KENT PÉTANQUE GAZETTE

Transcription

1 June 2007 KENT PÉTANQUE GAZETTE Le Tour is coming to Kent in July KPA celebrates that other great French sport phenomenon Inside this issue: Tour de France events 2 Regional No EPA comp results 6-11 News 12, KPL update and Cup Letter from Mike Pegg 15 International News 16, 17 What s on in July? 17 That other great Frenchsupported sport, cycle racing, starts its most spectacular event in London this year and that has lead many in our sport to want to bask in the reflected glory. Several hundreds of thousands, if not millions, are expected to line the routes in London for Le Grand Départ on 7th July and the first stage from London to Canterbury via Dartford, Gravesend, Medway, Maidstone, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Ashford on Sunday 8th July. In Canterbury, where the end of the 203km stage will be enjoyed between 3:30 and 4pm on a July Sunday afternoon, many events will be taking place to entertain the hordes of expected visitors, including exhibition pétanque games in Dane John Gardens. Other pétanque events are also taking place around Kent and on the route.

2 Tour de France related events 7 & 8 July Canterbury, Dane John Gardens, 7/8 July On Saturday 7th July and Sunday 8th July, a terrain of two pistes will be laid down in Dane John Gardens in the heart of Canterbury, close to the route at the end of Stage One. Big screens and a variety of other exhibition sports as well as proximity to Sunday s route make this a favourable location. On one terrain a continuous series of games will be played and on the other piste, interested passers-by will be invited to come and try. Details of the rules, local clubs and how to build a terrain will be available for the more interested people but all will be encour- Page 2 aged to have a go. This facility has been made available by Canterbury City Council as part of their Get Active Feel Alive events but will be manned by volunteers from clubs in Kent. Volunteers are needed to play from 11am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Please turn up on the day or, better still, contact Colin Senneck in advance so he can plan for the weekend. Colin can be contacted on or at c o l i n s e n - neck@supanet.com Harrow at Hadlow, 8th July KPA Tour de France Doubles, Lordswood, 8th July The official KPA sponsored Tour de France event is a doubles competition being held at Lordswood Sports and Social club. This is an open event, so BPF membership is not required. Registration is at 09:15 to 09:45. for a 10:00 start. Entry is 5 per adult, 2 per junior. Cash prizes will be available depending on the number of teams who turn up. It is planned that events from the Tour de France will be relayed during the day. Avoid the crowds elsewhere in Kent but still celebrate Le Tour in French style. The Harrow is on the route of the Tour Stage One and is holding a pétanque competition for locals and visitors alike. The Harrow is a lovely old country pub situated on the main A26 road between Maidstone and Tonbridge. For more details of the pétanque competition and other Tour de France related events at The Harrow, call the pub landlady on

3 Regional Qualifier 3 at Hartley What a contrast to the last qualifier as the first item out of the boule bag players at Hartley was the sun-tan lotion. Temperatures soared to the mid twenties and rich-bods of Hartley splashed out on an air display as the Red Arrows buzzed the pistes around ten to five, as arranged, to put off their opposition teams. Unfortunately, this ruse, expensive as it must have been, didn't work as the only two wholly Hartley teams who played did not quite reach the dizzy heights of maximum wins in the afternoon Swiss. The top two teams from the previous rounds (Rejects and MNR) chose not to play, making the event an opportunity for everyone to improve their overall position and spicing up the final round. However, only 22 teams registered so the morning was a pool session with 16 in the main as usual and 6 teams going into the Plate. Numbers were possibly down as the EPA Triples had been held the previous day at Crondall in Hampshire and, of course, all good pétanque lovers were hung over with the Past i s a n d P e r n o d "hangovers from hell" after celebrating World Pétanque Day (2nd of June for those few of you who somehow missed this). Another surprise on the day was the seeded team of KP1 (Kevin Spillett, Dave Turner, Dean Ashby) did not make the main competition and had to make do with winning the Plate, a lowly 2 points for a team that has accumulated 39 out of 48 points in the first two rounds. However, at the end of the day, they still remained in 6 th place overall. Once again, the event was marred by a late finish which meant that few remained to see Kent Angels (Fay Golder, Lynn Shrimpton and Sheila King) make it through to the final against Brown Jug (Rowland Jones, Greg Davenport and Peter Turner), losing 13-7 to come second in this round of the qualifiers. So after three rounds, the top 6 places are separated by only 10 points, with three teams tying for 2nd place (Rejects Dave Hurren, Richard Spillett, Matt Horrigan; MNR - Nic Baxter, Rachid Hannache, Martin Baker and Bruno Bove; and Team Yellow Scott Ashby, Jenny Cooter, Luke Fribbens). The top eight teams will represent Kent in the first division at the Inter- Regional competition at Brean and teams 9-12 will be the Kent squad in the Challenge Shield competition at the same competition. In addition, the top teams will represent Kent at the annual Nord Maritime competition in northern France on 11th August and the top seven teams, plus a junior team, will be subsidised to compete in either the Dunkerquois or Nismes competitions in France/ Belgium later in the year. It remains to be seen if there will be places for teams at Brean this year (see separate article) but the way the points have been distributed this year, any one of the teams in positions 13 to 19 could easily make the top 12 and a mathematically, teams down to 24 th place could theoretically make it still so the turnout for Lordswood should be good. See you all there! Finalists Kent Angels (Sheila King, Lyn Shrimpton and Fay Golder) with opponents Brown Jug (Greg Davenport & Peter Turner plus Rowland Jones, not in picture) Play from 3rd Regional, Hartley Play from 3rd Regional, Hartley Page 3

4 Regional Qualifier Results Round 3 - Hartley CC 2 June 2007 Team Name Player One Player Two Player Three Player Four Place Games Won Point difference Total points BROWN JUG Roland Jones Tracy Turner Peter Turner BROWN JUG Roland Jones Tracy Turner Peter Turner GEORGE 3rd Martin Eggleton Dave Woodman Andrew Williams 3= OLD SHEAF Kevin Wood Kris Smith Matt Shrimpton 3= AB FAB Chas Shrimpton Mark Dennis Barry Wing Larry Belcher MOSSY'S BOYS Rob Harvey Jon Holbourn Kevin Atkinson Gary Atkinson 6= FCUK Keith Atkinson Steve Golder RED ALERT Stephen Rudden Ryan Rudden Tracey Rudden Jean-Louis Guiot 6= Daniel Rudden HARTLEY SHAW Colin Senneck Joyce Nash Mick Nash 9= JOHN BOI Roy Pemberton C. Watkins K. Maggs Mick Weston 9= TEAM YELLOW Scott Ashby Jenny Cooter Luke Fribbens GEORGE OUS Richard King Neil Phillips Brian King BTY Alex Bruce Phillip Jarrett Robert Cooter OLD G's David Baxter Charles Fribbens Margaret Baxter Ken Pinder Hugh Aldred P&C4 Mark Cooter Corrine Cooter Glynis Johnston C Wilson MJL John Bradley Linda Bradley Martyn Fribbens KP 1 Kevin Spillet Dave Turner Dean Ashby Pl1 2 DEBS D Snook Mark Thorne T Williams P Mount Pl2 1 Michelle Cregeen E-Depot Alan Cregeen David Blakely Flumps Sam Littley Steve Brown Matt Whatley Harriers NAF N Hurren P Killick A Pucknell Little Devils S Littley B Littley G Sheppard Next Regional Qualifier Lordswood 22nd July The final round of the 2007 Kent Regional Qualifier series sees the teams back at the venue of round one. On Sunday 22nd July 2007, the fourth qualifier will be held at Lordswood Sports and Social Club, North Danes Way, Chatham. As usual registration will be from 09:15 to 09:45 with a 10:00 start. Page 4 There is still plenty to play for and the possibility of taking places in a potential Select squad for places 13 to 16 (see separate article on page 12) should ensure a good turnout and a competitive days play At the top, it is closer than it has been for a few years so we can expect some close and exciting afternoon Swiss games.

5 Regional Qualifier - Latest positions after 3 rounds Pos Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Points 1 BROWN JUG Roland Jones Tracy Turner Peter Turner 51 2= REJECTS Dave Hurren Matt Horrigan Rich Spillett 45 2= MNR Nic Baxter Rachid Hannache Martin Baker Bruno Bove 45 2= TEAM YELLOW Scott Ashby Jenny Cooter Luke Fribbens 45 5 GEORGE 3rd Martin Eggleton Dave Woodman Andrew Williams KP 1 Kev Spillet Dave Turner Dean Ashby 41 7 MOSSY'S BOYS Rob Harvey Jon Holbourn Kevin Atkinson Gary Atkinson OLD G's David Baxter Margaret Baxter Ken Pinder Hugh Aldred 37 9 OLD SHEAF Kevin Wood Kris Smith Matt Shrimpton BTY Alex Bruce Phillip Jarrett Robert Cooter Charles Fribbens 31 11= GEORGE OUS Richard King Neil Phillips Brian King 27 11= KENT ANGELS Faye Golder Lynn Shrimpton Sheila King HARTLEY SHAW Colin Senneck Joyce Nash Mick Nash JOHN BOI Roy Pemberton C. Watkins K. Maggs Mick Weston AB FAB Chas Shrimpton Mark Dennis Barry Wing Larry Belcher E-DEPOT Alan Cregeen Michelle Cregeen Dave Blakely FLUMPS Sam Littley Steve Brown Matthew Whatley RED ALERT Stephen Rudden Ryan Rudden Tracey Rudden Daniel Rudden FCUK Keith Atkinson Steve Golder Jean-Louis Guiot NUFF SKILLS Geoff Booth Rob Booth Rob Brewis MJL John Bradley Linda Bradley Martyn Fribbens DEBS D Snook Mark Thorne T Williams P Mount 9 23 P&C4 Mark Cooter Corrine Cooter Glynis Johnston C Wilson 6 24 LITTLE DEVILS Josh Littley Ben Littley Georgina Shepherd 4 Page 5

6 KPA star on top at International Qualifier Series, Round 1 Our own KPA President, Martin Eggleton, is on top of the IQS leader board after the International Qualifier Series Round 1 at Brecon Rugby Club, Brecon, Powys on Sunday 10 th June. Only 23 teams out of the 32 eligible turned out, leading to suggestions that the Swiss format has made it too predictable but competition was fierce and strong. The next round is at British Sugar, Bury, on Sunday 1st July. EPA Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles 30 KPA members (Hartley x 12, P&C x 8, GRFC x 3, Vale x 3, Old Sheaf x 2 and Bat & Ball x 2) travelled to Bury St Edmunds to compete in one or more of the EPA National Titles over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Torrential rain and win- ter temperatures took their toll of the English Pétanque Association's Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles event Despite the dreadful weather, Mick and Joyce Nash had one of the best Kent results of the weekend, coming fourth in the Mixed Doubles on Monday after five wins out of six. Better still were Rachid Hannache and Martin Baker who came third in the Doubles with five wins out of six which followed Rachid s third in the singles with a similar result of five wins from six games The weather on Monday was so awful that many teams went home despite having pre-registered and some abandoned games during the day. Results from the EPA are on the next pages and the Triples results are on Page 10 Page 6

7 EPA Singles results Page 7

8 EPA Doubles results Page 8

9 EPA Mixed Doubles results Page 9

10 EPA Triples event & results On Saturday 2nd June, World Pétanque Day, in blisteringly hot weather belying the torrents of rain of only the previous weekend, the EPA triples competition was held at Crondall in Hampshire, a late replacement for Cascades in Kent when Cascades couldn't provide the facilities that were required. The setting is wonderful, but proved unable to cope with the demands of a pétanque competition. Lunch was a long drawn out affair making all the competitors late to complete their games. Players were also slightly delayed during the afternoon when the EPA president cut a cake for the occasion and everyone momentarily raised their blood sugar levels. 30 teams entered the competition and Kent player Rachid Hannache came out top to become the EPA Triples champion. The top eight teams rep- resent England at the Home Nations in Inverness in August and Kent players Rachid Hannache, Nic Baxter, Colin Gibbs, Irene Gibbs, Colin Senneck, Martin Eggleton, Alex Bruce, Dave Blakely and Alan Cregeen will be joining our juniors of Rob Cooter, Charles Fribbens and Phil Jarrett for the journey north. Page 10

11 EPA Over 50s Despite the event being in Kent, at Lordswood on 17th June, ands Kent being the largest region in the EPA, few Kent players attended this event. Perhaps we are a younger region or we just don t like to admit to being over 50!. Twenty nine teams played a five round Swiss system with Lee and Angie Jamieson from East Midlands the winners with a 5:0 result. Kent fielded eight teams with Charlie Shrimpton and Steve Golder getting the best result coming fifth (4:1). The full results from the EPA website are below. EPA Singles Winner Sofiane Lachani with Mike Pegg EPA Doubles Winners Sofiane Lachani and Simon Bird EPA Mixed Doubles Winners Miles Gooda & Sarah Huntley EPA Triples Winners Ayadi Noez, Rachid Hannache and Sylvan Borsi (and Mike Pegg) Page 11

12 Harriers NAF Comp, 17 June On Sunday, 17th June 2007, 10 teams turned up at Tovil Working Men's Club for the Harriers NAF competition. Unfortunately it coincided with Fathers' Day - so perhaps all the dads were being taken out!! - and the E.P.A. Over 50s Championship Competition being held at Lordswood. After all the rain we had had during the previous few days, the weather turned out sunny with the odd cloud here and there. Decisions on the format for the Inter- Regional competition at Pontins, Brean in September are still not finalised which will have a direct impact on Kent. In previous years there has been an EPA Combined team to balance Division 2. The format of that team is normally four triples and a junior team from the region that won the previous year s Division 1 title, plus two triples from the second placed region and one triple each from the third and fourth placed regions. However, this year, Devon has decision not The main competition final was contested between The Real Rejects - Matt Horrigan, David Hurren and Dave Chalkley and Harriers NAF Neville Hurren, Andy Pucknell, and Phil Killick. Even on Fathers' Day, Dave Hurren didn't let up on dad, Neville, and the game was short lived The Real Rejects winning to send a 2ndDivision squad to Brean so there is no need for a Combined squad. But there is a new region, Sussex, and it is still not decided by the EPA whether they will be present at the Inter- Regionals. If they are, then once again a Combined squad will be required. At present no clear decision has been made although Sussex have announced their intention to hold qualifiers for Brean and the expectation is that they will be there. The Plate Final was contested between The Fake Rejects (Barry Wing, Kris Smith and Jeff Booth) and D.P.C. (David Snook, Peter Mount and Chris Gillman). The Fake Rejects eventually winning Cash prizes of 240 were given in the main competition and the winners of the Plate were presented with a bottle of wine each. Clubs represented were Plough and Chequers, Old Sheaf, Lordswood, Half Crown (West Midlands), Solihull (West Midlands) Tovil and Harriers. Thanks to Paul Hardwick and Tovil W.M.C. for their kind donations of raffle prizes and also arranging a superb B.B.Q. Will it be 12 or 16 at Brean? If Sussex does send a squad, a need for the combined squad is assumed. As winners of Division 1 last year, Kent will provide four teams, a junior team and a team manager. Chiltern were second and Northern and Eastern were third and fourth. Obviously the sooner we in Kent know the better especially as chalets are now being booked and the cost of sending another five teams will have to be borne by the KPA. Most important of all, teams at the final qualifier will want to know if they are eligible for positions 13 to 16 which will form the squad for the Combined team. Dave Chalkley, Matt Horrigan, Pam Plummer (who presented the prizes) and Dave Hurren. Report Denise Williams The two Kent squads at the 2006 Championships (positions 1-12 of qualifiers) Page 12

13 KPL Summer Season League update The KPL Wednesday night triples league is reaching its halfway stage with most leagues starting to have some clear leaders and followers. Division 1 has not quite got a familiar feel with Old Sheaf Rats (admittedly with the odd ex-p&c player or two) five games ahead of P&C1 and 2 with P&C 2 having a match in hand. P&C 1, Hartley Falcons and Bat & Ball all are strong contenders on 13 or 14 games won. P&C 3 are not doing so well and are near the bottom with Villager A. Hartley Eagles lead Division 2 by one game but Tovil Tornadoes, who are second, have a match in hand. The bottom of the division is tight with many teams behind on games so a clear picture is yet to emerge. Hartley teams are not doing so well in Division 3 where two of their three teams (Merlins and Kestrals) prop up the division and the third team (Hawks) is fourth from bottom. Harriers 1, Lordswood 4 and Beauty of Bath are leading this group. Division 4 looks similar with Villager, Sydney Arms and Walnut Tree all scrapping at the bottom and Ightham and Singleton Barn looking strong at the top. White House Lions are in trouble in Division 5 and Duke of Wellington 1 are leading the way. The rest of this division looks very competitive and the second half of the season will be interesting. Three teams look strong in Division 6, Villager Hurricanes, Old Sheaf Stingers and Three Tuns, while at the other end Ditton Kiln Barners are slipping behind New Ash Green. The tightest division of all is Division 7 with only eight games difference between top and bottom teams (White House Senators and Colyers Arms respectively) although there is a wide variation in numbers of games played, 16 for the Sidney Arms and John Middleton, Secretary KPL johngfmiddleton@hotmail.com George 3 to 28 for Lordswood 6. Lordswood 7 are having a tussle with Villager E and White House Presidents for top spot in Division 8 whilst Borstal Sandpipers with 32 of 56 games played and only 8 wins are looking strong contenders for bottom of the pile although Ditton Streamliners have that dubious honour at the moment. KPL Cup & Plate The Cup has reached the third round and was played on 20 th June. At the time of going to production The Gazette has not got the latest results for this round or the second round of the Platte which was played on the same date. In the Cup round 3, all but 2 teams are in Division 1 or 2. The three teams who are not are Harriers 2 (Division 4), Hartley Kites (Division 7) and White House Bell (Division 8). The last two are draw against each other so a lower division team is guaranteed in the quarter finals. Another interesting game is the top two teams from Division playing each other. Tears for one of Old Sheaf Rats and Plough and Chequers 2? In the Plate, there is a much bigger mix of teams with every divis i o n r e p r e s e n t e d (except Division 1 which cannot enter the Plate). The highest placed teams are Division 2 s Wheatsheaf and Seal Whites. The lowliest is Borstal Sandpipers who seem to be able to win in the Plate whilst suffering in the League. At least one Division 8 team will be in the quarter finals following the all- Division 8 clash of Lordswood 8 and White House Presidents. And the only intra-club derby is in the Plate between Villager Hurricanes and Villager B. Page 13

14 KPL new doubles league There are eight entries to the new league and because of the late start date it has been decided that there will be two divisions. It is intended that the top team in each Division at the end of the season will play off with one another for the title. Some of the teams comprise players from more than one club. The league is intended to as informal as possible commensurate with official competition so it is very much a case of playing in the best sporting tradition. If all goes well the league next season will start somewhat earlier and is likely to last a little longer. Fixture and results are expected to be shown on the KPL website. Page 14 Team Name Club Contact Telephone Tornadoes Lordswood Chris Atkins Hawks Lordswood Steve Rudden Hengist Hartley Mags Yeats GRFC GRFC David Baxter Guy & Doll Lordswood Diane Reading Jaguars Lordswood Steve Rudden Horsa Hartley Mags Yeats Old Sheaf Old Sheaf John Holborn League 1 League 2 25-Jun GRFC v Tornadoes Old Sheaf v Guy & Doll Hengist v Hawks Horsa v Jaguars 02-Jul Hawks v GRFC Guy & Doll v Horsa Tornadoes v Hengist Jaguars v Old Sheaf 09-Jul GRFC v Hengist Old Sheaf v Horsa Tornadoes v Hawks Jaguars v Guy & Doll 30-Jul Tornadoes v GRFC Guy & Doll v Old Sheaf Hawks v Hengist Jaguars v Horsa 06-Aug GRFC v Hawks Horsa v Guy & Doll Hengist v Tornadoes Old Sheaf v Jaguars 20-Aug Hengist v GRFC Horsa v Old Sheaf Hawks v Tornadoes Guy & Doll v Jaguars Kent membership numbers fall Membership for the Kent Pétanque Association fell this year. As at the last KPA committee meeting (early June), we had 774 registered members in the region, in 45 clubs. Just 24 of those mem- bers were juniors (under 18 as at 31/12/07). That included 53 new members (with 3 new juniors). 167 former members did not renew although 41 of those have moved to the newly formed Sussex region. Ways to increase membership and attract new players, especially juniors, are being investigated and if anyone has a suggestion please contact a member of the KPA committee of the editor of The Gazette. In the wider world, in 2006, France had 367,000 registered players and Thailand had 40,000. Britain is 12th largest with 3,265 registered players (25% from Kent).

15 Ladies Grand Prix - Kent in top spots Tracy Turner from the Plough and Chequers and her team held on to top place to become the best Ladies team in the country after the second Ladies Grand Prix, held at The Swan, Braintree, Essex. A 100% record winning 6 out of 6 at both events saw them way out ahead of the rest. Tracy played with Sarah and Myra Huntley from Chiltern Region. These three now represent Great Britain as GB Ladies A consistent 4 wins at each Grand Prix helped Kent triple, Fay Golder, Lyn Shrimpton and Sheila King take second place with 8 games won out of 12 The other Kent team of Joyce Nash, Irene Gibbs, Eileen Fowers and Linda Bradley had respectable results winning three games at each event to take an overall 14th place with six games won. L et ter from M ike Peg g, E PA President r e f EPA C ong r es s o f 16 June EPA Congress 16th June 2007 Dear EPA Member, It is plainly obvious from Saturday s attendance that most of you have little to no interest in attending Congress or AGM meetings so how about changing the format or structure of them. This is just a thought - you elect your Regional Presidents to act on your behalf so why not make these people responsible to represent all the regional membership - YOU at the EPA Congress and AGM. OK, I accept that some of them will have work or other commitments but that is easily dealt with as each Regional President has a committee, one of which ought to be able to attend in his or her place. We would need a change of our Constitution that made having a representative in attendance at the EPA Congress and AGM a requirement for each and every region, but that is a fairly simple thing to do and would only require your support. The BPA used to hold Council meetings every 3 months or so which was structured to include the Regional Presidents, this was dropped when the BPA devolved as it was considered to large a committee and of course expensive. Problem now is it feels like our regions are becoming removed from the structure and decision-making that I feel could be diminishing the strength of our organisation. We don t need to revert back to 3 monthly Council meetings but surely one meeting every 6 months (Congress, AGM) should be affordable, productive and positive. A united organisation is a strong organisation. I am not suggesting that you the individual member would not be welcome at either meeting in fact your views and input are always valued so your attendance would be preferable, but we could restrict voting to the Regional Presidents or representatives. So are you all prepared to ask your committees if this is an idea that they could accept? For once don t just moan, complain or criticise help me by doing something positive, write or me with your comments or alternative suggestions. Kind regards, 18 June 2007 Page 15

16 Invitation to Le Dunkerquois L U.S.D Pétanque club in Dunkerque has invited players from the UK to join them in the 11 th annual Dunkerquois competition on the 17, 18 and 19 August. On Friday afternoon there is an Over 55s open doubles competition. Then on Saturday and Sunday is the main French National competition (international licences with photos required). Prize money is expected to be 1900 to the overall winners. Pre-registration ( 15 per team) is by 15 August or on-site no later that midday on Friday 17 th August. Feedback from players last year was that this was a fantastic event played with the very highest level of French competition. The KPA will also be subsidising selected teams from the regional qualifiers to compete but any registered players with international licences may compete. Saturday games will be in pools with losers going to a knock-out plate in the afternoon. The main competition concludes on Sunday. For the remainder of teams, who register by 4pm on the Saturday, there are further competitions on Sunday, a women s doubles ( 10 per team) and a doubles (also 10 per team) both initially played in pools. Iin the afternoon on the Sunday (no pre-registration needed) is a singles competition ( 4 per player, straight knockout). More details can be obtained via the editor of the Gazette, from David Baxter or direct from the organiser, Pascal Carton ( pascalcarton2000@yahoo.fr). Turks invented pétanque? From the Turkish Daily News, 6 June 2007 Pétanque, a game played with metal balls, was invented 9,000 years ago in the Neolithic Çatalhöyük in Konya and has returned to its roots. Adem Yakıncı, the Turkish national pétanque squad coach, told the Anatolia news agency that the game started to be played in Turkey on May 27, 2006 under the auspices of the Turkish Bocce Bowling Dart Federation. Noting that the game is different from other sports because groups consisting of hundreds of people can play it, Yakıncı said pétanque was appropriate especially for sports festivals and events organized for institutions. The International Pétanque Federation (FIPJP) was established in According to its official Web site, the sport was first born 9,000 years ago in the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Konya. It is nowadays most popular in France. In last year's World Pétanque Championship held in Grenoble in France, we noticed that hundreds of people are playing pétanque instead of spending their time in cafés. Pétanque is, however, a relatively new sport in Turkey. We want to expand this sport, which returned to its hometown after a long time, Yakıncı said. Noting that although the game has reappeared in Turkey only recently, Yakıncı pointed out that Turkey managed 32nd place among 59 countries. We gained experience. I believe that we will be more successful in future events. Nor th Sea (INSPT) squad Six Kent players will be representing their country at the upcoming North Sea competition, in Travemunde, Germany Following all the qualification events and junior selection the North Sea Squad that will travel to Germany in June is: GB1 Nic Baxter, Sofiane Lachani, Matt Eversden GB2 - Marcus Hickman, David Blakeley, Alex Bruce GB3 - Kris Smith, Dean Seville, Chris Gidlow GB Ladies - Tracey Turner, Sarah & Myra Huntley GB Juniors - Andy Willis, Richard Marston, Jack Barrington Managers to be announced. Well done to them all and we wish them the best of luck. Stop Press Team results (from 12 rounds) GB1 5 wins GB2 2 wins GB3 (Espoirs) 2 wins Ladies 4 wins Juniors 3 wins Overall 16 wins, 6th place (of 7). Page 16

17 Gentle image of pétanque wrecked by bouliganes from The Times, 11 June 2007 Insults and punches are flying in the world of pétanque, the French pastime that conjures up images of elderly men, pastis and afternoons under the plane trees of Provence. As the sport celebrates its centenary this month, the authorities in south and central France are clamping down on physical and verbal abuse among players that is said to be caused by prize money, alcohol and the decline of civil behaviour in France. Club games have been banned for the past month in the Nièvre département in east-central France after a rash of incidents in which police were called to break up brawling players and fans. These culminated in an attack on Patrice Joliveau, the president of a club at the village of Pouguès-les-Eaux. A group of men refused to pay for their drinks at the club bar. Things got out of hand and I found myself pinned to the wall with a sickle at my throat, Mr Joliveau told Le Parisien newspaper yesterday. The rise of what is known as le bouliganisme has alarmed the national body that regulates a sport that is played occasionally by 20 million French people and which has 380,000 regular contestants in 7,000 clubs. At its annual congress in Corsica in January, the French Pétanque Federation called for moderation in the consumption of alcohol during matches and imposed measures to protect referees. They are now covered by a law that designates them as holders of a public service mission. Pétanque is no longer a convivial sport, complained le Midi Libre, a leading Mediterranean region newspaper. It is being undermined by constant incivility, verbal threats and gross insults. The non-respect of sporting rules by some players is driving others away, as well as referees who feel endangered, it said. Hervé Basset, editor of Boulisme, the sport s magazine, said yesterday that abuses were growing in local tournaments and the highlevel leagues, where sponsorship and media coverage had raised the financial stakes. The aggression is usually verbal and aimed at unsettling a rival. Before you would wind him up. Now there s no joking. We have gone from joshing to slapping, he told Le Parisien. This unhealthy atmosphere is damaging the sport. Some pétanque players end up handing in their sporting licences. Some say le bouliganisme is caused by the travelling community, whose members turn up in groups at tournaments and cause trouble at the bar. It is too easy to accuse the gypsies, a federation official countered. The problem is alcohol and money. Defenders of the sport said that the trouble was being exaggerated. Pierre Fieux, author of The Pétanque Dictionary, said: Pétanque is based on self-mastery. So obviously people are shocked at the slightest misbehaviour. Pétanque has been trying for years to shed its reputation as the boozy pastime of paunchy men. The guardians of the sport, which is seeking entry to the Olympic Games, emphasised the discipline and fitness required for international competition when they celebrated their centenary at La Ciotat, near Marseilles, last week. The sport has been hampered by a less-than-energetic image from the outset because its main distinction compared with traditional boules or bowling is that the player must keep his feet together and not move. The name pétanque comes from pieds tanqués, or stuck feet. Its inventor, Jules le Noir, suffered from arthritis and was unable to play the more energetic game of boules What s on in July? BPF - British & International Events EPA - English National Events KPA - Kent County Events Sun 1 st BPF ICQS 2 (top 32) Bury St Edmunds Triples Sun 1 st Lordswood Open Doubles Lordswood S&SC Doubles Sun 8 th Tour de France Open Lordswood S&SC Doubles 13 th - 15 th Junior World Championship Suwa, Japan Triples Sun 15 th BPF ICQS 3 (top 8) tba Triples Sun 15 th Bastille Day Triples The Villager, Vigo Triples Sat 21 st BPF Junior Triples Luton Triples Sun 22 ndh KPA County Qualifier 4 Lordswood Triples Sun 29 th BPF ICQS 4 (top 8) tba Triples Sun 29 th Ricard Cup Harriers, Tovil WMC Doubles Kent Club Events Page 17

18 Coaching update New coaches are being trained and a new round of training is to be announced shortly. Details can be obtained from Eric Hatfield. ( , eric.hatfield@blueyond er.co.uk) Existing coaches are reminded that their qualification lapses if it is not used. Requalification can also be arranged via Eric. Six coaches have recently passed the course and all clubs are urged to use the services of these new coaches. Interested clubs should contact Eric. One such club that has recently used the coached trained at the KPA expense has been Ditton who are aiming to move off the bottom of the KPL with their new skills. Junior Fund appeal The Junior Fund was started a few years ago and has been used to fund training and travel for our Juniors as they have developed and represented Kent and their country over the last few years. The fund still has a fairly healthy balance but there has been no donation of funds for some time and without these donations the fund will dwindle away. With more funds we can improve the coaching and facilities for juniors so all members and, especially, clubs are encouraged to donate to the Junior fund at least once per year to enable Kent to continue to have a reputation for the best juniors in the country. Belated birthday wishes The Gazette apologises for forgetting to publish 21st birthday wishes for Matt Shrimpton in the last edition. Matt s mum, Lyn, said he would particularly appreciate everyone knowing!. Likewise, his Dad, Charlie also has a birthday at around the same time. As Charlie appeared in the EPA over 50s, we can assume that he wishes not to broadcast how old he is! Of course it could have been as embarrassing as everyone singing Happy Birthday to Scott Ashby at Hartley at the 3rd Regional. Aren t Mums annoying! Schools and youth There has been success recently with KPA organised events at schools, colleges and Scouts event. A Scouts and Cubs Come and Try session at Lordswood was followed by a very popular University of Kent event at the same venue. Arrangements are now being made to extend these events and to also engage with the Duke of Edinburgh organisers. Most of this is being managed by Eric Hatfield at Lordswood although Colin Senneck of Hartley is also actively working with Kent CC and schools to run Come and Try sessions Call for the Umpire The Gazette hears that our esteemed county Umpire, Peter Turner, has taken on the management of Mossy s Tavern and this has lead him to have to resign his position as a regular Umpire. Consequently, the county will now be looking for a replacement. A region the size of Kent needs at least one Umpire and the EPA and BPF will also need a replacement for Peter. Anyone who wants to find out more about being an Umpire should contact a member of the KPA committee or the editor of The Gazette. Peter will be missed although his skills as a player will continue to be seen. House for sale near pistes! Mark Thorne of the Plough and Cheques tells The Gazette that his house is up for sale and it is near a number of pétanque clubs including P&C, Lordswood, and Old Sheaf. Such proximity makes the 190,000 price seem like a bargain. Mark is on Keep warm with E-Depot Newcomer to Kent, Alan Cregeen, runs the Embroidery Depot supplying fleeces, shirts, caps, waterproofs with your club logo and welcomes enquiries from pétanque clubs. Go to Page 18

19 Plough and Chequers lose to Danish Lost and Found A close competition in the preliminary round of the European Club Cup ended with The Plough and Chequers unfortunately losing to Boule Hedebo of Denmark on 25th May. The home match had a good following of spectators Obituary Sylvia Mears It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Sylvia Mears passed away on Saturday 19th May. Sylvia had been a member of Lordswood Pétanque Club since its creation and will be greatly missed by her family and all her friends at Lordswood PC. Innes Clark The first six games went evenly and it all hinged on a final round game which narrowly went the Danish Champions way. The Plough aims to win the right to represent Great Britain again next year. KPA Singles 29th June The Landlord of The George has asked that pétanque players park in the roads around the pub, not the car park itself, to avoid preventing restaurant users parking. Editor s Note The views expressed in the KENT PÉTANQUE GAZETTE are those of the editor and contributors only. They do not, necessarily, reflect the views of the Kent Pétanque Association, the British Pétanque Federation or the English Pétanque Association Whilst playing my first competitive match of the season on 16 May I discovered that I had an Obut Match E32 710gm boule in my bag and that I was Missing a JB110 (code 6587) 700gm boule. As I only play in the Kent league for THE REDSTART the swap either happened last season or during a friendly against THE VETERANS. Anyone missing the OBUT and/or in possession of my JB can contact Gerald Bovis on or by to gbovis@mac.com THORNE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Fascia. Soffits. Guttering. Bargeboards Double Glazing If it s broken let us fix it % Discount to pétanque members and their families MAINTENANCE OF WINDOWS & DOORS Sealed Units. Window Locks. Window Handles Door Locks. Door Handles. Solar Film. Security Film Gaskets. Sealant Hinges. Door Closers. Restrictors The Kent Pétanque Gazette is edited by: Martyn Fribbens Any items for inclusion should be sent to: The Editor, Kent Pétanque Gazette, 16 Old Downs, Hartley, Longfield, Kent DA3 7AA Tel : gazette@fribbens.co.uk