LIER - The Belgian billiard federation KBBB and the Ceulemans stronghold Mr. 100 are involved in a fight which now led to a legal dispute. The essence of the affair is that billiard clubs and teams in the league must play on billiard cloths approved by the federation. The Mr. 100 club and its manager Kurt Ceulemans have different, cheaper and faster cloths on their billiard tables en is therefore punished by the federation. Kurt Ceulemans: ,,The rules they speak about, are nowhere in the federal regulations, so we are not obliged to do what they want. Moreover, we have appealed in a correct way. We can't accept that they implement sanctions during the course of the procedure.''
The Dutch top football coach Rinus Michels once said: football is war. In Belgium, with some of the best players in the world, a variation has been made: billiards is war. The parties themselves do not speak with and against each other: all communication, although very briefly, is done by the lawyers. In the meantime, the federation has ordered a sanction for the Mr. 100 teams and players. All home matches, played on the no-permitted cloths by the KBBB, are changed into 0-8 defeats for that reason. The Mr. 100 teams, nine in the league and six in a cup competition, have already been punished by bringing down the match points and are threatened with degradation because of the sanctions.
The best known team is the foursome that play in the highest league with Peter Ceulemans, Kurt Ceulemans, Raymond Ceulemans and Bart Ceulemans. The team was counted among the contenders for a top 3 position, but finds itself now in the lower regions. For the time being, the affair is in a deadlock after the back-and-forth dialogues of the respective lawyers. Bennie van Goethem, the KBBB chairman, acts a sound of silence. ,,We only speak by our lawyers, because it is a weighty affair. We wanted to come to a statement with our lawyers two days ago, but due to the snowfall that meeting was rescheduled for next Monday. But we will quickly decide, I expect within one week.'' He assures, however, that it is already for 20 years in the KBBB regulations that the league matches must be played on cloths approved by the KBBB.
The chairman does not want to go into other rules, or rather non-rules. According to him, it was decided before the start of the season that league matches should be played on Simonis cloths in all venues. Kurt Ceulemans and his lawyer, Mr. Tist Schoeters from Agio Business Law: ,,Just look here in the regulations, we can't find it anywhere.'' And indeed: in Article 2/2E of the sports regulations is only written: the cloths in the same rooms, must have the same colours on billiards of the same size.
On 27 December, after the legal proceedings had been started by Kurt Ceulemans, the KBBB added a chapter to this: The cloths, approved by the KBBB, have to be from Simonis brands, types 300 Rapide, PreciShot and 585. And of course, says Kurt Ceulemans. ,,They won't get away with that. It's all about what was prescribed at the start of the season.'' Bennie van Goethem points out: ,,We have 149 clubs in Belgium playing in the league. And we can't make an exception for one club anyway?''
The whole affair, which is talk of the town in Belgian billiards for weeks, is now in the hands of the lawyers. But whatever the outcome will be, Kurt Ceulemans assures: ,,I don't accept that the federation will force us to play on other than Royal Pro cloths. When I do that, I would be a bad manager, because the cloths on which we play now, are half the price of the cloths that the federation prescribes. And if we can't win this, we will step to the BAS, the Belgian Court of Arbitration for Sport.''
Mr. Tist Schoeters: ,,Then we have to deal once more with the complicated situation of federation boards: the Direction Committee, the Board of Directors, the sports committee..., we gradually do not know who is in charge to change rules and make sanctions.'' Kurt Ceulemans: ,,I leave it all to my lawyer. The whole affair makes me more and more angry. We will not go backwards anymore.''
What is still threatening for the Mr. 100 teams, is the rule: after three times 'forfait', teams are excluded from participation in the competition. And how often has there been a 0-8 so far for the Mr. 100 teams? Kurt Ceulemans: ,,Three times, so I'm curious what will happen now.''
Bennie van Goethem, the Belgian chairman: ,,We are in touch with our lawyers, there will be a decision in one week.''
Kurt Ceulemans, playing at the Belgian championships
The Mr. 100 team, with Raymond Ceulemans (middle) that plays in the upper Belgian league