With the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the Spalding and District Snooker and Billiards League’s finals weekend for each of the past two years, this year’s showpiece event was extra special for all involved.
But it was a particularly great weekend for Bren Bowman at Springfields Events Centre, as he got his hands on the best individual prize on offer and helped his Consti A team-mates to the leading team prize too.
The Consti cueman defeated club mate Nic Savic 4-1 to clinch the Snooker Scratch crown on Saturday, before returning to the baize to help Consti defeat Sutton Bridge 4-2 in the Norey Cup final to close out the weekend.
The first match of the weekend was also a very significant one for Donington, as they defeated Bourne SC in the Billiards Shield final to complete a league and cup double.
Nigel Brasier (R100) and Tony Scully (R60) both won for the billiards champions, with Carl Gibson (R50) victorious in frame two for beaten Bourne.
Saturday’s action got underway with more billiards action, as Ian Clare (Bourne SC) took on Kieran Richards-Witham (Consti) in the Billiards Handicap final.
Despite Clare (R50) sinking a 33 break, it was Richards-Witham (R90) who triumphed 200-185 to lift the trophy.
Next up was the Snooker Senior Masters final, which pitted Wayne Forbelets (O21) against Roy Jackson (R7).
This was another tight tussle, but it was Pyramid potter Jackson who got the better of his Holbeach opponent 2-1.
Then came the Snooker Mixed Pairs, which saw Donington duo Brasier and Jean Thompson get the better of Services pairing Courtney Boulding and Jake Haslam 111-103.
The Snooker KO Cup is one of the most coveted crowns on finals weekend – and this year the final was a cracker.
The Bourne SC A team of Ian Gibson (R7), Pete Hodgson-Kerry (O21), Mark Gray (O125), Oliver Player (O28) and Ian Clare (O7) emerged victorious 3-2 against Consti G, with Gray reeling off a 60 break.
Then came the all-Consti Snooker Scratch to finish off Saturday’s action, with Bowman bagging a 39 break en-route to his impressive victory.
Opponent Savic did manage a 26 break of his own, but he fell short.
There was another huge showdown on Sunday morning as Holbeach’s Mick Cooper and Consti’s Mick Johnson clashed in the Billiards Scratch.
Despite a 37 break from Johnson, it was Cooper who prevailed 270-247.
It was then time for the Snooker Handicap Pairs, as serial winners Gray and Mike Byrne (Bourne SC) lifted the trophy again by beating Donington duo Wrigglesworth and Kevin Hawes 142-135.
Next up was the Snooker Handicap final, which was an all-Services affair. Chris Dunmore (O28) had just too much for Martin Spencer (O21), winning 2-0.
The penultimate final was the Snooker Scratch Pairs, with the formidable Pyramid pairing of Spencer Dawkins and Jason Green seeing off Holbeach’s Ben Harding and Stuart Sullivan 2-0.
That left the Norey Cup final to close proceedings on Sunday night, as Bowman, joined forces with brothers Mark and Darren Woodberry to defeat Sutton Bridge’s Sean Swinburn, Stuart Atkin and Mathew Smith 4-2 in a lengthy final to bring the top team prize back to the Consti club.
