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WINTER LEAGUE
Season 2007 - 2008
INTERLEAGUE
BRACKNELL & ASCOT A & B
JUST MISS OUT IN NATIONAL KO FINALS
A fter both the Bracknell & Ascot [a] & [b] teams had qualified through the Berkshire Interleague qualifiers both teams packed their bags and headed for Great Yarmouth to play in the National Finals against the other 94 teams who had qualified through their own counties throughout the country.
On the Thursday [October 4th] the Amateur Singles Championships were held and Bracknell & Ascot had entered 10 players into this extremely competitive competition.
To prove just how difficult it was, most of the BAPLs top players were knocked out in the first round.
Brad Parker was the only BAPL player to come away with some credit reaching the 3rd round.
Leigh Morshead reached the second round albeit in hilarious circumstances.
Leigh was playing his game and from being 5-3 down had done well to pull the game back to 5-5, so the match came down to the last game, it was very tense as you could imagine.
Quite a crowd had gathered to watch this last frame encounter.
Leigh continued his impressive comeback and was clearing the table well but when he got to his last red ball and the black ball suddenly in the heat of the moment his button burst on his trousers and they began to fall down.
Now when trying to pot his final red he also had to concentrate on keeping his trousers from falling down to his ankles.
He somehow managed to pot the red and get position on the black so now he had to walk around the table holding up his trousers and get down for the black ball whilst everyone was in hysterics watching him.
All credit to Leigh who held his game and his trousers together and potted the final black.
Without a doubt it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in the game.
On the Friday the Singles competition was played to a finish so most of the BAPL players had a day off before the national team event began on the Saturday.
As always the beers began to flow as the players relaxed into the evening session.
Bracknell [b] team captain Matt Gouriet who seemed to be pissed from the moment he arrived to the moment he left was on his usual top form staggering around and annoying just about everyone.
In what has now become an accustomed event after gallons of alcohol had been consumed, loafs of bread get thrown on to the top of each others caravans, [unbelievable isn’t it?]
This happens because in the morning, usually at first light, all of Great Yarmouth’s seagulls flock down on top of the caravans for their Hovis breakfast.his in turn creates a scene from Riverdance as the hungry birds tap dance franticly on the roofs of the caravans and of course wake up the hung over occupants.
There’s always one isn’t there?
On the night of the bread throwing Mr Steve Ring whilst in an uncontrollable state and totally incapable of standing up straight decided he was having none of this bread on the roof lark.
Ringo decided to take action and - wait for it - climb on top of his caravan roof to retrieve the seagulls breakfast.
No ladder needed, Spiderman Ring leaped from the stairs entrance to the caravan and on to the down pipe and then in the same impressive movement grabbed what he thought was the edge of the caravan roof.
To Ringos surprise it turned out to be the plastic guttering he grabbed which immediately gave way and split in his hand.
His hand then slipped straight down the edge of the guttering slicing open Ringos hand at the same time.
Blood everywhere.
A quickly sobering Ringo was rushed to the nearest hospital where his hand was stitched back together and heavily bandaged.
All this and he was supposed to be playing pool for the Bracknell [a] team the next day.
Ringo I said it before and I will say it again - you’re a tart.
The rest of the BAPL had somehow managed to make it through to the Saturday morning unscathed.
Apart from captain Gouriet of course who had drunk himself senseless and decided to carry on and give the sleeping part of the night a miss.
The Bracknell [b] were due on to play their first game at 9am, so Matt stood no chance.
Vice captain Leigh Morshead who had done a remarkable pro job and repaired his trousers [safety pin] was left to get the team together and organised.
Matt apart, the team were ready to play.
Even Billy Docherty had achieved a lifetimes ambition and got out of bed before 9am.
The serious stuff was about to begin.
The Bracknell [b] team had assembled in the main pool hall, which boasts somewhere in the region of 40 immaculate tables.
They were due to play a team called Grove Elite in their three team group.
Leigh was again forced to take over the captaincy and write down the team order as Matt was nowhere to be seen.
I eventually found him outside sitting on the pavement.
The Bracknell [a] were due to play later so they were there to give the [b] team some support.
Throughout the 18 games the [b] started well and progressed at a steady pace.
Leigh led the team by example and was playing well, Calvin Dixon was also showing what he was capable of and winning both of their games.
Bracknell youngsters Jack Davies & Billy Docherty also chipped in with a win each as did Lee Davies who was drafted in at the last minute.
Even Matt who had managed to stagger back in to the arena somehow managed to win one of his games.
In an impressive performance by the patched up Bracknell [b] they came out victorious winning the match 10-8.
Because the [b] team had won their game it meant that they had a rest whilst the other two teams in the group went into battle.
The other team in the group, Stourbridge[Birmingham] also beat Grove Elite so we ended up with a showdown between the Bracknell [b] and Stourbridge to see who was to progress into the last 32 knock out stage.
From the start the game could of gone either way and the early blows dished out by either team were fairly even.
Stourbridge then opened up a lead of 6-3 and looked comfortable when the Bracknell [b] showed what they were made of.
Leigh, Jack, Steve Moody and Calvin pulling off four wins on the spin suddenly gave the Bracknell outfit a chance of winning the match.
I think only a lack of experience from the Bracknell boys let Stourbridge back in and eventually beat the Bracknell [b] 9-7 which was enough to see them through.
It was a gallant effort from the Bracknell [b] considering they were missing a lot of their players.
If the likes of Danny Fryer, Paul Walter, Gary Hughes and Nick Carr had been available, I think that the [b] would of progressed quite easily through their group.
Matt Gouriet has since lost the Bracknell [b] team captaincy and Leigh Morshead has taken over with Paul Walter taking over the vice captaincy.
Bracknell [b] Team
Matt Gouriet [c] Calvin Dixon Jack Davies
Leigh Morshead [vc] John Harling Billy Docherty
Steve Moody Neil Breeds Lee Davies
The Bracknell [a] team in the meantime had started their first match on the table next to where the [b] team were playing.
The other two teams in the [a] teams group,
Bicester Select & Elyhad already played each other and the much fancied team in the group, Ely, who had England player Phil Harrison playing for them were the team who had earned themselves a rest after beating Bicester in the first game.
This meant that the much strengthened Bracknell [a] team were to play Bicester Select first.
Unfortunately the Bracknell [a] started off far to cautiously and got caught up in a lot of tactical games.
Only Kevin Bassett come away with two wins against Bicester. The other players to pick up a game each were Brad Parker, Chris Stocker, Sean Watson and Steve Ring, with his damaged hand.
Ringos hand which was heavily bandaged was giving him plenty of grief and it got to the stage where he couldn’t break with it, otherwise though he was playing quite well considering.
The Bracknell [a] disappointingly lost their first game 12-6 and now had it all to do against the favourites for the group, Ely.
The Bracknell [a] rallied and knew that they had to pull out all the stops to have chance of turning over this top Ely side.
The gloves had come off and the Bracknell boys went into what was a serious battle against the team in the pretty red shirts.
The Bracknell [a] knew that they had to win 13 of the 18 games to force a three team play off, and stop Ely from getting up to 5 games which would see the much unloved Bicester Select qualify.
The Bracknell [a] starting order was changed drastically and it seemed to be paying off as we took the game by the scruff of the neck and charged into a 4-0 lead.
Kevin Bassett was up to his tricks again as he turned over England’s Phil Harrison and then later completed a impressive 4 out of 4 for the Bracknell outfit.
Danny Oliphant, Steve Ring and myself woke up, each winning both of our games, Brad Parker looked like his old self potting balls for fun and Sean Watson was punching the air in winning defiance as the Ely team were buckling under the sheer onslaught of pool that the Bracknell boys were throwing at them.
It was a tremendous effort as Bracknell [a] lead by 10 games to 3 and were starting to believe that they were going to do this.
A few of the Bicester team had realised what was happening and were starting to shout support for the Bracknell [a]
One particular member of the Bicester team, an untidy long haired yeti type person with a particularly irritating voice was shouting the loudest and was really starting to annoy us.
Out of his head Matt Gouriet got into a bit of a slagging match with the yeti chap and promptly shot him down with a volley of lyrical bullets which silenced the long haired one.
Ely pulled a game back to make it 10-4 but still the dogged Bracknell side would not crack and seized the next game to go 11-4 up.
Bracknell [a] were buzzing and threw another devastating upper cut on to the jaw of the Ely side to go 12-4 up.
Bracknell needed one more game to force a play off and Ely needed one more game which would send Bicester Select into the last 32.
No favours are given in this the toughest team event in the UK and with what I have to say, Ely who had an extremely fortunate bit of luck in that last game which ended the Bracknell [a] teams interest in the National Finals.
The Bracknell boys were shattered at the end of it all as we had come so close to pulling off what surly would have been the comeback of the tournament.
Bracknell [a] Team
Dave Bryant [c] Rob Morshead Brad Parker
Mick Worsfold [vc] Sean Watson Chris Stocker
Kevin Bassett Danny Oliphant Steve Ring
I would like to thank every player from both the [a] and the [b] teams for making such a tremendous effort for the BAPL.
The Bracknell & Ascot Pool League will not be forgotten in a hurry.
And will be back for some more next year.
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