09/06/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฑ
The Belfast Interpool Leagueโs Premiership Player of the Year race delivered a finale worthy of the remarkable season that preceded it, as Martin Heaney edged out John Reid in a dramatic play-off decider after the two stars could not be separated across 28 league matches.
Both men completed the campaign with an outstanding return of 24 wins from 28 frames, underlining not only their consistency but their importance to their respective teams throughout one of the most competitive Premiership seasons in recent memory. With neither player willing to give an inch across the regular season, a Best of 7 play-off was arranged to finally determine who would take the prestigious individual honour.
Played in front of an excellent crowd, the match quickly looked to be heading in only one direction as Heaney stormed into an early 3-0 lead. Calm, clinical and seemingly unshakable, the Dwyers man punished every mistake and looked destined to wrap up the contest in emphatic fashion.
But John Reid had not built a reputation as one of the leagueโs fiercest competitors by folding under pressure.
Showing the same fighting spirit that has defined his season for TLTA, Reid clawed his way back into the match frame by frame. With the crowd fully engaged and the tension building around the venue, Reid produced a stunning turnaround to level the contest at 3-3 and force a deciding frame.
By that stage the atmosphere had become electric, with every pot, safety exchange and positional shot carrying enormous weight. The final frame was a fitting conclusion to a battle between two players who have set the standard in the Premiership this season.
Both players had opportunities, but when the pressure reached its highest point it was Heaney who managed to hold himself together. Demonstrating the composure and resilience that carried him through the campaign, he closed out the decider to finally secure the Premiership Player of the Year title.
The victory caps off a tremendous individual season for Heaney and further strengthens his standing as one of the leagueโs elite performers. Yet enormous credit must also go to Reid, whose remarkable comeback in the play-off embodied the quality and determination that saw him push the race all the way to the very last frame of the season.
While the Premiership race required a dramatic finale, the Championship Player of the Year award went to Paul Farrelly after a superb season of consistency and dominance.
Farrelly finished the campaign with 23 wins from 28 frames, an exceptional tally that saw him emerge as the standout performer in the Championship division. Week after week he delivered crucial victories for his side, combining heavy scoring, matchplay intelligence and reliability under pressure to establish himself as one of the most feared players in the division.
Across both divisions, the individual races showcased the incredible standard currently on display throughout the Belfast Interpool League. From Heaney and Reid producing a classic Premiership showdown to Farrellyโs relentless excellence in the Championship, the 2025/26 season will be remembered for both quality and drama in equal measure.