Ulster Rambles Even after the happenings and ‘goings on’ of the previous century in Ulster, I have always been proud to have lived there in my youth and to witness the many great people who have been a product of the Province. Over these last twelve years I have extolled Jordan Brown with Welsh Open trophy about actors, writers and sportspersons who have done us proud during recent times. Some of them, like Alex Higgins, George Best, Louis on Foxtel. Of course I never dreamed he was from MacNeice and Joey Dunlop have sadly gone. Others the place I still hold very near to me; Ballymena of like Willie John McBride, Rory McIroy, Liam Neeson, course. Yes, I would have watched every frame if I Michelle Fairley, Van Morrison and Jamie Dornan are had guessed his origins. This victory has secured him still with us, at the time of writing anyway. a Champion of Champions debut next season as well as putting him in line to qualify for the elite eightA new face has arrived on the scene; well new to me. man Tour Championship next month. Welsh Open winner Jordan Brown, from Ballymena (or so I am informed), I am delighted to mention continues Northern Ireland’s heritage of snooker champions.
The Co. Antrim Ferrari became the lowest-ranked player since 1993 to lift a ranking trophy when he stunned world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-8 last month. The world Number 81 joined Alex Higgins, Dennis Taylor and practice partner Mark Allen as ranking winners from the Province. “I’m delighted to follow in the footsteps of the great Northern Irish players; it’s a very proud moment for me because I’m a very proud Northern Irishman,” he told reporters. (Well we all are!) “To follow in the footsteps of the greats like Alex, Dennis and my good pal Mark is just so special to me. It’s just a dream come true to be a part of that history. We’re such a small country and it’s great that we’ve produced so many great players. I’ve always been a keen follower of the history of the sport,” he recently claimed. Jordan Brown was a rank 750-1 outsider to win the trophy at the Celtic Manor so I imagine there were not too many punters putting their house on him, but he shocked the snooker world to pocket the £70,000 top prize and a magical, memorable maiden title. I have to confess here that I watched his match for all of 20 seconds as I flicked through the sporting channels 56 | THE IRISH SCENE
Like every other sportsman, he is desperate to avoid being a one-hit wonder and stressed: “It’s a huge boost for the future. It’s only going to lead to bigger and better things. I think I’ve made my mark on the snooker world now. I’ve accomplished what I felt I was capable of and this is only the start hopefully.”
Well I certainly agree with his last word here but as always…. time will tell. Let’s hope it is a successful future for him. His fortunes have really changed. Just five years ago Jordan was working full-time at a petrol station to make ends meet as he played snooker on the side; much like Alex I suppose. Maybe he moulded himself in this direction and he certainly admits to wasting vital time in the pub instead of chasing his dream. “I was just doing things I shouldn’t have been doing,” he was quoted as saying. (This statement begs more than a few questions.) “There was a two or three year spell where I just didn’t feel like practicing and I was too busy going down to the pub with my mates.” Or as we say nowadays “as you do!” I must say here that he must have travelled to Australia a few times, or had a few Australian friends to come out with a comment like that. I never used the word ‘mates’ in Ireland nor come to mention it, in Australia either! He ended with this statement, “There were times
