INNOVATIVE QUALIFYING FORMAT FOR SILVER CONFERENCE SEASON 12 (SEPTEMBER 2013) A new format is being experimented for Season 12 of the Silver Conference and if you are eligible for this Conference, you are invited to take part! Basically, each player will be graded (which affects the points system) and there are no set fixtures, so that you can play as many sets as you want against other Silver Conference players, as long as (a) all results are reported by both players using the 'reporting' button, and (b) all games are reported as SS leagues on the SS website by both winning and losing players (a maximum of FIVE per player). The graded points system will hopefully make competition more equal in that a Grade A player will collect fewer points for beating a Grade B opponent than the other way around. This encourages a higher graded player to play similar graded players rather than lower graded ones, because there are more points available. Equally, a Grade B player would be better off trying to beat a Grade A opponent, than playing 'safe' by taking on another Grade B player! of course, both options are available since the number of sets played is unlimited. This is how the rankings work: All Set Points (SP) gained will be divided by the number of sets played, giving a points average which will determine the standings. The top 8 in the standings after the deadline has passed will contest the play-offs. The minimum number of sets you MUST play BEFORE the deadline is 10 – yes, TEN. A Grade A player must play at least 5 sets against Grade A opponents. You can play 100 if you wish, as long as all games are reported as SS leagues. Play 9 by the deadline and you will be removed from the standings (and become ineligible for the play-offs) even if you hold a top 8 position. All sets are up to 5 games (not 7), as long as a player wins by 2 clear games. But only 5 can be reported by each player, so if you lose 10–8, you report a maximum of 5. It is hoped that the shorter sets will encourage more matches to be arranged. There are penalties in the form of points deductions for not reporting results, SS leagues, and for any form of unsporting behaviour. If you have played in the 8BR 'A' Division and/or SS Cam Cup Gold Conference (former Division A), DO NOT enter this competition. If you do, you will be disqualified and possibly banned from future SS Cam Cups for deception. Since this is an experimental season, there are specific Season 12 rules which are listed on the 'Silver' page (scroll down to the Season 12 information). If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

ANT COMPLETES A HAT-TRICK OF GOLD CONFERENCE TITLES Englishman ANT (_champ) has become the first player to capture the main competition on five occasions after beating the Naveen in the last Gold Conference Final. Ant completed a treble of consecutive wins, a feat which matched Scotsman Kevin in the early days of the competition. CAMERON (camtagious) took the Silver Conference and ROBERT (fishinlifer) won the Consolation Plate, namely the Bronze Conference, by defeating Praveen and Shelle respectively. Congratulations to all the winners and a big thanks to everyone who took part during the season.

A NEW SEASON OF THE SS CAM CUP IS UPON US, THE SECOND OF 2012 (DECEMBER 2012) Thirty-two players have entered the SS Cam Cup for its second season of 2012 and have been placed in either the Gold or Silver Conference. For the first time the group draws were staged 'live' on webcam and Skype on Saturday 17th November, witnessed by Shelle (SS Head Admin), Marie (SS Cam Cup Admin) and last season's Gold Conference champion Ant. I drew sixteen numbered tiles out of a silver cup into four groups for each division. Shelle and Marie called the names from a pre-numbered list of players and the draw was done. Maybe not as slickly and extravagantly as a major sports draw covered by Sky TV, but it was a job completed fairly and squarely at random! The main changes in this second season this year is the revamped points system. I have dropped the bonus point for not viewing tapes in an effort to simplify the points system. Last season, winning a match would give fifteen points which included the reporting and no tapes bonuses. This season, I have reduced the points to just five for winning a match. Reporting a result is all-important since without this information I cannot update the website with players' scores. Whereas not viewing tapes is not of vital importance, having the scores of sets played is. After all, it IS an all-cam competition so players have the right to view tapes! You now get two points for winning a match, one point for winning a maximum of three games and two points for reporting the result. That gives you the five points, whilst a losing player can get three points for reporting a loss of 3-6 and any result above that. If a winning player fails to report whilst a losing player does report, it is possible for both players to have three points each from their match, so reporting (using the 'Reporting' button at the top) is important as I said above. I think the new points system, in its simplified form, is easier for all concerned, including Marie and myself when doing updates. Gone too from last season is the need for players to report 'leagues'. Marie and I will undertake this. I reckon we reported around 40% of games last season and I believe it is easier, again for all concerned, if Admin take care of this side of things. Reporting leagues is important to boost League activity so this is something we will not neglect. Games will be reported in batches – meaning that if, say, Marie beats me 6-4, I will report six wins to her in one batch and four wins to me in another batch. So if you suddenly see a minus six streak on your SS record, and know for sure that you didn't lose lose six games in a row, then you will know it is likely to be SS Cam Cup leagues being reported! Make sure you read the Rules properly and also the information on the 'Gold' and 'Silver' pages. I've had players asking questions which are covered in the information section above the group fixtures on both pages – so make a point of reading everything! Talking about the website generally, have a good browse around and enjoy the history of SS on the 'About SS' page. Also, you might like the list of winners on the 'History' page – especially the 'Finalists by Nations' section where you can hear National Anthems via You Tube! Remember that you have agreed to be sporting at all times in the competition so please make sure you stick to what you have agreed. I have no time for bad sports and ungracious losers – so beware! All in all, I hope you enjoy the website and taking part in this prestigious competition – good luck!

A SUCCESSFUL RETURN FOR THE SS CAM CUP AS ANT WINS HIS THIRD GOLD (DIV.A) PRIZE! (NOVEMBER 2012) The first of our new Cam Cup seasons was completed on Sunday 4th November and I have got to mark it down as a success. When I set out to bring back the SS Cam Cup, it was always going to be a case of stepping into unknown territory to a degree because it had been quite a while since the last competition had been run (by Jonathan – leafed_leaf). With the activity in All Mixed Up on the wane and a league which had seen large numbers of daily tourneys reduced to a trickle, I was apprehensive about starting up the Cam Cup again. But, although numbers were set at 16 for the Gold and Silver Conferences, we filled the places and finally got the thing underway. Indeed, it was great to see it back and the general support I have received from players was very encouraging. So much so that I am planning on running a second season in 2012 which could well cross over into the New Year. It came as no surprise to me that ANT (mvp_sicc), that excellent English pool player who has won around 25 different cam competitions, reached the Gold Conference Final and defeated Indian-born ROCKY (l2_o_c_k_y) by 11-6. Ant was the red hot favourite from the outset and collected his third SS cam Cup win in his fifth Final. He has equalled the record set by Scottish-born Kevin (xlx_gameover_xlx) who reigned supreme in the early days of the Cam Cup. In the Silver Conference, the Brazilian SERGIO (o0_GoKu_0o), who arguably should have played in the Gold section, met surprise finalist GRAEME (no_wuckin_forries) in the Final and beat him by 11-7. The match see-sawed evenly until Sergio fianlly got the upper hand towards the end, but not without a great battle from the Australian. The Bronze Conference for the Consolation Plate was won by DUSTIN (l3ackspinz) from the Gold Conference who proved to be too strong for fellow American ROBERT (fishinlifer) from the Silver Conference, beating him by 9-2. If I had to hand out SS Cam Cup sportsmanship awards, one to a male and one to a female, I would designate KAREN (watthotfudge) and GRAEME to receive deserved gongs. Both competed with the maximum of sportsmanship and dignity throughout and were a real credit to the competition from start to finish. Karen, in particular, lost all six group sets but finished them before anyone else and carried on enjoying her pool regardless of the score. So congratulations to the three competition winners. It is to them that I dedicate the colorful 'celebration' graphic on the home page. To them and everyone else who participated, thanks for your valued support and I hope you will enter the forthcoming new season.

DON'T KNOCK IT... GIVE IT A CHANCE! (AUGUST 2012) One thing I have noticed in life is that you cannot please all of the people all of the time. I think it is human nature to moan and whinge about new things especially if they are being compared to something previously in existence. Few people like change and get used to a product or commodity so that anything different is initially sneered at. The SS Cam Cup is one fine example of this, where players were used to a format run by Jonathan (drunk_canuck) for a few seasons. He used a formula widely followed by others in pool cam competitions and I must agree that it worked. Jonathan took his cam competition to New Era and SS as a league disassociated itself from him, mainly because before he left he lifted all eligibility requirements in the next SS Cam Cup so that anyone from any league could enter the competition! That might be acceptable for New Era but certainly not for Straightshots. Jonathan's departure from the league meant that the SS Cam Cup went into decline whilst he more or less carried on the same thing in NE. Around April I initiated plans to get the SS Cam Cup resumed with Joe running it but due to his own circumstances it never got off the ground other than an application form. So I have had to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and bring back the SS Cam Cup in a new format, on a new website, with new rules and a bright new appearance. I recognise the fact that the SS Cam Cup is an important part of the league and it has been missed this year, there is no doubting that. I'd like to thank Joe who came up with the idea of Conferences to replace the uninspiring Division A and B. After all, in Olympic year I do like the idea of a gold, silver and bronze theme! In redeveloping the SS Cam Cup, I know there will be detractors who will moan and whinge about this and that. That is to be expected and I am not, in the least, fazed by negativity by certain individuals. All I recognise is that I wanted to get it up and running again and had no option but to take on the organisation myself. So I have used my design experience to create a bright new website, hosted by Yola who I have used before (to host the SS Interleague site and UIC Swiss specials). As I said at the start, I have no idea what kind of response the 2012 Cam Cup will get and how successful it will be. But the only way to find out is to give it a go and see what happens. I've thrown my hat into the ring to get something done and I have spent a lot of time developing a new website. How ever big or small this first competition turns out to be, it is a START and a promising one at that; it is being organised by someone who is very experienced at running a whole host of events. Whether the SS Cam Cup needs to modified in any way we will see. So my message to those who wish to moan and whinge about the new format: don't knock it, give it a chance. Please join the 2012 SS Cam Cup and enjoy some decent cam competition back in AMU again.

IN MY BLOOD AND A WAY OF LIFE! I was asked recently how I got into arranging things. Let me start at the beginning. There used to be a program on TV called 'It's a Knock-out', which was derived from the French original entitled 'Je Sans Frontiers'. Men and women would put on silly costumes and take part in absurd obstacle races and events, gaining points for their teams. Watching adults slip, slide, fall over and generally make fools of themselves in the name of 'sport' was hilarious. I recall people in giant penguin suits trying to leap over blocks and skate down slippery ramps, whilst holding two buckets of water, the objective being to reach the end of the course with as much water left as possible. This was one of many bizarre games that kept 'It's A Knock-out' viewers glued to their sets every Friday evening for years in the United Kingdom. It was compared by an exuberant presenter called Stuart Hall, whose non-stop howls of laugher had you giggling at him just for the fact that he was enjoying it so much! It was first class entertainment all the same and the fact that it became an international televised event, albeit in Europe as 'Je Sans Frontiers', proved the point. As a youngster, I would try to recreate these games with my younger brother in our bedroom, using small figures, toy cars, bricks and anything we could find to build obstacle courses. We would throw, flick, maneuver anything moveable to score points for the imaginary teams and we had a great time. My role was the organiser of this amusing play-time and I went on to arrange table football, badminton and table tennis tournaments amongst a whole list of sporting events. My mother said that organising was in my blood! At the age of 14 I co-founded a real football club (soccer to you Americans) which is still running to this day! We are approaching our 37th season in league football and we now run 3 teams. I have run chess tournaments, five-a-side football competitions, club dinners and luncheons, Annual General Meetings and many, many events over the years. So being a team captain in pool interleagues or running a Cam Cup competition is run of the mill for me. Organising things is a way of life!