The Weber Cup Review
Weber Cup
5-7 August 2016
Reviewed by Matt Fruen
The Weber Cup is like the Ryder Cup but for Ten-pin Bowling!
The Venue
The battle for the Weber Cup is hotly contested by 4 players from Europe and 4 players from the USA. This is an annual event and unlike the Ryder Cup, England has always been the host country.
This event was held at Event City in Manchester and was very easy to find using the postcode and sat nav. There were plenty of sign posts around the area making it easy to find even without sat nav. There is plenty of parking at Event City which is free, unusual to find nowadays. The car park is within easy walking distance of the venue.
Event City is one building divided inside to accommodate various events. The Weber cup was held in one section of this vast building, which was clearly signposted from within the main entrance. Entrance to the Weber Cup is by ticket only and these tickets are needed to gain access to the building. Inside the entrance there are doormen to 1. Check your tickets and 2. Guide you to the correct place.
As we walked into the section that the event was being held in, there was a small bowling equipment and merchandise shop. This sold anything from pens and cups to replica shirts and bowling balls. The shop was well staffed by knowledgeable bowling enthusiasts in addition to the professional bowlers who also manned the shop.
In addition there were 2 food stands, one which sold hot food and soft drinks, the other was selling snacks and alcohol. Both vendors were priced cheaper than we expected at a venue such as this. The food was basic fast food but was very tasty and of a decent portion size for the money.
Toilets were located nearer the reception area and were clean and well maintained. However, they were a 3-ish minute walk and as the event is fast paced, using them had to be quick!
Seats at the event are first come first served for all ticket holders, this seemed a little unfair as there were people there that had paid a higher price for their ticket (ticket prices were reduced to increase sales) and still could not guarantee a good seat. The event wasn’t really that busy so this didn’t cause too much of a problem. The seats were standard fold up stadium seats, fairly well spaced apart but not hugely comfortable.
These seats are positioned from the players seating all the way down the 1 bowling lane on either side allowing good views for everyone (except those sat the closest to the pins).
The Main Event
The Weber cup consists of 5 sessions over 3 days. The first 4 sessions all consist of 7 matches, normally taking around 4 hours per session. There is no interval during any of the sessions, only the natural break and changeover of players after each game. This change over takes 5-10 mins.
At the beginning of each game the announcer introduces the players taking part in the match. The players come down through the crowd and up onto the lane.
Players are allowed a few practice shots and then play starts. Spectators are expected to be silent whilst the player is bowling the ball. After the ball is released, cheering is welcomed.
The atmosphere at the Weber Cup is friendly and loud. The players interact with the spectators and welcome their encouragement. Whilst there are limited (if any) fans from the USA supporting their team, the predominantly British crowd support every player, regardless of the team they are playing for.
(Before and) After each session has finished, spectators can mingle with the players, talk to them, take photographs and collect autographs. The players are all very friendly and chatty and are very happy to partake in this part of the event.
Having gone with a friend and as a bowler myself (league and county level), I would recommend this event to any bowling enthusiast, whether you are young or old, just for fun or a serious competitor. It might be worth noting that as the sessions are 4 hours long and there are periods where complete silence is expected, I wouldn’t take a toddler!
Rating: 4.5/5
For more information visit www.webercup.com.
