DEURNE - The final day in the highest Belgian three cushion league was decisive for the relegation and delivered some interesting news about transfers. Torbjörn Blomdahl, who announced to leave BC Deurne on the night of the championship and chose for a Korean adventure, still will play 14 matches for the Belgian champion next year. Furthermore, Eddy Merckx will be replaced in the team of De Goeie Queue by Wesley de Jaeger. Merckx will show up in the highest league next year, because his new team of Zele (with De Backer and Jorissen) achieved the title in the second class and made the promotion with Kortrijk (Brants and Bitalis). Mathy Monnissen plays for Biljartvrienden next season.
Torbjörn Blomdahl changed his mind to leave BC Deurne definitely, on the last day of the competition. ,,We had some negotiation in Deurne and finally I will stay for 14 matches'', Torbjörn said. ,,I have no concrete agreements in Korea so far, but I might agree with a sponsor there, to find time for demonstrations and other obligations. So, it's better to not play many matches in Europe next year.''
The Swede will not be one of the main players in the bundesliga. ,,We planned that I will be on the reserve list in Bergisch Gladbach, where Martin Horn will leave the team (to Berlin in the second bundesliga). Nikos Polychronopoulos also plays next year for the German champion.
The Belgian league was closed after 22 rounds with BC Deurne as the new champion and De Goeie Queue and Zanzibar as numbers two and three. DOS Roeselare and De Ploeg 2 relegate with 6 and 5 points.
BC Deurne won the last home match against KBC Zanzibar 6-2. Roland Forthomme defeated Torbjörn Blomdahl 50-36 in 26 innings. Best winners on the final day were Jean van Erp (Deurne) and Martin Spoormans (Biljart Expres) both with 42 points in 21 innings.
Francis Forton played an excellent match against Eddy Merckx. The player from Brussels attacked after the break (25-24) with a run of 17! De Witte Molen and De Goeie Queue played a draw. Frédéric Caudron took the win against Glenn Hofman after two final runs of six (50-48).
The final ranking in Belgium:
1 BC Deurne 40 points
2 De Goeie Queue 37
3 Zanzibar 32
4 Biljart Expres 30
5 Mister 100 26
6 De Witte Molen 24
7 Op de Meir 23
8 Herentals 21
9 Biljartvrienden 12
10 De Ploeg 1 8
11 DOS Roeselare 6
12 De Ploeg 2 5.
Eddy Merckx will play with Zele in the top league next year