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Winner takes it all!

Aidy Kosasih (left) who became the third player in league history to win the Memorial, Singles and Doubles Merits in the same season.

Last week saw the annual Leek Pool League presentation evening which was very well attended.

The first trophies were for last years summer league, where the Prince of Wales A became champions, an amazing seventh title in eight years and beat the Priory in the final, who had been defending champions.

The Cup competitions came next with the new Divisional Cups.

The Snooker Centre A triumphed over the Sea Lion Ipstones to win the Division 3 Cup. A great performance by the Unicorn B, who had finished 8th in the league, saw them beat the Snooker Centre B to win the Division 2 Cup. The Division 1 Cup went to the Fountain B, who had finished 5th in the league and they beat the Priory A in the final.

Victorious in the Leek Pool League Subsidiary Cup this year were the Ball Haye Tavern A who beat the Britannia in the final. It completed a superb season where they fought and retained their division 1 status and won their first silverware since they were 2000 Summer League runners-up.

The Knock Out cup produced one of the finest finals in years, with the Royal Oak D avenging league defeats by their Prince of Wales A rivals and lifting the Cup they last won in 2004. (see attached photograph: from left to right, Steve Guard, Nick Embrey, Mick Oddy, Paul Flower, Steve Flower capt. and Dan Duffield).

The Memorial Trophy was the first of the individual awards, coming out on top was Aidy Kosasih who narrowly beat Pete Whitelegg 5 - 4 in the final and received winnings of £150.

League titles are what we all play for and their was an outstanding side in Division 3, the Royal Oak C and only one side pushed them all the way, the Pride of the Moorlands came runners-up.

Division 2 saw a great 3-way battle, Benks A just missed out, the Britannia gain promotion in runners-up position but it was Benks B who go up as champions.

Our Division 1 title went right to the wire with 2 sides finishes level on points, but in the big head to head matches it was the Benks C who came out on top against the Prince of Wales A and finished top of the pile, Leek Pool League Champions.

At the top of every players list is to become our Leek Merits winners and in the Doubles Merits Jon Sowerby and Dave Brine played some marvellous attacking pool getting to their first final. But they were given few opportunities in the final and Leek Doubles Champions this year were Nick Burton and Aidy Kosasih, Aidy's first merits title and Nick equaling Wilf Mannion's record of five Doubles titles.

Pete Pointon, our Singles runner-up in 1999, again proved what a tremendous player he is, only meeting a player at the top of his game preventing him going one better this year, he had to settle for runner-up again. A top player for many years, Aidy Kosasih had never even reached an individual quarter final before, but this was his year and playing faultless pool, deservedly became Leek Singles Champion. To win any of the Leek individual titles is very good, but to win all three, as Aidy has done this year, is a marvellous achievement. Leek Pool League was formed in 1982 and Aidy becomes only the third player to do this, Chris Barrs in 1999 and Nick Burton in 2002.

Knock-Out Cup Winners 2008

Royal Oak D

Left to Right

Steve Guard, Nick Embrey, Mick Oddy, Paul Flower Steve Flower (Captain), Dan Duffield

Leek Pool League Presentation 2007

An excellent Presentation was the end of a great year in the Leek Pool League.

The evening started with the crowning of the Priory as Leek Summer League Champions. After winning their Division X, they faced the Prince of Wales in the semi-final (winners of Division Y) who had been champions for an amazing 6 years. Though under-dogs they won through to play the Royal Oak C (winners of Division Z) who were maybe slight favourites. The Priory came through like real Champions, losing the 1st leg 5 - 4 but taking the title 10 - 8 on aggregate.

Then came the presentation of marvellous trophies to Staffordshire Singles Champion Nick Burton and then to Staffordshire Three's Champions Aidain Kosasih, Andy Slack and Mark Mannion.

What a year for the Prince of Wales Team, Leek Pool Champions, Runners-up in the Cup, Staffordshire Singles Champion (Nick) and Staffordshire Three's Champions (Aidy, Andy and Mark)

Pictured left to right: Andy Slack, Mark Mannion, Nick Burton Capt., Aidy Kosasih and Adam Burtonshaw
with Wilf Mannion and James Tosh not pictured.

The Subsidiary Cup was then presented to the Prince of Wales B from Division 2. Their demolition of 1st Division Priory in the final capped a marvellous season for them.

This years Knock-Out Cup semi-final was between great rivals The Prince of Wales A and the Royal Oak D, it was holders the Prince who won both legs 5 - 4 to meet the Royal Oak C in the final. With the Prince favourites, it was the Oak who won 6 - 3 at the Prince and cruised home in the 2nd leg 5 - 1 to lift the Cup.

In the Memorial Singles Paul Shatwell took his record sixth win in a final where he overcame holder Paul Flower 5 - 4 and deprive him of his 3rd title.

Onto the league titles, hot favourites Benks B took the Division 3 title losing 2 matches, pushing them all the way was the Unicorn losing just 3.

The Prince of Wales B went into this campaign as unbeaten Division 3 Champions and were big favourites again. They did not disappoint, breaking all records by going unbeaten for yet another season to add to their victory in lifting the Subsidiary Cup. It was obviously going to be tough for the other teams in the Division, but it was the Royal Oak B who took Runners-up by just 2 points from the V-Bar.

Division 1 was a 3 way battle all season, the Royal Oak D beat the Prince of Wales A twice, the Royal Oak C beat the Royal Oak D twice, but it was defending Champions the Prince of Wales A, helped by their double over the Royal Oak C and losing only 2 matches all season, who became Leek Pool League Champions for the 3rd time in the last 4 years.

Finally Leek's prized Singles and Doubles Merits titles. Paul Winter and Pete Rushton won a great semi-final 4 - 3 against Bernie Frain and Rob O'Shaunessy to reach the Doubles final where they met brothers Simon and Adam Burtonshaw from the Prince of Wales. It was a good final but it was the lads from the Royal Oak C, Paul Winter and Pete Rushton who became Leek Doubles Champions for 2007 winning comfortably 4-1.

Graham Spedding from the Priory won his first Singles Merits title when he beat Pete Whitelegg from Benks 5 - 2. Pete, last years Runner-Up, was probably favourite in the final, but Graham, who got to the Semi-Final in 2005, had other ideas. He played superbly to be Leek Singles Champion for 2007.

Presentation evening 2008-09 Friday June 12th