---

After a promising start in their opening group match with a 10-8 victory, Croydon A went on to lose their next 2 matches and failed to get into the KO stages. However, it was not all doom & gloom on the Croydon front. Croydon B lost their opening match to Oldham by 10-1 and had to then win their next 2 matches to qualify ............ and that they did in style by defeating Ipswich C by 10-9 after a superb 1 Frame decider by Gary Swettenham to set up a re-match with Oldham. This time Croydon B were in no mood to lay down and after going 3-0 down took the next 7 frames on the spin to quiet down the Oldham boys and then taking the next 3 from 4 took the remaining Group spot by winning 10-4 and headed off to the last 64 KO stage. We drew an excellent side in Wigan A and although they white washed us 11-0 it did not dampen the Croydon boys spirit as plan A was to get out of the Group stage ...... This can only be a stepping stone for hopefully better things to come. On a personal note, I have not taken a Croydon team to the national finals for 20 years and to return to the home of English Pool with a relatively new side and take this side into the last 64 was an immense proud moment for myself and a massive thanks to those boys who did do the business.