1-06-07-04 Tinsley Green 2002

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 29^th 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 organizing 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 traveled from Canada to attend the event. Just before I left one of the German teams arrived and began to put in some practice 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. It is a new tournament for players over the age of 50. See rules here.

Sam and the Mayor of Crowly Knuckle down
for the first match in the "Golden Oldies"

FIRST ROUND

Barrel Scrapers (27)	v	The Grayhound Dogs and Bitches (11)
!st Mc Erzgeburges II (8)	v	Saxonia II (16)
Saxonia I (27)	v	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 Tollymen (17)

SECOND ROUND

Johnson Jets (27)	v	Where's Ma Balls (5)
Saxonia II (17)	v	Barrel Scrapers (21)
Saxonia I (24)	v	Handcross Rebels (17)
Cruisers (5)	v	Wunch of Bankers (7)
Dr. Johnson (9)	v	Black Dog Boozers (25)
Six Blocks from the Car Park (17)	v	Turners Hill Tollymen (12)
Turners Hill Tollyboys (12)	v	Sachsenbrunner (25)
1st Mc Erzgeburges I (24)	v	Handcross 49ers (24) + 2 kills

QUARTERFINALS

Barrel Scrapers (15)	v	Johnson Jets (23)
Cruisers (8)	v	Saxonia I (28)
Six Blokes from 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)

Black Dog Boozers (1)

The sun sets on the final.
This year saw one of the latest finishes on record.

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 center 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.

Granny	Cruisers	1
Darren	Handcross 49ers	0	(K)
Colin	Black Dog Boozers	6
Hal	Greyhound Dogs and Bitches	2
Benni	1st Mc Erzgeburges I	11
Mark	Johnson Jets	6
Torstan	Sachsenburger	3
Paul	Johnson Jets	4
Rick	Turners Hill Tollymen	4
Colin	Barrel Scrapers	2
Andreas II	Saxonia I	6
Stephan	Schwarzmurmler	3
Tom	Handcross Rebels	2

RESULTS

Individual Champion	Benni
Team Champions	Saxonia I
Runners-up	Black Dog Boozers
Best Lady Player	Jen McGowan
Golden Cross Winner	Barry Ray
Golden Cross Runner-up	Graham Smith

Saxonia I
the winning team
2002

The Runners-up prize

MARBLE FACTOIDS 2002

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 I am delighted that we 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.

All Photographs By Julia Fox C.2002

* * *

The British Marbles Board of Control would like to thank:

Clive and Rosie at the Greyhound
Jean & Ron Fox
John Burnet
Charles Wells Brewery
Kevin Friend
The Mayor of Crawley
Sarah and Simon at Harrison Cowley
And The Marble Museum for all their help

Rules of The Golden Cross can be found here.

*** This article must not be reproduced without the express written permission of the British Marbles Board of Control. Copyrighted 2001. All correspondence to: The Secretary, British Marbles Board of Control c/o The Greyhound, Tinsley Green, West Sussex. We wish to thank Sam McCarthy-Fox for making The Marble Museum the official North American correspondent to The Board. The contents of this web site have been copyrighted 2001 by The Marble Museum Inc.
In 2008 all rights to this web site became the property of
The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia.