AS LEAGUE SNOOKER for a lot of resumes this Autumn throughout the UK, the Oxshott League, one of many oldest leagues in Surrey, held its Annual Presentation Awards and Annual Snooker Common Assembly this week – Tuesday.
Snooker leagues throughout the UK yearly have presentation award ceremonies and AGMs for conferences regarding snooker and ALL members of related sports activities golf equipment needs to be invited to their AGMs both snooker or non snooker or Ceremonies.
This trophy is one among a handful of awards dished out within the Oxshott League every year – The Harry Champion Trophy is an award to a participant who has excelled within the league and it’s a nice prize within the historical past of the Oxshott League.
Harry Champion was a distinguished determine within the Oxshott Membership and the native snooker and billiards scene as he not solely was one of many founding members of the Oxshott Males’s Membership, in addition to a gaggle of church-goers and Reverends, as was previously recognized, but additionally donated the Harry Champion trophy in round 1960. The Oxshott League is among the oldest leagues in Surrey, together with the Epsom League, the place each have been based in 1910 and 1905 respectively.
The Trinder household have been additionally one among a handful of teams of people that did lots for the local people in addition to the snooker and billiards and invested within the close by Oxshott Village Sports activities Membership. Their passions have been snooker/billiards, in addition to different sports activities.
The Trinder Cup for billiards was one of many Prestigious Cups that was gained by the Oxshott Males’s workforce from the Seventies to the 2000s on 4 events however sadly, that Cup shouldn’t be performed there right this moment. Nevertheless, most of the Membership trophies together with the Harry Champion Trophy are nonetheless awarded to this very day on the Membership.
The Oxshott League was an enormous league in its day with effectively over 10 groups in it at one stage with all kinds of gamers surrounding Oxshott.
LEAGUE SNOOKER: OXSHOTT…
Nevertheless, over time, the league has dwindled in numbers over time however those that do be part of have a fantastic expertise chatting to likeminded individuals concerning the recreation.
That was very a lot what SnookerZone’s Chris Gaynor skilled on the Oxshott Membership AGM for snooker on Tuesday. The Oxshott Membership is a good venue for snooker and desk 1 has been described as probably the greatest tables in Surrey to play on in previous years.
After chatting to a few of the excessive profile figures within the League, together with the Chairman, the League has all the time produced an affordable commonplace of snooker and welcomes new gamers every year who need to play the sport in addition to get pleasure from pleasant and aggressive snooker on a Tuesday evening.
There are typically three groups of three/4 gamers in every workforce that play out of the Oxshott Membership together with A/B/C and typically extra if there are sufficient gamers. There are additionally different groups from close by Leatherhead golf equipment, and in addition Hersham – there’s additionally in some instances, Surbiton – doubtlessly.
Hersham was once a bedrock of snooker for the Walton Snooker Centre as some within the snooker world will bear in mind the Lyon Highway and Genesis Home venues in Hersham and Molesey. Molesey British Legion have been one among a handful of groups who scooped trophies within the Oxshott League and different competitions again within the day.
Though the league hasn’t produced century breaks in snooker (to the information of wanting on the BNA – the best there to date seen was a 70 plus break – though it’s not clear from a lot of articles if that’s the highest as there are lots of articles on the BNA), the usual, as described by one other consultant from the Epsom League has all the time produced a superb commonplace of snooker.
The trendy Gerald Harding Trophy of the League (as seen on the AGM) is awarded for the Highest Break of the League and customarily the best breaks within the League have been within the 40s onwards as cited within the One Hundred Years of the Oxshott Membership – by Mike Crute.
As stated earlier than, there are lots of lacking archives so it isn’t precisely recognized what the best break precisely is within the historical past of the Oxshott League.
On Ebay, there was a letter from the Oxshott League bigwigs saying to somebody to return their billiard league card that had 1000 factors on it.
Who made the 1000 factors? And was it reported? Whether or not it was a typo error or not, it isn’t certain, however to date, our search on who made a 1000 factors on this billiards card is unknown on the British Newspaper Archive.
Harry Champion additionally turned President of the Oxshott Membership and there’s a plaque of the earlier Presidents above the door of the snooker room.
There are a handful of tales on the British Newspaper Archive which spotlight the character and expertise of Mr Harry Champion who took delight within the sportsmanship of the sport and the camaraderie of the league and never simply the fixation on profitable tournaments or league titles.
And, there are additionally a wide range of different tales on the BNA which spotlight how the League has developed by way of its years – from inviting prime girls gamers, to snooker star celebrities allotting the prizes at common award ceremonies in venues in and round Oxshott.
The membership additionally competes in an area pool league within the Dorking and District Pool league which at the moment has additionally simply began once more for an additional season.
Will likely be enjoying within the Oxshott A snooker workforce for the season and looking out ahead to the odd commentary of the event of the League on events. Typically, leagues start in September/October and if you wish to get entangled, pop right down to your native snooker membership or social membership and see if there’s a workforce you possibly can be part of. Play for a bit and work your approach up.
There are as much as one thousand snooker leagues that exist within the UK, in line with Leaguesnooker.co.uk. Some leagues are small, however each league wants new gamers.
Statista additionally revealed that greater than 19,000 individuals performed snooker in 2023 – in some type.
Good luck to everybody who performs within the Oxshott League this season and in addition to the opposite leagues throughout Surrey and the UK and benefit from the expertise…
References: The One Hundred Years of the Oxshott Membership – by Mike Crute. This quick potted historical past is accessible within the Oxshott Membership…There’s additionally a Brief doc on the Oxshott League.
