AC Association Croquet

National The Longman Cup is a national inter-club croquet tournament that is run each year in England and Wales. Club teams comprise 4 players who must each have handicaps between 3.5 and 20, and with their aggregate handicap being at least 24. It is a knock-out competition within each region, played with handicaps, with the regional winners progressing to the national semi-finals and final at the end of the season.

Note that the AC Handicap Doubles Variation to Law 43(a) was applicable to the doubles handicaps in all Longman Cup matches. A handy lookup table can be used to facilitate this calculation.

Fixtures contact: Simon Hathrell

Watford has done quite well in this event over the years. We were national champions in 2001, national finalists in 2003 and 2012, and regional finalists in 2004 and 2005. In recent years:


Winning the Longman Cup in 2001

2013: we reached the quarter-finals, losing to Enfield.

2012: we reached the national final, losing to Roehampton.

2011: we lost in the second round to Guildford & Goldalming.

2010: we reached the regional finals, losing to Parsons Green.

2009: we lost in the second round to Wrest Park.

Longman Cup match results by year:

All games: H 26pt Handicap
Date Opponents Venue Results (Watford names first)
Round 1
Sun 22 Jun
Nottingham Away

WON 4-3

(Net index points: 0)
Mark Homan (7) &
Nick Archer (14)
beat Patricia Duke-Cox (8) &
Ian Dovey (8)
+4
Alan Clark (6) lost to Ian Draper (14) -17
André Machell (16) lost to Michael Finnigan (5) -3
Alan Clark (6) beat Michael Finnigan (5) +10
Mark Homan (7) beat Patricia Duke-Cox (8) +24
Nick Archer (14) beat Ian Dovey (8) +26
André Machell (16) lost to Ian Draper (14) -13

Handicap change: Nick Archer 14 to 12
Round 2
Wed 30 Jul
Letchworth Home

WON 5-2

(Net index points: +20)
Geoff Johnson (4) &
Nick Archer (11)
beat Robert Staddon (12) &
Peter Ross (14)
+6T
Alan Clark (6) beat John Hall (6) +8T
John Bee (6) beat Peter Whiting (8) +8T
Geoff Johnson (4) lost to John Hall (6) -20
Alan Clark (6) beat Peter Whiting (8) +4T
John Bee (6) lost to Robert Staddon (12) -1T
Nick Archer (11) beat Peter Ross (14) +14T
Quarter-final
Mon 25 Aug
Enfield Home

LOST 2-4

(Net index points: -10)
Geoff Johnson (4) &
André Machell (16)
lost to Brian Havill (5) &
David Minihane (20)
-8T
Alan Clark (5) beat David Frost (9) +16
Robin Barry (9) beat Tony Elliott (9) +9
Alan Clark (5) lost to Tony Elliott (9) -12
Robin Barry (9) lost to David Frost (9) -7
André Machell (16) lost to David Minihane (20) -17
Geoff Johnson (4) vs. Brian Havill (5) unfinished

The afternoon games were postponed because of waterlogged courts

Statistics (Watford players)
 
Name Singles
W-L
Doubles
W-L
Total
W-L
Nick Archer2-02-04-0
Alan Clark4-20-04-2
Mark Homan1-01-02-0
John Bee1-10-01-1
Robin Barry1-10-01-1
Geoff Johnson0-11-11-2
André Machell0-30-10-4
 
Totals9-82-111-9

 


The full knock-out table for this year's results and an archive of the results back to 1989 for all clubs are maintained by the Croquet Association.

See also: