[<<] [>>] by Elizabeth Williams
2nd September 2004 (Other News)

Chris Williams has been collecting the birth dates of our leading players in order to do analysis, including on the age of players in the Eights. On the Nottingham list he writes:

Where I don't know a player's age, I have estimated it - for the purposes of averaging it makes very little difference when only one or two players are unknown.

Where earlier data is missing it is because I have too many unknowns and, not being a player at the time, I am unable to estimate the ages of many of the players.

As can be see from the figures below, the average age in the President's Cup (the top eight) has hardly changed in recent years, however it can also be seen that all eights are showing an increase in average age compared with 10 years ago. In fact two of the four eights this year have an average above fifty for the first time for many years.

Also I have noticed that since 1961 the President's Cup has only once been won by someone over 40 (Eric Solomon was 44 when he won in 1979). Solomon, Mulliner and Aspinall all won for the last time when they were 39, though knowing Stephen he probably feels he still has another 30 or so chances to win. The last time someone over 50 won was Humphrey Hicks in 1961 aged 57. From the data I have, the average age in the President's Cup until the mid sixties was over 45

(Winner's age in bracket - ?? if estimated)

President's Cup

2004 38
2003 36 (32)
2002 37 (33)
2001 34 (32)
2000 35 (26??)
1999 37 (30)
1998 37 (29)
1997 34 (32??)
1996 34 (25)
1995 33 (24)
1994 34 (25)
1993 30 (24)
1992 33 (39)
1991 30 (20)
1990 29 (21)
1989 30 (20)
1988 30 (17)
1987 32 (34)
1986 34 (33)
1985 35 (39)
1984 36 (38)
1983 36 (30)
1982 40 (36)
1981 34 (28)
1980 36 (34)
1979 40 (44)
1978 36 (32)
1977 34 (31)
1976 30 (30)
1975 38 (29)
1974 26 (28)
1973 ?? (27)
1972 35 (19)
1971 ?? (39)
1970 ?? (24)
1969 40 (23)
1968 ?? (36)
1967 ?? (21)
1966 ?? (29)
1965 ?? (17)
1964 ?? (32)
1963 ?? (31)
1962 ?? (30)
1961 ?? (57)
1960 49 (56)

Winners ages prior to 1960 were
27, 26, 25, 52, 23, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 43, 42

Chairman's Salver

2004 41
2003 42 (24)
2002 42 (36)
2001 43 (48)
2000 36 (31)
1999 41 (43)
1998 39 (35)
1997 37 (58)
1996 41 (34)
1995 41 (42)
1994 39 (41)
1993 35 (28)
1992 34 (36)
1991 35 (38)
1990 27 (37)
1989 28 (20)

Ages prior to 1989 were:
35, 43, ??, 19, 32, 25, 24, 31, 53, 27, 43, 24, 41, 26

Spencer Ell Cup

2004 53
2003 47 (33)
2002 49 (43)
2001 39 (31)
2000 46 (31)
1999 42 (27)
1998 38 (40)
1997 35 (25)
1996 41 (49)
1995 38 (40)
1994 36 (35)
1993 40 (25)
1992 41 (52)
1991 38 (31)
1990 39 (36)
1989 36 (30)
1988 34 (22)
1987 ?? (34)

Treasurer's Tankard

2004 52
2003 47 (18)
2002 47 (58)
2001 47 (22)