Rileys American Pool and Snooker - Stretford
Stretford Arndale Centre
Chester Road, Stretford
MANCHESTER
Greater Manchester
England
www.rileysltd.com
www.gb9balltour.com
Fri/Sat/Sun 29/30/31 August 2008
Stretford Rileys General Manager Michelle Law (L) congratulates winner Darren Appleton.
Click the picture to download the full size photograph. (2Mb)
Appleton stops Majid's run by winning GB9 Northern Masters
Imran Majid's incredible winning streak of 29 consecutive matches including 5 tournament championship victories has come to an end in Manchester at the hands of Darren Appleton, former English 8 Ball Pool champion in the semi-final stage of the Main Event.
Appleton then beat reigning World Pool Champion Daryl Peach in the final, and appeared particularly determined throughout the tournament, taking extra time at the start of every rack, planning the route of every run-out.
This was the first event that the GB9 have implemented the higher rack position - with the nine-ball on the foot spot, forcing many players to adopt a more powerful break putting a stop to the virtually guaranteed "wing-ball-on-the-break" that came with the old "tapped" rack position.
Of the final against Peach, Appleton said, "We broke pretty well, but it wasn't always coming out good, so there was a lot of safety", "it's been a long day and we didn't really focus as good as we can do, but I probably played a little bit better than him, on the day, and that was the difference I think in the end."
"It's a frustrating game sometimes, you can play very well and lose, and you can play average and win."
Appleton paid tribute to semi-finalist Imran Majid saying, "to beat Imran in the semi's was a massive win. I felt a lot of pressure to beat him because obviously he hasn't lost this year, so that was a massive thing".
"Read More..." for the details.
The fabulous table fitters finished recovering the tables minutes before the players arrived!
The fabulous Phuong Pham models the official 2009 season GB9 Ball Tour shirt.
You won't be able to miss the new referee at the next GB9 event in Mansfield!
Unlike the rest of Europe which takes a summer break from pool, (even some of the warehouses and manufacturers take a six week break from production) the British pool season is a relentless twelve month affair, possibly due to the unpredictable nature of our weather.
The GB9 Ball Tour forges ahead with it's fifth event, the Northern Masters at Manchester, hosted by Rileys American Pool and Snooker Clubs - Europe's largest operator of pool, snooker and poker clubs.
Each event consists of three individual tournaments, the 96 player "Challenge Cup" - the division for players attempting to gain promotion, the 32 player "Pro Cup" - for the elite top 32 national ranked players, and the 128 player "Main Event" - featuring the full field of 128 players from both divisions.
All matches are single elimination, race-to-nine, except the finals which are race-to-eleven, and these events are regularly held in clubs with only 16 tables. Matches start late on Friday afternoon and on Sunday evening the Main Event final is over by 9.30pm.
As you can imagine, the smooth running of the event is a thing to behold, precise timing and superb organisation skills enables all 254 matches to run like clockwork, and the use of the "Tapping Mat" speeds the racking process whilst preventing disputes.
GB9 players showing off their medals from the recent European Championships.
GB9 Northern Masters winner, Scotland's Jayson Shaw (R), presented with his trophy
by tour sponsor The Pro Shop's manager Andrew Watts.
It's a Shaw thing!
Proud Scotsman Jayson Shaw has managed to win the GB9 Northern Masters Pro Cup at only his second attempt. On his route to the final he beat former Pro Cup champion and current number 2 ranked European player Imran Majid in the first round of the UK's elite player event.
In the final, the youngster from Glasgow toppled the Euro Tour number one ranked player Mark Gray with an 11-8 score - I don't think we've seen the last of this young player.
Shaw actually missed the start of the tour, and has managed to get a reserve spot filling the vacancy due to Tony Drago having to attend the 2008 World Snooker Shanghai Masters Qualifying - and Shaw certainly made the most of the opportunity. Jayson plans to join the GB9 Tour next year, but ironically he will have to enter the Challenge Cup division to gain promotion to the Pro Cup that he's just won!
In an interview after the final Shaw was asked if there was anyone on the tour that he feared, he replied, "When I'm playing I don't really fear anybody, but to be honest with you, there could be easier draws, I'd rather play someone instead of Imran who has won the last four events" - he also admitted to practicing 5 hours every day, thanks to his sponsors The New Archway snooker club in Glasgow.
Northern Masters Challenge Cup winner Christopher Robson (L) receiving his trophy
from Big Dave Knight, the Editor at www.Pro9.co.uk - The European Pool Player Resource
No surprise as Robson wins second consecutive Challenge Cup
Chris Robson was regarded as the underdog in the final at the last event, but he proved himself to be a bit of a giant-killer with his win over Scott Higgins, and once again he has shown that he's made of stern stuff with a thrilling 11-10 win over London's David Walsh.
In fact, Walsh was the only player to take Robson to the hill at this event, and Walsh and Robson now sit side-by-side on the Challenge Cup rankings at 3rd and 4th respectively, both in with a fair chance of topping the end-of-season rankings.
All will depend on the final event of the season, the GB9 British Grand Prix to be held at Rileys American Pool and Snooker Club, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on 19 September 2008.
The colourful baize battlefield saw plenty of action at the GB9 Northern Masters
Stretford Rileys General Manager Michelle Law congratulates Darren Appleton!
Click the picture to download the full size photograph. (2Mb)
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE MAIN TOURNAMENT | ||
THE LAST 32 | ||
Imran Majid | 9 : 5 | Chris Cowie |
Pat Holtz | 9 : 6 | Kevin Uzzell |
David Jack | 9 : 7 | Andy Worthington |
James Kay | 9 : 5 | Jonny Cooper |
Mark Gray | 9 : 8 | Phil Burford |
Stewart Colclough | 9 : 4 | Mike Rogers |
Adam Clarke | 9 : 8 | Andy Barnett |
Darren Appleton | 9 : 2 | Thomas Ainsworth-Smith |
Michael Valentine | 9 : 5 | Damian Overton |
Stephen Capaldi | 9 : 4 | Damian Massey |
Christopher Robson | 9 : 7 | Craig Osborne |
Daryl Peach | 9 : 8 | Adam Benn-Smith |
Scott Higgins | 9 : 8 | Martin Chapman |
Brad Parker | 9 : 7 | Jonathan Mathers |
Karl Boyes | 9 : 6 | Andy Appleton |
Jon Davies | 9 : 6 | Douglas Isaac |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE MAIN TOURNAMENT | ||
THE LAST 16 | ||
Imran Majid | 9 : 8 | Pat Holtz |
David Jack | 9 : 7 | James Kay |
Mark Gray | 9 : 5 | Stewart Colclough |
Darren Appleton | 9 : 3 | Adam Clarke |
Michael Valentine | 9 : 4 | Stephen Capaldi |
Daryl Peach | 9 : 8 | Christopher Robson |
Brad Parker | 9 : 6 | Scott Higgins |
Karl Boyes | 9 : 5 | Jon Davies |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE MAIN TOURNAMENT | ||
THE QUARTER FINALS | ||
Imran Majid | 9 : 8 | David Jack |
Darren Appleton | 9 : 3 | Mark Gray |
Daryl Peach | 9 : 8 | Michael Valentine |
Karl Boyes | 9 : 7 | Brad Parker |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE MAIN TOURNAMENT | ||
THE SEMI FINALS | ||
Darren Appleton | 9 : 7 | Imran Majid |
Daryl Peach | 9 : 1 | Karl Boyes |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE MAIN TOURNAMENT | ||
THE FINAL | ||
Darren Appleton | 11 : 7 | Daryl Peach |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE CHALLENGE CUP | ||
THE LAST 32 | ||
Jimmy Carney | 9 : 4 | Thomas Ainsworth-Smith |
Chris Cowie | 9 : 5 | Craig Dixon |
Christopher Robson | 9 : 5 | Jonny Cooper |
Mark Hughes | 9 : 7 | Neil Jenkins |
Martin Chapman | 9 : 6 | Paul Edwards |
Tony Burton | 9 : 7 | Dharam Singh |
Ben Moore | 9 :7 | Mark McDonald |
David McCarthy | 9 : 6 | Andy Barnett |
David Walsh | 9 : 6 | Jack Triggs |
Adam Jackson | 9 : 7 | Chun Hao Man |
Damian Massey | 9 : 4 | Stephen Folan |
Andy Nicholson | 9 : 6 | Gary Thompson |
Andrew Morris | 9 : 6 | Scott Higgins |
Chris Buckmaster | 9 : 5 | Jason Howard |
Liam Wilson | 9 : 8 | Kevin Simpson |
Brad Parker | 9 : 0 | Adam Collins |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE CHALLENGE CUP | ||
THE LAST 16 | ||
Jimmy Carney | 9 : 4 | Chris Cowie |
Christopher Robson | 9 : 0 | Mark Hughes |
Tony Burton | 9 : 4 | Martin Chapman |
Ben Moore | 9 : 5 | David McCarthy |
David Walsh | 9 : 3 | Adam Jackson |
Andy Nicholson | 9 : 5 | Damian Massey |
Chris Buckmaster | 9 : 7 | Andrew Morris |
Brad Parker | 9 : 7 | Liam Wilson |
THE GB9 NORTHEN MASTERS | ||
THE CHALLENGE CUP | ||
THE QUARTER FINALS | ||
Chris Robson | 9 : 7 | James Carney |
Tony Burton | 9 : 8 | Ben Moore |
David Walsh | 9 : 7 | Andy Nicholson |
Bradley Parker | 9 : 3 | Chris Buckmaster |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE CHALLENGE CUP | ||
THE SEMI FINALS | ||
Cristopher Robson | 9 : 6 | Tony Burton |
David Walsh | 9 : 4 | Bradley Parker |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE CHALLENGE CUP | ||
THE FINAL | ||
Christopher Robson | 11 : 10 | David Walsh |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE PRO CUP | ||
THE LAST 32 | ||
Phil Burford | 9 : 0 | Walkover |
Pat Holtz | 9 : 2 | Stephen Capaldi |
Craig Osborne | 9 : 6 | Adam Clarke |
Gareth Esprite | 9 : 0 | Walkover |
Jayson Shaw | 9 : 4 | Imran Majid |
Andy Worthington | 9 : 7 | Michael Valentine |
Richard Jones | 9 : 5 | David Jack |
Kevin Uzzell | 9 : 0 | Walkover |
Alan Millership | 9 : 6 | Jonathan Mathers |
Karl Boyes | 9 : 0 | Walkover |
Mark Gray | 9 : 2 | Mike Rogers |
James Kay | 9 : 4 | Gordon Bain |
Daryl Peach | 9 : 1 | Adam Benn Smith |
Stewart Colclough | 9 : 4 | Paul Williams |
Damian Overton | 9 : 8 | Matt Lawrenson |
Sarren Appleton | 9 : 2 | Sam Gibson |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE PRO CUP | ||
THE LAST 16 | ||
Phil Burford | 9 : 8 | Pat Holtz |
Craig Osborne | 9 : 5 | Gareth Esprit |
Jayson Shaw | 9 : 6 | Andy Worthington |
Kevin Uzzell | 9 : 5 | Richard Jones |
Karl Boyes | 9 : 7 | Alan Millership |
Mark Gray | 9 : 7 | James Kay |
Stewart Colclough | 9 : 4 | Daryl Peach |
Damian Overton | 9 : 5 | Darren Appleton |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE PRO CUP | ||
THE QUARTER FINALS | ||
Craig Osborne | 9 : 8 | Phil Burford |
Jayson Shaw | 9 : 4 | Kevin Uzzell |
Mark Gray | 9 : 4 | Karl Boyes |
Stewart Colclough | 9 : 4 | Damian Overton |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE PRO CUP | ||
THE SEMI FINALS | ||
Jayson Shaw | 9 : 3 | Craig Osborne |
Mark Gray | 9 : 1 | Stewart Colclough |
THE GB9 NORTHERN MASTERS | ||
THE PRO CUP | ||
THE FINAL | ||
Jayson Shaw | 11 : 8 | Mark Gray |
