1953 – 54

Jack played E. Rogers, who beat Albert Birkby in the previous round, in the Yorkshire Area of the English Amateur Billiards Championship. Harold Burkinshaw was awaiting the winner to see who would go forward to London in the championship proper. Jack did not produce his best in the first away leg and finished 154 points in arrears. His second visit to the table in the return leg saw him make a fine break of 111 to put him back in the game, and he went on to win by 54. The first evening of the final played at Elland Liberal Club was a poor affair, with neither player reaching their best – but they blamed it on a damp atmosphere (I dare ask, does a good craftsman ever blame his tools?) Harold had a small lead of 14 going into the second night (515-501) but fell behind as Jack produced an exceedingly effortless fine break of 171. Harold replied with a run of 80 and 42, to be 811 – 760 behind at the interval. The difference didn’t change much for the rest of the game and Jack won by 94, 1098 -1004, to reach the finals for the second year in a row.

In the first round Jack lost to Ernest Evans, the Nottingham qualifier, 1391 to 1025 in a close match where the lead changed hands several times. On a new cloth Jack made a sparkling start, scoring his first 100 in fifteen minutes to establish a lead of 87. Evans retaliated with a break of 53 followed by a 95 to take the lead for the first time. Jack then produced the highest break of the match with a well constructed 119, which ended when he missed an easy red winner. Evans forged ahead with a run of 85 and though Jack replied with 66 he was behind at the interval, 652 – 593. In the first hour after the break the lead changed hands five times. After a fluked cannon Evans went on to make 95 to take the lead, but Jack replied with 44 and then 36 to overtake Evans. Then, unexpectedly, Evans hit a purple patch with breaks of 57, 63 and 76 to open up a lead of 258. This spurt set Evans on the road to victory and knocked Jack out of his stride. Evans went on to beat Reginald Wright, 1203 – 1164, in the quarter-final. He was behind by 46 with five minutes left but put together a match winning unfinished 82 to win by the narrowest of margins. He lost to Frank Edwards in the semi-final, 3148 – 2483, who in turn lost the final to Driffield, 4165 – 3030. In the Billiard Player magazine it says that Jack “is one of the best sportsman ever to have come from Yorkshire”

Tom Webster, cartoonist of the News Chronicle, criticised and poked fun at both Jack and Evans for making low breaks at the Championship. R. Holt, Editor of the Billiard Player magazine replied, mentioned that both players had made some very good breaks including Jack’s 119.

In the Yorkshire Billiards Championship both Jack’s, Brindley and Mellor, were exempt until the quarter final stage, due to being the winner and runner up from last year. In the last 8 there are 6 Huddersfield players, Jack, Hoyle, Brindley, Burkinshaw, Broadhead and Kershaw. The draw means that a Huddersfield player will be in the final as the non Huddersfield players, Bolton and Fleet have been drawn together, with Jack v Broadhead, Brindley v Hoyle and Burkinshaw v Kershaw being the other ties.

We have no scores from Jack’s game against Jim Broadhead but he won and now meets his Huddersfield, Rastrick and Oakes team mate Harold Burkinshaw in the semi-final. The other semi-final is Brindley versus Doug Fleet of Hull – which means there could well be a repeat of last years final. Jack reached the final for the second year in succession with a brilliant victory over his his club mate at Thornhill Briggs W.M.C. Jack was in magnificent form starting with a 71 break, and before the interval had a break of 121 to give him a 300 -120 lead. Credit to Harold who had been ill and hadn’t really recovered properly but insisted on playing. After the break Jack took his unfinished break to 44 which he followed up with breaks of 118, 44 and 43 unfinished to win 600 – 216. Jack Brindley couldn’t win his semi-final against Fleet, losing 366 – 600, so there wasn’t to be a repeat of last years final.

The photo refers to Jack as being from Halifax, the reason for this is that the Halifax Association entered Jack into the competition as he won their Billiards Championship the previous year.

In the final Jack began in great form making breaks of 26, 27, 25 and 73, to lead 251 – 111 at the interval. He took his unfinished break to 67 but Fleet came back with breaks of 43, 27, 22, and 69 to reduce the lead to only 29 at 400 – 371. Jack took command again with runs of 55, 35 and 11 unfinished, while Fleet only scored 2 to lead 501 – 373 at the end of the first night. On the second night Jack took his unfinished break to 108 giving him a lead of 225. Both players then matched each other up to the end of the game which gave Jack his first County Title by 1000 – 762. After the game Jack received his “prize” in an envelope, which he saved, which had the words “Yorkshire Amateur Billiards Champion 1954” and the English Amateur Billiards Champion, Leslie Driffield signed it “Heartiest Congratulations Jack” and dated it 22/4/54.