The season ending Presentation night will be held at Churchtown Cons on Thursday the 15th of May with the Marshall Handicap final being played earlier on in the evening. It would be great to see all of this seasons winners attend in what is usually a great night as we sign off the 2024/25 season for Southport Snooker league players.

The following matches are to be played out for the cup and team competitions this season with the additional 2nd Divisional Play-off match thrown in for good measure. Some of the below cup fixtures have been allocated a date and time, a venue listed if already booked in place. Any issues then do get in touch with me when you can...

Good luck to all teams and players still involved in the cup competitions...

Rickerby Cup, semi-final (2)
S & B Cricket Club (126) v Banks A (scr)
Date: Thursday 1st May, 8:00pm, at Fleetwood Hesketh

Rickerby Cup Final
Teams to be confirmed after the completion of the semi-finals

Frank Lodge, Semi-finals
British Rail A (252) v Birkdale Cons D (scr)
Date: Tuesday 6th May, 8:00pm at Churchtown Cons

Fleetwood Hesketh A (scr) v Bretherton A (270)
Date: Thursday 24th April, 8:00pm at Tarleton Bowling Club

Frank Lodge final
Teams to be confirmed after the completion of the semi-finals

James Yates 1st Div, Final
Gareth Hibbott, Fleetwood Hesketh v Gavin Robinson Birkdale Cons
Best of 5, Date, time and venue to be confirmed

Marshall Handicap Semi-finals
Andy Hardisty Banks (60) v Gareth Hibbott, Fleetwood Hesketh (scr)
Martin Brown, Fleetwood Hesketh (scr) v Connor Ormerod, Banks (30)
All Best of 3, Date, time and venue to be confirmed

Lucas Open Final
Andy Booth, Fleetwood Hesketh v Gareth Hibbott, Fleetwood Hesket
Best of 7, Monday 28th April, 7:30pm start at Churchtown Cons

Birch Pairs, Semi-final & Final
Connor Ormerod & Kyle Prescott, Banks (scr) v Mark Horan & Martin Deeney, Birkdale Cons (32)
Lewis Thornley & Pete Bromley, S & B Cricket club (14) v Bob Burns & Andrei Le Roi, Banks (scr)
Tuesday 29th April, 7:15pm start at Scarisbrick

JW Blyden Cup Final
Tony Baldwin, Churchtown Cons (tbc) v Andy Booth, Fleetwood Hesketh (tbc)
Best of 3, Wednesday 30 April, 8:00pm start at Tarleton Bowling Club

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Cup competition write ups

2nd Division Play-off: The Old Golf Links v Scarisbrick D
What a night, what a game and what a way to secure the runners up spot in the 2nd Division after the Scarisbrick D team beat The Old Golf Links lads 2-1 in a drama packed blue ball shoot out after the regulation six frames were shared 3-apiece…!! It really shouldn’t have surprised us at all that it would go the distance as the 2nd division campaign for each and every team has been tight from start to finish. Heck, three teams all finished on the same points at the top of the division, with just six points covering the top seven in the table.

The two teams met each other on the very last match of the season, the Links beating the Scarisbrick team 4-2 which meant a ply-off to settle the final positions of the two teams. The Links lads probably just favourites going into this match due to that most recent win but they both shared the points between themselves through the season, both winning one and drawing the other. So, it was always going to go the distance now wasn’t it…!!

The first match up saw Stephen ‘Metty’ Metcalfe take on Andy Linaker, their third match up this season after both claiming a win against each other already in the season. The frame was a nervy effort early on as both players missed easy balls to put their stamp on the frame and get their team off to a good start. Eventually Ste got out to a 21 point lead with just four reds left on, but after a couple of in-offs and a few balls sunk by Andy, the Scarisbrick player took the lead on the final yellow. The frame closed off when Andy sunk the final pink to take it 66-50 in the end.

The other opening frame saw Billy ‘The Whizz’ Evans take on Martin Wood where Billy played the aggressor for most of the frame, which is no shock to anyone who knows how Billy likes to play the game. The Links captain managed to turn over his 20 point handicap start to Martin pretty quickly, pushing out to take a 20 point lead by himself with plenty left on. In the end Billy made the final score of 66-37 look slightly flattering to him, but in truth he looked the winner from the last red out.

Having played each other in that final match of the season clash, Paul Taylor had a chance to maybe gain revenge and turn the tables on Matt Williams after going down 39-79 to his opponent. The frame started out with both players tip-tapping away with some negative safety shots which only added to the tension that both players were obviously showing. Eventually, as the safety shots progressed the reds were everywhere and playing safe became hard to do, and this played more into the hands of Matt than Paul. Matt held a 19 point lead going into the colours which Paul never got close to, mainly as Matt fluked a couple of snookers which Paul didn’t get out of. Hands were shaken with the frames score being 81-48 to Matt Williams.

Paul Leddy, the man who took the final frame off Scarisbrick in the last week of the season to force this play-off, was up next, taking on the Scarisbrick bruiser Jack Wilby, a man who always looks like he’s in a rush to get somewhere else, even when playing snooker. The frame was one way traffic for the most part, Jack turning over the 40 point handicap start he had to give with three reds left on, Paul having only potted three reds and no colours in that time. The frame did tighten up a bit when we got down to the final colours but Jack always looked comfortable taking the final blue and pink to secure a solid 74-47 win.

The frame between Ally Iddon and Dennis Woodward was another that you could call the winner from a fair bit out, as Ally built up a near 40 point lead which Dennis never looked like getting back. In the end the Scarisbrick captain let fly with his cueing arm, sinking most of the final colours, probably more in frustration as he had hardly potted a ball in the frame, but something that would put him in good stead come the final part of the night.

For the real drama of the night was about to reach its conclusion as Mark Tomlin faced off with Phil Gaskell, the Links lad needing to take the frame to force a Blue-Ball shoot out, Phil simply needing to take out the win to seal a 4-2 win for Scarisbrick. Mark extended his 15 point head start out to a near 30 point lead before Phil could say he felt part of the frame, the three reds taken with blues getting Phil right back in contention, enough to take a lead going into the colours. In potting the final brown Mark put himself 1 point back on Phil but couldn’t get nice on the blue to push his claim any further forward.

After a couple of shots Phil was left a very tricky blue into the corner pocket, only an inch or so off the side cushion. He took it only to see the blue rattle in the pocket and stay there leaving it on for Mark to take, which he duly did. But in potting the blue Mark lost control of the white which ran up and down the table finishing level with the pink which was on its own spot. With the black glued to the side rail, the simple shot was to push the pink safe and keep hold of that four point advantage. But inexplicably, Mark pushes the pink direct into the black freeing up both of the balls, something he explained straight after playing it that he didn’t mean to do…!!

Phil was left a pot where the natural angle in potting the pink would see the white head back up the table to take the black into the green pocket, which didn’t go to plan after the pink dropped in. The angle left to pot the black was way too thin, so Phil had a choice to make, cut a very fine black in, frame over, or miss it and frame would be lost…?? The safety shot was played and now we were watching a black ball shoot out to decide both team’s fate, both players, like the ones watching on, clearly feeling it. Chances, all be it tough ones, came for both Mark and Phil, the room now glued to the table and what shot selection their team mate would make next. Unfortunately for Phil he blinked first and left a relatively simple pot for Mark to make, which he did to take it 63-58 and we were left 3-apiece and a penalty like blue-ball shoot out would be required to separate the two teams.

The idea was that all six of the team would have one shot in potting the blue off its spot, the white being placed anywhere in the D, and any pocket goes, just in case you thrashed it and fluked it from your intended pocket.

The call was made and Ste Metcalfe stepped up to take the first ‘penalty’ for the Links lads, one he slotted home, cool as a cucumber, no problem, the Golf lads off to a great start, 1-0 up. Andy Linaker was Scarisbrick’s first player up and next to no time to place the white, cue up and release his arm, only to miss even hitting the knuckles of the pocket. He wouldn’t be alone with that shot and result either. Billy Evans did his usual, hand down on the table, aim, pull back, fire, but he too was wayward. Mark Wood was the next one up, his effort going close but no cigar, the Links lads still holding that 1 blue lead. Paul Taylor took his time, well, in truth he forgot to put his potting glasses on before attempting to pot the blue, though he may as well left them off being as he never got close to hitting the back of the pocket…!! Mark Williams looked like he fancied his chances but his attempt was just off target, much to his disappointment.

Half way through and the tension, which was already at a high before the shoot-out, was now starting to show, with all players starting to feel the pressure big time. Paul Leddy, who struggled in his match earlier, missed another colour of its spot, a continuing theme on the night for him. Jack Wilby gave all pockets a go considering he hit it that hard, but it failed to drop anywhere and left stranded on the table. Mark Tomlin couldn’t follow up his earlier black ball heroics pushing his attempt just wide of its intended pocket the Links lads possibly thinking it could just be there night now. But the shoot-out was about to take a dramatic twist as Phil Gaskell, who missed a couple of chances in his frame against Mark Tomlin to seal a 4-2 win for Scarisbrick, got some redemption back from that frame by cooly stroked the spotted blue into the corner pocket with minimal effort. Great shot, 1-apiece, game on…!! Ally Iddon played so well against Dennis Woodward in his frame, and had not long just put his cue down, so would still have the feel in his cueing arms you would think. Alas, he pulled it a bit and missed even getting close to the knuckles of the pocket, the match now potentially out of their hands with Scarisbrick having one player left.

Dennis Woodward hardly potted a ball in his frame against Ally, the final colours he potted to make the score looks somewhat respectable being his only action of the night. So I would imagine that not most of his teammates had full faith in their captain at the time being as how bad he was earlier on. But Ye, of little faith, Dennis sunk the blue, cueing probably the best shot he has made all season, sealing a 2-1 blue-ball penalty shoot-out for his team, and snatch the runners up spot away from the Golfing Links lads.

To coin a phrase, ‘It’s been emotional’ and it certainly was, both sides giving everything they had, played out in a great spirit, the drama of this shoot-out etched firmly in their minds for some time I would say. A great finish to a roller coaster season, not just for these two sides, but for the majority of teams throughout the season in all three divisions.

The JJ Birch Cup final, dated 18th of March, played at S & B Cricket club
Gary Wilkinson of Banks B beat Tony Halliwell of Les Dodd’s Snooker club 2-0 to claim his very first individual cup competition win. The first frame was a proper nip and tuck affair, both players struggling for any form and missing some very easy pots at times, meaning that the frame score stayed close for the majority of the play. Gary was six points ahead of Tony with just the pink and black left on the table, which soon became level pegging after Gary completely missed the pink when trying to cut it back in to a corner pocket. Tony seized his chance when potting the pink but then stuck the black up right over the middle pocket to leave Gary the easiest of taps in to take it 50-49 in the end.

The second frame followed the pattern of the first early on, both players getting in but not taking any advantage at the time, the score reading 36-28 when going in to the colours reflecting on the low scoring opportunities. In the end Gary made his safety play count more than Tony’s did and the chances to pot the final colours came more easily for Gary than Tony, the Banks-man taking the final frame 58-28 after Tony’s run and luck had run out.

The Atherton Cup final, dated 16th of March, played at Tarleton Bowling club
Churchtown’s Tony Baldwin won the 3rd Division Atherton Cup after completing a 2-0 win over Birkdale’s Saul Kemp, adding to his name to the Southport Snookers honours board once again in doing so. The 2023 Seniors champion was in good form when it came to this match, something that I am sure Saul can’t say such was his bad run in the final on the day. The opening frame saw Tony take an early lead over Saul, making sure of taking a colour with each of the reds he potted, something Saul just couldn’t manage. The final frame score of 64-28 to Tony laying bare the importance of taking those extra points on offer when taking a colour with a red.

The second frame saw Tony have the same output as in the first frame pulling away from a confused and disillusioned Saul as all of his good pots, and he did have some, either left him in more trouble than he was before or left snookered on his intended colour. It might have been a slow death for Saul as the run of the balls went against him but on the day the right man won, as Tony raced away with it co seal a 2-0 final win.

The Brian Jarrett Seniors Final, dated 3rd of March, played at The Old Golf Links club
Scarisbrick’s Stan Hughes beat Reg Dobson of Birkdale B two frames to one in an absorbing Seniors final that saw both players missing chances in the three frames adding to the drama of the final. Stan was his usual active self when taking his turn at the time, the busy way he plays means he rushes the odd pot but invariably manages to sink quite a lot when he gets going. The first frame saw Stan overhaul Reg with a couple of reds left on the table, Reg not helping matters when going in-off on several occasions to leave him trailing his opponent by 11 points going in to the final colours. In potting the final blue Stan left Reg needing a snooker on the final pink and black to force a re-spot being that he was 19 points up on him at the time. The frame ended after Reg unintentionally potted the pink whilst trying for a snooker, putting Stan one nil up in this best of three final.

Reg did bounce back from that unfortunate episode to hold on to his 28 handicap for most of the second frame, holding on to a 20 point lead with just a couple of reds left on the table. Double trouble came for Stan after doubled the blue into the middle pocket to go seven back on Reg, missing out being one point back when trying the same double on the pink but missing out. The resulting miss leaving Reg a toughish pink which he superbly took into the green pocket to take the frame 68-53 and square things up, one apiece now.

The third frame saw Stan put Reg under pressure from the off as his opening shot produced a break of 19 which had him breathing down Reg’s neck from there on in. Stan may have fluked the odd ball as the frame wore on, the final fluke on the yellow leaving him 32 ahead with 25 left on being the cruelest. The Scarisbrick player eventually wrapping things up to beat Reg 78-36 and claim the Seniors Trophy for 2025.



Chris Giil
Gen Sec.