Archive News 2006

Phil played exceptionally well this weekend to qualify through to the second day, last 32 players. His most notable performance being against world class 8-ball player Karl Boyes where Phil won 7 - 2 knocking Karl out of the tournament.

	As a new season starts one of the most eagerly awaited Youth Tours begins too. Thomas Ainsworth-Smith hailing from Macclesfield beat season favourite and European Championships Youth Player Phil Burford 9 - 4 in the final. Ainsworth-Smith qualified for the last eight via the one-loss side of the draw after another new promising talent, Louis Clarke edged him out 9 - 7 early on. Ainsworth-Smith fought through with wins over Scotland's  Ross Simpson 7 - 6
and Daniel Harris 7 - 3. With a victory over Dominic Gee, Ainsworth-Smith went on to avenge his earlier loss to Clarke by winning their semi final encounter 9 - 3. Burford used his ever-maturing class to see off Matt Gittings 9 - 4 in the quarters and then Reading's Luke Pepperell 9 - 6 at the semi final stage. Ainsworth-Smith being another convert from the world of snooker to the nine foot table is surely a force to be reckoned with on both the Youth and Main Tours. Only a week earlier in his debut he reached the last 16 of the Main Tour event, the 'Dynamic' Nottingham Open.
- BPPPA Press Office	MORE PHOTOS

Often referred to as "the best player to never have won the World Championship", the charismatic Jimmy White has endured the heartache of finishing runner-up at the Crucible no fewer than six times, four times to Stephen Hendry and once each to Steve Davis and John Parrott. But the 'Whirlwind' remains a firm favourite with the fans and is fondly known as the "People's Champion". He is the most popular of all the players because of his great natural talent, his flamboyant style and his great sportsmanship.



Jimmy's appearance at Rileys Darlington was the perfect opportunity to catch him playing local members and guests during his 2006/07 tour. Phil was the first club member called upon to take a shot at winning a rack of 9ball against the "Whirlwind"

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5th - 12th August 2006 - Pupils & Juniors Event in Kiev, Ukraine
The Main Council are delighted to announce the participants who will represent Great Britain in the forthcoming European Youth Championships

PUPILS (Under 16)
Philip Burford (England)
Ross Simpson (Scotland)

JUNIORS (Under 18)
Matthew Lawrenson (England)
Tony Burton (England)

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Philip 'The Locomotive' Burford has staked yet another claim to being the hottest junior 9-Ball talent in Britain by taking the BPPPA Midlands Junior Regional Championship. In a close final, 15 year old Burford beat Wigan's snooker star Matt Lawrenson by nine racks to six for his first honour of the season. To qualify for the quarter finals, Burford defeated Matty Andrews 9 - 3 and his final opponent-to-be Matt Lawrenson 9 - 6. A 9 - 4 win over the fast improving Dominic Gee set up a rematch with earlier opponent Andrews, who had fought through the one loss half of the draw to qualify, in the semi final. Burford allowed Andrews two more racks than in their previous match, 9 - 5 the final score in Burford's favour.
The three big guns on the junior scene, Philip Burford; Matt Lawrenson; and Tony Burton; have all recently made huge individual inroads on the Main Tour this season yet for such young heads, they realise that the real test lies in the junior battle for superiority, for now at least. With the largest field to date the Junior 9 Ball scene is certainly moving in the right direction with many exciting prospects coming up through the ranks and interestingly, and similar to the men's division, there is a noticeable swing from English 8 Ball and snooker to the American disciplines. - Ben Moore : British Professional Pool Players Association (BPPPA) Press Officer