Micky's Memories: tHE DOUBLE

Congratulations to Rick Podmore on winning this seasons Men’s Individuals for the first time, and in doing so joining an exclusive, handful of players who have won both the Men’s Pairs and Men’s Individuals in the same year.

The feat was nearly first achieved as for back as 1985 when Tom Oaks won the Men’s Pairs but then was at the wrong end of a 3 nil score line in the final of the Men’s Individuals against the then imperious Ian Harrington.

A year later (1986) a young Mark Hodson suffered similar agony after capturing the Men’s Pairs, only to lose out to Rob Walking by the narrowest of margin in the Men’s Individuals.

Eight years later (1994) the hoodoo was finally broken when “The Undertaker” Simon Horrox became the first player to win both titles.

Mark Capes just missed out after winning the Men’s Pairs, before losing out to probably Macc's finest ever Aaron Roberts 3-1 in the 1997 Men’s Individuals final.

In the millennium year Al Dean became the second player to achieve this feat winning both titles. His partner in the Miens Pairs was Mark Capes.

Bizarrely a year later in 2001 Al Dean and Mark Capes won the Men’s Pairs again. But this time it was Mark Capes who became the third player to join the exclusive club winning the Men’s Individuals in the same year.

It would be another 17 years before the feat was achieved again, this time by Dave “Ultimate Pool” Hine who completed the double in 2018.

Over the years many have tried, and many have failed. Even the great Cobey missed out on this one. So take a bow Poddy, and welcome to the club, some 35 years after your Dad, Peter won his first of 4 Merit titles.

- Micky Blair