Review of the 2009 Season

From 9 teams last year to 17 for the 2009 season, an 89% increase, this season has seen many more players take part (153 players in a total of 82 matches). Matches have been, in the main, on the 'prefered' Sunday timeslot but many matches have been moved around and fitted into the overall league programme by all teams involved but at least were all completed by the time we had the End of Season Play-Offs.

Many thanks to Virginia and Carl and indeed all the staff at The Star Inn, Wenhaston who made us all feel so very welcome earlier today, by hosting our seasons play-off event. They are sure to be a very welcome addition to our leagues set-up next season, judging by the players they had play a few games against us at the end of the afternoon.

I'd like to thank you all for playing and taking part this year. There are so many I could thank personally but I fear I might miss a few, so thank you to all those who did help, you know who you are. I hope you all enjoyed this season and are eager to re-register for the 2010 season, I already have the Registration Forms if you need them.

Congratulations to the teams that made this years play-offs and thank you to those of you who didnt but came along to The Star to cheer on the ones that did. It just goes to show the spirit in our league that so many of our leagues players turned up to support something that they themselves weren't actually involved in.

Special mention to The Golden Key Snape for winning the Leagues Best Newcomers title and to the Kings Head Laxfield for getting the 'Getting Most People Playing' Award. There are certificates for ALL teams for their 2009 final positions and those of you who couldn't pick them up on the day, will receive them via post over the next week.

2010 promises to be even bigger as our recruitment campaign goes into over-drive between now and February, so get out there and be looking around for new players, teams and venues and at the same time get yourselves organised and re-registered as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you,

Simon
League Co-Ordinator

Walberswick & Ipswich - 2009 Grand Final

Having witnessed the third/fourth place play-off go to a deciding game, both The Bell Inn Walberswick & Ipswich PC '09 lined up to face each other in this years climax to the 2009 season.

Both sides had had the best two divisional records in their groups and had won each group respectively, thus earning the coveted Grand Final play-off spots. With around 50 to 60 interested spectators, the match got under way and again some tight tactical play saw the match stand at 1-1 by the half-time point. Ipswich then edged ahead in the 3rd pair, only to see Walberswick peg them back in the fourth game.

2-2 now and another decider required.

Ipswich, having 5 players, put together the two players who had only played the once so far in this match, whilst The Bell put on the pair who had taken the match to 2-2. Unfortunately for The Bell, they never got going in the game and dropped to a 13-0 loss, handing Ipswich PC '09 the 2009 Suffolk Coastal title.

A fine match between two very good sides, who had shown the reasons why they had got to the Grand Final in the first place, by good use of teamwork and tactics.

'Seasiders' claim bronze medal position

At the neutral setting of The Star Inn, Wenhaston earlier today, The Three Horseshoes North Cove, (qualifiers by virtue of their best 'runners-up' record this season), crossed swords with Aldeburgh Boules Club, in the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League 3rd/4th place play-off match.

Evenly match throughout the early exchanges, at half-time the score was locked at 1 game all. By the end of the second round, the match was still delicately poised at 2-2. In normal events this would be a drawn match, but today we required a winner. Therefore a tie-breaker game was required.

Despite the considerable best efforts and skill shown by the North Cove side, Aldeburgh managed to edge ahead and finish the match 3-2.

Well played to both sides in what was to be the pre-cursor to the main event.

2009 Final Overall Positions - 5th to 17th place

Whilst we await the outcome of Sundays play-offs to determine who finishes 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th place respectively, we do at least know where everyone else finished overall.

Based upon the average league points per match ratio formula, the rankings are as follows;

5th Hollesley Shepherd & Dog
6th Suivre Les Boules Playford
7th Harbour Inn Southwold
8th Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton
9th The Exiles Bealings
10th Golden Key Snape
11th Kings Head Laxfield B
12th Royal Oak East Bergholt
13th Rushmere Rugby Rollers
14th Kings Head Laxfield Lovelies
15th Deben Vikings
16th Kings Head Laxfield A
17th Greyhound Pettistree

Petanque Boule sale

At this weekends End of Season event, there will be a limited amount of new and used leisure and competition boule for sale.

These will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

End Of Season Play-Off line-up confirmed

Following completion of the relevant matches earlier today, we can confirm the line-up for the 2009 End Of Season Play-Offs, due to be held on Sunday 27th September at The Star Inn, Wenhaston

Grand Final (Playing off for the 2009 Suffolk Coastal League Championship) with 2pm start approx

Bell Inn Walberswick (Blyth Division) v Ipswich PC'09 (Orwell Division)

Third/Fourth Place Play-Off with 12.15 start approx

Aldeburgh Boules Club (Deben Division) v Three Horseshoes North Cove (Blyth Division)

Final Play-Off place determined

With three divisional winners now decided, the remaining play-off place is awarded to the best divisional runner-up from the three divisions.

As one divisions teams played a different amount of matches, the formula applied will be the total league points secured divided by how many league matches that team played. (This gives the points per match ratio with the highest ratio therefore being the best record).

Divisional Runners-Up
BLYTH - Three Horseshoes North Cove 14 points from 10 matches = 1.4 pts per match
ORWELL - Hollesley Shepherd & Dog 14 points from 10 matches = 1.4 pts per match
DEBEN - Suivre Les Boules Playford 11 points from 8 matches = 1.375 pts per match

From this we can see that North Cove and Hollesley need to be seperated by the next best differentiator, ie games difference (the amount of games a team won minus the amount of games a team lost, the highest + difference the better)

Games Difference
Three Horseshoes North Cove - Games For 26 Games Against 14 = Games Difference +12
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog - Games For 21 Games Against 15 = Games Difference +6

Therefore the fourth play-off spot is awarded to Three Horseshoes North Cove

Aldeburgh earn divisional title

Whilst the Bell Inn Walberswick and Ipswich PC'09 had both secured their respective divisional titles and play-off spots, going into todays matches, the Deben Division was the only group that hadn't decided the title.

Aldeburgh needed to avoid defeat at home against The Exiles Bealings to snatch the divisional championship but a defeat would see Suivre Les Boules Playford as the group winners. In the end Aldeburgh ran out 3-1 victors and thereby win the group by one point, earning their Play-Off spot in the 3rd/4th play-off match in two weeks time.

Remaining Matches

Sunday 13th September

Blyth Division
Kings Head Laxfield B 0 Bell Inn Walberswick 4
Three Horseshoes North Cove 2 Harbour Inn Southwold 2

Orwell Division
Ipswich PC'09 4 Deben Vikings 0
Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton 4 Royal Oak East Bergholt 0

Deben Division
Aldeburgh Boules Club 3 The Exiles Bealings 1
Greyhound Pettistree 1 Golden Key Snape 3

Tuesday 15th September

Orwell Division
Rushmere Rugby Rollers 3 Deben Vikings 1

Wednesday 16th September

Blyth Division
Kings Head Laxfield A 1 Kings Head Laxfield L 3

Deben Division - UpToDate League Table

Suivre Les Boules Playford PLAYED 8 WON 5 DREW 1 LOST 2 FOR 19 AGAINST 13 PTS 11
Aldeburgh Boules Club P7 W4 D2 L1 F18 A10 PTS 10
The Exiles Bealings P7 W4 D0 L3 F17 A11 PTS 8
Golden Key Snape P7 W2 D2 L3 F13 A15 PTS 6
Greyhound Pettistree P7 W0 D1 L6 F5 A23 PTS 1

Orwell Division - UpToDate League Table

Ipswich PC'09 PLAYED 9 WON 8 DREW 0 LOST 1 FOR 31 AGAINST 5 POINTS 16
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog P10 W6 D2 L2 F21 A15 PTS 14
Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton P9 W4 D1 L4 F16 A16 PTS 9
Royal Oak East Bergholt P9 W1 D5 L3 F15 A21 PTS 7
Deben Vikings P8 W1 D2 L5 F10 A22 PTS 4
Rushmere Rugby Rollers P9 W2 D0 L7 F11 A25 PTS 4

Blyth Division - UpToDate League Table

Bell Inn Walberswick Played 9 Won 8 Drew 0 Lost 1 For 27 Against 9 Points 16
3 Horseshoes North Cove P9 W6 D1 L2 F24 A12 PTS13
Harbour Inn Southwold P9 W5 D1 L3 F23 A13 PTS11
Kings Head Laxfield B P9 W3 D2 L4 F17 A19 PTS8
Kings Head Laxfield L P9 W1 D1 L7 F9 A27 PTS3
Kings Head Laxfield A P9 W1 D1 L7 F8 A28 PTS3

Result from Tuesday 8th September

Orwell Division
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog 1 Rushmere Rugby Rollers 3

Who will be the leagues' best runner-up?

As you should already know, the fourth place in the play-offs will be awarded to the team who is the best divisional runner-up, based upon how many league points they accumulate divided by how many matches they played in their group. (This is because one group will only play 8 matches whilst two divisions teams play 10 matches).

Current Contenders

Blyth - Three Horseshoes North Cove....13 points from 9 matches
Blyth - Harbour Inn Southwold....11 points from 9 matches
Orwell - Hollesley Shepherd & Dog....14 points from 10 matches
Deben - Suivre Les Boules Playford....11 points from 8 matches
Deben - The Exiles Bealings....8 points from 7 matches

(Aldeburgh Boules Club cannot be runners-up in their group regardless of their final match result).

Deben Division still up for grabs

One division remains unclinched as we go into the final round of matches. The Deben Division has been probably the tightest group with as many as 4 of the teams only 2 matches ago, all having the chance of being 'top dog'.

However recent results have sorted matters out......but only a bit.

Suivre Les Boules Playford sit top with 11 points from 8 matches (but have completed their programme). Second is Aldeburgh Boules Club (10 from 7 matches) and third is The Exiles Bealings with 8 from 7 matches.

By a quirk of fate, the remaining match for Aldeburgh is at home to The Exiles at the Moot Arena piste. If Aldeburgh avoid defeat, they will be crowned group winners but if the Bealings team wins, Aldeburgh will be pushed to third place and Playford will be the divisional champions, thereby qualifying for the play-offs.

Orwell Divisional title secured by Ipswich PC '09

Due to their 4-0 away win at Rushmere Rugby Rollers new venue of the Bramford Cock PH, Ipswich PC '09 clinched the Orwell Division title despite them and Hollesley still having one match left each.

Mathematically even if Hollesley won 4-0 and Ipswich lost by the same scoreline, both sides would be level on points but Ipswich would have a far superior 'games difference' (ie the difference between the number of games won less the number of games lost).

So congratulations to them as we now know 50% of the play-off contenders, with the Bell Inn Walberswick having already won the Blyth section.

Results from Sunday 6th September

Blyth Division
Harbour Inn Southwold 3 Kings Head Laxfield B 1
Kings Head Laxfield A 0 Three Horseshoes North Cove 4


Orwell Division
Rushmere Rugby Rollers 0 Ipswich PC'09 4