1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? Having been closely involved with the UKBGF from the outset in 2013 I would like to contribute to the continuing development of the organisation for the next two years.
2. How much time are you prepared to devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? If elected I will endeavour to spend as much time on UKBGF matters as necessary, as I have done over the last two years.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? We have already made great strides – most items on our original list of objectives for the first two years have been achieved. We must obviously continue to cater for the existing backgammon community by, among other things, organising tournaments, running an annual tour, and maintaining our national ratings system. We should also continue to encourage existing players to join the UKBGF and make it more attractive for them to do so.
   However backgammon is still very much a minority pastime in the UK and, as I said two years ago, the main aim of the UKBGF must be to grow the game. With this in mind:
   • The Clubs Grant scheme to provide financial assistance for newly formed backgammon clubs should continue.
   • We should try to develop initiatives to assist schools and universities to introduce backgammon – this is where the new generation of players needs to be found.
   • Media opportunities should continue to be exploited to publicise backgammon.
   • We should exhibit again at UK Games Expo at the NEC next year. We had a small stand in June this year, potentially enabling us to make face-to-face contact with 10,000 or more of exactly the right people with whom we need to engage: games players.
   • More effort is required to seek out new sponsors. Whilst Geoffrey Parker Games has been a valued sponsor in terms of added prizes, we need other sponsors to make tournaments more viable and for other ventures which may require additional funding.
   • We should continue to co-operate with overseas backgammon bodies, in particular with regard to rules. A globally harmonised set of tournament rules is a worthwhile goal.
4. Why should people vote for you? Once again I would just ask members to consider my record, bearing in mind that future responsibilities will be decided by the newly elected Board:
   • I believe that during the last two years I have played an important part in the work of the UKBGF which has become the driving force in UK backgammon.
   • I have been the principal organiser of the very successful UK Open since it began in 2014, and in both 2015 and 2016 I was also joint Tournament Director.
   • As Membership Secretary I maintain membership records and carry out the required administration work for new members. I also collect membership fees and send renewal reminders for those members who are not on the automated renewal system.
   • I am the ‘post office’ for all generic UKBGF communications (principally emails sent to contact@ukbgf.com). In the majority of cases I respond myself; otherwise I forward the enquiry to a more appropriate person to deal with. This job has become more time consuming as the organisation has grown. I try to deal with all incoming communications promptly and sensitively.
   • As Treasurer I monitor all income and expenditure. The recently published figures demonstrate that our financial position is healthy.
   • Although I no longer have primary responsibility for content of the UKBGF website I continue to assist with regular updating and housekeeping tasks.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. I have been a serious backgammon player for 41 years. Since I retired from full-time employment in 2006 I have become more involved with organising backgammon as well as playing. This includes helping to run our local club, Backgammon in Ealing, which I co-founded in 2012, and which has grown steadily by attracting new as well as returning players. I am also a member of the organising committee for the ‘Scope’ Annual Charity Backgammon and Bridge Tournament and was Chair of this committee for five years.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? Though I have only been playing backgammon for about a year, I have already had so much enjoyment from the game that I’d like to give something back. I love the backgammon ‘circuit’ in the UK and I think that an ambitious, well-run UKBGF is fundamentally important to the continued growth of British backgammon.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? As much time as is necessary to perform the role(s) that I am given to the very best of my ability. I run my own business, so I manage my own time and don’t have any work constraints that would get in the way of UKBGF duties. I also have a very understanding wife who tolerates (and in fact encourages) my obsession with backgammon.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? To continue the growth and development of backgammon in the UK by reaching out to more people, particularly young people, to encourage them to get involved in the game, whilst also helping to champion the best of British backgammon on the world stage. I’d be interested to see if it is worthwhile promoting backgammon within schools and universities, as well as exploring the possibility of engaging with community centre activity managers. I want to play my part in running an efficient, effective and cohesive UKBGF, bringing all backgammon players and clubs together to promote our game collectively. To that end, I’d like to see a friendly and informal UKBGF ‘forum’ at all major tournaments, where members can offer new ideas and suggestions in an open, honest discussion.
4. Why should people vote for you? I have 15 years of business experience, running my own companies during that time and I understand the challenges of running a successful organisation when not everyone will always agree on the same goals or strategies. I have knowledge of accounting, marketing (including social media), website development and within my current business – a commercial printing company – I have graphic design and printing resources freely available to the UKBGF for promotional purposes. I’d be happy to manage the company accounts or marketing activity and would feel confident in chairing the UKBGF board, were I deemed to be the best candidate to do so.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. I’m based up north and I think that it’s important to have a northern voice within the UKBGF. Given that we have backgammon players from all over the country, it would be good to have diverse geographical representation on the board.

1. Why do you want to stand for the Board of the UKBGF? When I joined the backgammon community the UKBGF was not yet fully formed, so I have watched its meteoric rise with pleasure and admiration. The Board clearly stated their aims from the beginning and they have pursued those aims with great success in many areas. But there is still work to do, lessons have been learned and new challenges are to be set.I have a strong desire, and the necessary drive, to be involved in the future development of the Federation. The Board has a duty to represent backgammon players at every level of expertise. We have a growing number of Masters and Grandmasters in the UK who are a credit to our backgammon community and do a great deal to promote and glamorise the game. But we all know that those players at the peak of the pyramid are supported by thousands more who need support to run their clubs, encouragement to enter tournaments and guidance towards the most appropriate resources.The Board should be composed of a cross section of individuals who complement one another in their skills and experience. I am an Intermediate player with a very fresh memory of the problems new players and new clubs can encounter. The Board needs someone with those insights to bring balance and to consider issues from all angles.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? Board members need to focus on the tasks in hand and spend as much time as is needed to get the job done. Decades of work as a hospital doctor taught me how to prioritise, how to multitask and how not to fear hard work. If you want something doing, give it to a busy person.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? The board should look at its objectives in three broad categories:(a) CONSOLIDATE – Much has been achieved since 2015 and those successes should be built upon. The UK tournament tour, the ratings system, the website and our social media presence are all of high quality and will require constant attention to remain so.(b) LEARN – There are some fundamental areas where the UKBGF is yet to get a grip. I believe we have not given enough thought to issues of Equality and Diversity and this has led to some members experiencing access problems which are easy to remedy, if appropriate policies are in place. I have personal and professional experience in this area and I would ask the Board to appoint a specific individual to take on this responsibility.(c) INNOVATE – There is no reason why the UK Federation cannot be considered one of the foremost bodies on the world backgammon stage. There are a great many organisations and initiatives, both in the UK and abroad and they have diverse aims and varying levels of success. The Board should look to collaborate with those bodies who, like us, can provide positive impetus to world backgammon and grow enthusiasm for the game. For example, I support the work the Board has already done toward producing a unified set of rules, now in use in other parts of Europe and also the facilitation of players who are part of the BMAB to record matches at UKBGF tournaments. This should continue and grow.I want us to find ways to attract and support less experienced players, including more young people – I am interested in the work being done by the Intercollegiate Backgammon Challenge (and have personally donated to this charity). I would like to set up a buddy system that pairs seasoned and inexperienced players for mutual benefit (including light hearted doubles events). I would like to see more articles on the website that help and inform new players as to the wider aspects of the game, not just match strategy.
4. Why should people vote for you? I want you, the members, to vote for me and to feel confident that I will represent your views. My career as a hospital Consultant (I trained in both Surgery and Radiology) taught me many of the skills needed to act as an effective Board member. I led multidisciplinary teams, chaired meetings and dealt with the public every day so I am a good at communicating with people, understanding their agenda and dealing with emotionally charged situations. I am used to working under time constraints, dealing with pressure and coming to firm decisions.I am now (early!) retired from Medicine and have thrown myself into playing backgammon and getting involved with all aspects of the game. I live near the South Coast and play in a local club in Romsey, but I want to experience and understand players from all over the country, so I have recently joined the London League (I was a member of their B team at the recent UK Clubs Championship), have attended Backgammon in Ealing whenever I can and have been taking part in the Northern “War of the Roses” competition (I was born and brought up in Yorkshire). I love playing in Tournaments and have attended every one of the UKBGF Tour events this year, as well as BIBA events, Scope, the RAC 32 and Gibraltar. I understand what it is to be a player, despite only having a few years experience over the board.I have demonstrated my willingness and desire to work for backgammon and for the Board – I am helping to organise the Winchester Open 2017 and will be assisting the Tournament Director. I expect this to be announced as a UKBGF tour event for next year. I have contributed to this website (London Open report 2016), I single handedly entered all the results from the 2015 UK Open into the rankings system and I am a member of the team who contribute to the UKBGF social media streams (Twitter and Facebook).
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. I hope we have a long list of excellent candidates standing for the Board. Strong governance and effective management will come much more easily from a healthy competition than from a coalition of the willing. I have tried to get across why I feel I am relevant as a candidate and that I understand, truly, what is involved in doing the job. Board members should anticipate and welcome criticism as well as positive feedback and we need to be challenged by our members. I will accept all such challenges with good grace and treat all members with respect. I have high hopes and expectations for the future of the Federation and Backgammon in the UK whoever is chosen to take us forward.

1. Why do you want to stand for the Board of the UKBGF? I would like to increase the geographical spread of the board and as a Lancastrian I am very active in Pennine events and feel I could represent the views of those players well. I have a positive relationship with all the current board members and assuming at least some of them will be re elected I feel I could contribute to carrying on the lasts boards good work in a positive rather than confrontational manner.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? I would put aside on average 4 hours a week for UKBGF responsibilities
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? I believe the large majority of the currents boards work has been beneficial so my main aim would be to continue along current lines with hopefully growth as well. I believe in encouraging improving players so one item in my manifesto is that UKBGF members with ratings below 1500 could have their rating reset once a year as I believe a low rating acts as a disincentive. I would have an open ear to any suggestions but would be particularly interested in what could help new enthusiastic players.
4. Why should people vote for you? I would hope that people would vote for me because they recognise me as a reasonably intelligent person who won’t rock the boat unless absolutely necessary who has the best interests of UK backgammon at heart. I was pleased to see Peter’s accounts blog and promise all members that I would work to encourage a policy of accountability and transparency from the board.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. I would be pushing for an AGM to be held over the weekend of the UK Open where all members of UKBGF would be welcome to attend. I would like the UKBGF to continue to run two flagship events, the UK Open and the Clubs Championship but re-examine the UKBGF role in any other events.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? It has been a privilege to assist the current Board with social media and the most enjoyable part has been watching the game growing at grass-roots level, helping to promote new groups and seeing a real buzz amongst new players. It’s only natural that an enthusiast of the game wants to share that passion with others! The UKBGF has a lot of potential but there is plenty to be done – for example, we don’t have any great backgammon presence in Wales and Northern Ireland yet – and I’d like to do my bit to help it realise that potential.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF? At least as much as I do now – being on social media most evenings picking up and sharing news, editing articles, and fielding correspondence, travelling down to board meetings, and weekend tournaments regularly (as much as family will allow). I’m also intending to spend more time as a tournament director, and getting out and about more to meet more players. I do play online quite a lot and that’s a good avenue for putting players in touch with each other and encouraging them to try live play.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? We’ve gone a long way in a very short time and the next two years should certainly look at making sure what we do is sustainable; we also need to make sure people see value in being a member. I’d like to see the UK Tour grow and cover more of the country, and I’m already working on a new event. The assistance for new clubs is invaluable and I’d hope the Board will actively get involved in establishing them, as well as helping get new tournaments started, and acting as evangelists at exhibitions and other events. We should work on the UK Open as both the most respected event in the country and the most enjoyable for all comers, and grow the number of beginners’ events alongside the bigger regional tournaments. I’d personally like to develop closer ties with other organisations like BMAB so that we all pull in the same direction, and investigate crossover events with other games. And I believe the Board should co-opt regional representatives, and hold open sessions at tournaments so that it keeps in touch with goings on across the country.
4. Why should people vote for you? I hope I’ve demonstrated that I’m more than willing to put the effort in to make the next two years a success. My experience as a charity trustee and councillor has taught me a lot about handling a very disparate organisation which relies heavily on volunteers and keeping people’s goodwill – as well as managing budgets and ensuring accountability. And I’d hope that I’m sufficiently self-critical to know when ideas aren’t working for the greater good and move on.
5. Any other comments? I’ve been involved with the organisation of Mind Sports Olympiad in 2016 and that has also given me a lot to think about – they are particularly strong at getting juniors taking part at many games, something we should work on to ensure the long term future of backgammon.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? Having already served on the interim and now the elected UKBGF board for the last three and a half years, although a reasonable amount of progress has been made, there is still more to be done to promote our wonderful game further and in respect of which I believe I have a lot to contribute.
2. How much time are you prepared to devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? There’s a saying that if you want something important or urgent doing, give it to a busy person to do! Well, it is absolutely the case that I am a busy person both in my career as a barrister working for an investment bank as well as personally with the birth of our first child earlier this year. Despite this however, I manage all aspects perfectly well and also find time to complete my backgammon duties (both playing and promoting). Furthermore, and as I’ve said before, the important issue here is not how much time is spent but how such time is spent in terms of the quality of its usage. My idea is and always will be that board members should use their time wisely and play to their individual strengths for the greater benefit of the UKBGF.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? As well as generally promoting backgammon for the benefit of the members of the UKBGF including helping to run the UK Open, Hippodrome events and any other events that might require assistance, there are two specific areas that I would like to continue the development of:
   • Rules – the Rules have continued their great progress not only in terms of progressive amendment but also in terms of being rolled out with full acceptance and adoption by the EUBGF (European Backgammon Federation) such that all European federations joining the EUBGF also adopt the UKBGF Rules (dressed up as the EUBGF Rules) as their own rules too. I also sit as the Chair of the Rules Sub-Committee on the EUBGF so am perfectly placed to oversee the continued progress and roll out of a common set of rules globally. It is a lofty aim but until our game has a commonly accepted set of tournament rules, I do not believe that it will be taken seriously enough to even begin to attain the prominence of say chess or bridge.
   • General international relations – having been asked to also join the board of the EUBGF just over a year ago, I have been able to help guide the progress that is being made there in a way that is also best aligned to the progress of the UKBGF’s goals too.
4. Why should people vote for you? I would hope that the work I have already undertaken demonstrates my determination to give something back to backgammon in the UK. My aim is to continue with this results-driven process.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. Backgammon in the UK shouldn’t just be about catering for the bigger money players but about ensuring that every gathering or event has something for everyone. It is only by doing this that the youth, the complete beginner and the intermediate player can be encouraged to join in, get more involved and over time progress to the seasoned expert level. Accordingly, the last two UK Opens which I was joint TD for attempted to ensure that all abilities were able to participate. Monthly events at the Hippodrome in London, again for which I have acted as a TD on more than one occasion together with some of my other fellow UKBGF Board members, also cater for all levels of play.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? Since becoming a member of the UKBGF it has become clear to me that having a national federation is one of the best things to happen to the game. I would like to be able to help maintain all the fantastic work done so far and to continue the growth of backgammon in the UK.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? As I am semi-retired and the work I still do is from home, with the added flexibility of when I perform it, I cannot foresee any demands on my time to be an issue. However it would be difficult to quantify it in hours/days/weeks etc.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? To maintain the great work already done and increase awareness of the game we all love. Also to sustain and escalate the membership. I would like to see more younger players coming into the game and to see a junior event set up with maybe regional qualifiers culminating in a finals tournament at the UK Open.
4. Why should people vote for you? The game of backgammon is my passion and since starting to play on the live circuit in 2011 it has become my main social activity and I have met many new friends.
   I took over the mantle of tournament director for the monthly Bradford events in January 2015 and through hard work and commitment have increased the average attendance twofold and we now have regular attendances of 18+ players every month.
   I do what I do for the love of the game with no expectations or desire of any financial remuneration and myself, along with Kevin Jones who runs the Manchester monthly, return all registration fees collected after costs back to the players in way of bonus tournaments and the annual Pennine Trophy league.
   I feel I have a good rapport with all the players I have made the acquaintance of, the list of which continues to grow with my ongoing attendances at regional, national and international tournaments.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. I believe that my past experience running my own businesses, website design and basic accountancy skills along with my desire to increase the awareness of the game throughout the UK would be an asset for the federation.
   I am a very genuine and honest person that not only loves playing the game but also thoroughly enjoys the organization of events etc. and do not consider such to be a chore.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? I am standing for election to the board of the UKBGF so that I can bring the organisational and technical skills that I have utilised in support of the game to a UK-wide platform. I am familiar with the structure of the UKBGF and the priorities of its membership, and feel I would be well-placed to take backgammon in the UK forward to higher levels of interest and engagement. I have experience forming and running a successful backgammon society (that of Marylebone Cricket Club), and have taken a leadership role in the London Clubs League, of which MCC is a member. These efforts have introduced many new players to the London backgammon scene, and I would like to use membership of the UKBGF board to deliver a corresponding boost to the national game.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? As a current co-opted (non-voting) member of the board, I already regularly attend monthly UKBGF board meetings, and devote significant amounts of my spare time to support and development of the UKBGF results service. I do not anticipate these contributions will in any way diminish if elected to the board, and as I set out below, I intend to increase my time contribution.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? If elected, my first focus will be on the web sites. We have a pressing need to change the hosting platform of the main site or risk financial impact to the UKBGF. This needs to be done with care to avoid any disruption or content loss. I am proud of the results and ratings site, which I built myself, and am keen to ensure it meets the needs of our membership, particularly club managers, as well as possible. As a member of the board, I will build a more capable issue tracker and feature request process in support of the federation’s membership, and will allocate a quantity of development time and resource for new features to improve the experience and accuracy of result entry. I have in the past found that backgammon has flourished when technology is there to help, so I would explore how to expand the online services available to players and club administrators alike. The fundamental mission of the UKBGF is to promote the enjoyment of backgammon to as many people in the country as possible. The UKBGF has done a fine job in the past two years of increasing public engagement with backgammon in the UK, and during my term I want to see backgammon grow further, with more tournaments, more local backgammon societies, and greater media attention.
4. Why should people vote for you? My work with the results service has seen me collaborate closely with the current board, so I have an appreciation of the challenges the UKBGF faces, and will be able to hit the ground running. I am very familiar with committee work, being a longstanding chair of a primary school governing body, so I understand and appreciate the strategic role of a board, and where it should, and should not, be focusing its efforts.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? I want to continue the good work of all we have achieved on the board over the last two years. Although fresh blood will be important on the new board, I believe continuity will also be vital. My experience of having been on the board from its inception would be valuable in taking the UKBGF vision forward. I have always been someone who likes to see things through. I am passionate about the game and want to continue to play my part in bringing it to a wider public.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? I will devote as much time as I have during the last two years, which is a lot! I’ve attended almost all the monthly board meetings, been Tournament Director with Sean Williams at the recent London Open, organised accommodation for visiting players, and researched the venue for the Mochy dinner. I attended the UK Games Expo in June this year, helping run the stand and promote backgammon to the gaming community. I taught a backgammon course at City Lit in London this summer, which took beginners through to expert level. Potential board members should know that they can expect a considerable volume of emails every week, and I have always been diligent in tackling issues as they arise. During all this I have continued to run my own backgammon club in Clapton where the regular average attendance has doubled in the last two years. My life as a freelance worker is ideally suited to the ebb and flow of time required to be an active UKBGF board member.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? We should be aiming to expand our membership to at least 500 in two years’ time, and to have a backgammon club in each of our major cities. We must ensure we cater for the whole range of backgammon players, from elite tournament players to new and casual players who should be able to enjoy the game without having to commit too much financially. Particular attention should be paid to diversity issues, asking ourselves how we can bring more women into the game and provide more appropriate facilities at tournaments for people with disabilities. We should continue to listen to our members and reflect their wants and needs in our actions. Of course we must continue to deliver a world class website, the national ratings system, national tournaments like the UK Open, the Clubs Championship and the London Open, and both organisational and financial help for new clubs.
4. Why should people vote for you? The existing board has largely succeeded in delivering our objectives over the last two years. I have been an active and committed member of that board, and am now seeking re-election to continue the good work that has already been done. I am capable of contributing to strategic thinking, but believe my particular strength lies in my attention to detail. I am by nature an empathetic person, and whenever conflicts arise (as they do in any organisation) am invariably the peacemaker and the seeker of middle ground. Over the past two years I have acquired a lot of experience in the backgammon world, both in terms of coming to know the many characters within it, and also of running tournaments, setting up systems and dealing with the nitty-gritty of running a voluntary organisation. I am therefore a better candidate now than when I was elected two years ago.
5. Any other comments that you feel relevant. The UKBGF board has achieved a lot in its current term. It is vital that we don’t rest on our laurels but push forward with a new set of objectives to take us into the future. We must be representative of the whole of the UK, and should reach into every corner to set up new clubs and find new members. We should also look outward to other national federations to seek a worldwide agreement on rules and investigate the possibility of an international ratings system. These are exciting times for backgammon, with a game-playing culture mushrooming across the country; new players are turning up in clubs every month, and we have a unique opportunity to expand still further the game we all love.

1. Why do you want to stand for the board of the UKBGF? I want to stand for the UKBGF Board because a huge chunk of my life is spent playing backgammon and it’s a way of being more involved in the best pastime in the world.
2. How much time will you devote to the UKBGF over the next two years? I don’t work – at least not paid! – So I have a fair amount of time to devote to this.
3. What are your plans for the UKBGF over the next two years? I can’t pretend I can do better or more than the board members have already done, but I shall support anything that helps grow the game and bring in new players. The only specific idea I have along those lines is that I’ve been impressed by Ian Tarr’s prolific trophy offerings in Bristol. I’m told that he gives out “loads of trophies” so practically everyone is awarded a trophy for some sort of achievement. In the Clubs I play in trophies are sparse or non-existent. Perhaps, rather than awarding start up money for new Clubs, money could be given to existing clubs to purchase trophies with. This way, hopefully, BG players who are not so highly ranked can stay engaged. So, basically, I’m supportive of anything that might bring in more players and keep them engaged to a level where they want to participate more.
4. Why should people vote for you? I hope people will vote for me because they know I love the game and will do my best to engage more people in it.

I would like to put myself forward for consideration to join the committee of the UKBGF because I believe I can bring a lot to the table. I feel the current team does not have the diversity reach out to all spheres of the UK and tends to stick to its own tight clique. I have a wide range of friends from lots of different social aspects and would like to reach out and encourage a wider backgammon community In the past I have;

SOCIAL SKILLS

1. Managed pop groups/musicians Julian Lennon being the most significant one.
2. Staged Placido Domingo and the Gypsy Kings at the Guards Polo Club
3. Had my own magazine that controlled the fashion industry.
4. Limousine company that serviced all the London Hotels and had clients such as Boris Yeltsin, Saudi Royal Family the Getty family …the list goes on and on.
5. When needed I have moved in political media circles…David Blunkett , Zac Goldsmith, Nicholas Cowell , Charley Boorman
6. I socialize in the polo community
7. In 2013 Introduced the Amy Winehouse Foundation to Square Peg Media their current event organiser who in turn introduced Google, IBM, Barclays as headline sponsors. As a result of which the Foundation won Diversity Charity of the year award. As a result I now have direct access to 30 + companies at a senior level to get them interested into different aspects of Backgammon ie forming teams …sponsorship etc

BACKGAMMON

1. As a result of the London Backgammon Tour I have played virtually every serious backgammon player in London at some point or another and as a result of which have become firm friends with many of them. As Richard Biddle recently commented ‘I know the back routes/rat runs to every Backgammon Social club in London, God knows how many miles I will travel to get just five points. As a result of this I have won a tournament at almost all of them. I have currently played more recorded Backgammon games than anyone in the UK over the past three years my nearest competitor being some 600 + games behind me.
2. I have played backgammon in all the major clubs and also outside the normal circuit such as 5 Hertford Street and Brooks club the major tournament of which I won this year.
3. I have had first hand experience in running my own tournament at the Groucho Club
4. For a number of years I was on the Scope Committee at the RAC

THE FUTURE

1. I would like London to take over as the World Centre of Backgammon as it is pivotal for all international players to come to.
2. As I am self employed business man therefore I can make time to be actively involved in hosting and attending committee meetings

REASON FOR WANTING TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE

I am probably one of the few backgammon players in the Country who socializes and plays at all levels and one who does not rely on XG. With my links I should like to bring also a more cohesive regime to develop backgammon as a federation. It needs for instance:

1. A centralised structure with incentive and prices so that people feel motivated to compete within a structure.
2. Creating social events to encourage backgammon among younger more diverse players and to make London a centre where people come from Europe and other places for the pleasure of playing backgammon.

I would like to use my skill and reputation in the social and media environment to get backgammon to have more media coverage. Backgammon is today where snooker was 40 years ago.
Sponsorship becomes another important issue because the tournaments currently are in defined social cliques or tend to be in brasserie/pub venues. With sponsorship and increasing element of participation by those not currently participating one can then transform the federation’s activities into the mainstream of sponsor activity, which is the basis for growing both the federation and the game.

1. If there had not been a London League I would not have played as much backgammon and it is important that a proper leagues are devised and maybe integrated with grid gammon to get a fair and proper reading of where we all stand.

I currently play backgammon 5 times a week so I would thoroughly enjoy promoting it through Twitter and Facebook