Carom Series
HAARLO - The top team from Etikon in Holland with Henri Tilleman, Patrick Niessen and Jean Paul de Bruijn took its tenth national championship in the team competition for classics in Haarlo this weekend by a double 6-0 win against Biljartkeu.nl,
The joy was great, when the title was won, but even worse was the farewell.
The Etikon team will leave their home location, Hotel Cafe Restaurant Prinsen in Haarlo and moves to Sportfoyer De Hazelaar in Rosmalen. After six very successful years, Dinand Prinsen, the hotel and billiardsroom owner, said at the end: ,,We have become a kind of a family, so there was another championship, but this time with some tears.'' The top team, first led by Bennie Deegens and after his departure by Dinand Prinsen, leaves the stronghold in Haarlo more or less out of distress. ,,It's a purely financial issue,'' says Prinsen. ,,All is going about the money in top billiards, that's a pity.''
Jean Paul de Bruijn, one of the figureheads in the team, confessed that he leaves Haarlo with pain in his heart. ,,We've had a fantastic time here, with very warm people and fans who always empathized with us, like today, the day that we took the title. A great crowd, a great atmosphere. I will always remember this and look back with warm feelings. But sometimes you have to make choices. The sponsor ( Etikon ) indicated that a departure to Rosmalen is better. In addition, we got a new sponsor there, AEJ, known as the new sponsor in three cushion.''
Jean Paul de Bruijn and Patrick Niessen have recorded an amazing series with bringing in the tenth title to Etikon. ,,And with Frans Bevers we also had taken ten titles'', said De Bruijn, who was playing there with Patrick Niessen and Raymond Knoors.
As a result of Etikon's departure Haarlo, the balk-line player Henri Tilleman decided to stop playing billiards. The 'Dronten player', who mastered the 47/2 so perfectly and won many points for the team, didn't like to move to Rosmalen and is busy with his own company, a dogs center.
Patrick Niessen and Jean Paul de Bruijn keep up playing for the team (Etikon/AEJ). The youthful 'Wageninger' Gert -Jan Veldhuizen is the substitute for Tilleman.
In Hotel Prinsen, they will focus on the three cushion team for next year. The team has reached the highest league. Dinand: ,,We played with Dave van Geel, Markus Galla, Michel van Silfhout and Raymund Swertz, but we try to find some new, strong players, because this team is not strong enough for this league.''
Etikon closed the season with two 6-0 victories over Biljartkeu.nl/sbc Vink, with particular high class performances of Tilleman and Niessen in their second game: both won in two innings.
A1 Biljars/De Veemarkt was the only competitor, but lost in the second contest two points against BIOS/Blitz Optiek. Raymund Swertz and Michel van Silfhout lost their matches against Erik van der Linden and Peter Volleberg.
Etikon finished on top with 48 points out of 28 games ahead of A1 Biljarts with 46 points, Dibo the City 33, BC Arnhem 30, Biljartkeu.nl 28, Wellse Vaert 20, BIOS/Blitz 13 and De Graafschap with 6 points.