The best is left until the last

Published on 8th May 2008 in Letters

This week saw the semi-finals and finals of the Division One Pairs Championship which was the last competition to be decided in yet another marvellous season for the flourishing Goole Pool League. 

The brilliant pairing of the brothers Rob and Lee Fallon were massive favourites to add this title to their impressive array of previous honours.

As the draw was being made the other three pairs did nothing to disguise the fact that they wanted to meet anyone except the Fallons, who had superby steered their N.U.R. Neanderthals side to the Division One League title.

Rennie Calvert and Dean Nicholls of Marshland Wanderers drew the short straw but completely surprised the big crowd at the Steam Packet by taking the opening two frames in the best of seven contest.

Calvert in particular was in superb form and used the tactic of potting the easier balls and then playing a very good safety shot which meant the Fallons struggled to get going.

Although Rob and Lee pulled one frame back, Calvert and Nicholls produced a major shock by winning 4-1 and advancing to the final.

On the other table Liam Parry and Mark Holgate of Royal Flush eventually overcome the sporting partnership of Matt Dodson and Richard Holgate of Poundapacket although the 4-2 scoreline probably flattered the winners.

The final never hit any great heights as Parry and Holgate struggled to curtail Calvert's potting and with Nicholls making very few mistakes the writing was on the wall from early on. Calvert and Nicholls eventually won 4-1 for a deserved, if unexpected triumph.

With all competitions completed, it's a case of out with the old and in with the new as the new Pool Summer Season gets under way next Wednesday evening.

There are three leagues of ten sides including a new entry from The Board Inn of Howden which contains some brilliant players.

All the usual suspects will be fighting it out for the Premiership Crown, which will take some winning as the standard is probably higher than ever and sides in the lower two divisions look to have strengthened their squads in search of glory.

You can follow the progress of all thirty teams each week in the Goole Times.