Robert Fulford (croquet player)

Robert Ian Fulford[1] (born 1969) is a leading English croquet player who has dominated the sport since the turn of the 1990s.

Life and career

Born in Colchester, England, he was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and Durham University followed by the University of Essex.[1]

Fulford also coaches croquet, particularly in Australia and the Chattooga Club in North Carolina. Robert has made croquet videos with Australian croquet expert Kevin Brereton in which Robert teaches both basic and advanced break tactics. He has won the Association Croquet World Championship 6 times:[2]

Fulford has also won the President's Cup twelve times (1989, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018), the Open Championship eleven times (1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2015) and the Men's Championship four times (1990, 1998, 2006, 2011).[3]

Career statistics

Major tournament performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Tournament19871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000
World Championship 4R* W SF W W F W
Open Championship 2R 1R 4R* F W W QF SF F W SF W F SF
Men's Championship A QF SF W A A A A A A SF W A A
Presidents' Cup 5= 6 W 2 4= 2= 5= A A A 3= W W A
Win-loss 1-1 2-2 5-2 13-1 8-1 10-0 2-1 8-1 9-2 6-0 12-2 10-0 4-1 3-1
Tournament2001200220032004200520062007200820092010
World Championship F* W F SF 3R
Open Championship F* A W W 2R W W W SF QF
Men's Championship F A F 2R A W A A A A
Presidents' Cup W W 3= 2 5= W 4= W W W
Win-Loss 8-2 5-0 8-1 5-1 5-2 9-0 5-0 8-1 4-2 2-1
Tournament2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023SRW–LWin %
World Championship 3R 3R A A W 6 / 15 50–9 84.7
Open Championship F F QF W W A F QF A A F A A 11 / 31 111–20 84.7
Men's Championship W A A A A A A A A A A A 4 / 10 32–6 84.2
Presidents' Cup W W 6= 2 A 2 2= W A 2= A A A 12 / 28
Win-Loss 8-1 4-2 2-2 4-0 4-0 0-0 3-1 1-1 0-0 0-0 4-1 0-0 5-0 21 / 57 193–35 84.6

* The 1989 and 2001 World and Open Championships were combined events.

The President's Cup is played as a 8/10 player round-robin and the number indicates the final position achieved.

Major championship finals: 41 (26 titles, 15 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Opponent Score
Runner-up1990NZ ChampionshipJoe Hogan-26tp -17tp
Winner1990Men's ChampionshipStephen Mulliner+26tp +7tp -6tp +14
Runner-up1990Open ChampionshipStephen Mulliner-23 -24tp
Winner1990World ChampionshipMark Saurin+26 +24tp
Winner1991Open ChampionshipChris Clarke+14otp +26tp -8 +26tp
Winner1992World ChampionshipJohn Walters-5tp +4tp +12tp
Winner1992Open ChampionshipStephen Mulliner+26tp -14otp +14 -12tpo +26tp
Winner1993NZ ChampionshipBob Jackson+21tp +12
Winner1994Australian ChampionshipRohan Carter+24tp +3
Winner1994World ChampionshipChris Clarke-12tpo +12tp +18tp +13
Runner-up1995NZ ChampionshipBob Jackson-26 -26
Runner-up1995World ChampionshipChris Clarke-18tp +12tpo -26tp +26tp -26
Runner-up1995Open ChampionshipReg Bamford-24tp -26tp +26tp +26tp -26tp
Winner1996Open ChampionshipAaron Westerby+24tp -26tp +26tp -13tpo +26tp
Winner1997World ChampionshipStephen Mulliner+17 -3tpo +9otp +11otp
Winner1990Men's ChampionshipPhil Cordingley+4 +14tp +24
Winner1998Open ChampionshipJacques Fournier+26tp +22tp +25tp +26tp
Runner-up1999Open ChampionshipReg Bamford-26tp +26tp +26tp -26tp -26tp
Winner2000NZ ChampionshipChris Clarke+26tp +26tp
Runner-up2001Men's ChampionshipReg Bamford-3 +8tp -8 +20tp -17qnp
Runner-up2001World ChampionshipReg Bamford+16tp -17sxp +2 -26sxp -26qp
Winner2002World ChampionshipToby Garrison+26tp +26tp -17tp +15tp
Runner-up2003Men's ChampionshipPete Trimmer-16tp -18tp -26tp
Winner2003Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+26tp +12 +18tp
Winner2004Open ChampionshipPete Trimmer+26tp -26tp -18tp +16 +26tp
Winner2005NZ ChampionshipRonan McInerney+26tp +26
Runner-up2005World ChampionshipReg Bamford-17tp -26sxp -17sxp
Winner2006NZ ChampionshipPaul Skinley+26sxp +25sxp +26tp
Winner2006Men's ChampionshipJack Wicks+26tp +26tp +26tp
Winner2006Open ChampionshipReg Bamford-2qp +25sxp +26qnp -8sxp +1
Winner2007Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+26tp +25sxp -16tp +26sxp
Runner-up2008NZ ChampionshipRutger Beijderwellen-26qp -17tp +26 -26tp
Winner2008Open ChampionshipSamir Patel+16qp +17 +26tp
Winner2011Men's ChampionshipPaddy Chapman-25tp +20tp +26tp +4
Runner-up2011Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+18tp -26sxp -17 -26sxp
Runner-up2012Open ChampionshipReg Bamford-25sxp +14tp -24sxp -24sxp
Winner2014Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+16 +5qp +18qp
Winner2015Open ChampionshipPaddy Chapman+20 +7
Runner-up2017Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+25sxp, +3, -20sxp, -26sxp, -19sxp
Runner-up2021Open ChampionshipReg Bamford+3sxp, -25sxp, -24sxp, -19sxp
Winner2023World ChampionshipMatthew Essick-17tp, -17tp, +4tp, +26tp, +8otp

[3]

Style

Fulford's playing style includes the ability to play a range of shots. His tactic of peeling an opponent's ball through hoop 1 makes a triple peel as hard as possible for the opponent. His sextuple peels are also more frequent than those of any other player. Robert Fulford uses an Irish grip [rather like a golf grip] and employs "casting" [swinging mallet over the ball] about three times before each shot. He has strong wrists which makes the Irish grip work for him without it causing the R.S.I. that the grip is sometimes blamed for. In fact, Robert admits that he has quite a wrist-dominated technique which contradicts most coaching manuals that advise minimal wrist involvement.

World Championship results

Fulford has played in the following AC World Championships:[2]

  • 1989: Round 4: (lost to John Prince +26tp, -17, -26tp)
  • 1990: won (beat Mark Saurin +26, +24tp)
  • 1991: S/F (lost to John Walters -14otp, -26tp)
  • 1992: won (beat John Walters -5tp, +4tp, +12tp)
  • 1994: won (beat Chris Clarke -12tpo, +12tp, +18tp, +13)
  • 1995: runner-up (lost to Chris Clarke -18tp, +12tpo, -26tp, +26tp, -26)
  • 1997: won (beat Stephen Mulliner +17, -3tpo, +9otp, +11otp)
  • 2001: runner-up (lost to Reg Bamford +16tp, -17sxp, +3, -26sxp, -26qp)
  • 2002: won (beat Toby Garrison +26tp, +26tp, -17tp, +15tp)
  • 2005: runner-up (lost to Reg Bamford -17tp, -26sxp, -17sxp)
  • 2008: S/F (lost to Chris Clarke +26tp, +26tp, -11tpo, -17, -26)
  • 2009: Round 3: (lost to Ben Rothman -14, -15tp, -17)
  • 2012: Round 3: (lost to Marcus Evans +26tp, -20tp, +26sxp, -3tp, -25qnp)
  • 2013: Round 3: (lost to Andrew Johnston +17tp, +12tp, -26, -15, -15)
  • 2023: won (beat Matthew Essick -17tp, -17tp, +4tp, +26tp, +8otp)

References

  1. Debrett's People of Today 2010. London: Debrett's. 2009. p. 600.
  2. WCF World Championship
  3. "Croquet Records". Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  • The Croquet Records site
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