The ‘Life Member’ section of the site holds potted history details of all of the players who have been deemed by their peers to have contributed so greatly to the existence and furtherance of the league to bestow the title upon.
All those in the ‘Life Member’ section - not necessarily players - have ensured that the league has continued, grown and developed in some way. They are our ‘stars’. Simply click on their name / picture to access their ‘potted’ history.
Tony Crompton - Tony is a two time Secretary and also responsible for many of the innovations found in our league, including – amongst many - sponsorship, entering a league team into ‘outside’ competitions, anniversary events, the web site and the Champions, Pairs and the commemorative season competitions. Playing all his snooker at Mobberley Victory Hall he was the first player to reach the final of every none league team event – the Jay, Rotary, Team KO, Pairs, 3 player and Champions. A player of good standard and a winner of several league and individual titles, Tony is considered to have been amongst our most influential league members. He is an unusual combination of opinionated, forthright, fair, forward looking, innovation, open-minded, even handed but most importantly – a true and genuine supporter of our league and all that it stands for. Ray Dale first entered the league in 1973 at Mobberley Victory Hall and joined the newly formed "D" team (Jimmy Windles Wonders) and duly lost every match in his first season! Ray up to the age of 14 had very little education due to rare lung condition and was classed as semi-invalid spending a lot of time in and out of hospital.
Ray was a keen novice player and was noted for his unusual break (playing the cue ball between the blue and pink) and did not stand 'correctly'. Since joining the league Ray has constantly come to it's aid in many of it's times of trouble, whether it be as an officer or whatever. Ray has won only one official league trophy (semi finalists with his wife Sheila in the 1984-85 Pairs competition) but it would be hard to find a less assuming or better physical supporter of this league and despite retiring at the end of the 2002-03 season as Treasurer, Ray is still active as a player and supporter of the league. Arthur Hasford Arthur joined the League in
1972 playing on the illustrious and successful Mere A and B teams and winning 3 league titles and 2 KO cups. He moved onto the Liberal club (Brook Street) where more titles followed and then to Shaw Heath for his finest period. 6 league wins, 3 runners-up and 2 KO cups plus individual success in the late rounds of the Jay Trophy and a highest break award. Arthur had a serious back injury in 1995 that brought about his retirement from the game but the draw of the competition over rode the pain as he returned to the league in 2006 with another league win at Brook Street club, a spell at Knutsford Private and in the Mere A division 2 winning team of 2008-9. Sid Jones Sid had no previous experience in competition or league snooker when he first joined the league in 1960 having first picked up a cue and taking up snooker at the ripe old (in modern terms) age of 32. He was originally taught by his brother who had been very good billiards player from the age 16, at Albert Road Congregational club in Farnworth, Bolton. When Sid moved to High Leigh he joined Mere Parish Club and played for Mere from 1960 for about 12 years before later spells playing for Knutsford clubs Liberal, Bowling and Conservative teams. Sid became the President of the league at the AGM 1978 taking over from the late Frank Ward - a post he holds still. Sid currently plays (and wins) for Mere Parish club at the grand age of 90 plus. His highest League breaks are in the 40's although at the age of 78 he attained a personal best ever break of 91 in a witnessed friendly at Knutsford Conservative Club - a break that literally left him in the pink, the Manchester Football Pink. A winner of several league titles, Sid epitomises all that is good about this league - dedication, dignity, competitiveness and sociability.
