Line-up Set for League Snooker Championship Finals Weekend

The eight qualifiers for the final weekend of the inaugural EPSB English League Snooker Championship have been determined following the conclusion of the second qualifying event at the Landywood Snooker Club last weekend.

With Nottingham Snooker and the Leeds Billiards & Snooker Organisation (LSBO) Absolute Dream Team having previously progressed in April, a bumper second qualifying weekend saw a further 11 teams battle it out across two groups to complete the line-up.

The top two finishers from each of the groups would progress, with the two best third-placed teams across both qualifying weekends to complete the quarter-final line-up with the finals set to take place from 29-30 June.

Group A

Final Standings

1. Whitchurch & District League (41)
2. Telford Snooker League (32)
3. SWMBSA ‘C’ (26)
4. The Warrington Snooker League (16)
5. West Wilts League (5)

There was an overall victory for the Whitchurch & District League in Group A  last weekend after the team scored 41 points – an impressive total with the group reduced to just five teams following a late withdrawal.

With a strong line-up captained by Lee Gorton and featuring players including former World Snooker Federation Championship runner-up Lee Stephens and this season’s EPSB Open Series winner Jack Bradford, the team finished nine points clear at the top following two days of action. Both Bradford and Robert Dubicki top scored as the pair both finished unbeaten with eight points each from eight frames played.

Joining them at finals weekend will be the Telford Snooker League, captained by Paul Lloyd and featuring the only professional player in the line-up Stan Moody, as well as Tom Maxfield who enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals of the WPBSA Q Tour 4 tournament held at the venue last year. Both Lloyd and Mike Dorey were the top points scorers for the team, each securing six points from eight.

Despite missing out on one of the two automatic spots, the Staffordshire & West Midlands Billiards & Snooker Association (SWMBSA) ‘C’ team will also progress to finals weekend on account of their frame average, having secured 26 points from what was a competitive weekend at the Landywood Snooker Club.

Missing out on qualification this time were the Warrington Snooker League and West Wilts League.

Group B

Final Standings

1. SWMBSA ‘D’ (42)
2. SWMBSA ‘A’ (36)
3. Aldridge & District Snooker League (32)
4. Malcolm Acaster Snooker League (27)
5. Gloucester Snooker League (23)
6. Ormskirk & District Amateur Snooker League (20)

Over in what proved to be a highly competitive Group B there was to be a double success for the Staffordshire & West Midlands Billiards & Snooker Association after both their D and A teams successfully made it through to finals weekend.

With nine points won from a possible 10, it was to be a strong performance from former professional and ranking event semi-finalist Mitchell Mann, who also hit a break of 131 in the final round of matches to help the SWMBSA ‘D’ team to top spot. Gary Miller also impressed as he earned eight points, with John Pritchett and Anthony Harris claiming seven and six respectively.

In second place in the group were SWMBSA ‘A’ with former professional Adrian Rosa having secured a team best seven points, with Bal Sembi and Jack Harris narrowly behind on six apiece. Arguably the outstanding player, however was former professional Riley Parsons, who claimed four points from his five frames contested, as well as hitting breaks of 94 and 90 – bettered only by Mann’s 131 – along the way.

Both teams edged out the Aldridge & District Snooker League – who narrowly missed out on qualification as one of the third best teams – as well as teams from Hull, Gloucester and Ormskirk.

Finals Weekend Line-up

The eight teams to progress (in no particular order) are:

1. Nottingham Snooker
   
2. LBSO Absolute Dream Team
3. Whitchurch & District League
4. Telford Snooker League
5. SWMBSA ‘D’
6. SWMBSA ‘A’
7. Byfleet League
8. SWMBSA ‘C’

The finals weekend will run from 29-30 June 2024, with a prize fund of £3,500 to be won at the Landywood Snooker Club.

Learn more about the English League Snooker Championship.