BFI AGM Summary – March 22nd, 2025
Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM on March 22nd, 2025 at J-Macs Pool Club.
While it has been a very successful season, hearing member feedback and striving to improve for next season remains at the forefront of everything we do.
Committee Update
Current Committee Members:
Paul Ferns: Voted in from Acting Chairperson to Chairperson.
Adrian Hammond: Re-elected as Secretary.
Sean Tighe: Voted in from Acting Treasurer to Treasurer.
Alan Murphy: Re-elected to stay on the committee.
New Committee Members:
Megan Randle: Proposed by Paul Ferns for her fantastic work as Players’ Representative and Manager of the Ladies’ Section. Megan was unanimously voted in and accepted the position.
Wayne Brennan: Also proposed by Paul Ferns. Wayne’s experience in the pool world was highly praised, and he was unanimously voted in and accepted the position.
Sandra McCann and Carolyn Whelan: Both put themselves forward for committee positions, were unanimously voted in, and warmly welcomed.
Major Changes to Team Selection
Retention Scrapped: Teams will no longer be selected based on prior international appearances or statistics.
New Selection Criteria: Teams will consist of the top 5 ranked players, plus up to 2 wildcards (if used by the manager, or otherwise the next players in line).
B Teams: Will be selected once A Teams are confirmed, using the same criteria.
Squad Sizes: Managers must take at least 1 substitute player; squad size beyond that is at the manager’s discretion.
Wildcard Eligibility:
Wildcards (including overseas players) must play in at least 2 ranking events per calendar year, or 1 of the 3 events prior to an international event.
Wildcard selections must be ratified by the committee.
Singles Retention Only: Only Singles Champions will retain their spot to defend their titles; no team retention for winners.
Playoff Proposal: A proposed playoff for the 6th team spot was discussed and may be revisited next year.
Tour Events for Next Season
Venue: J-Macs Navan remains our central tour venue.
Schedule: Six events will be run, with all events counting towards the rankings (no longer “best 5 of 6”).
Ladies’ Tour Suggestions:
Alternate venues, plate/double elimination formats, and earlier start times were suggested.
These will be reviewed once formal proposals are submitted.
Other Key Discussions
Shot Clock
A shot clock proposal was raised to prevent excessive match durations.
Paul Ferns is developing a shot clock app for the EBA and will bring back further information.
Footwear Policy Update
Acceptable Footwear:
Black trainers (pure black)
Dress shoes of any colour (e.g., brown)
Collared or pool top with trousers (not jeans) still applies.
Dress Code Enforcement:
A stricter crackdown on players who do not meet the dress code will be implemented at future events.
Youth Development
Youth Representative:
Dan Marrone was appointed as the new Youth Representative.
Dan brings extensive experience at youth level and will work to develop the Youth Section and implement Safeguarding policies, including Safeguarding courses and Garda Vetting.
Safeguarding & Welfare
Child Protection Officer:
Work is ongoing with Tusla to appoint a Child Protection Officer.
Safeguarding Training:
All managers of underage teams must complete safeguarding training.
Policy Updates:
Both the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Drugs & Alcohol Policy are under review and will be updated soon
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