The Doctor himself is under medical care at the moment, so the best laid plans to present another detailed pre-Yarmouth report with predictions over the weekend have had to be shelved – the best I can do is give you my quick thoughts on group order, which I hope Webmaster Alan is able to get up in time for the main event. You’ll know that Waterloo is drawn in a group with Dawley, one of the country’s top teams and semi-finalists back in April. It will be hard and Dawley will be firm favourites (especially if they bring out the big guns, as feared) but bear in mind Waterloo II took them to a 9-9 draw back in April in the group stages, after leading 9-7, so if Waterloo hits them early and gets them worried, they could spring a surprise. Both teams should beat Luton Elite, which despite being a capable side has yet to live up to that ‘elite’ tag. As for the other groups, bearing in mind that there are plenty of new teams playing this year, and no doubt some new names for old teams making them tough to call, here goes:
Group 1
A clear favourite here, but the battle for second place will be interesting: 1. Trent Trophies A 2. Cherry Tree 3. Bicester Select
Group 2
This one has three evenly matched teams, so it is a tough call but I will go for the Surridge connection: 1. Worcester Fox U 2. Halifax A 3. Pocket Rockets B
Group 3
This group has one known good team, a dark horse, and two lesser known outfits: 1. South Norfolk 2. Halifax B 3. Hull
Group 4
A tight battle for top spot, leaving the Surrey side in the cold: 1. Norwich A 2. East Leeds 3. Premier Pool League
Group 5
Not a strong group, and Northampton’s best might squeeze it, but the Sharks could surprise: 1. NVPL A 2. Stockport Sharks 3. Hinckley
Group 6
If Barnsley have ex-Sheffield and Misfits players they should have enough to qualify: 1. Barnsley 2. Andover 3. Beverley A
Group 7
Wigan will be delighted with this group: 1. Wigan 2. Ipswich B 3. Thurmaston
Group 8
One team has a stronger pedigree than another, the third has none at all: 1. Nuneaton Lions 2. Gosport B 3. Meltis Club
Group 9
Q Club had a great run on their debut, and now they play two debutants: 1. Q Club 2. Mid-Sussex 3. Belle Vue
Group 10
Reds Elite should end their miserable spell of recent group defeats and under-achievements: 1. Reds Elite 2. Bognor Regis 3. Leyland
Group 11
A very tight group, which the Warriors might just edge: 1. Surrey Warriors 2. Medway 3. Penrith
Group 12
Rob Hill’s Essex team should win, while Ollerton, once giants, are back after years in the wilderness: 1. Braintree 2. EHPL 3. Ollerton
Group 13
Tight group, but Wednesday’s recent form suggests they start as favourites against perennial underachievers Renegade: 1. Wolverhampton Wednesday B 2. Renegade A 3. Workington
Group 14
Another very tight group, and Reds I deserve a win (they aren’t drawn against Leicester this time, so good luck to Roger Charles’s hard workers); Mind you, Ely boast the current world champion, a certain Mr Farmer Phil: 1. Reds I 2. Ely 3. Lowestoft Town Select
Group 15
The North Londoners do well at Yarmouth, and should continue to do so in this winnable group: 1. Barnet 2. Bracknell and Ascot A 3. Brighton M
Group 16
The Derbyshire dark horses have the edge in this group for me: 1. Corn Exchange 2. Worcester Dream Team 3. Folkestone A
Group 17
The group of death; Ipswich reached the final back in April, but may go out in the group stages this time if Tolworth bring their best game; Poor Romney Marsh are no bad side at all: 1. Tolworth 2. Ipswich 3. Romney Marsh
Group 18
No problems, touch wood, for London’s number one team, formerly Frank Smith: 1. JFK’s 2. Brighton B 3. Witney
Group 19
A straightforward start for Nottingham’s former champions: 1. Sun Valley 2. Gosport A 3. Milton Keynes C
Group 20
Not a terrific group on paper, but it might be one of those good, tight, occasionally scrappy ones to watch, and Eccles may have enough grit to win it: 1. Eccles 2. Leicester City 3. Nottingham
Group 21
This all depends on which of the many Cambridge teams is currently calling itself Mickey Flynn’s – if it is the Elite team, the result will be very different: 1. Trent Trophies B 2. Hammersmith 3. Cambridge Mickey Flynn’s
Group 22
Never rule out Preston South, who should win this group easily: 1. Preston South 2.Dawley B 3.Maidenhead B
Group 23
Toss a coin to decide which team will win this evenly balanced group: 1. Barking Phoenix 2. St Albans Saints 3. Luton Lions
Group 24
Back after a while, Peterborough might be surprisingly good: 1. Peterborough 2. Deal A 3. Fritchley
Group 25
Of these teams, only Dinnington have any pedigree to speak about: 1. Dinnington 2. St Neots 3. Kirkstead
Group 26 is Waterloo, Dawley and Luton Elite - See Top
Group 27
A good group, which could go all the way: 1. Milton Keynes A 2. Afford A 3. Walsall A
Group 28
PJ’s will win but the opposition this time is very tough: 1. PJ’s Stourbridge 2. Godalming A 3.Netherthorpe
Group 29
Leicester will be very, very pleased with such an easy group: 1. Leicester 2. Shrewsbury B 3. Skegness
Group 30
Sorry Battersea, but you’ve once again drawn a nightmare group, as Darren Collison’s Clacton and veterans Kettering both have reasons to be confident: 1. Clacton 2. Kettering 3. Battersea
Group 31
This group is both relatively weak and quite evenly balanced: 1. Clitheroe 2. MHPL 3. Felixstowe
Group 32
Nuneaton and Whitehaven will contest this one down to the wire: 1. Nuneaton A 2. Whitehaven 3. Weston B
Champions? Predicting Interleague pool is like predicting golf. You can’t not say Tiger Woods will start as favourite, of course he will, in every tournament, even though the odds should be against him winning given the size of the field. So, you find yourself saying that while Tiger is the clear favourite, the fun is in picking the player who might win if he doesn’t. The same applies to Trent Trophies A, who by the way have the pleasure of knowing that their banana skins Colchester A are not present to stop them. They should win, but if they slip up, as they have done occasionally in the past, who will rise to the challenge? Normans Elite were surprise winners back in April, but the Rochdale boys are missing from this tournament (as are Brighton A, and Weston A, to name just two). So, who’s my tip for the title this time, bearing in mind I acknowledge that Trent Trophies are clear Tiger-style favourites?
My money would be on PJ’s Stourbridge. They have never won a Yarmouth trophy, but are one of the handful of truly great teams in the country. They have seen teams with lesser reputations lift the silverware, and they must be absolute committed to tasting that glory themselves. Leicester, JFK’s, Preston South and Tolworth are all in with a shot, in this Doctor’s view.
Having said that, Normans Elite showed us that it is possible for an unheralded side to claim a championship, in their case at the expense of Ipswich, whose pedigree suggested they were more ‘due’ the win back in April. Will we see such a surprise win again? I can’t imagine so, but the game really is getting a lot more open than it was a few years back when I sent in my first Doctor’s Surgery.
Good luck to the magnificent nine of Jerry, Frank, Alex, Ian, Ian, Joe, Tony, Michael and Will!
