For the third successive year the finals were held at Pontins Blackpool having gone there in 2006 when the previous venue for a number of years, Bridlington's Spa Royal Hall, was closed for refurbishment. In 2006 the event attracted 58 teams and just under 400 players and guests. Last year 90 teams contested the five person team event and about 600 players and guests enjoyed a weekend during November 13 to 16 of good pool from the main team event, the men's and ladies' individual championships and a special BAPTO plate event to continue participation for teams knocked out of the team championship.

Rod Pearce told Euroslot: "Three years ago BAPTO officials took a gamble. A new venue was needed and the finals themselves appeared to need a new injection of interest.

So the committee decided on Pontins Blackpool as the new location. The resort had always been popular with both players and visitors before alterations to the Tower necessitated the move to Bridlington. Decisions were also taken to play to the new Blackball rules and to replace the former seven person team event with the five person event. These decisions proved to be the right ones, the gamble paid off with increased player and spectator interest". He added that BAPTO had continued to listen to feedback from the players. He thought the 2008 tournament was the best organised to date with plenty of pool for everybody; but he promised that plans were already afoot to make the 2009 finals even better.

Entry into any of the BAPTO Finals tournament is restricted to the sport's "grass roots" players, those who support pool in their local pubs and clubs. Professionals are not allowed to enter. The £10,500 prize money is an attraction to such amateur players but the honour of playing in such a prestigious national pool tournament is also of importance to them and particularly for those who are declared champions. Proof of that was shown in the tournament last November when the winners tended to be spread over a larger area than has sometimes been the case. For instance, the Cambrian Cues from the Cambrian pub in Llanelli, South Wales, won the five-person team championship beating the Watchy pub team from Liverpool. Gavin Leary, of Superleague Ireland who are longstanding supporters of the BAPTO events, beat Shane Balding to become the latest of a long list of BAPTO individual champions and Sarah Trudge beat Sandra Diamond in the ladies' final to repeat her previous ladies' championship win in 2006.

BAPTO Finals have always tried to make available to their contestants good, well made tables, a good cloth and good pool balls. The 2008 event proved to be no exception. SAM Leisure provided the 32 tables on which all games were played, Hainsworth's Match cloth covered the tables and Aramith Premier balls were used.

Liam Barrett, who in addition to his honorary duties as BAPTO's PRO is liaison officer at SAM Leisure, said it was hard to quantify the economic advantages to companies who supplied equipment to tournaments.

He said:"So far as SAM Leisure is concerned we are proud to assist wth BAPTO's tournaments". On behalf of BAPTO he thanked the sponsors, the Pontins staff, and the players and spectators who had shown such good sportsmanship throughout the weekend. He said: "Players applaud being allowed to play on the best equipment and BAPTO feels that is what is needed if high standards of play and good sportsmanship are to exist".

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