Sport Team game takes a week's break
With no league games played last week, attention in the Goole Pool League turned from team games to individual competition.
The Champion of Champions event is played during the summer season and is secondary in importance only to the Individuals championship, which takes place in the winter.
Each team runs their own competition and their top three players qualify to go forward to a knockout competition involving all other sides within the league.
Premiership players have their own competition, while Division one and two players are grouped together in a completely separate competition.
At present there are only sixteen players left in each event but competition is furious and it is hard to nominate who will be crowned champion.
Natalie Merrill of Buchanan Badstars is the only female left in the Premiership event and she is definitely in with a shout since recapturing the form that got her into the English Ladies team a couple of seasons ago. Her performances so far this season have been excellent and all the lads secretly fear being drawn against her.
The other fifteen players are a good mix of experience and youth. One or two of the more experienced lads who will fancy their chances are Ivor Morris, Kev Harrison, Kev Morrell, Steve Scott and Dean Logan.
Logan, who disposed of John Turner in the previous round, is a fantastic player and role model for young lads in the game with his dedication and sportsmanship. He has been a great ambassador for the Howden Pool League for many years and is held in high esteem by all.
Dale Masterman, Anthony Myers, Geoff Rankin, Pip Schofield and Chris Clark have all previously held the Individuals title and must be respected. The younger contingent of Tom Jackson, Gary Yates, Johnny Kidd, Rob Fallon and Kirk Swan are all very capable players but whether they have enough class to go all the way is debatable.
The draw will play a very big part in the final outcome but I feel that the winner could come from the quartet of Morris, Logan, Masterman or Myers.
The Division One and Two competition is again extremely hard to forecast but with the absence of young Jake Modi two players now stand out from the crowd. Gordon Gaughan of Vermuyden Vultures has a wealth of experience at the top level and is favourite ahead of young Joe Holt from Shipwrecks of Swinefleet who is quickly establishing himself as a future star.
These two lads should dominate the others and could both reach the final if the draw keeps them apart.
Stef Walker of Royal Predators is another player who deserves a bit of luck along with Liam Parry, who does really well every week for Royal Flush. Kevin Wright of N.U.R. Clubbers has the experience and is playing well again and the chances of Mark and James Simms of Bottom House Brigade must not be ignored.
Half Moon of Reedness have still got their three entries remaining and Joe Eastwood, Vinnie Walsh and Andy Leeman will carry plenty of support alongside Cary Dean and Michael Pisarklewicl of Old Goole Club.
If one of the younger lads were to win then the names of Nathan Croley, Dean Nicholls, Colin Dougdale and Craig Hayes spring to mind immediately but whether they have enough experience to cope with the pressure of the event is another matter.
Again the draw will play a major role but the form points to a win in this section by either Gaughan or Holt.
Published on 7th August 2008 in Sport.
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