The Johnson Jets play the Barrel Scrapers in the Quarter Finals
For the fourth year running the weather was fine and sunny - as many of you will know we British have a fixation with the weather. With just cause I think, as those of you that have played marbles at Tinsley Green in the cold with rain running down your nose and freezing fingers will know. The Championship was early this year 29th March; in 1975 the championships was played on the 28th March and it was so cold that before we could play the snow had to swept from the ring.
I arrived at 7.30 am and set about organising the playing area. The BBC (local radio) arrived soon afterwards and at 8.10 I gave the second live broadcast of the day. My wife Julia gave the first at 6.50 from home before getting five year old Zachary up ready for the day ahead.
Chairs were set out; the rings cordoned off, both sand and the red target marbles made ready. I then went to the local train station to collect our friend Hal Sissons and his wife, who had travelled from Canada to attend the event. Just before I left one of the German teams arrived and began to put in some practise on the side ring (no wonder they won).
This year saw the fifty years not only of our dear Queen Elizabeth II, but also of two members of the Handcross Rebels Barry Ray and Tom Chamberlain. To mark both events we saw the inaugural ‘Golden Oldies’ tournament. The Golden Cross is a simple game devised by The British Marbles Board of Control in celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. It is a combination of the traditional English game of Ring Taw and the children’s game of Ringer as played at The National Marbles Tournament in New Jersey, USA. And is for players over the age of 50.
Sam and the Mayor of Crawley Knuckle down for the first Match in the ‘Golden Oldies’
Team Championship
First Round | ||
Barrel Scrapers 27 | v | Greyhound Dogs & Bitches 11 |
1st MC Erzgebirge II 8 | v | Saxonia II 17 |
Saxonia I 27 | v Virgins 7 | Tinsley Tigers 1 |
Wunch of Bankers 12 | v | Bitter and Twisted 0 |
Dr Johnson 18 | v | Schwarzmurmler 12 |
3 Drunken Muppets 8 | v | Turners Hill Tolleymen 17 |
Second Round | ||
Johnson Jets 21 | v | Where's Ma Balls 5 |
Saxonia II 17 | v | Barrel Scrapers 21 |
Saxonia I 24 | v | Handcross Rebels 17 |
Crusiers 15 | v | Wunch of Bankers 7 |
Dr Johnson 9 | v | Black Dog Boozers 25 |
Six Blokes from the Car Park 17 | v | Turners Hill Tolleymen 12 |
Turners Hill Tolleyboys 12 | v | Sachsenbrunner 25 |
1st MC Erzgebirge I 24 | v | Handcross 49ers 24 + 2 kills |
Quarter Finals | ||
Barrel Scrapers 15 | v | Johnson Jets 23 |
Crusiers 8 | v | Saxonia I 28 |
Six Blokes from the Car Park 4 | v | Black Dog Boozers 25 |
Sachsenbrunner 24 | v | Handcross 49ers 23 |
Semi Finals | ||
Saxonia I 26 | v | Johnson Jets 13 |
Black Dog Boozers 25 | v | Sachsenbrunner 9 |
Final | ||
Saxonia I 25 | v | Black Dog Boozers 1 |
The sun sets on the final, this year saw one of the latest finishes on record
Individual Championship
In the Individuals a preliminary round was held to bring the number of players down to 12, Mark Parsons the current champion was added making 13 in total. 4 marbles for each player plus one were placed on the centre ring, a nose drop was held and the order of play was determined. After two rounds 33 of the target marbles were knocked out, in the third round Granny scored one, Colin six. At this point Benni made a break of nine and with a score of 11 marbles was unbeatable and was declared champion.
Individuals | ||
Granny | Cruisers | 1 |
Darren | Handcross 49ers | 0 K |
Colin | Black Dog Boozers | 6 |
Hal | Greyhound Dogs & Bitches | 2 |
Benny | 1st MC Erzgebirge I | 11 |
Mark | Johnson Jets | 6 |
Torstan | Sachsenbrunner | 3 |
Paul | Johnson Jets | 4 |
Rick | Turners Hill Tollmen | 4 |
Colin | Barrel Scrapers | 2 |
Andreas II | Saxonia I | 6 |
Stepan | Schwarzmurmler | 3 |
Tom | Handcross Rebels | 2 |
RESULTS
Golden Oldies | Barry Ray |
Best Lady Player | Jen McGowan |
Individual Champion | Benny Mchnert |
Runners Up | Black Dog Boozers |
Team Winners | Saxonia I |
The runner-ups prize
Saxonia I the winning team 2002
Marble Factoids
• 22 Teams or 136 players
• 68 Tolleys were nose dropped
• 1135 target marbles were used, 777 or 68% were knocked out
• 19 players were killed
• 24 players had no score and 21 players made double figures
• Highest Break of the day was made by Alex of the Saxonia I team with 13 marbles
Golden Cross Factoids
• 26 players took part
• 50 Tolleys were nose dropped
• 325 Yellow target marbles were used, 195 or 60% were knocked out
• Both Barry Ray and Graham Smith had the highest break of 6 marbles
Not often seen Mol and Sam the main tournament referees
Take part in a nosedrop in the ‘Golden Oldies’
This year we were delighted to have been included by Charles Wells Brewery as part of the Bombardier English Premium Bitter Eternal England Series celebrating the eccentricity of English pastimes. It is a great honour to be part of this elite group of events alongside such illustrious happenings as rolling pin throwing, Stilton rolling and nettle eating.
Rules of The Golden Cross
The inaugural game was played at the British and World Marbles Championship at The Greyhound, Tinsley Green on Good Friday 2002 in the “Golden Oldies” competition for players aged 50 years or over on that date.
Barry Ray receives the first ever ‘Golden Oldies’ Cup
A perpetual trophy, the “Bombardier Eternal England Series Golden Oldie Cup” has been presented by Charles Wells Brewery and will be played for on Good Friday each year for any player aged 50 years or over on that date, as part of The British and World Marbles Championship under the organization of The British Marbles Board of Control.
Rules of the game
The game will be played on a raised concrete ‘ring’, with a diameter of six feet. The ring will be covered with a light sprinkling of fine sand.
The game will be played between two players; each player will provide their own ‘tolley’, which must not exceed ¾ inch in diameter.
The object of the game is to knock target marbles from the ring. The target marbles will be made of glass with a diameter of approx ½ inch. 13 target marbles will be used and will be set in a cross formation in the center of the ring, touching each other.
The order of play will be decided by a nose drop. The referee will draw a line in the sand, the two players will stand opposite each other with one foot placed each side of the line. Each player will hold their tolley against the end of their nose between the thumb and index finger of the playing hand, and on the word of the referee will drop the tolley towards the line, the player who’s tolley lands closest to the line will choose whether to play first or second.
When shooting from the edge of the ring the player must have one knuckle of the shooting hand touching the edge of the ring. When shooting from within the ring one knuckle of the shooting hand must be in contact with the playing surface.
The first shot may be taken from any point around the ring. When the tolley has been shot there will be one of the following options.
1. If the tolley comes off the ring without touching any target marbles there is no score and it is the turn of the other player.
2. If the tolley remains on the ring without having touched any target marbles there is no score, the tolley remains in situ and it is the turn of the other player.
3. If the tolley remains on the ring having struck one or more target marbles the player will score a ‘hit’, the tolley will remain in situ and it is the turn of the other player.
4. If the tolley remains on the ring having struck one or more target marbles the player will score a ‘hit’, the tolley will remain in situ and it is the turn of the other player.
5. If the tolley comes off the ring having knocked out one or more target marbles the player will score one point per marble – it is now the turn of the other player.
6. If the tolley remains on the ring having knocked out one or more target marbles the player will score one point per marble and will continue to shoot from the landing point of the tolley.
Only one ‘hit’ can be scored per player per round. Knocking off one or more target marbles with the first shot, remaining in the ring and then striking one or more target marbles will result in a hit and point/s being scored in the round. Killing the opposing players tolley is not allowed and will not result in a score of any kind. Accidental killing will not be penalized and the tolley will be returned to its approximate position on the ring before the next shot. Deliberate killing of an opponent’s tolley will result in the killed player being credited with 1 point and the tolley being returned to the ring before the next shot.
The player will begin their next turn shooting from any point around the ring except following options 2 or 4, in which case the player will shoot from the place the tolley came to rest.
Winning the Game
A game will initially consist of six round.
The first player to knock 7 target marbles from the ring will win the game.
At the end of six rounds the player with the most points will win the game.
If at the end of six rounds the players have scored an equal number of points they will be permitted a maximum of three further rounds to determine a winner. If points are still equal after this the player with the highest number of hits will be the winner of the game. If hits are also equal the winner of the original nose drop will be the winner of the game.
In the event of a no score draw at the end of six rounds the winner will be the player with the highest number of hits – if these are equal the winner of the game will be the winner of the original nose drop.
In the event of any dispute the decision of the match referee will be final.
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