Wiltshire Ladies dedicate national title to Melksham man

THE Wiltshire Ladies pool team has dedicated their first ever national title win to the late Paul Rodgers, who set the team up 20 years ago.

The team travelled to Sussex to compete in the English Blackball Pool Federation National County Finals on March 5th and after a tense final, clinched the title, almost 20 years to the day that Melksham man, Paul Rodgers set up the team.

County manager Rachel Tucker, who was part of the original team set up by Paul 20 years ago said, “Paul was passionate about pool and as an England player he wanted to put Wiltshire on the map. Tragically, Paul was killed a few years later, but his legacy lives on and this win is dedicated to his memory.

“The final was surreal. A formidable Lancashire Ladies pegged us and punished us, but we weren’t going to let ourselves down and the supporters who had cheered us all the way to the final! So at 10 – 7 up, myself and Vicki Mills, also an original team member,  found ourselves side by side on adjacent tables. I took reds and started potting, everything seemed to be going my way until I got to the black. After one missed double I somehow got another crack at it – I looked at it for what must have seemed like an age, should I double it to the bottom corner, or should I go for a crazy ‘cocked hat’ – three cushions? Anyone who knows me knows I hate doubles, so the crazy hero or zero shot it was to be! I lined it up and thought the yellow could help me out over the middle. So staring down the barrel of my cue I picked my spot and had to trust my judgement, but who needs a kiss off the yellow when it goes straight in to win the National County Ladies Championships.

“20 years of nearly qualifying, nearly getting to the final and nearly being the best, we can now say ‘we did it!’ It was 20 years in the making and it feels amazing to share it with not just the best pool family I could have imagined, but my best friends too.

“As county manager and Ladies A captain, I am very proud of all the hard work and dedication the ladies have put into winning their first ever title, it has been a long road, but is richly deserved.

“We would like to recreate the Wiltshire Festival of Pool this year and get the England teams back for a challenge match at the Foresters Arms in Melksham where it all began.”