Bridge England Simultaneous Pairs February 2014

All EBU-affiliated clubs are warmly encouraged to hold a heat of the ‘Bridge England’ Simultaneous Pairs in February 2014.
There are separate BESP events on Tuesday 4th February and Wednesday 5th February 2014. Please consider adding one or both of these dates to your calendar for the coming season.As well as prizes for those who do well, each competitor will take away a Booklet of Commentaries for all 32 computer-dealt boards. These commentaries have been written by the foremost stars of the English game including Andrew Robson, Tony Forrester, Heather Dhondy and many more current internationals. All profits made by the EBU from running these events will go towards supporting England’s future international teams. As well as the Open Team and Women’s Team, there are a variety of Junior and Senior England teams. None of the players is paid by the EBU to represent their country but there is still considerable expense involved in running successful national teams. All the money raised will contribute towards these costs and, with luck, achieve greater success.

Funds are required in each of the following areas:
a) Travel costs
b) Hotel, accommodation and subsistence costs
c) NPCs and coaches’ expenses
d) Entry fees when representing England
e) Training costs, especially for Juniors
f) Team uniforms, where required

Sometimes our funds have even paid for a sports psychologist to help players prepare for major championships. The more success we have in qualifying for major championships, the greater the funds we need! The funds raised by this year’s BESP events in February are helping to pay for the Open Team as it travels to Bali to play in the Bermuda Bowl in September. The England Women’s Team has also qualified for the Venice Cup, again in Bali, and hopes to add this trophy to its numerous other recent successes.

England Open Team for the Bermuda Bowl: Alexander Allfrey, Andrew Robson, Tony Forrester (hidden), Tom Townsend, David Gold, and David Bakhshi, with NPC Simon Cope (3rd left), when they won the 2013 Camrose.

Clubs who contributed to Funds in 2013

Tuesday Wednesday
Abingdon Duplicate Bridge Club Acacia Bridge Club
Chipping Norton Bridge Club CICBA (Guernsey) Bridge Club
Durham Bridge Club Cheddar Bridge Club
Easingwold Bridge Club Chorley Bridge Club
Felsted Bridge Club Friends Bridge Group
Finchampstead Bridge Club Heritage Coast
Kettering Bridge Club London Duplicate Bridge Club
Kingsbridge Regal Bridge Club Louth Duplicate Bridge Club
Lingfield & Dormans Bridge Club Manchester Bridge Club
Liskeard Bridge Club Meon Bridge Club
Oxford Bridge Club Norfolk & Norwich Bridge Club
Pencoed Duplicate Bridge Club Ripon City Bridge Club
Phoenix Bridge Club Sarum Bridge Club Salisbury
Reading Bridge Club Southend And Leigh Bridge Club
Richmond Bridge Club Thorpe Bay Bridge Club
St. Austell Bridge Club Torquay Bridge Club
Thakeham Bridge Club Wimbledon Bridge Club
Walton & Hersham Bridge Club Witney Bridge Club
Warminster Bridge Club Young Chelsea Bridge Club
Winscombe & District Bridge Club
Young Chelsea Bridge Club

We realise that most clubs already have a number of Simultanous Pairs events scheduled in their calendar for 2013-14, but we very much hope you will hold such an event next February!

If you are able to add your club’s name to the list for 4th February or 5th February 2014 (or would like further information), please contact gail@ebu.co.uk.

Nick Smith (Selector, BESP Organiser)
June 2013

August 27, 2013