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 Normal 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 certainly one of a handful of awards dished out within the Oxshott League annually – 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 identified, but in addition 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 certainly one of a handful of teams of people that did rather a lot for the area 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 received by the Oxshott Males’s group from the Nineteen Seventies to the 2000s on 4 events however sadly, that Cup just isn’t performed there at this time. Nonetheless, lots 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 nicely over 10 groups in it at one stage with all kinds of gamers surrounding Oxshott.
LEAGUE SNOOKER: OXSHOTT…
Nonetheless, over time, the league has dwindled in numbers over time however those that do be a part of have an amazing expertise chatting to likeminded individuals concerning the sport.
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 among the finest tables in Surrey to play on in previous years.
After chatting to a number of the excessive profile figures within the League, together with the Chairman, the League has at all times produced an inexpensive normal of snooker and welcomes new gamers annually who wish to play the sport in addition to take pleasure in pleasant and aggressive snooker on a Tuesday evening.
There are typically three groups of three/4 gamers in every group 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 circumstances, Surbiton – doubtlessly.
Hersham was a bedrock of snooker for the Walton Snooker Centre as some within the snooker world will keep in mind the Lyon Street and Genesis Home venues in Hersham and Molesey. Molesey British Legion have been certainly one of 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 trying on the BNA – the best there to this point seen was a 70 plus break – though it’s not clear from plenty 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 at all times produced a great normal 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 mentioned earlier than, there are lots of lacking archives so it isn’t precisely identified 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 this point, 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 satisfaction 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 quite a lot of different tales on the BNA which spotlight how the League has developed via its years – from inviting prime ladies gamers, to snooker star celebrities shelling out the prizes at basic award ceremonies in venues in and round Oxshott.
The membership additionally competes in a neighborhood pool league within the Dorking and District Pool league which at present has additionally simply began once more for an additional season.
Can be taking part in within the Oxshott A snooker group for the season and searching ahead to the odd commentary of the event of the League on events. Usually, leagues start in September/October and if you wish to become involved, pop all the way down to your native snooker membership or social membership and see if there’s a group you may be a part of. Play for a bit and work your manner up.
There are as much as one thousand snooker leagues that exist within the UK, in keeping 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.