9-Ball
Topic: Short Memories.

!!! QUOTE !!!

Short memories . . . . . . .
Many of you have had plenty to say about The BPPPA over the last few weeks. A number of people have been extremely quick to jump on the bandwagon and put the BPPPA down.

What many of you don’t realise or are choosing to forget is that The BPPPA is a non-profiting organisation.

The BPPPA over the last four years has been run mainly by, with the considerable help of others, Mr Edward Bristow.

Tournament Weekends do not start on a Saturday morning for The BPPPA. Mr Bristow has to setup and make arrangements with clubs long before the weekend.
How many of you leave the tournament club when you have been knocked out? The majority of players take the money and run.    I have lost count the number of times on a Sunday when players come for their prize money only to inform the desk that they need to get home because they have a long drive and are working tomorrow.
Fair enough, you have jobs to go to and need to get home to see your family before the weekend is over, however; what if you were to reach the final? Would you go home and forfeit the game? I don’t think so.

Mr Bristow and other reliable helpers stay and pack the tournament desk, banners, balls etc away which takes time. How many of you have helped Mr Bristow pack away on a Sunday since his very serious illnesses? How many of you have thought to stop and help? A few I’m sure. I’m also sure others and probably the majority don’t give a darn.

Mr Bristow over the years has given up his own free time, not just at tournament weekends, but also during weeks to help you guys have the best possible smoothly run events here in England. Does anyone have any idea how long it takes to clean and polish 18 sets of balls? No; it’s not a five minute job! Mr Bristow has worked over the years long into the night in attempts to gain sponsorship for pool in an attempt to gain the recognition the sport deserves in this nation. As you all know, a major sponsor pulled backing last year. More recently, sponsorship was lost for The U.K. Championship.

Many other tournaments are played around the UK. Local, regional and national tournaments. Other tours have started and ceased operation since The BPPPA began four years ago. Tours not only in the UK but also overseas have started with promises made to players. Promises that remain undelivered. Players are owed in some cases. Need I say any more. Without solid reliable sponsorship, tours are non-profitable. Maybe Mr Roman Abramovich is looking for a new playground? Wouldn’t that be nice. After reading Pro9 I think he may look else where. Fishing perhaps?

How many of you realise that there is nearly a grand to the winner (in some cases more) every month; making it one of the largest paying tours in Europe. The BPPPA have a budding Youth programme with Mr Bristow coaching juniors free of charge and the largest wheelchair tour in Europe, almost the largest on the planet.

People are too quick in ‘putting down’ The BPPPA and their operations. Too many players expect to turn up and walk into a tournament with prize money above and beyond what has been seen in this country before. Want higher prize funds? Are you prepared to pay double even treble the current BPPPA entry fees for this? It becomes expensive for you the player then. Obviously players in this country have played on recent tours with considerably higher entry fees where not the entire entry fee is allocated to the prize fund.
The BPPPA operates within its means. All entry fees go back out that same tournament as prize funds. No profit, no loss.
No loss. No profit. The secret to The BPPPA’s existence. No greed exists within The BPPPA. None at all. The tour exists purely for the pleasure of all players who wish to attend and continued goal of National recognition of the sport. Mr Bristow loves the sport. I love the sport as the majority of you do. The whole pool playing nation should stand as one and get behind The BPPPA for the good of the sport. What do potential sponsors think to reading posts of late here on Pro 9? Suicide.

A rough patch has hit The BPPPA over the last month or two. Many people offer services to help run The BPPPA yet do not deliver leaving Mr Bristow to pick up the pieces. How much can one man do?

How many of you know that The BPPPA has recently become WPA affiliated? The BPPPA falls under the umbrella of The IOC. It takes a tremendous amount of effort and time for this World Class recognition. Those of you who pay your membership fees are members and therefore are granted, via The President of The BPPPA, entry to World Class events. The WPA through their agreement with Matchroom Sport requires British players playing in a world class event to be members of their national governing body. In this case The BPPPA.

Mr Bristow is a good guy. Granted, of late The BPPPA has been going through a tough time. Remember it is only just over six months ago Mr Bristow was knocking on heavens door. Right now he has a taxi waiting to take him to that door with the meter still running.
If the hard work of Mr Bristow and his team at The BPPPA offends you and you wonder what on earth is going on at the moment then ask yourself one question and on question only: “Can I give the dedication, the time to run a tour just as successful as The BPPPA has been over the last four years?” Oh yes, and one more, “when was the last time I said thank you to Mr Bristow” and with the exception of Mr Donlon (who a true gentleman and sportsman I might add) when was the last time a winner bought Mr Bristow or our Head Referee a cup of tea?!!!!!!!!!!

!!! QUOTE !!!

so ted doesnt make a penny headrefstu from running bpppa?

i havent got a problem with ted and actually get on with him

all i want and am sure most other professionals is something better than what we have got ,and promises that are kept ive been round block so many times and been lead up the garden path so many times,am the type of guy if i say am going to do something 99% of time i will do it no matter what, people shouldnt say and do things unless there 100% sure its going to happen, its not fair on yourselfs and most importantly not right on others ! too many people have seen over years make promises am going to do this am going to do that this is happening and it always end up been blown up into smoke!

theres no doubt ted as done lots for british pool and when first met the bloke and spoke to him he seemed to be taking the game forward and told me things that got me excited,but over 12months later its gone completley the opposite way so the questions have got to be asked where does it go from here? i see it been a fallen ship
even if it got back on track and it was 1k winner every month is that good enough? in my opinion no

its time for change with or without ted in my opinion it needs fresh ideas and incentives to attract players from all over country not just the north! it needs trust and stability and a guaranteed future and better carefull planning !

and most of all it needs a team of workers with all things in the open with that team and not just one person!

also if ted does have serious health problems then surely its in his best interests to hand the tour over to someone else especially if his not making a penny from the bpppa! i know i wouldnt run it like he as done without getting a wage!

i thought polishing the balls was done by one of those machines?

so tommy the only guy to say thanks at end of weekend what a load of tosh.

!!! QUOTE !!!

Ok stutheheadref, i guess you new on the ref side, and you are not seeing it from the players point of view, and have to agree with daz, Ted is obviously not fit enough to run the tour as president and needs to hand it over for it to improve, organising a venue is not hard work and putting up banners etc takes 15 minutes including tidying away, don't forget i did all this with dazzler on the EPT tour, the hardest part with american pool is sponsorship getting them on board, who is trying to get sponsorship in on the BPPPA, I have already got two sponsors on board for the Grand Masters 9 ball event later this year, alright not major ones but it is there, I used to run the north west snooker scene and had at one time 13 small sponsors on board which used to give us £23,000 a year you could do some major events with that they need to get someone to get sponsors in, I have said it before I have offered on a number of occasions to do this in the past but to no avail there is no interest to let anyone help. Ok it is non profit, well then where are the membership fees, where are the shirts that come with membership, where is my package that comes with membership, and on the fact thst no one helps tidy at the end of the tournament i helped on many occasions along with others, but all in allit is not up to the players to tidy away that is for the staff of the bpppa. and yes many people offer help run the bpppa, but the fact that they don't is down to the fact the bpppa do not let them there has always been plenty offers of help. All it requires is for the President to resign and someone who is fit enough to improve this tour, surely players have a right to vote for the president to stay in office.. call a meeting and have a vote from all bpppa members. I have spent plenty of money playing on the bpppa tour and mainly for the fun and crack and untill these new people who recently comeon board the tour and back it wait until you have been on the tour a little longer before you moan at people who have supported it foryears and get this promise of improvement every year, lets get the Presidentout and a new one in... vote shir and liggers..the taxies are still running but the membership fees will cover it... false promise after false promise, stoppromising and do it that will stop all the complaints it is that simple.
We need change now............................... NOW

!!! QUOTE !!!

How many of you know that The BPPPA has recently become WPA affiliated? The BPPPA falls under the umbrella of The IOC. It takes a tremendous amount of effort and time for this World Class recognition.

!!! QUOTE !!!

Those of you who pay your membership fees are members and therefore are granted, via The President of The BPPPA, entry to World Class events. The WPA through their agreement with Matchroom Sport requires British players playing in a world class event to be members of their national governing body. In this case The BPPPA.

!!! QUOTE !!!

We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater