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If you could change anything about the league, match format, competitions, league sheets or anything at all, what would it be?

I would introduce the option to email results in by scanning the sheets . . It would save the league money in postage and reduce the chances of sheets going missing . .

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Re: league results reporting and individual rankings, not sure if this is what you mean, but on the site itself I would like to see weekly updated position for each division for individuals (top 10 from each division) / and overall rankings (say top 20). Some kind of seperate tables to the side of the site reporting these details - updated weekly. We only seem to get rankings/details on the individuals released 3 or 4 times per season, mainly near to the end of the campaign - so really you don't have much idea whats going on, who is leading/doing well etc. Singles and Doubles results posted in full, scores etc, as you only know who has gone through when the next draw sheet comes out. A vidiprinter at the top of the site - reeling off weekly scores and who won for who (Sky sports style). As it stands the info, I presume, would need to be filtered through from Mark to someone who has the time to punch in the info each week.
I mean how many players now look at a league results sheet each week? The site could reduce the amount of paper down to nearly nothing. I know its a time element, but would be good to see more information.

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instead of phoning the results through, you could update the score on-line; including individual frame scores, which could then update the league/individual stats in real-time. The score card could posted on for signiture clarification as we currently do. Competitions? No plate, but as mentioned previously a divisional singles k/o.

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If I could change anything...

Scrap the trophies (or at least reduce size and numbers significantly) and reduce the team registration fees accordingly. It is often pub landlords footing the bill, and they are feeling the squeeze currently. Lower team fees could lead to more pubs entering more than 1 team, or more importantly, not withdrawing any existing teams.


Regarding suggestions from Danny and Alex...

Cards are faxed and/or scanned at Premier. Every team will have someone with access to a fax. Except the British Legion, who will wrap the result-sheet around a rock, and lob it through the league window.

Alexs' requests are fairly achievable, and would probably add significantly to site usage if they were added here. What you need is an open source version of something like LeagueRepublic, to build a results sub-site that can be updated 'live' by the team secretaries.

The only problem then is ensuring the integrity and security of the site, to stop dodgy results being added.

Mark Halsey would probably still have to produce the confirmed results, in the traditional manner.

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Deinitely reduce the amount of trophies, by the end of the presentations my hands are almost raw from clapping. :winner:

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I'd replace the league cup with a divisional knockout.

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A discreet medal or something would be a little more classy imo.

Anybody who has carried a box of those trophies home (ask someone Alex) and seeing how scratched they get, could vouch for how poor they are. Can anybody honestly say they have put a trophy on top of their mantle-piece with 'League Cup Semi-Finalist' on it?

Mind you, I use them for incentives with our field teams at work, so if they do continue can I politely request they do not have, people playing pool on them so I don't get people asking me why there is a snooker player on their trophy. As neutral as possible please. Thanks!

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And before anyone says we won't be winning any anyway, we are going to win the knockout cup, get to the semis in the league cup (minimum)and (almost) certainly be runners up (at least) in the league. Ted's already ordered the trophy cabinet for the Elmer so we are commited.

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Ted's ordered the cabinet for the Elmer Cuemasters.

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Tell you what James. Name your own odds, no infact will 10's do? Have ?500 on it. :lol: Leave it behind the bar at the Farley if I'm not around. I'll borrow some money off my mum in case you win.

Shit, I just can't stop myself.

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The Harkness boys have landed - on planet Eden....

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Back on topic. I agree James, the trophies are a massive expense to the league and something should be considered to reduce the outlay. The medals is a good idea. Ones you hang around your neck. Jim'll fix it stylie....

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The new trophies...



This was created as a result of a letter to Jim from a Croydon player who has asked to remain Anonymous.

"Dear Jim

Can you Fix it for Me to win a Trophy in my local league. I love Pool, but have never won anything. I get regular coaching and think I deserve to win something.

One final request, I have very short arms, and am worried that if I do win a trophy, when I lift it above my head for the photos, my head will be obscured, and no-one will believe it was me.

So a medal might be better.

P.S. I always watch your show."

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:lol:

Priceless....:clap:

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:lol:

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I'd be very surprised if the introduction of an automated system would be welcomed . . As Burn has said, LeagueRepublic is the closest thing around that serves that purpose and that can be intergrated into this site but halsey already does agood job in respect of putting the stats etc together and as a general rule they're on the site by Friday at the latest . .

. . remember the days when you had to wait until next Monday at the earliest to see how anyone got on? Although it wouldn't be official, if at least one person from each team/fixture popped on the site for a couple of minutes on a Wednesday we'd have a complete idea of all results the next day!

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More frames, definately.

I really hope that the argumentative, 'won't agree with anything proposed that will change how things have been since 1978' people at the AGM will see that the proposal for more frames can only be good for the players who are out on a Tuesday to play pool.

I travel approximately 30 miles on a Tuesday for a home game, so if there's a chance I could get another competetive frame then it's a bonus.

I also think timing should be brought into the league at some point, but understand that this could be detrimental so wouldn't push for it.

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Timing is for rubbish players who don't know what shot to play . .

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Exactly. The only reason matches go on long past 10.30pm is because some people continually take well over 2 minutes to roll a ball over a hole.

60 seconds is a very long time unless you're really rubbish.

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Review of Tuesday Night?s Match

8.45 start I was a bit late and hit a few balls about before the table was snatched for practice by the Young Guns who clearly wanted to scare us all with their awesome ability . . .

9.00 Young Guns were 2 zip down

9.15 3-1

9.30 4-1 (bit of a slow frame there)

9.40 5-2

10.00 Longest frame of the night finishes (secretary?s frame) due to the fact that I was unable to pot a ball and fudged for Cadburys.

Upshot of all this is that if a bunch of girls in Div 5 can play a match in 75 minutes I can?t see why timing is needed.

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2 minutes !!, i've seen players take over 5 minutes and not just once in a frame !!

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No Sass, you're right.

As long as a Division 5 team can finish a match in 75 minutes, then the fact that other people have been at matches that are still going on at 11pm is totally irrelevant.

Glad we cleared that one up!

Sorry for mentioning it everyone - it's all ok now. :lol:

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You will cut yourself on that tongue one of these days. :lol:

I believe 11pm finishes are the exception rather than the norm. Why should people have to faff about with a stopwatch when there is no need for it? I don't think all matches need to be time kept. How about a rule that if a frame has lasted more than 20 minutes then a stopwatch be introduced for the remainder of the match?

There is another issue regarding timing that noone has considered. Do you expect the ref to also time keep? We moan often enough that refs miss things. Give them something else to do at the same time and that chance increases . . .

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no one really minds if people take their time over a hard shot decision, it's when players take an age over a simple pot that it's a problem...
the league republic site i use for the singles league allows a team administrator to input results and then the league administrator (mr h) can approve or ammend them.
tables would probably be updated by lunchtime the next day at the latest! with mobile technology this could probably be done before the pubs shut!!!
it would make sense to allow text messaging and emails a valid way to 'phone' in your result

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Reguarding timing in matches, is the 60 second shot time something that cant be adjusted slighty?
Making some changes might bring alot of people on side to the rule, and if I may suggest using some of the american 9 ball format into play!
With an extention brought in, maybe one a frame, with maybe an extra minute thinking time for snookers etc?
I maybe wrong with this, but I think the shot clock doesn't start till after the first shot is played after the break?
I think with a bit of debate, I think some of these can be worked out and the rule can be brought in and with the 10 frame match format being mention alot, I think maybe something has to be put in place, as matches may go on alot longer, but with consideration to everyone, from leauge 1 to 5!

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Everyone has made good and valid points, and I wish to take nothing away from them. All I want to do is throw the other side of the coin....

It certainly is the norm for matches to finish before 10.30 now, but has anyone thought this way? If you change the format to 2x5, how will that affect people who get up early. There are a number of people in the league that play because they can go on early, get done, and go home early enough to still get a half-decent night's kip before getting up at silly o'clock to go to work. Or even those that work nights who go to work after playing...

Yes I know that comments have been made about putting other players in for the second part of the match, but any decision made needs to be balanced with both viewpoints.

This is not a personal opinion, as I would have objection to a format change. It is just about making sure all bases and opinions are looked after.

Comments from anyone in that position?

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I would like to see timing introduced in the long term to avoid being on the receiving end of a 14 minute shot as I was last season

However, I think caution is required as there are a lot of changes being proposed for the summer season. I think its best to try to get these voted in and deal with timing after the new changes have settled down, perhaps at the winter AGM. I believe that starting matches at 8:15 will help to allow extra time for the additional frames, and should ensure matches actually start no later than 8:30. I have not been in the league for that long compared to many, almost 3 years, but I dont think I can remember a match that has started at exactly 8:30 by the time the away team arrives at the venue and has a quick practice

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Mark Already accepts e-mails as valid ways of reporting your results, so we're not that far in the dark ages!

We already have a forum for each division on tuesday nights / wednesday mornings, with the vast majority of the results getting "Unofficially" posted on there. A bit more lower league participation would be nice, but the nature of the beast is that most people who ply thier trade in the lower leagues are not that fussed about waiting a few days for results (Apologies to those impatient lower league players)

We have all seen the threads with "This is how the table looks bar 1 result" on wednesday mornings.

Personally, I think it's fine as it is. Mark has the results e-mailed out more often than not on Wednesday afternoons, surely that's fast enough???

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I think you've answered your own question there Statto.
They can still play early and get off early, thats the beauty of substitutes.
Unless of course a team has the bare minimum of 5, however, if some kind of "Pick Again" rule is still in place, I'm sure most secretarys allow for the fact that someone has left early, and, in the name of sport, pick one of those remaining players, the same as it is now.

I know there has been recent incidents of players being picked again despite the fact they've already left the venue, however, I think those are few and far between (and best left for another thread)
Most teams would be happy to accomodate such requests.

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:lol:

This is my point Sassy; the conversation always gets far too "but what if" when speaking of bringing in timing and it's quite clear that the League is simply not ready for it just yet.

To answer your last point, there are meant to be 2 referees for a frame; home and away. The timing would be addressed as it is in County I would suggest. One ref would be solely reffing and the other reffing AND timekeeping. It doesn't really take a lot to glance down to see how long has passed every now and again. As you pointed out, people reffing have a habit of chatting to someone, or turning to see what's on the tv, so I don't think with the other ref there doing their job, it'd make a great deal of difference in missing calls, etc.

And your point about a 20 minute match is valid, but how would you know it was a 20 minute match if no-one is timing?! Are people going to be happy to note the time every frame starts?!

ALL of this validates my post to say that timing would be detrimental to the league right now. Quicker players will be all for it, slower players won't want it and players who care about the League and format for the masses will realise it's not something Croydon are ready for.

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I don't think there will ever be a place for it in local league pool.

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I think you are both right, so what you need is a compromise solution.

What happens in Premier (sorry to keep wittering on about Premier this, Premier that, but it is where I play my weekly team pool now, so it is my only point of comparision) is that while the rules allow for timing, the players themselves play to the spirit of the timing rule rather than strictly adhering to it.

I haven't seen a stop watch at a Premier match in 2 full seasons. But if someone is blatantly taking the p!ss in terms of their shot time, the watches can come out.

So how about for this year, adding a 'guideline' as opposed to a 'rule'...

Players are expected to try and play their shots within the 1 minute per shot time frame allowed under World Rules

Just the request, with no specific rule attached for now. Basically make it an etiquette thing.

At some point in the future, next season, the season after, whenever, this might become...

Players are expected to try and play their shots within the 1 minute per shot time frame allowed under World Rules. If a payer fails to play to the spirit of this rule, the referee can, at his discretion, use a stopwatch for the remainder of the frame.

Point being, by the time the rule comes to pass, if ever, the guidelines should be getting followed anyway.

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I agree, I think proposing a match start time of 8:15 combined with Burns suggestion will be fine for now

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I think Burn has hit the nail on the head. What a great idea. Has to be worth a go.

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Anyone who is spending 5 minutes on a shot shouldn't be playing pool . .

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And if you had read the thread properly, you would be aware that part of the proposal is to do away with the pick again rule....:ohmygod:

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That is not a problem for me to do if that is wat you want. I have always waited until the 2nd half of the season to prepare individual stat reports because it would have generated a lot of photo-copying and paper costs to furbish these a few years ago but as times have changed and more teams are furbished electronically I will stick to the same format as I have done but I can furbish the webmasters with complete lists for members to peruse on the site which I wil now do every weekend.

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In all the years that I have been involved with the CDPL, the League has always prided itself with the quality of trophies awarded at the end of te season. If a drastic changed for this is a majority feeling then let it be known at the Half Season because if its medals that you want then sobeit and this could be instigated for the summer.

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On a personal note I think the introduction of more frames per person per match night is a much awaited way forward.

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:bow:

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We're going to go with this in the proposal as it's received some good feedback . .