This announcement contains exciting news from GB9 about the forthcoming season including:

• Prize fund increase of £1,700 per event
• £2000 Main Event 1st Prize
• Twice the number of Challenge event places winning prize money
• Membership fees frozen
• Pro division to be an elite 16 player field with a £1000 1st Prize (Double-Elimination to Last 8 )
• Event 3 will be a 10 ball event
• GB9-Live – Our new Laptop-based live scoring system

Invitation for new Committee member

The GB9 Committee has worked hard during 2011 to ensure that the tour remains in a secure financial position, whilst still delivering ongoing improvements. The proposed changes for the 2012 season represent a number of considerable improvements to the established tour format. As ever the tour committee will be looking to the future and how GB9 can develop beyond 2012.

Prize Fund

We are very pleased to announce that for the second year running we are increasing the prize fund. Highlights are:

Main Event Winner £2000 (up 53% from £1300) – Runner up £1000
Pro Cup Winner £1000 – Runner up £500 (now an elite 16 player division)
Challenge Cup quarter-final & Last 16 payouts increased, and a new £50 payout to the last 32 – (representing an almost 40% total increase in Challenge event prize fund)
The full breakdown of prize money will be available here.

Event Format

The format for 2012 will see a new format elite 16 player Pro division, playing double elimination to the last 8. The Challenge division will increase to 128 players, thereby retaining the current 144 player main field.

The criteria for the 16 player field is available here.

In response to feedback event 3 of the tour will be a 10 ball event, the first professional 10 ball event ever to be held in the UK. We will post more details about this nearer the time.

Venues, Tour Dates and Membership Fees

In order to keep close control on our costs during this crucial year, whilst also enabling us to make significant increases to the prize fund, we have made the decision to remain at the Barceló Daventry Hotel for the duration of 2012. It is our intention to take time during next year to investigate the possibility of using other suitable venues elsewhere in the UK for use as part of the 2013 season. Membership fees for 2012 will remain the same at £549 for challenge and £799 for pro.

We ask that all our existing members support the tour in 2012. Members are all invited to rejoin GB9 in 2012 regardless of final ranking position. To secure a spot member’s must pay a deposit of just £50 by 31st December 2011. Entries received after this date will not be considered, as the Committee need to know the number of qualification spots it can offer to new members. The easiest way to pay your deposit is at the last event of the 2011 season, on November 18-20. Members can either pay their deposits by cash/cheque at any time over the weekend, or request that it be taken from prize money won. Each member will also need to complete the renewal form.

We are pleased to be able to provide confirmed dates for our 2012 tour stops here.

Qualifying Events

If you are not already a member of GB9 and wish to enter one of the qualifying events for the 2012 season, then please register your interest by joining our reserve list. You will then be notified as soon as we start accepting entries.

If you know of friends or family that may wish to play next season then please pass this information onto them.

Equipment

All tables will be re-clothed (beds and cushions) before the start of the first event. In addition we will also be replacing the plastic “London Bridge” rest heads for chrome versions.

GB9-Live: Rack-by-Rack Live Scoring

In one of the biggest improvements since the move to hotel venues, GB9 Live will be trialled at the final event of 2011, when our players will get to see and use the system for the first time. If all goes as well as we expect it to, then the system will be used at all future GB9 events.

GB9 Live utilises 16 networked laptop computers and bespoke user-friendly software to provide rack-by-rack live scoring of every single match on each individual match table. It also provides additional spectator facing screens, results screens around the venue & of course live on-line coverage for fans around the world. We hope it will improve players’ and spectators’ experience by;

• Replacing paper score sheets and name cards
• Featuring the facility to call a referee to your table when required
• Clearly displaying whose turn it is to break
• Indicating which match is coming up next on vacant tables
• Automatically announcing over the PA when matches are “hill-hill”
• Giving more accurate monitoring of timeouts and speed of play

Committee Roles

Andy Warden will be taking over from Jonathan Mathers as Chairperson of the tour at the end of the 2011 season. Jonathan has done a fantastic job in leading the tour over the past two years and during the historic move into hotel venues. Jonathan will be remaining on the tour Committee. I’m sure you will all join us in thanking him for his hard work and dedication, and also to wish Andy all the best in taking up this important role.

Additionally we have a vacant committee-member position. If any tour members are interested and willing to give up some of their spare time and ideas to help in the organisation of events, have a say on how the tour is run, and help move GB9 forward, please contact Andy Warden. Contact details are available on our website here if you would like to put yourself forward or just want to discuss what working on the Committee entails.

Your Questions and Comments Answered….

Why did you decide to hold all tour stops at Daventry?

There were 2 reasons for this; one was financial and the other was about offering the best experience to players. When we started out in 2010 in hotel venues it was obviously a very new experience for us so a lot of financial and logistical issues had to be carefully assessed and worked around. We quickly found that the number of venues in the UK that could offer both a large enough playing arena and sufficient bedrooms for all our competitors was very limited. Many venues could offer one or the other but few could offer both. We found ourselves touring to alternate venues, which were far inferior to Daventry and at the same time it was costing us in the region of £1500 – £2000 extra per event. So it became a no-brainer to stay in Daventry because we could divert this money into prize money and other projects, and also play at the best venue.

Do you have plans to move the events around the country again?

We are always looking for suitable venues and we are currently assessing the financial and logistical implications of using additional venues in 2013 and beyond.

Do you have any plans to change the tour format?

Some players have recommended a switch to a double elimination format for the main event which would involve diverting much of the available prize fund into that. This would allow us to offer a very attractive first prize which would undoubtedly attract more of the UK’s best cueists to the sport. We are actively investigating this and other suggestions as possibilities for the 2013 season. You can also be assured that any changes we do implement will give full consideration to members of all abilities.

In 2012 GB9 will be proudly sponsored by Barceló Hotels, SAM Leisure, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Billiard Balls making the perfect combination of the very best equipment in the most outstanding venues.