Kent Region 7

KENT REGION 7 CHAMPIONS

In the mid 1980s More than Half The Kent’s Eleven man A Team was made up from Sheppey Players.

It was during this time that Kent became Region seven Champions for the first time. It was also the first Time that Kent had ever beaten London, Region 7 was basically the home counties, London,Hampshire, Sussex, Surry,Essex,and Kent.

The KCPA head quarters were in Pool Land Ramsgate, and trials were held there for all the Kent’s pool teams. That’s the A & B and Ladies Teams.

Some Sheppey players took this route to get in the Kent side. Others were invited after winning nearly all the KCPA run events, and others after winning big open events.

The 1985 Kent finals were played at The Victoria Club Sheerness, with the Sheppey Players winning most of them.

Over 400 started out in the singles event and it was down to the last 32 out of those, Six were Island players, Tony Gray, Rob Montgomery, Cliff Montgomery,Barry Williment, Ray Farbrother, and Jim Archibald.

The Finalist were Rob Montgomery V Mark Lawrence from Tunbridge, Mark was top ranked County player and had taken out Tony Gray on his way to the final.

He open up a 7-3 lead in this 15 frame final only needing one more to win, Rob came back and won the next three frames, Rob was buzzing now and looked as if he would go on and win this match, Then in the 14th frame Disaster struck for Rob he accidently potted the black prematurely to lose 8-6, but the Kent Selectors that were there had seen enough.

Sheppey’s Kent Players, At the time, Tony Gray, Ray Farbrother , Kevin Field, Rob Montgomery, Cliff Montgomery, Rob Curtis, Colin (polly) Perkins, Jock Connors,

Kent became Region 7 Champions in the last match of the season when they Beat Essex at Essex.

Jock Connors won the frame that clinched the title for Kent

JVAs “The Pool Years”