The 'STUTE' - Anniversary Item 1 Report- - Today is
The Social Institute was founded at the end of the 19th
century to cater for the social needs of the young men of Earl Shilton.
Reconstituted in 1977 as a charity, it now serves as a
social centre for the whole village and the surrounding area.
The society has now reached a remarkable point in its history. 100 years of service.
The start of the celebrations.
A great night with Mark Selby!
Mark shows how it should be done.
Report on the evening by John Iddon.
Stute Centenary Exhibition Night, with special guest Mark Selby.
A fully sold out Stute was buzzing from 6pm when members turned up early to get the best seats but no seat was too far away to see all the
action and enjoy all the fun, skill and entertainment that Mark, the players and the organisers had set out for them.
Mark arrived with no demands, ready to do whatever was asked of him with no complaints or superstar like tantrums, which shows the calibre
of the man who agreed to come down and celebrate with us the amazing survival of an institution rare in its like that is the Earl Shilton Social
Institute. Not many towns, cities or counties have anything quite like the Stute. Set up by local businessmen 100 years ago it continues to achieve
its goals of giving the local community a place they can go, where alcohol does not need to be there for people to enjoy each others time and company.
After posing for photographs with some of the Committee and our sponsors, Choice vehicles, Supreme tools supplies, Bond Engineering and
Halls's Snooker Supplies, Mark was warmly introduced by Reg Warland, the
Honorary President of the Hinckley Times Snooker League and friend to many of
the top snooker players on the Professional circuit. It was largely thanks to Reg that Mark came, telling him all about the Stute and its role in
the community. The Committee members would like to give their sincere thanks to Reg, for all his
endeavours to realise the occasion, and hope he enjoyed
the night as much as we all did; well I happen to know he did as he told me so himself.
Mark's first opponent of the night was Mr Geoff Kenney, who has in his short time as a member of the Stute, done so much for us, like
spreading the word of the stute and getting us back into the Hinckley Times Snooker League plus many many more things he gives and does voluntarily
that only a rare few of us know about. Geoff was the 1st man I turned to when the Committee first knew we wanted a top player to come to the Stute
and celebrate the centenary, and like always Geoff never let me down. Well Geoff can use a cue, but tonight was the toughest of his snooker life
because I've heard on the grapevine Mark is quite handy with a cue himself and on a newly covered table 3 Geoff was the first man to play a shot on
it since it was recovered; his promise to smack them up didn't really materialise but Mark was in straight away and any worries about the notoriously
tight table 3 pockets causing Mark any problems were soon laughed off. With ease Mark rolled the balls in the pockets like they were goal posts.
He got to 29 when he missed, leaving Geoff a chance for some points. To be honest I can't recall how many Geoff scored as I was a little star struck
at how easy Mark had made that break look, but it was red, colour and then Geoff missed the red into the middle and Mark was back with a few wise
cracks for Geoff.
Mark now turned his eye onto the Ref', winding him up with a few glances at his imaginary watch. Geoff Worrel our referee who came down to
volunteer his skills as a former WPSB referee joined in the friendly atmosphere
asserting his authority making Mark wait a second or two. Then a fine
37 really put Geoff out of the match, but Geoff, like all the players, was just here for the thrill of playing one of the best players in the world;
a sure thing to become the World Snooker Champion of 201? A lucky safety from Geoff had Mark retaliating with a top drawer snooker so
tight it almost had Geoff in an impossible position, Mark's friendly advice on where to aim had Geoff
clam later that Mark had talked him into it
and then stitched him up as it missed by miles, but had us all laughing. Geoff shook hands and retreated to his lovely wife Dawn and the girls with a
big grin on his face and no regrets. A great start to the night.
Next up, and introduced as the next big thing was Stute two times winner and current champion (fluking a win against me in this years final),
was Adam Percival. Percy had been quite calm in the build up to this, as he knew he was chosen to play as the current winner of the Stute Annual
Championship. All the players were carefully chosen by the Committee as they represented the Stute in different capacities. A difficult task as many
members would have liked to take part. Percy was now getting edgy in the final hour, hoping playing Mark early on may pay off as Mark would need
time to settle on the new table.....well he didn't, because again he got onto the board first, but soon letting Adam score with a tidy red and a
thunderous brown prompting Mark teasingly telling him to "calm down", however, a mistake soon let Mark back in, and again as if he had played the
table a thousand times, Mark made a 54 break with ease. Only the the fact that he snookered himself behind his next red did the break end. Trying
another amusing move Mark first asked the referee to clean the white, and while he was doing so Mark picked up the ball marker and showed it to the
audience saying what a great bit of kit it was, then replacing it a few inches to the left to be back on the red. However, the ref had clocked
exactly where the white was; nice try Mark. A good game ended soon after Adam had clocked up a few more points to record the highest score of the
night against Mark...or so he tells me!
After a short interval, with Mark having photos taken and signing lots of cues, shirts and autograph books, the 2nd half began with Dale
Lewis from the Hinckley Working Men's Club, Mark's next "victim". I first met Dale when he came last year to the Stute along with the rest of his
team mates at Geoff Kenney's request to give us a pre season friendly, allowing us new players to the league to get the feel of the way the league
matches work. I had already heard he was a very good player so was relieved, yet also a little gutted, as I didn't get drawn to play him that night.
However, I saw enough to know what a great player he is becoming, playing the game like a professional would.
In fact Mark took the lead again and never lost it. But Dale played a superb long red early on and followed it up with a brilliant pink to show
Mark that this match may test him as Dale played them inch perfect. Alas though Dale was to be punished as Mark again made another 50 plus break.
It's hard to be upset when someone beats you with such style, with Dale sitting next to me all he could do was smile and enjoy the moments watching
a master at work. Dale again played a nice red but then made a mistake and after a few more moments winding the Ref' up Mark was shaking Dale's hand
and chalking up scalp number three.
Finally up was John Iddon aka me, Stute team A captain, Committee member and former Steward, it was now left to me to play Mark, who, may I
add, was by now fully warmed up on table 3 and well into his
rhythm. When we shook hands and had some pictures I broke off and got the white behind
the baulk line because I completely forgot what my initial plan was - to smack them up - as I was again star struck thinking, WOW!! I am playing
Mark Selby. Mark said straight away, "Oh like that is it" to me and gave me a ckeey grin. He missed his first long red and left me a chance on a red,
to my amazement I got it and, may I add, TOOK THE LEAD against Mark Selby and that can never be changed. The brown I then tried to cut back only
jawed leaving Mark about 5 reds around the black to choose from. I was duly punished with another 50 break, including a black trickling into the left
corner causing Mark to stamp his foot hard on the floor making it appear he helped it drop. Then when Mark let me back in I got another red and tried
cutting a black into the same corner as Mark, but when mine jawed I tried the stamp trick but this time it didn't work, however, it raised another
chuckle from the members. After a few more jollies and Mark lying fully on the table, both feet dangling off the table edge, Ref' Geoff called a
foul. I then called it time and shook a great player and gentleman's hand conceding I was mesmerised from start to finish and loved every moment,
even the 'come on John' calls from the members and Mark himself.
We then had more autographs and Vikki, Mark's lovely girlfriend, drew the raffle for a signed snooker cue, donated by Halls Snooker Supplies.
The winner was Geoff and Dawn's daughter Amy. A very happy winner collected her prize and had her photo taken with Mark & Vikki.
The evening drew to a close after a few words of thanks from Mark saying how he was glad to be a part of the Stute's centenary celebrations.
Many thanks once again from me personally and on behalf of the Management Committee.
