Great News! We are all set to start our beloved Snooker League again on 5th & 7th October 2021.
There will be:-
8 Teams in Division 1 – Starting Thursday 7th Oct
9 Teams in Division 2 – Starting Thursday 7th Oct
8 Teams in Division 3 – Starting Tuesday 5th Oct or Thursday 7th Oct
We welcome a new team from Waterlooville Sports Bar namely ‘Waterlooville Bananas’.
With much regret and for a number of reasons, a few teams have been unable to register and so we hope they will return in the very near future. We would naturally welcome them back with open arms.
Captains have been informed and will shortly receive hard copies of Fixtures and Scoresheets. All members/players can now view Fixtures and Teams on the Winter League Tab in this website.
Some will doubtless spot that there are two ‘byes’ in Division 1. This is purely to align with Division 2 and to overcome the complexities of table availability in clubs and to avoid teams from the same club to be at home at the same time.
Whilst we are a Thursday League, Division 3 includes 4 teams who must play home matches on Tuesdays. Again this is due to table capacity at those clubs. Captains will be familiar with this set up but I encourage them to study the fixtures and plan ahead for some Tuesday night matches.
The Winter League results pages will be updated soon. I shall be on holiday for the first week of the new league and so I ask that you bear with me for a short while regarding posting results on the website.
If anyone has any questions or queries about the Winter teams and Fixtures then please get in touch straightaway. Always keen to overcome any issues quickly.
A few reminders about the new league :-
Fees – Registration fees waived but weekly match fees still payable and will be collected at the end of the season.
5 Player Rule – Captains have unlimited use of this rule to avoid any cancelled matches. In some circumstances we would encourage captains to play a match if only 4 players are available and then use the 5 player rule particularly because it is unlikely the match will be replayed.
Cancelled Matches – There is no expectation these will be played unless both captains agree and can do so quickly and safely. Some matches may need to be cancelled with very short notice due to players isolating or pinged by Track & Trace. We hope everyone will be understanding should this occur.
Food – There is no requirement or expectation that food will be provided by clubs. This is to avoid players moving around and perhaps crowding around a food table. The committee have no objection to a club choosing to provide food but only if it can be served safely. Captains to use their own discretion.
Scoresheets – These will be the same as before and so please ensure yours are posted on the ‘Results’ Whatsapp Group immediately after the match has ended.
Covid Considerations – Common sense prevails where the committee encourages all members to be conscious of others and be ‘Covid’ aware at all times during the match. We would encourage no crowding around the table at anytime and to use any provided seating while matches are in progress. I’m sure over time we will gradually relax and behave normally again but in the meantime some members may need to build confidence. Consideration is the key and I know everyone will play their part.
And finally …. Its great to be back playing again. Let’s all keep a positive spirit, be safe and beat our highest breaks!
A very final footnote to say a huge thanks to everyone for your positive spirit and co-operation in getting the new league started again.
First League break off in over 18 months is just a few weeks away!
Gary Curtis
League Secretary
16th September 2021