Ok so the time is upon us, the pointless summer division is over and the real teams and players and back in the rightful places and in some cases have jumped ships in search of silverware!
From what I can see there has been little movement of players between teams, either that or teams are keeping their cards cloose to their chests. All of the summer hype is over and accusations of player robbing and cradle snatching will soon be committed to the Croydon pool memory bank.
Ok so my initial thoughts are that this season the First division is weaker than last year. We have lost the legion, pond wheatsheaf & Pwleyne and have been replaced with Bloodhounds, SAS and Cuesmasters. I personally think after having played the Bloods and beaten them convincingly they are not in the same calibre as the pond and legion. Then there is the cuemasters, even before the league has started they have split in to two teams and are already at the bare bones relying on unreliable players from last year from the offset and with not as many to choose from.
Then you must consider the Rack Pack I have heard rumours the top teams have been snatching their best player/players put all this in the equation and it is my belief that this season is weaker than what was probably the stongest ever croydon div one league last season.
So here are my predictions team by team
Hot Shots
They seemed to have proven in their last 3 campaigns (including the summer leagues) that they are now the new team to beat. They have undoubtedly a great squad and me thinks that only a lack of desire to win it again after winning it last year could prevent them at very least taking it to the wire again
Final Standing 2nd
Eagles
Personally I dont see much difference in the squads of the top two teams however last season the eagles underachieved I am sure they would agree. From speaking to a few of em last year it seemed a bit of the desire had gone so hopefully this year we will see it back in place as they start this season for the first time in years as the underdogs.
Final standing 1st
Propeller
It is hard to know whether the Propeller consider themselves as titel contenders any more or not. For years they were the team that was competing until the end with the Eagles but now it seems they have slipped in to a team who finishes third and has a go at the cups. From my point of view they are our bogey team and still remain the only team we have never beaten but the Prop don't hold the fear they once did with other teams.
Final Standing 3rd
Drillers
Copy and paste from last year - have the talent and on their day can beat anyone but can they hold a team of 6 together for a seaon. History says categorically not and you have to wonder how many more seasons the loyal drillers will want to carry on for. Maybe a challenge in the Cups
Final Standing 6th
Rileys Rack Pack
I have heard rumours of their best players being robbed from them. If this is true I dont think they have the strength in depth to maintain what was undoubtedly a fantastic season for them last year. Having said that they will always have access to good players playing from where they do so may strengthen. It is true however that once the surprise factor from the first season goes it can get tougher then next time around
Final standing 8th
Coney Cues
Start their 8th season I believe with pretty much the same squad as last year asides from the welcome re-introduction of our founding father Luke "Mavis" davis. The boys are up for it this year and as always will enjoy it as if it was going to be our last season. No surprises from the Coney boys just a reafirmed belief that we will continue to improve season on season.
Final Standing 4th
Eden
A good signing in Barry for sure and after having seen first hand how the likes of Alex can play it is a mystery how these boys seem to lose their form bottle or willpower when it comes to pulling it together as a team in the winter. Team play is not about betting, making money and being mercenaries so they will need to put their words in to actions and step up to the plate. The Gauntlet has been layed down so lets see it followed up. They will of course hope to win another "yawn" knockout cup but in reality will be gunning for the Beckenham ashes.
Final Standing 5th
Hogs head/patriots/copperfield/victory/twobrewers
The fact is that only a miracle series fo results has kept this team in division one for the past two seasons however credit where it is due they have performed when it really mattered under pressure. If you take this fact alone and as long as they can get a side out regularly they are well capable this season on improving on last season. Defo stay up this year as their are worst teams.
Final Standing 9th
Unpredictables
Again performed when it mattered at the back end of last year but I think basically pulled out their big players to keep em up. Again being where they are in Croydon are more likely to pick up new players and will need to, to avoid a repeat of last years massive under achievement. Not sure what signings they have made.
Final standing 7th
Cuemasters
Was looking forward to these boys coming up to strengthen the division however it looks like they are destined for the drop again as they have split in to two teams. They have access to some quality snooker players that generally make a good transition however if the rumours are true it sounds a bit like the season before when they went down. shortage of players leading to the drop
Final standing 11th
SAS
Have played them in the league cup and was pretty impressed however we played them with our b team and still won. You can't write of the complete newbies to div one as their desire to prove people wrong will add ten points to theri season (see rack pack from Last year) To be fair I know very little about this team and it probably wrong for me to write them off but they lost a lot of div two games which doesn't bode well for div one. From memory they have a great team spirit so they may yet prove us wrong
Final standing 10th
Have proved in the past they can get results in the league cup etc. Again I know very little about them but again they only just scrapped up to div one. Good luck to em but..........
Final standing 12th
League Cup Champions:
Hot Shots
League Cup final
Propeller V Hot Shots
League Cup Semi
Propleller V Eagles
Hot Shots V Coney
Div 1 Predictions:
Did the Eagles underperform last season? Or were they beaten by a better side? My opinon is the latter. The Eagles were disappointing last season. Hot Shots have the edge at the moment, and from the front end to back have a stronger squad. Its sure to be close and the opening league game of the season these two sides meet - it could set the tone for the whole season....
Prop are now labelled in most quarters as 'Croydon's third best side', and not sealing the summer league summed it up, so whether they can mount a serious challenge in the winter has to be doubted.
Drillers on paper are a top 4 side but all the talk of glory and a reborn and united front in the ranks will fade and die in the January frost along with their title aspirations.
Last seasons rookies and if I'm honest surprise package, The Rack Pack have now lost 2 key players and my feeling is it will be a battle for survival.
The Patriots have changed their team name more times than Danny Evans has change the shade of his numerous pink and yellow belts. Two new signings to note at the Patriots, Rob Gater and Graham Thompson have joined from the Prop and this will be good enough to steer them away from this seasons drop zone. Unpreds dug deep last season and did the business in the closing stages, and an encouraging summer display will see a side who is too good for all that to end up mid table and safe.
Moving across Croydon and into gay Beckenham, and talking of gay - the Coney boys. Let them talk up a top 4 finish because its so laughable. They can beat the teams they have to but you get nothing more from the Coney, no fireworks against the top sides. Its all bread and butter pool, boring boring and boring which alas will keep them inside Croydon's top 8.
As for the new boys - Cuemasters have a side good enough to stay up and if the commitment starts off right then there is no doubt they will stay up, its a done deal. Bloodhounds have the capable Chris Eden in their ranks but are going to have to dig real deep to keep in this division at the first time of asking. You need to put a performance in week in week out in Div 1, there is nowhere to hide and whilst the SAS have the passion for the task they will stuggle. SAS could not stay in what is a half strength summer league with the help of John Hoy and Mick Samuels so on paper have no chance staying up in the winter league.
The mighty Eden? Lets be honest we have always been a top 5 side and if we can find some consistency then I fancy we will have a good season. The boys are up for it and if we finish above the Hot Shots then we would have had an okay season!
Champions: Hot Shots / Runners-up: Ego's
Relegated: Rack Pack, Bloodhounds, SAS
Div 2:
A bust up between 6 sides. This looks a cracking division to be a part of and the bookies would open up with Legion as favourites who on paper have the strongest line up. But those boys from Lewisham are on a mission to make the 1st division and they are determined and pretty good too. The Warbank are close to getting themselves back in Div after 4 baron seasons and will be in the mix as will the Pond boys who were ruthlessly dumped into Div 2 by the Patriots following the first ever relegation play off match. Then there is the Pawleyne, proven as ultra consistent in the lower leagues but they will have to find more than the odd 4-3. Flying Machine have promised so much in recent years but for some reason have never delivered that final push for Div 1. London Slates appear to have burnt themselves out and the team has split ranks. The Speller's will try their luck again at getting back to Div 1 this time at the Maple Tree. Down at the Farley Stable and Croydon's theatre of dreams its all love and harmony again - The Dukes have signed a few new players (Grant Strutt being one of them) following a touch Barrygate but even so in this division must think the Dukes will start as big outsiders. Then there is the Magnum Force, another ex-Div 1 side scrubbing around looking for a return to the glory days and can Croydon legend Kenny Briant grunt his side towards promotion? The Addicts have been around for years in this division, plodding along in mid table but have some good players so why do they never deliver? The Manor are new arrivals & must surely find this all too hot for them. Its as hard to call the top 3 let alone the bottom 3. Whoever goes down from this league will be unlucky because there does not look a bad side in it.
Champions: Coach & Horses / Runners-up: Legion
3rd promotion spot: Pond Q's
Relegated: Magnum Force, London Slates, The Manor
Div 3:
Between 2 sides again. Imperials and 193's will fight out the title. Farley Loyalists may have a say about it though.
Champions: 193's / Runners-up: Imperials
Relegated: The Goodies, Royal Oak, The Ship
Div 4:
Elmer Cue Masters sound like they have assembled a reasonable team. Goodfella's if they get their act together may go close. Folly to pinch third.
Champions: Elmer Cue Masters / Runners-up: Goodfellas
Relegated: Elmer Lodgers, Goat Specials, Ruskin House
Div 5:
Lets hope the girls from Suzy's win it, but I think Potty's Cons and Addiscombe Sports will go close. Plus always the danger in the bottom league of a newcomer ripping up the league.
Champions: Floozies / Runners-up: Potty's Cons
Vauxhall Conference pool: White Horse
League Cup:
If you have to choose a 'Group of Death' it has to be my team's group (6) with 4 teams capable of winning it. Group 8 also looks pretty hot. History tells us that 70% of Div 1 teams make it through to the 2nd stage and I expect to see the same again. So 48 teams are fighting for 5 places in the last 16! The introduction of QF's is the best thing in general to this competition. Will make the 2nd phase more competitive. Too early to call the winners depends on form coming into April 2008.
K/Out Cup:
Best chance available for teams outside the top 3 to win the competition. Shorter format in what is basically a race to 4. Always been the Eden's best opportunity at silverware. We win a cup every 5 years. 1998, 2003.......... 2008 awaits.
Its the first time I have gone into a winter league with absoultely no idea who will win it. For me every team in the top 3 seem a lot weaker than before.
I am not ever sure about the state of play at Hotshots because they dont say anything on line when drunk these days, but if the Clarkes dont play, and people like Dino and Michael Brown are absent regularly then they are weaker. (Unless they sign a Wisher Breen or some other London bloke, probably unlikely but who knows.)
We are pretty much certain we havent got Jake this year, because he is unable to get regularly from work to our home venue in time to play, so we basically have a bare 8, 7 for Cup nights as I dont like Mondays!)
The Prop have lost Rob Gator, Graham Thompson from the winter and Cliff, Kyle and Rob from the summer team.
The Drillers (who the hell knows!!!)
I expect quite good things from the Brewers/Oakfield whatever they are called as they have finished the Summer strong and are only losing Danny.
I personally think if the Hotshots are playing their Summer team the Eagles will win it, if not they are certainly favourites. And 3rd downward is up for anybody to grab.
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