1963
Brian Cousen reached his first Huddersfield Billiards Championship Final with an outstanding semi-final victory over Harold Burkinshaw, 400 – 286. Jack had a comfortable win over George Greaves of Golcar Conservative Club in the other semi-final, 400 – 108. In the final, with a break of 80, Jack led at the interval, 201 – 173 but the young Brian Cousen showed little in the way of nerves in his first final, and after the first night he led, 351 – 332. On the second night Jack aided with breaks of 60, 51 and 32 led 600 – 472 but Brian wasn’t finished as, with breaks of 22, 32 and 54, he reduced the deficit. Jack with a further break of 41 eventually retained his title by 90 points and equalled Victor Muff’s record of seven titles.
1964
Jack continued to play for Huddersfield in the Yorkshire Inter-District League but it is a different side that won the League in eight consecutive years. The halcyon days were between the 1952-53 and 1958-59 seasons. The side started with Jack, Gladney Hoyle and Jack Brindley, then later with Harold Burkinshaw taking over from Brindley. These four players were practically unbeatable, and if one had a bad night the other two would make up for it. There must have been a great camaraderie between them that transferred onto the table, putting the opposition on the back foot before they started. Nothing lasts forever and the decline started with Gladney announcing his retirement from competitive play in 1959. He did it just before the first match of the season away to Leeds, the old enemy, with Cyril Shackleton deputising. What followed was the heaviest defeat, 600 – 213, since the League was reformed after the War. All three players lost for the first time, with Jack only scoring 43, his lowest ever. This shows the devastating effect that losing one of their greatest players did for the team moral.
1966
An early break of 88 gave Jack a 146 – 37 lead which, with consistent play, he soon extended to 352 – 143 by the end of the first night. On the second night Jack ended his unfinished break on 65 and, later on, virtually settled the issue with a break of 98 to give him an interval lead of 549 – 263. A break of 59 got him to 672 – 388 and soon afterwards he won his eighth title thus beating Victors Muff’s record of seven.
1967
Jack reached the final after meeting and beating Harold Burkinshaw in the semi-final, 400 – 283. In the match Harold had a break of 103 but this was matched by Jack as he had one of 108. It says that Jack beat Firth in the previous years final, 700 – 378 but the report above says it was 395: you would think they could agree on the score. The first night saw both players making heavy weather to put big breaks together, with the highest being Jack’s 64. Jack’s overnight lead of only 25 was turned into a deficit of 23 with the scores 460 – 437 in Firth’s favour. Before the interval Jack snatched a narrow lead with a break of 60 and after the break, with his score on 567, Jack had the magnificent unfinished break of 133 to win his ninth title. Firth had appeared in three finals, 1958, 1966 and 1967, meeting Jack on all three occasions and must consider himself very unlucky to have played the best billiards player of his time.
1970
The headline says he “Struggled to win” and perhaps the writing was on the wall. His opponent, Stuart Hill, would have his day when he won the Championship four times on the trot between 1985 – 88. This was Jack’s thirteenth final but not his last as he met Tommy Donlan in next years final. That would be Jack’s last appearance in a final and alas he couldn’t go out on a high as Tommy Donlan won. How fitting that the student should beat the teacher for his first title, and that he would then go on to win it ten more times as the teacher. One great champion bows out and another takes the stage. I wonder if Tommy’s children are as proud of their Dad as I am of mine?
Jack Mellor 