History of The

The History Y R O T S of the EBU I H by Richard Fleet THIS article has been written to comme - associations (the three present at Liver - morate the EBU’s 75th anniversary. I am pool, London & Home Counties and four grateful to Karen Durrell at the Aylesbury representing the East, the South-West, the office for the assistance provided in North Midlands and West Midlands). facilitating access to the archive records. Early Days The EBU came into existence at a meeting held in Liverpool on 23 May 1936. Sadly, the minutes of that meeting have not been preserved, but we know something about it from an article written in 1948 by one of the participants, Teddy Bruce Parker. Three regional bridge associations were Hubert Phillips already in existence in England, the North-East, the North-West and York - the three Northern associations, several shire. However there was no representative leading London players and Phillips. national association in existence, whereas Significantly, there was no-one present Richard Lederer the other home countries had set up such from the BBL: this is not really bodies. The Liverpool meeting was surprising since Manning-Foster never organised ‘to try to work out some form of referred to the NBA or its events in his The constitution provided that the democratic set-up which should cover the magazine. Council’s first duty was to ratify ‘the provi - British Isles’. The emphasis here is on Parker wrote that there were wide sional representation on the Dupli cate Bridge democracy, since there were already two discussions, that the three Northern asso - Control Board’. This body, now long national organisations, both backed by ciations were prepared to join together but forgotten, had been set up at Phillips’ playing card companies. that the Scottish and Irish representatives initiative to take control of tournament The British Bridge League had existed would only deal with a national demo - bridge, which was then experiencing great since 1931 and was democratic in form, cratic organisation. Consequently, the growth in popularity, including inter - but not in substance, being controlled by EBU came into being. This account is national matches. Little time was lost and its founder Alfred Edye Manning-Foster, supported by an Edinburgh Evening News the first Camrose matches took place early the editor of Bridge Magazine. In addition, item: ‘Our representatives quite rightly in 1937. there was the National Bridge Association, refused to treat with them [i.e. the existing set up two years later under the control of English organisations] in discussions as to Selection Shenanigans Hubert Phillips, the editor of the rival duplicate control, international representa - British Bridge World. Each had its own tion and the like.’ The minutes show that the young EBU was programme of events, including some The fledgling EBU Council met less much concerned with selection matters. familiar names: open teams for the Gold than three weeks later, with Phillips as In January 1937, an extraordinary Council Cup (BBL) and Tollemache Cup (NBA) Chairman and Richard Lederer, perhaps meeting appointed the first Selection Com - and, correspondingly for women, the the leading tournament player at the time, mittee, with a brief to select a team ‘likely Whitelaw and Lady Milne Cups. appointed to the position of Honorary to win – not necessarily the best available’. Those present at Liverpool included Secretary. The draft constitution was Five weeks later, the Council changed some representatives of the other home countries, approved, there being eight constituent of the members and instructed it to ‘Select www.ebu.co.uk June 2011 English Bridge 13 as far as possible: (a) different personnel for clue as to why this may have been the case gates purported to represent had not been each match; (b) include two players from is provided in Terence Reese’s auto bio - set up. The Bye-laws were not yet approved the provinces for each match.’ The reference graphical work Bridge at the Top: Reese, and would not be for over five years since to provincial players is a reminder that who was an associate of Phillips in the the EBU now went into abeyance. those from London were then regarded as latter half of the 1930s, and the effective a cut above the rest, not least in their own editor of the British Bridge World for much Post-war Revival, opinion. of this time, wrote that the EBU and Crisis and Recovery Later that year, the Council overturned London & Home Counties Association the Selection Committee decisions for two were both established as ‘makeweights’. The EBU Council did not meet again until forthcoming matches, leading to the That is, Phillips’ motivation in setting up June 1945. Meanwhile, Reese had taken resignation of its Chairman, Norman de the EBU was to facilitate international advantage of the EBU’s inactivity to set up Villiers Hart (now best remembered for bridge amongst the home countries, and the Tournament Bridge Asso ciation, and his co-authorship of Right Through the he would not have expected it to compete ran a programme of events commencing Pack ). Lederer also resigned, though the with the established programme of events in the latter half of 1944. This included reason is not stated: he had written a letter being run by his NBA. some which are now major EBU tour - of resignation which was discussed at naments, including Crockfords Cup and great length, with a vote of thanks for his Constitutional Change the Two Stars Pairs Champion ship. The services only being passed by seven votes TBA continued to run its own events until to five. It is reasonable to conclude that In early 1939, it was reported to the 1950 when it was taken over by the EBU. this letter was possibly expressed in less Council that negotiations were in hand for than diplomatic terms. the ‘fusion’ of the EBU and the BBL. Manning-Foster had resigned as BBL President in 1938 and his successor, Noel Mobbs, was more conciliatory in his attitude, being quoted in Bridge Magazine as undertaking to work towards amalga - mation. Although it is not specifically recorded, it is a reasonable inference that it was intended that the NBA would be included in the process; indeed, it is possible that, given Phillips’s involvement with both bodies, the EBU and NBA were regarded as synonymous for this purpose (although he had stood down as Chair - Terence Reese man, Phillips was still active within the EBU). The impetus for this move was very likely financial, since a minute of December The June meeting revived the EBU on the 1938 opined that the ‘Question of future 1940 model, though with the appoint ment Maurice Harrison-Gray finance of the EBU required very serious of a full-time secretary, Mr H.D. King, at an consideration.’ annual salary of £300 together with an In July 1939, the new EBU memo - expense allowance of up to £50 per quarter. In the autumn of 1937, four captains were randum and articles of association were This may not sound like very much, but an appointed to select the teams for the approved and also a draft constitution for MP’s salary in 1945 was only £600. At the Camrose matches, subject to ratification a democratic BBL. In early September the same meeting, the first Tournament Com - by the Council. These captains comprised old Council held its last meeting; unfor - mittee was appointed and a programme of Phillips and three of the acknowledged tunately, and perhaps unsurprisingly given events inaugurated using the trophies from leading players of the time, Maurice that war had just broken out, the record of pre-war days, although the BBL retained Harrison-Gray, Lederer and Edward this meeting is absent from the minute responsibility for the Gold Cup. Mayer. Following this, the North-East book. It is recorded that, at the start of 1946, association withdrew from the EBU in The new structure took the form of a there were 44 clubs plus 829 individual protest at the selection mechanics and, a limited company operating by means of members. However, this total is under - little later, the Council ventured to select an unincorporated association. Some six stated since membership of the North- teams for two matches without the months later, the first meeting of the new West and Yorkshire associations was by assistance of a committee: this mechanism EBU Council was held and Kathleen clubs at the time. By the end of the year, turned out not to be beyond criticism, the Salmons, the BBL Secretary, was appoint - there had been a great improvement, with Council proving adept at selecting its own ed to the same position for the EBU. The over 2,000 individual members plus those members (of the thirteen people present, Council was now composed of delegates in Yorkshire. four were selected). from counties in recognisably the same Selection remained a controversial issue Aside from selecting international teams, form as endured for almost sixty-five years . in 1946, with a proposal being put that one is struck by how little the EBU actually In some cases, however, the appear ance of only British born players should be eligible did in those early days. In particular, there democracy was more theoretical than real for selection. Almost immediately after - were no EBU competitions of any sort. A since the county associations that the dele - wards, in response to a letter from a David 14 English Bridge June 2011 www.ebu.co.uk Brown of Sheffield, it was recorded that table. The secretary, who had sacri ficed a when Anne took over Master Points), the there was ‘no question of ante- semitism secure job with the civil service to take on EBU had been transformed into a pro - [sic], nor anything personal’.

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