over Fulford, with Acomb a further point back in last spot.

November 10th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Champions Heworth A extended their lead in the Carlsberg-UK Snooker League with a 7-0 whitewash of Fulford B. Neil Wood made a 45 (the highest of the season so far), whilst Kevn Gall contributed a 35 break during his win. Meanwhile, Heworth B maintained their 100% start to the season and remain in second spot following a 4-3 win over Fulford A Dave Birch, who has still to lose a match this season, won the opener against Jeff Brown with the aid of a 27 break. Wayne Puleston took the next for Fulford with victory over John Sherlock and Richard Stroughair put Fulford in front by beating Keith Watkinson. Mike Braithwaite levelled the match once more with a win over Phil Oliver before Mick Frampton won a close match against Sam England to put Heworth B ahead. Brian Birch extended this lead with victory on the pink against Wayne Hartley before Pete Dunmore took the last game for Fulford A on the final black against Huw Faircliffe.

Bootham A again struggled for a side but still managed a 4-3 win against Acomb B. Wins for Barry Rankin (35 break), Brian Coulson, Ken Taylor and Pete Walker gave Bootham A the points. Steve Rodgers lost his first match this season for Acomb B. In the other game, Acomb A beat Bootham B 4-3. Pete Lawson won the opener against George Long and Ian Gillies added the next against Fred Hough. Gary Robinson lost for Acomb A but wins for Adrian Barraclough (over Tim Fillingham) and Trevor Ventress got Acomb over the line. Bootham B's other points came from Paul Mahoney, who beat Barry Manson, and Ian Robinson who beat Marcus O'Boyle.

After five matches in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 25 points with Heworth B second on 21 points by virtue of the fact that they are still the only undefeated team. Bootham A are third also on 21 points with Fulford A a point further back in fourth spot. Acomb A are fifth with 17 points with Bootham B sixth, on 15 points, and Acomb B a point behind in seventh spot. Fulford B remain without a win with just 7 points from their five matches.

Neil Wood (Heworth A) now leads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with his 45 break this week, whilst Barry Rankin (Bootham A) and Dave Birch of Heworth B, head the table in the hunt for the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season award. Both have won all five of their games so far this season with Mike Braithwaite (also of Heworth B) close behind, undefeated in his four games.

November 12th 2004 - Kutter's & Shannon Team KO Snooker

Heworth B entertained Fulford A tonight in the quarter finals of the Team Knockout in a repeat of their league fixture from Wednesday night. Dave Birch, who has still to lose a match this season, won the opener against Phil Oliver before Wayne Puleston took the next for Fulford with victory over Keith Watkinson after trailing by some 30 points. Wayne Hartley won a black ball finish against Brian Birch to gain revenge for his defeat in the league match before Sam England easily added the next against John Sherlock to put Fulford A 3-1 up. Alan Reed potted well to add the next against Huw Faircliffe before Richard Stroughair beat Mick Frampton in the sixth frame. Frampton opened with a 20 break but Stroughair responded with a 34 break before taking the frame on the blue. Jeff Brown added the final frame against Mike Braithwaite to complete the 6-1 win and inflict the first defeat of the season on Heworth B. The victory also puts Fulford A through to a Semi Final clash against either Bootham A or Bootham B.

November 17th 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Bootham A continued their good start to the season with a 5-2 win over Bootham B to take the lead in the Faber Shield Billiards League for the first time this season. Winners for Bootham A were George Tingle, John Woodall, Ken Taylor and Colin Robinson, with Tony Lambert and Paul Mahoney replying for Bootham B. Meanwhile defending champions Fulford A suffered their second consecutive defeat losing 5-2 to Acomb. John Ashwell won the opener for Acomb with a 150-123 win over Wayne Puleston before Brian Bickerstaff levelled the game with a 150-124 win over Ian Gillies. Pete Lawson and Adrian Barraclough then enjoyed comfortable wins over John Anderson and Alan Reed respectively, to put Acomb 3-1 up. John Hutchinson added the next for Acomb with a 150-138 win over Colin Neal, before Richard Stroughair took a consolation last frame for Fulford with a 150-143 win over Ken Bowser.

Stroughair's win keeps him in top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after six games. Close behind are Brian Bickerstaff (Fulford), Ken Taylor (Bootham A) and John Ashwell (Acomb) with 5 wins from 6 games. Meanwhile, Wayne Puleston's 41 break remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list. At the half way stage in the season, Bootham A lead for the first time with 26 points and 5 wins. Fulford are second on 24 points from four wins, whilst Acomb have moved up to third on 18 points with 2 wins. Bootham B are in last spot with just one win and 16 points.

November 24th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Heworth A were pushed all the way this week, but managed to claim a 4-3 win at home to Acomb A. Pete Lawson beat Jason Milner, Trevor Ventress beat Kevin Gall and Barry Manson beat Dave Taylor for Acomb A. Brian Shipley, Richie Burdett and Steve Burdett replied for Heworth A with wins over Keith Myers, Ian Gillies and Adrian Barraclough respectively. Clive Whyte then took the deciding frame making a 67 break, the highest of the season so far, to defeat Marcus O'Boyle. Heworth B maintained their 100% start to the season with a 5-2 win away at Acomb B. Dave Birch won the opener with a 20 break to beat Kevin Ventress before Phil Carlton leveled the game with a victory over Mick Frampton. John Sherlock beat A.Stone to add the next for Heworth B and Keith Watkinson extended their lead with a win over Steve Rodgers. Jeff Keen inflicted the first league defeat of the year on Mike Braithwaite to reduce the arrears to 3-2 before Huw Faircliffe and Chris Thompson added the final two frames with wins over John Ashwell and Ken Bowser, respectively.

Meanwhile, Fulford A enjoyed a 5-2 win at home to Bootham A. Colin Robinson won the opener for Bootham A with a close fought win over Phil Oliver. Jeff Brown responded for Fulford A with a comfortable win over Peter Walker. Wayne Puleston added the next for Fulford, including a 26 break on his way to a comfortable win over Brian Coulson. Sam England took the next with victory over Mark Darley and Wayne Hartley increased the lead winning a tactical battle over Ken Taylor on the final black. Richard Stroughair made it 5-1 with a scrappy win over Nick Parker before Barry Rankin took the final game with victory over Pete Dunmore to make the final score 5-2 to Fulford A. In the other game, Bootham B won their second game of the season with a 5-2 win over Fulford B who remain winless.

After six matches in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 29 points whilst Heworth B remain second on 26 points and are still the only undefeated team. Fulford A move into third spot with 25 points after their win over Bootham A, who are now fourth with 23 points. Acomb A share fifth spot with Bootham B on 20 points, Acomb B are seventh on 16 points, whilst Fulford B remain without a win with just 9 points from their six matches.

Barry Rankin and Dave Birch's wins keep them in top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after six games. Richard Stroughair, Clive Whyte, Colin Robinson and Paul Mahoney are close behind with 5 wins from 6 games. Meanwhile in Clive Whyte's 67 break this week now heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list. Neil Wood is second with a 45 break.

December 1st 2004 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Fulford closed the gap on leaders Bootham A with a 4-3 win at home. It could and probably should have been better for the defending champions after John Anderson won the opener 150-110 against John Darley and Richard Stroughair added the second 150-130 against Ken Taylor (25 break) to give Fulford an early 60 point aggregate lead. However, Barry Rankin pulled one back for Bootham A with a 150-122 win over Colin Neal before George Tingle edged to a close fought 150-144 victory over Phil Oliver to level the game. Alan Reed started well and led 144-92 over Colin Robinson before stalling just short of the winning post. Robinson pulled it back with the aid of a 22 break, but Reed just managed to hold on to win 150-136 and secure Fulford the victory by virtue of their early aggregate lead. John Woodall won a close final game against Brian Bickerstaff to give Bootham A the final point and means Bootham A retain the lead by just one point with 5 games to go.

Meanwhile, Bootham B hosted Acomb on Monday 6th December in the final game before the Christmas break Acomb won the game 6-1 to close the gap on the leaders. Ian Gillies (39 break), John Hutchinson, John Ashwell, Adrian Barraclough and Pete Lawson won for Acomb with Tony Lambert replying for Bootham B. With just five games to go, Bootham A now lead with 29 points and 5 wins, with Fulford second on 28 points also from five wins. Acomb remain third, but have closed the gap to just four points, with 24 points from 3 wins. Bootham B stay in last spot with 17 points from just one win.

Meanwhile, Stroughair's victory over Ken Taylor means he retains top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after seven games. John Ashwell of Acomb is now in second spot with 6 wins from 7 games following Brian Bickerstaff's defeat this week. John Anderson and Bickerstaff (both Fulford) and Ken Taylor (Bootham A) now have 5 wins from 7 games and share third spot. Meanwhile, Wayne Puleston's 41 break remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, though Ian Gillies' 39 break this week takes second place.

December 8th 2004 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Heworth A increased their lead at the top of the table to 4 points with a 6-1 win away at Bootham B. Jason Milner, Neil Wood, Kevin Gall, Steve Burdett, Rich Burdett and Clive Whyte all won for Heworth A. George Long replied for Bootham B defeating Brian Shipley with the aid of a 27 break.

Fulford A moved into second spot following a 6-1 win at Acomb B. Wayne Puleston won the opener against Kevin Ventress and Richard Stroughair comfortably added the next, making two breaks of 21 to defeat John Ashwell. Wayne Hartley made it 3-0 with victory over Steve Rodgers before Phil Oliver added the next by potting a great final black to steal victory against Jeff Keen. Phil Carlton beat Pete Dunmore to pull one back for Acomb B before Sam England made it 5-1 to Fulford after clearing the last 3 colours to pinch victory against Andy Stone. Jeff Brown completed the victory with a comfortable win over Ken Bowser.

Heworth B's 100% start to the season finally came to an end with a 5-2 home defeat to Bootham A. Dave Birch won the opener for Heworth B against Colin Robinson before Pete Walker levelled the game with victory against John Sherlock. Mark Darley then put Bootham ahead by beating Paul Walton only for Mick Frampton to level the game once more by defeating Ken Taylor. Taylor had broken his glasses at the weekend and clearly struggled but Frampton included a 25 break on his way to victory. Brian Coulson and Barry Rankin (22 break) added the next two games for Bootham A with victories over Chris Thompson and Huw Faircliff respectively. Nick Parker completed the 5-2 victory, enjoying the run of the balls in his win over Mike Braithwaite. The result leaves the two sides now level with 28 points, but Heworth B remain in third spot as they have lost fewer games. In the other game, Fulford B finally managed to win their first game of the season with a 4-3 win at home to Acomb A.

At the half way in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 35 points with Fulford A second on 31 points. Heworth B fall to third spot on 28 points with Bootham A fourth, also on 28 points but having lost one more game. Acomb A remain in fifth spot on 23 points with Bootham B sixth on 21 points. Acomb B remain seventh with 17 points with Fulford B still in last spot with 13 points.

Barry Rankin and Dave Birch's wins keep them in top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after seven games, with Richard Stroughair and Clive Whyte close behind with 6 wins from 7 games. Meanwhile Clive Whyte's 67 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Neil Wood's 45 break.

Have a good Xmas and New Year.................!

January 5th 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Heworth A increased their lead at the top of the table with a 5-2 win over Heworth B. Kevin Gall, Jason Milner, Neil Wood, Rich Burdett and Clive Whyte (33 break) all won for Heworth A. Mick Frampton replied with a good win over Steve Burdett with P.Whitely picking up the other point for Heworth B.

Fulford A remain in second spot despite a 4-3 loss to Fulford B. Richard Stroughair won the opener against Gary Bolton but John Adcock replied immediately to pinch the next frame on the final black against Wayne Puleston. Sam England comfortably added the next against George Toone before Arthur Pegden levelled the game once more in beating Jeff Brown. Bob Smith edged the B Team in front with a pink ball victory over Pete Dunmore before new captain Nigel Smith completed the victory, beating Phil Oliver with the aid of a fluked pink! Wayne Hartley won a tight final frame with an 18 clearance to win on the black to give Fulford A a consolation point.

In the other games, Acomb A enjoyed a good 6-1 victory over Acomb B whilst Bootham A won 4-3 against Bootham B. Ray Stamp beat Brian Coulson, George Long beat Mark Darley and John Wortley beat a stand-in player to give Bootham B three points, with Ken Taylor, Colin Robinson, and Barry Rankin amongst the winners for Bootham A.

After eight games in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 40 points with Fulford A second on 34 points. Bootham A move into third on 32 points with Heworth B falling into fourth spot on 30 points. Acomb A have closed the gap on the others but remain in fifth spot on 29 points with Bootham B sixth on 24 points. Acomb B remain seventh with 18 points with Fulford B now just a point behind in last spot following their second win of the season.

Barry Rankin is now the sole leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after eight games, following Dave Birch's defeat this week. Birch, Richard Stroughair and Clive Whyte are joint second with 7 wins from 8 games, with several players close behind. Meanwhile Clive Whyte's 67 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Neil Wood's 45 break.

January 12th 2005 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Fulford went back to the top of the table with a 5-2 home win against Acomb. John Anderson (24, 21* breaks) won the opening game 150-91 against John Ashwell before Richard Stroughair (27 break) added the next with a 150-111 victory over Trevor Ventress (28 break). Wayne Puleston made it 3-0 with a 150-117 win over Keith Myers and to increase Fulford's aggregate lead to 131 points. Peter Lawson (28 break) replied in the next with a 150-134 win over Roger Gibson before Alan Reed secured the win for Fulford with victory over John Hutchinson. Ian Gillies added the final game for Acomb with a 150-92 win over Brian Bickerstaff.

Meanwhile Bootham A dropped to second spot following a 5-2 defeat against Bootham B on Monday 17th January. George Long, Tony Lambert, Alf Appleby and Chris Granger all won for the Bootham B with Barry Rankin and John Woodall the only victors for Bootham A.

With just four more games to go, Fulford A now lead with 33 points and 6 wins, with Bootham A second on 30 points also from five wins. Acomb remain third, with 26 points from 3 wins with Bootham B closing the gap - their second win of the season puts them on 22 points. With the top two still to play each other both home and away in February (on Monday 14th and Wednesday 23rd), it seems these matches will be likely to decide the outcome of this season's title.

Following these matches, Richard Stroughair retains top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after eight games. Follwoing his defeat, John Ashwell of Acomb is now joined in second spot by John Anderson (Fulford), both with 6 wins from 8 games. Tony Lambert is in fourth spot, having lost just one of his six games. Fulford's Wayne Puleston remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, with his 41 break earlier in the season.

January 19th 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Heworth A increased their lead at the top of the table with a 5-2 win over Bootham A. Neil Wood (36 break) Rich Burdett, Steve Burdett, Kevin Gall and Clive Whyte all won for Heworth A, with Barry Rankin and Brian Coulson replying for Bootham A

Fulford A remain in second spot despite a 4-3 loss to Acomb A. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford in defeating Ian Gillies and Jeff Brown added the next with a win over debutante Steve Williams. Alan Reed looked set to make it 3-0 when leading by 21 points with only the colours left against Gary Robinson. However, Robinson made a 27 clearance to steal the game and make the score 2-1 to Fulford. Sam England extended this to 3-1, with victory over Trevor Ventress. It was hard work though, as Ventress recovered from 39-3 behind only to lose on the pink. Marcus O'Boyle pulled one back for Acomb A with an impressive win over Wayne Hartley before Adrian Barraclough levelled the match, with a scrappy win over Richard Stroughair. This was Stroughair's first home defeat in the league in 5 seasons. In the deciding game, Keith Myers won a close frame against Pete Dunmore to clinch victory for Acomb A.

Bootham B beat Heworth B 4-3 to reduce the gap in the race for the B Team Cup prize to just 5 points. George Long beat Dave Birch and wins from John Wortley, Paul Mahoney and Tony Lambert gave Bootham B the win with repies from Alf Appleby, Huw Faircliffe (22 break) and Mick Braithwaite. In the other game, Fulford B finally moved off the bottom of the table with a third consecutive 4-3 win in the league, this time over Acomb B. The teams are now level on 21 points but Fulford B have won two more games.

After nine games in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 45 points with Fulford A second on 37 points. Bootham A stay third on 34 points with Heworth B in fourth spot on 33 points. Acomb A are in fifth spot also on 33 points, with Bootham B sixth on 28 points. Fulford B are in seventh spot on 21 points, with Acomb B last also on 21 points.

Barry Rankin is still the sole leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after nine games. Clive Whyte is now alone in second with 8 wins from 9 games with several players close behind on 7 wins from 9 games. Meanwhile Clive Whyte's 67 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Neil Wood's 45 break.

January 26th 2005 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Defending Chapions Fulford won a close fought game with Bootham B to remain top of the table. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford with a 150-144 win over Ray Stamp before Colin Neal added the second with a 150-137 win over Alf Appleby. Tim Fillingham pulled one back for Bootham B with a 150-140 win over John Anderson before Brian Bickerstaff extended Fulford's lead to 3-1, coming from well behind to defeat Chris Granger. Richard Stroughair made a 39 break, and missed a simple chance to set a new target for the highest break, to take a 137-104 lead against Tony Lambert. This seemed to effect him and Lambert levelled the scores at 145 before Stroughair finally got the points he needed to give Fulford a 4-1 lead. In the last game, George Long beat Alan Reed 150-112 and in doing so secured the aggregate point for Bootham B to make the final score 4-3 to Fulford.

Meanwhile Bootham A enjoyed a 6-1 away win over Acomb to draw level on points with Fulford. They remain in second spot due to having lost one more game than Fulford. Colin Robinson made a 26 break in defeating John Ashwell despite trailing at one point by 123-55. Stand-in player Nick Parker was the only player to lose for Bootham A - and that was only by 11 points. With just three more games to go, Fulford A lead with 37 points and 7 wins, with Bootham A second also on 37 points but with only six wins. Acomb remain third on 27 points, with Bootham B last on 25 points. The top two play each other both home and away in the next two matches in February. It now seems these matches will be crucial in deciding the outcome of this season's title.

Following these matches, Richard Stroughair remains in top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, unbeaten after nine games. With both of his nearest challengers losing this week, Stroughair is guaranteed to at least share the Player of the Season Award. John Ashwell (Acomb), John Anderson and Brian Bickerstaff (Fulford) and Ken Taylor and Barry Rankin (both Bootham) share second spot with 6 wins from their 9 games. Fulford's Wayne Puleston remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, with his 41 break earlier in the season, though Richard Stroughair should have set a new target this week but missed a great chance to do so when on a break of 39 in his match against Tony Lambert.

February 2nd 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Just a short report this week due to the continuing server problems on the website! Normal service should be resumed shortly....

Leaders Heworth A increased their lead at the top of the table with a comprehensive 7-0 win over Acomb B. Meanwhile, Fulford A returned to winning ways with a 5-2 win over Bootham B and remain in second spot. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford by defeating Ray Stamp and Jeff Brown added the next with a win over Tony Lambert. Sam England made it 3-0 with a win against Paul Mahoney before Richard Stroughair guaranteed a win for Fulford by adding the fourth frame against John Wortley. George Long pulled on back for Bootham B by defeating Wayne Hartley and Tim Fillingham further reduced the arrears with victory over Alan Reed. However, Pete Dunmore added the final frame for Fulford A to secure a 5-2 victory.

In the other games, Bootham A suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat away at Fulford B but remain in third spot. This was Fulford B's fourth successive 4-3 win in the league having lost their first six games. Acomb A leapfrogged Heworth B to move into fourth place by virtue of a 4-3 win against their rivals. Keith Myers, Adrian Barraclough, Trevor Ventress and Gary Robinson won for Acomb with Dave Birch, Brian Birch and Keith Watkinson replying for Heworth B. After ten games in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A lead on 52 points with Fulford A second on 42 points. Bootham A stay third on 37 points but are now joined by Acomb A, who are in fourth spot by virtue of having lost one more game. Heworth B drop to fifth spot on 36 points, with Bootham B sixth on 31 points. Fulford B are in seventh spot on 25 points, with Acomb B last on 21 points.

Barry Rankin is still the sole leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, now unbeaten after ten games. Clive Whyte remains in second with 9 wins from 10 games with several players close behind on 8 wins from 10 games. Meanwhile Clive Whyte's 67 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Neil Wood's 45 break.

February 14th 2005 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Bootham A won the battle of the top two teams tonight, 5-2, and take the lead once more in the race for the title. Colin Robinson won the opener against John Anderson 150-101 before George Tingle made it 2-0 to Bootham A with a 150-83 win over Colin Neal. Fulford hit straight back and Wayne Puleston (35 break) beat Ken Taylor 150-125 to reduce the deficit despite breaks of 37 and 35 by Taylor. Alan Reed (28 break) then defeated John Woodall 150-90 to level the game though Fulford still trailed on aggregate. Nick Parker then claimed a vital win for Bootham A 150-124 against Roger Gibson to virtually secure the victory. Barry Rankin completed the win with a 150-105 victory over Richard Stroughair - his first defeat of the season.

In the other game, played on Wednesday 9th February, Bootham B defeated 5-man Acomb 7-0 to gain ground on the leaders. Wins from Ian Robinson, Alf Appleby, Chris Granger, Tony Lambert, Tim Fillingham and a walk-over for George Long secured the win. With just two more games to go, Bootham A now lead with 42 points from Fulford on 39 points. The two teams meet again on Wednesday 23rd February at Fulford, and Fulford know only a win will realistically keep their hopes of a third consecutive title alive. Bootham B move up to third on 32 points following their victory over Acomb this week, who are now in last spot on 27 points.

Despite his defeat this week, Richard Stroughair retains top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, with 9 wins from 10 games. Barry Rankin is in now alone in second spot - and has closed the gap - with his 7th win from his 10 games. Colin Robinson is now the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list, after the sponsors confirmed that his 52 break in the first round of the Hylton Fosters Billiards does count towards the award.

February 16th 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Leaders Heworth A increased their lead at the top of the table, after coming from 2-0 behind to defeat second placed Fulford A 5-2. Wayne Puleston won the opener for Fulford A against Jason Milner, with Jeff Brown adding the next in defeating Dave Taylor. Richard Burdett reduced the deficit with a comprehensive win over Sam England - restricting England to just 2 points! - before Kevin Gall got the better of a close match against Richard Stroughair to level the game. Steve Burdett then put Heworth A 3-2 ahead with victory over Wayne Hartley before Clive Whyte made a 63 break in defeating Pete Dunmore to secure the win. Whyte missed a tricky last pink when looking likely to set a new highest break of the season target of 96. However in the final game, Neil Wood compiled an excellent 99 break to defeat Alan Reed (his seventh straight win of the season) 113-4 and clinch the match for Heworth A 5-2.

Third placed Bootham A defeated Acomb A 5-2 to close the gap on Fulford A to just two points. Acomb A only fielded six players and lost 3 close games on the black. Wins by Mark Darley, Colin Robinson, Barry Rankin, Nick Parker (over Ian Gillies, Trevor Ventress, Marcus O'Boyle aand Keith Myers respectively) and a walk-over gave Bootham A the win. Pete Lawson beat Ken Taylor and Gary Robinson (25 break) beat Brian Coulson in reply for Acomb.

Heworth B moved up into fourth spot once more with a close fought 4-3 win over Fulford B. Heworth B went 3-0 up with wins by Dave Birch, Keith Watkinson and Chris Thompson (25 break) before Fulford B levelled the game after George Toone beat Brian Birch (20 break), John Adcock beat Huw Faircliffe and Bob Smith beat Mike Braithwaite. Mick Frampton won the deciding frame on the pink against Arthur Pegden. In the other game, Acomb B beat Bootham B 4-3. John Ashwell, Paul Waites, Jeff Keen and Kevan Ventress all won for Acomb B with Paul Mahoney, Ray Stamp and Chris Granger replying for Bootham B.

After eleven games in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A now lead on 57 points with Fulford A second on 44 points. Bootham A are third on 42 points with Heworth B moving up to fourth spot on 40 points. Acomb A are fifth on 39 points with Bootham B sixth on 33 points. Fulford B are in seventh spot on 28 points, with Acomb B last on 25 points.

Barry Rankin is still the sole leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, now unbeaten after eleven games. Clive Whyte remains in second with 10 wins from 11 games with several players close behind on 9 wins from 11 games. Neil Woods' 99 break this week now heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list.

February 23rd 2005 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Fulford gained revenge for last weeks' league defeat with a 4-3 victory over Bootham A. John Woodall (28 break) won the opener for Bootham A 150-145 against Richard Stroughair. Woodall had led 133-89 before Stroughair took a 145-136 lead only to miss a simple red when set to steal the game. Wayne Puleston levelled the game for Fulford with victory over George Tingle, before John Darley re-established Bootham A's lead after defeating Colin Neal. John Anderson once more levelled the game for Fulford with a close fought win over Colin Robinson. Anderson avenged his defeat against Robinson in last weeks' match with a 150-148 win this week. In the final two games, Barry Rankin beat Roger Gibson and Alan Reed defeated Ken Taylor 150-67 to leave the scores tied at 3-3 but Reed's 83 point victory over Taylor was enough to secure Fulford a vital aggregate point. Defending Champions Fulford now trail Bootham A by two points going in to the final game. Having won one more game than Bootham, Fulford need to out-score Bootham A by 2 points in that final game to secure the title for the third consecutive year.

Bootham B beat Acomb 5-2 in the other game to remain in third spot. They now have 37 points and trail second placed Fulford by 6 poins, and are 8 points adrift of leaders Bootham A who have 45 points. Acomb are in last spot on 29 points.

Richard Stroughair retains top spot in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, with 9 wins from 11 games but second placed Barry Rankin can now draw level if he wins his final game and Stroughair loses. Colin Robinson remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with his 52 break.

February 28th 2005 - Kutter's & Shannon Team KO Snooker

Fulford A beat Bootham A 4-3 in a close fought Semi-Final at Bootham tonight. Barry Rankin won the opener for Bootham with victory over Sam England before Jeff Brown comfortably levelled the match by beating Colin Robinson. Nick Parker edged to victory over Pete Dunmore to put Bootham A 2-1 ahead before a determined Richard Stroughair levelled the game once more with victory over John Darley. Fulford A then took a 3-2 lead as Wayne Hartley potted superbly in easily defeating Ken Taylor - his second win of the season against Taylor. In the next frame, John Anderson recovered well after a sluggish start to take the lead in a close fought match against Brian Coulson. However, Coulson potted the deciding black to win the frame by just 1 point after a great safety battle on the pink. The win levelled the game at 3-3 with the deciding frame to be played by Wayne Puleston and Mark Darley. And in a tense battle, it was Puleston who held his nerve to clinch victory after potting the final red and seal Fulford A a place in the Team KO Final against either Heworth A or Fulford B.

March 2nd 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

It is as you were in the Carlsberg UK Snooker league this week as the top three teams all recorded 6-1 wins. Leaders Heworth A beat seventh placed Fulford B 6-1 with wins from Clive Whyte, Neil Wood, Jason Milner, Kevin Gall, Rich Burdett and Dave Taylor. Arthur Pegden replied for Fulford B with a back ball win over Steve Burdett. Second placed Fulford A enjoyed a quick fire 6-1 win over Heworth B in a match that was finished by 9.10pm! Wayne Puleston recovered from 17-0 behind to Dave Birch with the aid of a 28 break to take the opener for Fulford A. Richard Stroughair (30 break) extended the lead with victory over Chris Thompson before Jeff Brown (30 break) made it 3-0 with a comfortable win over Mike Braithwaite. Sam England ensured a Fulford A victory when he made a 29 break en-route to a 61 point victory over Mick Frampton. Huw Faircliffe pulled one back for Heworth in defeating Wayne Hartley, before Pete Dunmore and Alan Reed clinched the 6-1 victory with wins over Keith Watkinson and John Sherlock respectively.

Bootham A remained in third spot after completing a 6-1 win over Acomb B. The highlight of the match was Brian Coulson's 38 break, with Phil Carlton scoring Acomb B's sole point with a win over Pete Walker. In the other game Acomb A defeated Bootham B 5-2 to mover back into fourth spot in the league.

With just two games remaining in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, defending champions Heworth A now lead on 63 points with Fulford A second on 50 points. Bootham A are third on 48 points with Acomb A moving into fourth spot on 44 points. Heworth B drop to fifth spot on 41 points with Bootham B sixth on 35 points. Fulford B remain in seventh spot on 29 points, with Acomb B last on 27 points.

Barry Rankin remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, now unbeaten after twelve games. Clive Whyte remains in second with 11 wins from 12 games with Kevin Gall in third spot on 10 wins from 12 games. Neil Woods' 99 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Clive Whyte's 67 break.

March 9th 2005 - Faber Shield Billiards Round-Up

Bootham A tonight won their first Faber Shield Billiards title since 1997, despite losing their final game 4-3 to Bootham B. Barry Rankin, John Darley and George Tingle won for Bootham A with Paul Mohaney, Chris Granger and George Long replying for Bootham B and securing the deciding aggregate point in doing so.

Second placed Fulford failed to secure the five points that would have brought them a third consecutive title, losing 6-1 away at Acomb. John Ashwell won the opening game by just 6 points over John Anderson to start Acomb on their way. Trevor Ventress extended this lead with victory over Wayne Puleston in another close game - this time winning by just 3 points. Hylton Foster Billiards semi-finalist, Peter Lawson, then defeated Alan Reed in a battle of the two captains to make the score 3-0 to Acomb and effectively end Fulford's chances of retaining the title. Keith Myers added the next for Acomb in defeating Jeff Brown and Adrian Barraclough made it 5-0 with victory over Roger Gibson. Colin Neal took the final game for Fulford 150-87 to avoid the whitewash.

With all twelve matches now played, Bootham A take the title with 48 points. Fulford finish second on 44 points despite having won one more game than Bootham A, with Bootham B third on 41 points and Acomb in last spot on 35 points. Colin Robinson (Bootham A) takes the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks title with his 52 break, with Wayne Puleston (Fulford) runner-up with his 41 break. .Hylton Foster's Champion, Richard Stroughair (Fulford), is the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season with 9 wins from 11 games, with Barry Rankin (Bootham A) runner-up with 9 wins from 12 games.

March 16th 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Heworth A secured their 10th consecutive league title, despite falling to a surprise 4-3 defeat away at Acomb A. Heworth needed only a point from their final two games to seal the title and wins from Neil Wood, Clive Whyte and Steve Burdett (29 break) ensured they did just that. Second placed Fulford A lost a close game 4-3 to third placed Bootham A but hold on to second spot in the league. Mark Darley won a scrappy opener for Bootham A against Wayne Puleston on the pink before Alan Reed levelled the game with a black ball victory over Pete Walker. As Mark Darley had done earlier Ken Taylor then avenged his recent Team KO Semi-Final defeat with another black ball win, this time over Wayne Hartley. Nick Parker won the next game against John Anderson on the pink to put Bootham A 3-1 ahead. Jeff Brown, standing in as captain for the sick Richard Stroughair, then pulled one back with a pink ball win over Brian Coulson. Sam England then played very well to defeat Colin Robinson by a good margin and level the game at 3-3. But Barry Rankin (20 break) defeated Pete Dunmore in an up and down game, to secure the 4-3 victory for Bootham A.

In the other games, fifth placed Heworth B fell to a surprise 4-3 defeat to last placed Acomb B. Dave Birch, Huw Faircliffe and Keith Watkinson won for Heworth B who still look set to secure the John Smith's B Team Cup title. Sixth placed Bootham B could only make up one point on Heworth B this week, following their 4-3 win away at Fulford B. This leaves Heworth B taking a 5 point lead into the final games and, with Bootham B playing Heworth A last, it appears a furlorn task for them to catch Heworth B.

With just one round of games remaining in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, Heworth A lead on 66 points with Fulford A second on 53 points. Bootham A are third on 52 points with Acomb A remaining in fourth spot on 48 points. Heworth B stay in fifth spot on 44 points with Bootham B sixth on 39 points. Fulford B remain in seventh spot on 32 points, with Acomb B last on 31 points.

Barry Rankin remains the leader in the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition, now unbeaten after thirteen games. Clive Whyte remains in second with 12 wins from 13 games and can now only share the title should he win and Rankin lose their respective last games. Meanwhile, Neil Woods' 99 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list from Clive Whyte's 67 break.

March 30th 2005 - Carlsberg-Tetley Snooker Round-Up

Heworth A celebrated their 10th consecutive league title, with a comprehensive 7-0 win over Bootham B. Neil Wood, Clive Whyte, Steve Burdett, Kevin Gal, Jason Milner, Rich Burdett and Dave Taylor all won for Heworth A with Wood making a 97 break in his game - the second highest break of the league season..

Meanwhile, second placed Fulford A won a close fought game 4-3 to bottom placed Acomb B to secure their best league finish for some years. Kevin Ventress won the opener for Acomb B against Wayne Puleston after potting a great final pink from distance. Wayne Hartley levelled the match with the aid of a fluke on the final black against Steve Rodgers. Ken Bowser then won a black ball game against Jeff Brown to put Acomb B ahead once more. Sam England levelled the game once more with a close fought win over Jeff Keen before Richard Stroughair (20 and 33 breaks) put Fulford A ahead for the first time with a 82-18 win over Phil Carlton. Pete Dunmore secured the win for Fulford A in defeating Pete Waites before Barry Manson won the final game against Alan Reed. Manson had built an early 44-4 lead before giving some 28 points away in fouls before finally winning the game with a great pot on the final black to make the final score 4-3 to Fulford A..

Third placed Bootham A recovered from 3-1 down to Heworth B to secure third spot in the league. Mick Braithwaite, Huw Faircliffe and Mick Frampton won for the visitors with Mark Darley, Brian Coulson, Colin Robinson and Barry Rankin sealing the 4-3 victory for Bootham A. In the other game, Fulford B enjoyed a surprise 4-3 win away at Acomb A. Lewis Willie, George Toone, John Adcock and Arthur Pegden were the winners for Fulford B with Ian Gillies, Adrian Barraclough and Bob Ventress replying for Acomb A.

After the final games in the Carlsberg-UK sponsored Snooker League, Heworth A take the title with 73 points from 12 league wins out of 14 games. Fulford A enjoyed their best finish for some time with second spot on 57 points from 8 wins. These two teams will also contest the Kutters & Shannon Team KO Final at Bootham Conservative Club on Wednesday April 13th at 7.30pm. Bootham A finish in third place on 56 points from 10 wins with Acomb A in fourth spot on 51 points from their 7 wins. Heworth B finish in fifth spot with 47 points from seven wins and take the John Smith's B Team Cup as the best placed B Team in the league this season. Bootham B finish in sixth spot on 39 points from 4 wins, with Fulford B in seventh spot on 36 points from 5 wins and Acomb B last on 34 points from their 3 wins.

Barry Rankin is the winner of the Cameo Engraving Player of the Season competition after finishing the season unbeaten after fourteen games. Neil Wood was the last person to achieve this feat in the 2000-01 season. Clive Whyte finished as the runner up after completing 13 wins from his 14 games. With only the Kutters & Shannon Team KO Final to be played, Neil Woods' 99 break still heads the Cameo Engraving Highest Breaks list with his 97 break this week in second place.

April 13th 2005 - Presentation Night Round-Up (by Colin Robinson)

Heworth A duly claimed their eight league and cup double in nine years when they defeated Fulford A 4-2 in the Jutters and Shannon Team KO Snooker Final at Bootham Conservative Club.

Steve Burdett, drawn first against Fulford's Wayne Hartley, went 22-15 ahead and then had a stroke of luck. After scoring three points he fluked a red and went on to build a 37 break. He took the frame 65-27. Alan Reed was always in front of Heworth's Dave Taylor in the second frame and led 41-27. Taylor fought back to lead 42-41 in sinking brown, blue and pink. He tried to play the black safe but Reed was able to cut it in to take the frame 48-42 to level the match. The lead changed hands three times in the third fram until Simon England led Jason Milner 23-18. Milner then took control and won the frame 55-23 to put Heworth 2--1 ahead. Pete Dunmore struggled in the fourth frame against a more positive Brian Shipley. Dunmore gave away 24 points in fouls but received 18 points similarly. Shipley led 61-33 with the colours remaining. Dunmore potted the yellow but Shipley picked off the green, brown and blue to win 68-35 and put Heworth 3-1 in front. Jeff Brown went 25-17 ahead in the fifth frame only for Clive Whyte to reply with a 15 break. Brown responded and looked in control when he potted yellow to lead 47-32. Whyte sank an easy green but lost position with possible victory in sight and he had to lay a snooker, from which he gained five points to trail by seven. Brown claimed the frame by sinking the brown, doubling the blue and picking off the pink to win 63-40, which reduced Heworth's lead to 3-2. Neil Wood made breaks of 21 and 37 in the sith frame to defeat Wayne Puleston 92-21, which gave Heworth the match, and spared Rich Burdett and Richard Stroughair of playing a deciding frame.

Presentation were made to the teams by competition sponsor Roy Walker, of Kutters and Shannon who also presented Neil Wood with a special award for his 139 clearance break in the final of the event last season.Wood also received the North Wolds Printers' Cup for making the highest break of the season - a 99 clearance in a league match against Alan Reed at Fulford. The cup was presented to him by John and Andrew Sykes on behalf of the sponsor. Clive Whyte took the runners-up award for his 67 break earlier in the season. Meanwhile, Steve Burdett was awarded the Eric Darley Memorial Trophy from sponsors John and Mark Darley as the most valuable player in the Kutters and Shannon Team KO Final this season.