Premier Status list
Premier Status was initially assigned to various players in the Bristol area in order to bar them from intermediate tournaments. Shortly afterwards, however, the designation of Premier Status had a further purpose -- to allow entry to the Bristol Premier League.
The original criteria for assigning this status were as follows:
- Possession of a BIBA ranking in excess of 1500;
- Possession of two or more Lesters Trophy titles.
This resulted in fifteen Westcountry players being granted Premier Status for the year 2000.
PREMIER STATUS, ONCE OBTAINED, IS EXPECTED TO BE PERMANENT. A player may apply to be relieved of Premier Status, but will need to present a strong case.
For subsequent years, the net has been widened slightly, with more appropriate criteria being added where considered necessary. Now, on December 31st each year Premier Status is conferred on any player who:
- has, during the year in question, breached the 1550 mark in the BIBA rankings (this qualifying score increased from 1500 from 2005), or the 1550 mark in the Gammonitis rankings (this qualifying score introduced from 2005). Gammonitis no longer exists, but Premier Status can be applied retrospectively a long as appropriate evidence of past BIBA or Gammonitis ranking scores can be provided;
- has, during the year in question, fulfilled the necessary criteria for promotion from the Bristol Conference League (from 2011, breaking through the 20 points threshold at any stage of the season -- see Conference rules);
- has, during the year in question, scored at least 200 points in the Bristol Intermediate Grand Prix;
- has ever won more than one title in the following categories: Lesters Trophy, Bristol Grand Prix main flight, the former Bristol Open Grand Prix and Bristol Intermediate Grand Prix main flights, the Bristol Masters, the Intermediates Trophy, or clock tournaments with a 14 minutes time allowance and 12 seconds delay;
- has, during the year in question, scored enough points in the "Premier Status Race".
- Has ever finished as "Top Intermediate" in the Monday Club Spring, Summer or Autumn Grand Prix series on more than one occasion.
- has, in the opinion of the Director, a body of achievements sufficient to warrant exemption from the ranks of intermediates.
From the 2010 season onwards, any player on the current World Backgammon Giants list wishing to enter the Premier League for the first time is eligible for fast-tracking directly into Premier One. This process takes place independently of the usual splits between divisions, in that such a player would be added to Premier One after the usual criteria are applied, thus increasing the size of Premier One by one player for one season only. So any Premier One qualifier is still guaranteed his/her place, and any player qualifying by default by the usual criteria would also still be admitted.
Applying all the above criteria, several more players have qualified for Premier Status in the years subsequent to 2000.
The complete up-to-date list now reads as follows:
- Dave ABLETT (2009, via BIBA rankings)
- Graham ALDER (2001, via finishing high enough in the 2000 OGP)
- Giles ASHTON (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Simon BAKER (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Nick BARHAM (2007, via promotion from the 2006 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2006 IGP)
- Simonetta BARONE/HERRERA (2003, via promotion from the 2002 Conference)
- Peter BENNET (2004, via BIBA rankings)
- Rosey BENSLEY (2002, via promotion from the 2001 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2001 OGP)
- Richard BIDDLE (2011, via promotion from the 2010 Conference)
- Andy BOYSAN (2013, via promotion from the 2012 Conference)
- Andy BROWN (2013, via promotion from the 2012 Conference)
- Blaine BUCHANAN (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Gerry CAROLAN (2005, via BIBA rankings)
- Chrissy CARTER (2014, via multiple "top intermediate" finishes in any of the Monday Club Spring, Summer or Autumn Grands Prixs, 2012 and 2013)
- Richard CARTWRIGHT (2005, via promotion from the 2004 Conference, finishing high enough in both the 2004 OGP and 2004 IGP, and winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Drew CAUDWELL (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Jason CHAMPION (2004, via promotion from the 2003 Conference)
- Phil CHARLTON (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Derek CLEW (2009, via finishing high enough in the 2008 OGP and IGP, and winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Andrew COBB (2006, via promotion from the 2005 Conference)
- Michael CORBETT (2005, via promotion from the 2004 Conference)
- John CORRADO (ages ago, via BIBA rankings)
- Mark DIXON (2004, via promotion from the 2003 Conference)
- Phil DOUBTFIRE (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Peter EDWARDS (2008, via promotion from the 2007 Conference, finishing high enough in both the 2007 OGP and 2007 IGP, and winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Miles FARREN (2007, via promotion from the 2006 Conference)
- Juanita FERRER (2005, via finishing high enough in the 2004 IGP)
- Steve FERRER (2004, via finishing high enough in both the 2003 OGP and IGP)
- Julian FETTERLEIN (2005, via BIBA rankings; N.B: World Backgammon Giant #48)
- Pearl FOSTER (2013, via promotion from the 2012 Conference)
- Mike GARTSIDE (2009, via Director's decree)
- Paul GILBERTSON (2005, via BIBA rankings)
- Mike GREENLEAF (2005, via BIBA rankings)
- Martin HEMMING (2002, via BIBA rankings, promotion from the 2001 Conference, and finishing high enough in the 2001 OGP)
- Roland HERRERA (2003, via promotion from the 2002 Conference)
- Charlie HETHERINGTON (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Phillip HILL (2004, via winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Adrian HILLS (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Alex HODGE (2013, via the 2012 Race to the Premier League and finishing as winner of the 2012 IGP)
- Richard HOLNESS (2009, via Director's decree)
- Sean HOPSON (2011, via finishing high enough in the 2010 IGP)
- David HORNER (2002, via finishing as runner-up in the 2001 IGP)
- Simon HUGHES (2008, via promotion from the 2007 Conference)
- Tim JEFFERIES (2001, via finishing high enough in the 2000 OGP)
- Hadi KERMANI (2012, via finishing high enough in the 2010 IGP)
- Tony LEE (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- John LEWIS (2004, via finishing high enough in both the 2003 OGP and IGP)
- Jerry LIMB (2001, via BIBA rankings, and finishing high enough in both the 2000 OGP and 2000 IGP)
- Tim LINE (2006, via promotion from the 2005 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2005 IGP)
- James LINTELL-SMITH (2011, via promotion from the 2010 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2010 OGP)
- Mandy MACDONALD (2012, via finishing high enough in the 2010 IGP)
- Stuart MANN (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Nigel MERRIGAN (ages ago, via BIBA rankings)
- Richard MOODY (2001, via finishing as runner-up in the 2000 IGP)
- Steve MORRIS (2007, via promotion from the 2006 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2006 IGP)
- John NAPIER (2001, via winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Jamie NEVILL (2011, via promotion from the 2010 Conference)
- Fred NORTH (2013, via promotion from the 2012 Conference)
- Steffen NOWAK (2003, via finishing as runner-up in the 2000 IGP, and BIBA rankings)
- Simon OSBORNE (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- John OULD (2003, via promotion from the 2002 Conference)
- Gaz OWEN (2007, via promotion from the 2006 Conference)
- Richard OWSLEY (2005, via promotion from the 2004 Conference)
- Alan PAPIER (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Alan PARFITT (2004, via promotion from the 2003 Conference)
- John PATON (2006, via promotion from the 2005 Conference)
- Malcolm PATTERSON (2010, via finishing as runner-up in the 2009 IGP)
- Chas PERRY (2010, via promotion from the 2009 Conference)
- Gary PLANT (2013, via promotion from the 2012 Conference)
- John PLUMMER (2010, via finishing as winner of the 2009 IGP)
- Ann POCKNELL (2006, via BIBA rankings)
- Martin POTTER (2004, via BIBA rankings)
- Ian PRESTON (2002, via winning the main flights of two tournaments, winning the 2001 OGP and promotion from the 2001 Conference)
- Dave PYM (2000, via multiple Lesters wins)
- Cynthia ROBERTS (2005, via promotion from the 2004 Conference)
- Malcolm ROBERTSON (2010, via the discretion of the Director)
- Sarah ROSICH (2002, via winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Bahman SALAHSHOUR (2013, via multiple "top intermediate" finishes in any of the Monday Club Spring, Summer or Autumn Grands Prixs, 2012)
- Alan SAMMONDS (2005, via BIBA rankings)
- Grant SHORTLAND (2001, via BIBA rankings)
- John SLATTERY (2001, via BIBA rankings)
- Elliot SMART (2002, via BIBA rankings)
- Mike SMITH (2006, via promotion from the 2005 Conference)
- Alexi SOLOMOU (2014, via the 2013 Race to the Premier League)
- Cecilia SPARKE (2008, via promotion from the 2007 Conference)
- Ian TARR (2000, via multiple Lesters wins and BIBA rankings)
- Simon TEMME (2009, via promotion from the 2008 Conference)
- Ed TURNER (2002, via winning the main flights of two tournaments)
- Tony WALTERS (2006, via promotion from the 2005 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2005 IGP)
- Paul WATTS (2002, via winning the 2001 IGP and promotion from the 2001 Conference)
- Kevin WHITE (2000, via BIBA rankings)
- Marcus WRINCH (2008, via promotion from the 2007 Conference, and finishing high enough in the 2007 IGP)
- Lewis YOUNG (2009, via promotion from the 2008 Conference and finishing high enough in the 2008 IGP)
- Neil YOUNG (2003, via winning the main flights of two tournaments, promotion from the 2002 Conference, and finishing high enough in the 2002 OGP and IGP)
- Todd YOUNG (2008, via promotion from the 2007 Conference)
For the record, as at November 21st, 2009, the following players have won one tournament main flight, and would qualify for Premier Status by winning another: Ian Flynn, Louise Franklin, Simon Gonzales, Ron Henderson, Mark Oldham, Tim Parker, John Plummer, Dave Rees and Mike Rodwell.
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