Blue is One Colour Denied to Pool
Whilst rowing and rugby may dominate headlines where Oxford sport is concerned, a team whose success is even greater appears to have gone relatively unnoticed.
With no BUSA league, Oxford university pool team mainly play local pub teams, and thus add to their elusive reputation by playing under the name of the local pool club, Colours, so as to avoid animosity from locals. The team won the Varsity match last year by a record score and are by far the best team that Colours puts out, playing in the top local league.
Just before Christmas the team beat the Osney Arms A team, a name that may initially sound fairly unimpressive but included three England players. At the end of fourth week, six team members, namely Steve Bacon, John Kinsey, Gwyn Jones, Ali Parkes, Ed Savory and Rob Sparkes, have all been selected to represent Oxfordshire in an inter-county national championships.
All this has happened with team members admitting that the team is weaker than in previous years, and that they need new players. With pool cuppers just starting, Steve Bacon, the club treasurer, has stated how they are "hopeful about finding new players to add to the club, with six key players leaving at the end of last year."
The team's anonymity has started to cause further problems with the team failing to gain even half-blue status. However, if the team continues to be as successful as it has been recently it cannot be too long until the university gives them the recognition they most definitely deserve.
31st Jan 2002