Doesn't need to be. It serves it's function as an organisation for pool in England quite well.

Interleague, county structures are ok with a valid and robust system of picking internationals for their team.

It's a dated model but works well. Why fix it?

When they get involved in things beyond their remit is when they feck it up or lose the plot, example:

world championships - all in england with made up teams
professional body - these events being discussed

Get them out of things that do not concern them and everthing would be ok.

How is it ridiculous? If The committee can't be ousted, the only way is to boycott the EPA altogether.

You only "need" to be a member of the EPA if you play EPA interleague or county. Simply resign your membership and you will then be free to play in pretty much anything you like in England (except EPA county and interleague).

Simple choice really.

The following is from the epa handbook.

7-7. An E.G.M of the E.P.A. may be called by a minimum of 25% of the Affiliated County Associations, the
request to be put in writing to the National Secretary, and signed by the Chairman of each County
Association requesting the E.G.M. This must be accompanied by the reason they request an E.G.M.
7-8. The Executive committee of the E.P.A. upon receiving a request to call an E.G.M, will give a minimum
of 3 days notice in writing, to all Affiliated County Association with an agreed date for the E.G.M. and
the reason for the meeting.
7-9. At the A.G.M any member of the Association may require the committee to give a full account of any
action taken by the committee.
7-10. No Motion will be read to the A.G.M or E.G.M unless it as been seconded 7 days before the said A.G.M
or E.G.M.

So if I read that correctly you just need two out of the eight county asscoiations to request an E.G.M
I think this is the way go.
This is an important issue for the future of the game surely the counties must have a say.

It's seems unlikely that the EPA committee will take the view that they are not running the organisation correctly. No point asking then.

I dispute they are the best organisation in the UK. Pound for pound, given the difference in size of the markets, the SPA piss all over them in virtually every regard.

Of course stupid me
So will need at least 11 counties to request E.G.M
That makes it a very difficult task then.

Surprised nobody has seen this yet...

I.P.A. – INTERNATIONAL POOL TOUR 29th September 2011


DEAR I.P.A. MEMBER,

Like Mick Hill I have been reluctant to post on the various websites, but following his post in the early hours of this morning (29th Sept.), I feel that I must answer some of his points.

I agree on his initial thoughts, all the top players should stay with the I.P.A.

In forming a U.K. amateur tour, it was not our intention to take top players away from the I.P.A., indeed quite the opposite as this would not be fair to the amateur players.
However it is also not fair to those professionals who do not see the future of the I.P.A. in the same way as Mick does and so we put in a clause into the new event which would allow such players an avenue to return to the amateur ranks. That still stands and any player who wishes to do so will be more than welcome.
On the other hand, any player who decides to stay with the I.P.A. is also welcome to take that direction, that is the choice of the individual.

Not in agreement with his angle to form a World Professional Championship, with others including previous members of the PPPO who he states have been excluded. This is rubbish, we have never tried to isolate anyone, proof of that is the many Blackball players who have joined the tour during the past years, they have all been made welcome.

Mick is looking after Mick, he rightly wants to make money out of his ability and there is nothing wrong with that, but the way he is going about it is wrong in my opinion, let’s see how successful he and his group are, not the first time they have promised the earth, but without success.
He is very wrong to suggest there is Blackmail going on.
Nobody has made any decisions as to stop I.P.A. players competing in the EPA events, the England Team, the European or World Championships, if they stay as members of the I.P.A. This is just another lie, spread to persuade players that they should support Mick others, but that will be your decision, I will not try and persuade anyone to join the new tour, that is your choice. But I will say that if you decide to stay with the I.P.A., that will make no difference to your relationships with EPA and other WEPF associations at all, nothing will change.

Another lie which has been spread around is that any player who goes to the EGM on Saturday will be excluded from the new tour and other events. Another bit of rubbish to cause problems, you are all members of the I.P.A. you should all be at the meeting.

And that includes myself and the committee, we are not hiding away, we are entitled to be there, so why would we try and stop other members having their democratic right.

The amateur politics that Kevin Barton with Mick Hill tried on at Tour 4 were disgraceful, they alone have caused what is happening. You had a meeting called on Sunday by the democratic committee to discuss next year, I thought it was a good meeting, but yet neither Kevin or Mick could put forward any new ideas, you do not call an EGM to discuss next year, and most definitely not when you already have a meeting the very next day to discuss exactly the subject of next year.

And more important why did you need to sign anything to ask for an EGM without at least discussing the issues with the elected committee. Following Mick Hills post, I think anyone who did not know before, certainly knows now, why they wanted an EGM. – July 15th was a historic date.
Those involved should hang your heads in shame for the disgraceful way you have treated me and the elected committee. Anything that happens in the future is down to yourselves.


I told you after that meeting about me resigning, nothing under the table. I am now a free agent.
The same can be said for the committee who again have informed you of their intentions and yet some of you have been calling them Judas, you should thank them for what they did for you in the past.

Although I have resigned, this weekends tour has still been organised and I have worked hard to make sure any outstanding monies are progressed. Have also prepared a Cash Flow for the rest of the year which should allow for around the break-even point, which if the IPA continues will put you into a very healthy financial position.
To achieve this breakeven, we cancelled this weekends professional event, but if you wish to still play that and carry the £ 10,000 prize fund into next year, which I would have done if I had been still involved, then that is still an option.

I am prepared to still organise the last tour for you, I am also prepared to complete the finance for you, getting monies in and paying monies out. I have also stated that the £ 3,500, which was my total monies received this year for a lot of hard work, would be returned if needed to ensure prize monies are paid out. However, I will not be giving any money, unless I control how it is spent.

If your new committee want to start running the tour immediately after the EGM, then that is okay and I will hand over all financial details to such people, I will not be handing them any of my money.
I think Mick Hill is right to try and develop the professional level of the game, equally so his statement about blackmail is disgraceful, although I am sure whoever is currently ranked No. 9 on the world rankings will be a very happy bunny, now that Mick has stated he will not be at the World Championships.

Regardless of wether you stay with the I.P.A. or join the new U.K. Tour, that is your own decision, but do not be swayed by the Mick Hill statement who now condemns and tries to ridicule his former team mates, fellow professionals and I would think former friends, because they do not agree with his ideas on how things should be done, which in my opinion are designed for the benefit of Mick Hill and a few others and not to the benefit of everyone in the sport.

Mick is a great player, but following his post, he has done himself a lot of damage as a professional and convinced me and many others that the U.K. Tour concept was certainly the right way to go.
And perhaps we should also look in the future to having a professional part of the WEPF, aligned to people who care about the sport and not just themselves.

George Harwood.

lol, he's using the IPA website to promote his new tour!!!!!

This man has no shame, surely as only treasurer he shouldn't be able to access the site?

Just out of interest, how can the former IPA Committee (who have now resigned and given up their pro-status as was needed to apply for the UK Tour) be attending the IPA meeting?

I'm sorry if I have misunderstood, but they are no longer Committee nor professionals so surely this makes them ineligible to attend?

Just for the record, this is a non-biased post, based on everything I have seen posted either on here or at the IPA website by the people involved.

I cannot yet speak regarding the IPA Tour, as it won't be until this weekend that we hear of Mr Barton's visions and plans to take it forward.

Ahhh, thank you.

That makes a little more sense, although don't you have to be a pro to serve on the committee, in which case they've clearly signed away their pro status to have applied to be a member of the new tour, so doesn't THAT mean that they've already resigned their right as committee members?!

I'm probably wrong. I normally am.

As for the statement itself, I think it's good that Mr Harwood has decided to quash any untrue rumours about their tour, but I think the little digs were unnecessary and made the statement just look childish (didn't he accuse Carl Morris of comments like this in e-mails?) and as for posting it on the very tour he's running a rival tour against is, well, simply horrific.

It's possibly little things like these that will make the difference. Someone close to him really should be advising him against doing things like this. And checking what goes public.

Again, if it had been done properly and been thought out, it could have been a feather in their cap.

Not now, though.