Carlisle to Host Five Weekends of County Billiards Championship Action
Carlisle is preparing for five weekends of competitive billiards as the Cumberland County Championship returns with 29 players competing for the county title.
The 2026 competition begins on Sunday 8 November at the Buffs Club, marking the second edition since the championship was revived following a lengthy break. Organisers expect a particularly competitive tournament, with internationally experienced players, established champions and emerging local talent all taking part.
The opening qualifying group will feature defending Glasson champion Paul Cowing alongside Wayne Ford, Niall Kennedy, Will Lowther and Eddie Patrick. Ford has recently impressed in the Carlisle league, recording victories against experienced opponents, while Cowing enters the competition with a strong record that includes his 2025 Glasson title.
The second group will compete at Upperby on Sunday 15 November. Defending county champion Mike Griffiths will begin his title defence against Tony Desborough, Don Thorburn, Andy Butcher and Mally Shaw. Thorburn arrives as one of the two most recent individual league champions, while the other players will be hoping to make an impact in their county-level debuts.
Southend will host the third qualifying group on Saturday 21 November. The line-up includes 2025 semi-finalist Yan Pattinson, Reuben Queen, Lindsey Currie, Dave Steele and Paul Watson. Pattinson will be looking to build on last year's performance, while Queen arrives after winning the recent individual league competition.
The championship returns to Upperby on Sunday 22 November for its only four-player group. Former world number 17 Adam Clarke will face individual league knockout winner Rob Woods, John Metcalfe and former merit champion Titch Beattie. Metcalfe recently achieved his highest matchplay break of 61, while Clarke's international experience makes him one of the leading contenders.
Saturday 28 November will see another group take place at Southend, featuring former Scottish national champion Paul Whelan, world number 94 Peter Stanyer, reigning Saulters champion Dave Turley, Dan Sanderson and Tony Steele. Whelan finished as county runner-up in 2025 and will be keen to go further this time, while Steele has improved his highest matchplay break four times in the past 13 months.
The final qualifying group will be held at the Buffs Club on Sunday 29 November. Mark Ballantyne, Archie Walker, Adi Shaw, Nigel Lewthwaite and local billiards figure Bob Sewell will compete for places in the later stages. Sewell is widely regarded as one of the strongest players in the history of the Carlisle league, while the other competitors also arrive with encouraging recent form.
The tournament brings together players with different levels of experience, including Mike Griffiths, Adam Clarke, Paul Whelan and Peter Stanyer, who have competed against leading opponents internationally. They will be joined by championship winners, established local players and newcomers hoping to progress through the groups and into the knockout stages or Challenge Cup.
All qualifying sessions are scheduled to begin at 12.15pm, and spectators are welcome to attend. Finals day will take place at Upperby on Saturday 5 December, followed by the Challenge Cup at the Buffs Club on Sunday 6 December.
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