LIONS ON TOUR TO MALTA
Following the overwhelming success of last year's inaugural tour to Australia, the British Lions are off on their travels again.
And if it's half as successful as the Down Under experience, culminating in a dramatic victory in the five Test series, then it will be another progressive step for the sport.
This latest ground breaking trip takes the pride of British pool to
Malta-one of mainland Europe's hotbeds for eight ball pool.
Led again by Wayne Smith, the Lions will play at least one Test against the former European champions plus a number of other friendlies against local representative teams.
Their ranks include Maltese favourite Clayton Attard who played such an instrumental part in the team's triumph over Australia in Sydney last October.
The other six members of the group are: Liam Stanley, Paul Hawkins, Darren Matthew, Jason Murgatroyd, Gavin Lomax and Scott Waring.
And, with the obvious exception of Attard, the party have dipped into their own pockets to pay for the privilege of representing the Lions as well as funding their own playing tops.
In addition, there has been some other financial support for accommodation organised by Vincent Degiorgio, treasurer of the European 8-Ball Pool Federation.
The party leave Liverpool John Lennon Airport on January 21 and return on January 29. Plans to take the squad to South Africa and back to Australia in 2013 are well advanced.
For four of the Lions group, their trip to the George Cross Island will be invaluable match practice ahead of the first ever, amateur only Strachan UK Pool Tour at Blackpool on February 3-5.
Lomax, Stanley, Murgatroyd and Smith have all signed up for the five event Tour boasting a total prize fund of £96,000.
So, it's a shot in the arm for Tour organisers that such a quartet of high calibre players have pledged their allegiance to the innovative tournaments.
For updates on the British Lions trip to Malta visit www.euro8ball.com and www.wepf.org For further details of the UK Tour visit www.ukpooltour.com
