Bristol Backgammon Most Improved Player Award
sponsored from 2010 by Gaz Owen, supported by

"eXtreme Gammon is proud to sponsor the Bristol Backgammon Most Improved Player award. We think the idea of this award is very creative and fits perfectly with the concept of our software: “Play, Analyze, Learn”. Backgammon is a great game where everyone can always learn something new every day, would it be by using a program or by discussing with other players. Organizations such as Bristol Backgammon are a great asset for the backgammon world, helping players to comprehend and enjoy the game."
Gaz Owen, who has taken
over the sponsorship of this
award from 2010		The Bristol Backgammon
Most Improved Player trophy

The history

Early in 2002, Martin Hemming came up with the idea of providing an annual award for the player considered to have made the biggest improvement during the calendar year.
Martin and Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr took a look at what happened in the various 2002 Bristol Backgammon competitions, and despite the fact that there were several worthy contenders, they came to the unanimous conclusion that Neil Young should be the first recipient after his rapid rise to prominence during the year.
In January 2003, at the Bristol Backgammon Awards Night, Martin was happy to present the trophies to Neil (there is a permanent trophy, and a memento for the winner to keep), and this has now become an annual occurrence.
2009 was the eighth and final year of Martin's sponsorship, for which span we are grateful. And from 2010 we are delighted that Gaz Owen has taken over the sponsorship.
Gaz's idea was to add a copy of eXtreme Gammon as a prize for the winner, including a one-to-one demonstration of the product by Gaz.

The winners

No image available at present
2012 saw Steve Morris metamorphose from a regular "nearly" man into someone capable of winning tournaments, this coinciding with his first ever qualification for Premier OneFrom finishing bottom of his Premier Two Division in 2012, John Corrado was a player transformed in 2013, leading the division for long periods before clinching promotion to the top flight
The 2011 winner, Malcolm Patterson,
achieved a vast improvement in results
in his second season in Premier Two,
just pipping Simon Temme to the
prize		Miles Farren was the 2010
winner, having made major
breakthroughs on two fronts.
Staying in Premier One with
something to spare, and finally
getting the winning habit in
monthly grand prix tournaments
were the things that swung it
for him
For 2009 the judges plumped for
Simon Hughes after his transition
from Premier Two struggler to
Premier Two champion		Cecilia Sparke pipped Lewis Young
to the 2008 award, but didn't
attend the ceremony, so
here's another random photo
of Cecilia
Gaz Owen was adjudged winner
of the award for 2007, after
his steady progress up the leagues		Mike Smith, the 2006 winner of the
award, finished as runner-up in his
debut season in Premier Two
Mark Dixon, the 2005
recipient of the award
after his fantastic
Premier One debut season		Ed Turner receiving the 2004
award from our sponsor
Roland Herrera, Gammonitis
Rollout Trophy winner,
displaying the 2003 award		Neil Young, IGP champion,
double tournament winner, and
Conference third placer, receiving
the 2002 award from Martin

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