Clock Tower Duo win the Scotch Doubles
Winners: Dan Tramontano & David Birley, Clock Tower ‘A’
The Scotch Doubles competition may be one of the newer additions to the league calendar, arriving in the post-Covid era, but it has quickly become a firm favourite among players.
While similar to the traditional pairs format, Scotch Doubles adds an extra twist — teammates alternate every shot, demanding greater teamwork, rhythm and communication. You cannot simply rely on one player getting hot; success comes from trust, timing and working in perfect sync. Judging by the growing number of entries each season, it is a format that is here to stay.
This year’s final saw Welcome Institute duo Dave Bolton and Adam Clift take on Clock Tower pairing David Birley and Dan Tramontano, four players certainly no strangers to silverware in team events.
Of the four finalists, however, only David Birley had previously lifted the Scotch Doubles title — twice, in fact, and with different partners. This year, he arrived looking to make it three with yet another new pairing.
From the opening exchanges, both teams were clearly trying to settle into rhythm. As anyone who has played Scotch will know, getting into sync with your partner can take a little time, and the first frame was tight throughout.
The Welcome pairing had the first real chance to strike the opening blow, but a missed blue to the middle proved costly. Suddenly, the door was left ajar and the Clock Tower duo stepped through it, pinching the frame to edge ahead.
If frame one was cagey, frame two was anything but.
Momentum swung firmly in favour of Birley and Tramontano, who suddenly looked completely at ease alongside one another. A superbly crafted 53 break showcased exactly what makes this format so entertaining — clever positional play, trust in your partner and fluent scoring. At 2–0 down, Bolton and Clift were suddenly staring at a mountain.
Could they find a response?
Unfortunately for the Welcome pair, the Clock Tower lads simply carried on where they had left off.
Frame three became an exhibition in break-building chemistry. As the points quickly mounted, players and spectators alike watched on in admiration as Birley and Tramontano moved around the table in near-perfect sync. It felt inevitable that something special might happen.
A century suddenly looked on.
With several reds awkwardly tied to the cushions, it was always going to be a huge ask, but some outrageous doubling kept the dream alive. Then came the moment — sitting on 99, with one final double left for Dan Tramontano to convert.
He struck it confidently.
The ball tracked towards the middle pocket…
…and just passed agonisingly wide.
A collective groan of disappointment filled the room before quickly turning into applause , appreciation for a fantastic effort and a stunning performance to close out the final in style.
No century this time, but the superb 99 break still rewrites the history books, setting a new Scotch Doubles competition record. A brilliant achievement and a fitting way to seal an excellent victory.
Congratulations to David Birley and Dan Tramontano on a deserved title win.
Commiserations to Dave Bolton and Adam Clift, who on the night simply ran into a pair producing some seriously heavy scoring.
Finally, thank you to Lennons SC for sponsoring and hosting the final, to referee Ian Rose for officiating, and to Vice Chairman Chris Field for attending and supporting the evening. A terrific final and another reminder of why this format is quickly becoming one of the league favourites.
“Well done boys, no complaints this end, you boys were solid. We were willing the century on which would have been fantastic-Well deserved winners.”
The Finalists: Birley, Tramontano, Bolton & Clift
Lennon's Scotch Doubles Final - Score Card
| Dave Bolton & Adam Clift | Score | David Birley & Dan Tramontano | Breaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43-68 | |||
| 27-72 | 53 Break | ||
| 03-99 | 99 Break | ||
| Final Score | 0-3 | David Birley & Dan Tramontano | |
| Referee: Ian Rose | |||
Route to the Final
| Round | Bolton / Clift | Birley / Tramontano |
|---|---|---|
| Semi Final | bt J. Hall / M. Burrell | bt D. Vaulks / D. Jepson |
| Quarter Final | bt M. Arnott / N. Brown | bt I. Rose / A. Crownshaw |
| Last 16 | bt J. Rimington / G. Cann | bt P. Sainsbury / M. Taylor |
| Last 32 | BYE | BYE |
Tournament Highest Break
| Player | Break | Note |
|---|---|---|
| David Birley / Dan Tramontano | 99 | New Competition Record |
Previous Recent Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | J. Hall & D. Wilkinson |
| 2024 | D. Birley & G. Shirley |
| 2023 | A. Diacopoulos & J. Harrison |
| 2022 | D. Birley & B. Buckley |