Euroslot-JUL-AUG09-PG18:Layout 1 02/07/2009 10:14 Page 18
POOL NEWS www.euroslot-online.com
Great support for French pool championships
O
ver 1200 French men, ladies and under-16s took part in the ninth The AFEBAS championships are based on a rather complicated system of
AFEBAS individual and team finals held from May 30 to June 1. This ranking; but the proof of the system is shown by the popularity of the
figure, which about equals the total number of players who attend the tournaments and the number of players who want to be involved. Furthermore
European Blackball Masters event in April and the BAPTO Finals in the association's finals, according to the tournament organiser Vincent Noel,
November, brings further evidence of the growing popularity in France of the receive good sponsorship with those held in May listing SLF, Simply Pool Ltd.,
blackball game. Cue Craft, Aramith and Hainsworth as the main sponsors.
A few years ago a French pool table operator gave an interview in which he Simply Pool provided the 64 tables required for the event with Hainsworth
admitted the rewards to table operators in France were usually based on the Smart cloth used to cover them. The fact that British tables and cloth were
shares principle with the operator getting at least about 40 per cent of the used would appear to indicate that there could be a healthy market both in
table takings. In the UK, site owners expect to pay no more than an average of France and elsewhere for table manufacturers who have found the current
around £12 per week rental with shares only being evident if the operator's difficulties in the UK being experienced by pubs tend to stifle sales there. As
share were likely to be less than the average rental. this column has often said, pool is the victim of economic circumstances in the
industry for which it is not to blame.
Were those the days?
P
ool tables are better made these days than they were about 30 years ago
when such items as inferior cushions could determine the course of a tight
game. From the operators' points of view there were no such things as electronic
coin-acceptors or adjustments that could be made to the price of play during
busy and less busy parts of the day.
But while distance might lend attractions to many scenes those who recall the
late 1970s and 80s recall an era when pool competitions were frequently shown
live on national TV and when characters like Joe Barbara, Dave Dolman and Keith
Brewer, to name but three, were professional players of high quality.
These days the Professional Pool Players' Organisation has at least twice as
many members as it had then. But it would be difficult for many players to name
them. The PPPO has its own circuit tournaments with Ross McInnes, probably
today the UK's top professional player, one of the few players whose name
might be readily recognised by run-of-the-mill players at a national pool event.
Even the annual BAPTO Finals are amateur only although chairman Alan
Boswell, a former professional footballer, suggested some months ago that pool Sunny weather is
needed personalities among the players that at present it lacked. The association bad news for pool
claims the backbone of pool is to be found among the grass roots players and not
at professional level. Few can argue with that contention but only recently has the
association's annual finals event started to thrive again. Yet 30 years ago some of
the major BAPTO members would run their own qualifying competitions to
determine which teams and individuals, ladies' and men's, would represent them
Business looks up for Sam
at the finals. Some of the qualifying finals were as well attended as some of the
national finals were to be in later years. This year's BAPTO Finals will be held at
Pontins, Blackpool, from November 13 to 15. Bookings are now being taken.
B
usiness if improving for Sam Leisure in family entertainment
centres and bowling alleys where the company's air hockey
McKenna reveals all
tables and American pool tables are popular. Liam Barratt, Sam
Leisure's PR, told Euroslot: "Pub business in pool is tough but we
have been able to switch to places like FECs and bowling alleys with
F
ollowing a number of queries about which tables are currently
our air hockey tables and American pool tables. New developments
being made by Simply Pool Ltd following its merger at the start of
and investments in such places have brought some increased sales
this year with Excel Leisure the company's commercial director, Stan
for us and although we still think it will be a tough year we are
McKenna, has confirmed to Euroslot that a full complement of both
quietly satisfied with the progress so far".
parties' tables are available.
The amusement market, he said, would become more and more
The Excel range is: Mayfair, Spirit, Regent, Galaxy and Silver. The
attractive when it became more innovative with quality products that
Simply Pool range is: Tournament, Kensington, Sapphire, Atlanta
had consumer appeal and high revenue potential.
(American pool table) and Barline.
Pool had been hard hit by the problems of the licensed trade, he
McKenna confirmed all these were coin-operated tables. However
said, and as usual the summer tended to bring a decline in the use
the company does make a range of tables for what he termed the retail
of pool tables because only the real diehards wanted to play pool or
trade as distinct from table operating.
snooker indoors when it was bright and sunny outdoors.
18
JULY/AUGUST 2009
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