BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP.

Shannon News, 13 March 1925, Page 1

BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP.

ANOTHER FIASCO. LONDON. January 22. Once more a sorry mess has been made of the billiards championship. Tom Newman is to defend his UUe, and his only opponent is to be Tom Ucece, who is now over fifty years of age, and though playing remarkably well, can hardly hope to beat him. 1 am ali-aid that there was never much chance of the event being 1 a real success, owing- to the fact that Newman , and Smith are immeasurably superior to the other professionals. There is no one to whom both cannot give four thousand start in eighteen thousand, and a good beating into the bargain. So what inducement was there for the other players to pay the entrance fee of £IOO with the certainty that as soon as they met either Newman or Smith, they would be defeated? But right up to the closing date of the entries, it was expected that Smith would challenge 'Newman. He hud stated that this was his intention. However, the authorities decided that the preliminary heats must be played off before the end of March, and this has prevented Smith sending in his entry. He is under contract with one of the chief table.makers until the end of March, and all his, engagements are made for him; either he cannot get out of this contract, or he does not want to, in order that He I may make the framers of the cham- , pionship conditions appear in the wrong in the eyes of the public, Smith declares that the authorities have deliberately fixed the date for the preliminary heats to be played before the end of 'March in order to shut Mm out of the championship, knowing that he would not be able to take pare in it. He was, of course, at loggerheads with them last year, and d|d not compete then, and he has not been on good terms with them since. There is little doubt that the event would have been better supported if It j had been known that Smith was not to play, because there would then i have been a chance for the other play. ! ers to take part in two games, and I so at least get their entrance money back from the match receipts. Newman wil, of course, play Reece for the official title, but in all probability the real match of the season will take ; place later between the new champion and Smith. And Smith is almost ceritain to be favourite.