Snooker leagues
Snooker leagues are widespread throughout the UK, how many is uncertain, there is no single directory, according to the BBC website the county of Lancashire possesses twenty eight snooker leagues alone, the population of Lancashire is approximately one and a half million (3% of the population of the UK), therefore an estimation can be made that there are up to one thousand snooker leagues in the UK. GeneRally a league consists of between one and seven divisions of snooker teams that are based on a specific geographical area. There are usually eight to twelve teams in each division, who play each other home and away in a season, often during the winter months. The teams are based at a club, usually a workingmen’s or social club, although actual snooker clubs participate within the leagues. Each team generally consists of between three and six players, who play a single frame of snooker against an opponent during a match on a weekly basis. Alongside the league matches there are many knockout competitions throughout a season, which involve teams, individuals and doubles players. Many players take part in the leagues as it gives them a chance to enjoy competing and socialising on a regular basis. An estimation is that there are between one hundred thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand players participating in UK snooker leagues each year.
Isolation & Lack of Information
The major problem with snooker leagues in the UK, is that there is little or no communication that takes place between these leagues. Often league participants do not know what is happening within their leagues, this being information such as league tables, fixtures, results, news and much more. The typical source of information is the local newspaper that often displays vague information about a snooker league, and often does not print information from a snooker league on a regular basis.
UK League Snooker Community
A website has been created the 'UK League Snooker Community' - http://www.leaguesnooker.co.uk to combat these problems, the site can be used by any snooker league because it has been designed generically to accommodate any of the diverse scoring methods that a snooker league may possess.
This website is designed for four purposes:
1. To provide any UK Snooker League with their own highly detailed website instantly.
2 . To provide players who play in Snooker Leagues throughout the UK with up-to-date information from their leagues. Information includes: Teams, Tables, Fixtures, Results, Player Statistics, Club Directory, News, League Rules, Cups, Sponsors, Roll of Honour and even Pictures from their league.
3 . To reduce the workload of secretaries, by enabling information to be inputted and stored efficiently.
4 . To enable snooker players to communicate through a snooker forum for all leagues and within their own league.
The site was started in March 2003 and currently has 22 snooker and billiard league members.
The 'UK League Snooker Community' website homepage