The Chalk - Issue 2 - May 2020 by The Chalk

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RONNIE O’SULLIVAN

THE ROCKET

GARY FILTNESS EXCLUSIVE

JOHN VIRGO PAGE 9

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04 SNOOKER PLUS: 06 60 YEARS ON 18th APRIL 2016

WELCOME TO

09 GARY FILTNESS 11 INTERVIEW COACH 15 BARRY STARK RODNEY 16 REMEMBERS SNOOKER 19 BACKER NEWS FROM 20 THE BAIZE WORLD EIGHTBALL 22 POOL FEDERATION STAYING 23 ENTERTAINED JOHN VIRGO

ello and welcome to the edition number two of The Chalk - it only seems like yesterday that the first was released. Thank you for taking the time to subscribe, download, open and flick through the digital pages of the sport’s newest, brightest, freshest publication. Every month we aim to bring you insight into cue sports. We have been overwhelmed with the fantastic reaction to issue one and hope this issue raises that bar even higher. This month we have an article by Denise Courcoux about Snooker Plus - well worth a read! ONEFOURSEVENBLOG joins The Chalk team to write about John Virgo and his time playing snooker and in the commentary box. Also joining the team is Chris Gaynor, who writes about how lucky snooker fans have been through the years. The magazine is also interactive, so you can watch videos by clicking on the images that have the play button on. We are delighted to have Gary Filtness as the main interview. He tells us how the Seniors Tour has given him a new lease of life. Barry Stark returns with two new videos on cue actions. Rodney Goggins also returns with a memorable game from the world of snooker. You can support us online by liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/TheChalkMag) and by following us on Twitter @_TheChalk. Instagram more your thing? Give _TheChalk a follow. Our thanks also to our advertisers who have advertised despite not having seen an edition. Your support is really appreciated. If you would like to advertise please get in touch by emailing us at info@thechalk.co.uk. If you have any feedback, then please email us at the same address. Happy reading and we hope you enjoy The Chalk. ]The Chalk would like to apologise to George Tierney for miss quoting him in our interview. With so much great content from him we had to edit and paraphrase to fit the space, we accept he did not refer to other players as ‘junkies’ and apologise unreservedly.

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18th APRIL 2016 >> www.thechalk.co.uk <<

This chapter is taken from the book Snooker Legends written by Jason Francis and published by Bonnier Books. The chapter recounts the events following Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 10-7 win over Dave Gilbert in the first round of the World Championships in 2016.

managed to snatch the back of the cue just after it had been rammed into the breeze block wall of dressing room three for a second time, splintered and split it had definitely played its last frame. By now the little plastic disc with ‘John Parris Ultimate Cue’ etched into it was rolling around the dressing room floor, everything was going at 100mph but yet there was silence. Ronnie was broken, as low as I’d ever seen him, the crazy thing being he had just won. He went for a wee, door open as usual, and using his left hand to steady the flow he subsequently smashed his right fist into the toilet wall. The silence broke “I can’t do this anymore Jase, it’s too much”. I held him in my arms, a grown man sobbing like a child, he had cracked and what’s worse, we were trapped together in a eight by six dressing room with the worlds media huddled in the corridor just outside. A knock at the door, I opened it a feather to see Damien Hirst and Antony

Genn at the front of a hoard, cameras already clicking past me hoping to grab a snapshot of the carnage within. Despite the seriousness of the moment it reminded me of how the press run alongside prison vans holding up their lenses at a blacked out window –we felt like prisoners. Damien is always with us at the major events, his friendship with Ronnie well documented, Antony goes way back with Damien and is best known from the pop group The Hours, Pulp and Elastica… or perhaps best remembered for getting naked on stage at Glastonbury in 2005, a stunt which he later blamed on an ‘astronomical amount of drugs!’ I let Damien in but gave Anthony a look which meant to stand down for a minute. We now know people heard the symphony of ‘cue on wall’ from outside, of course the media turned it into a headline about smashing up the whole dressing room like he had morphed into

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BY NOT TALKING WE WERE GOING TO CREATE A BIGGER STORY THAN DOING SO… BUT THIS WAS A TIME TO PUT MY PLAYER FIRST AND LET THEM DO THEIR WORST. Keith Moon or Liam Gallagher. The only thing broken was a snooker cue and a set of knuckles, both owned by the world’s most famous snooker player who was at this moment sobbing uncontrollably into the world’s most famous artist’s arms in a room with a failed actor from Cornwall. I’ve been in some weird situations over the years but this was right up there. Under the terms of their World Snooker players contract all match winners have to attend a press conference, sometimes they appear live on TV right after the match, the so called “flash” interview. I know this is fairly consistent across all live sports but I’m never sure if it is always necessary, especially when a player who has given everything on the field, or in this case table, is emotionally and physically spent. In our sport the players tread a very fine line of what is considered okay to talk about and what the contract dictates that they can’t. Now if the person interviewing you is from World Snooker then of course they are not going to knowingly lead a player into an area where they could criticize the sport, the authorities or tournament conditions… but if it’s the host broadcaster, or independent journalists looking for their story then the temptation sometimes is too much to ignore, especially when they know that Ronnie is always honest, always emotional and likely to give them a pay day or sound byte their Editor will snap up. I knew he couldn’t face the press; he was struggling to face us. He was in complete meltdown and I am not being in any way dramatic. I also knew the press was waiting, and by that I don’t just mean in the corridor outside, or assembled in the media room, but globally the host broadcasters and all fans wanted, no actually expected, to hear him speak about the match, this was the World Snooker Championship. I also was very aware what would

happen if we didn’t do any press. Column inches have to be filled and on many occasions I’ve discussed with Ronnie that we are better to give them our version, his actual words, rather than allow them to create their own sensationalism. By not talking we were going to create a bigger story than doing so… but this was a time to put my player first and let them do their worst. I poked my head around the door and announced to the press officer that we weren’t doing any press. The first response from Ivan, the World Snooker media officer was “you know it’s a fine”, that disappointed me a bit, a simple ‘is he ok?’, or even ‘what’s wrong?’ would have been more appropriate, but then again I understand he has a job to do and he was probably under pressure and knew he’d be the one having to relay the news that Ronnie O’Sullivan was refusing to attend his press conference. The message should really have been unable to attend not refusing to. The truth was that Ronnie O’Sullivan was barely coherent and couldn’t stand; he needed me to be crystal clear in my thinking, he needed proper medical care. I don’t feel I am betraying any trust now recounting these events as Ronnie has himself spoke about them over the past 12 months, most recently to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Breakfast. Everything I write about in this book has either already been reported, or is less damaging but more interesting to the readers. Quite often most of what is

reported is inaccurate; therefore I’m happy to be able to put the record straight. I was aware that we’d been in the dressing room for at least 15 minutes, three prisoners needing to plan an escape; all that was missing was Steve McQueen, James Garner and someone to dig ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’. Ronnie asked to call his Dr in Essex, he has him on a constant annual retainer, in affect his own 24/7 medical help line. He’s a great person, very calm and experienced and he knew that when Ronnie said ‘Dr I don’t feel very well’ that it was far more serious than that. I know Dr Steve Peters, one of the men who has been instrumental in keeping Ronnie at the top of the sport, was upset that we didn’t call him. I understand it looks bad when a high profile star that is linked so publicly with him has a breakdown and the perception is it reflects badly on what the Dr had been doing. That certainly wasn’t the case; I think the truth is we didn’t think we just reacted. I knew we had to get him out, not just out of the dressing room, not just out of the Crucible but out of Sheffield. The Doctor told us to get packed, get on the road and he would arrange for Ronnie to have an emergency psychiatric assessment in London, what’s known as a crisis appointment. Ronnie pulled his hood up and Damien and I frog marched him right out of the dressing room door and into a waiting car. The Stage Door at the Crucible is a great place for fans to grab their heroes; so many theatres I’ve worked in have their stage doors down narrow back alleys where you dodge pools of urine from last night’s revellers, or indeed a used prophylactic. Everything was still a bit of a blur, I understood I now had to take over the situation and keep my client safe. What I did notice was that the hordes of fans at the stage door were incredibly respectful, very unlike the hungry journalists that had laid siege to the dressing room. It was “are you ok Ronnie”, “go on the rocket”, “take care Ronnie” with not really anyone invading his personal space to ask for signatures or photos. I sensed, like me, they knew it was serious…for me the tournament was over but the bigger question was whether his snooker career was too?

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SNOOKER PLUS: 60 YEARS ON >> www.twitter.com/denisecourcoux <<

ondon, October 1959. Coal smoke, pipe smoke and ale hangs heavy in the air. Harold Macmillan has just secured a landslide third term for the Conservatives, and Cliff and The Shadows are riding high in the charts. In Soho, Ronnie Scott’s nightclub is soon to open its doors, and down the road in Burroughes Hall, a world first – and last – is taking place. Joe Davis is snooker’s first superstar, and at the age of 58, still a dominant force in the sport. He won the first fifteen world championships between 1927-47 (halted only by a six-year gap when the venue was destroyed in the Blitz), before retiring unbeaten from the tournament, but remaining a powerful presence in the game. They say no sport is bigger than one person, but Davis might dispute that. When he left snooker’s main event missing its best player, he left the sport in the doldrums, where it’s been floundering for the past decade. Undaunted, Joe’s closest rival, his little brother Fred swept in after him, winning eight world titles between 1948-56. An impressive sporting haul for two Derbyshire brothers, sons of a miner-turned-publican. Forever fighting his way out of Joe’s shadow, a steely tenacity belies Fred’s cheery demeanour around the table. A relative whippersnapper at 35, John Pulman is the reigning world champion; a bittersweet title at a time when interest in snooker is at its nadir. He won the 1957 tournament, a woeful affair that attracted only four entrants, and was met with such apathy they didn’t bother holding it the next year. Snooker has always been a game of mavericks and chancers, and Joe spotted the opportunity to drag the sport out of a mire of internal wrangling and poor competition. The Grandfather of Snooker thus became

The Snooker Plus table set-up. Pic: Denise Coucoux

the Father of Snooker Plus. His concept is a variation that enhances the breakbuilding aspect of the game with the addition of two new balls: a bright orange, and a rich, deep purple, worth eight and ten points respectively. He doesn’t explain why there’s no ninepointer; he doesn’t have to. The rules are there to be broken, and Joe, Fred and John are leading the rebellion. Joe speaks with great confidence in the potential of Snooker Plus: ‘This will make scoring possibilities far greater for the average player and will greatly

THE SNOOKER PLUS TOURNAMENT TABLE IS RACKED UP FOR THE FIRST TIME, WITH THE ORANGE BALL SITTING HALFWAY BETWEEN PINK AND BLUE, AND THE TANTALISING TEN-POINT PURPLE PLACED BETWEEN BLUE AND BROWN, CREATING A PATHWAY OF HIGH-SCORING POTENTIAL 6

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increase the technique required of the top-grade player.’ The authoritativesounding Billiards Association and Control Council’s reaction has been decidedly lukewarm however, and they’ve refused to get behind it: ‘The decision of the council was that after the game had had a fair trial Davis should get in touch with us again and we could then speak with a fair knowledge of it.’ The News of the World Tournament has been snooker’s main event throughout the 1950s, overshadowing the Worlds due to Joe’s involvement. It’s this tournament that Joe has hijacked to launch Snooker Plus on the world, regardless of the lack of official backing. With imminent change, comes inevitable griping and sniping. ‘SNOOKER PLUS’ IS UNPOPULAR IN MIDLANDS declares Stan Bate in the Sports Argus, who is troubled by the cost for clubs – not only of purchasing orange and purple balls, but getting an entire new set so the old, worn colours aren’t literally outshone. Bate also reports that Rex Williams and Kingsley Kennerley, the Midlands’ leading players, ‘feel that they have

once again been shut out by the big boys’, with no invitation to compete. Whatever the reason, the inaugural Snooker Plus tournament is indeed a three-man affair, with just the Davis brothers and Pulman competing for a share of the £750 prize fund. It kicks off in fine style on Monday 26th October at Burroughes Hall, Soho’s long-established billiards and snooker venue. The Snooker Plus tournament table is racked up for the first time, with the orange ball sitting halfway between pink and blue, and the tantalising ten-point purple placed between blue and brown, creating a pathway of high-scoring potential – if you’ve got the positional play to keep making it up the table from the reds. Day one sees the first public Snooker Plus century, a sparkling 108 for Joe against his brother. The maximum possible break is now 210 points; Joe made regular snooker’s first official maximum 147 break in 1955, and a mighty new record will surely be in his sights. In this three-way competition, bestof-25 matches are played out over two days, with each competitor scheduled to play the other three times. The winner of the most matches claims the £400 first prize, and perhaps a place in snooker history. Joe is indomitable over the four-week tournament,

winning five of his six matches. Only his brother manages to claw one back against him, but by then it’s too late. Joe is already the winner before the final match is played on the 20th and 21st November, with an unassailable lead making for an anticlimactic end to the tournament. Fred is a distant second place with two match wins. The outsider, both familial and in snooker, comes in third; John winning two matches, but with fewer frames under his belt. Snooker Plus might not have saved snooker – that’ll come ten years later, with colour television and Pot Black. In fact it not only died a swift death, but also killed off the News of the World tournament, which was never repeated again. But with Snooker Plus the old guard took a shot at a revolution, and as most sportspeople would surely agree, a spectacular failure is better than not trying at all. Other snooker variants American Snooker A historic variant dating back to 1925 with a smaller table, bigger balls, and even bigger points for fouls, with an eye-watering 14 points at stake for making contact between cue and cloth. Power Snooker Half a century after Joe Davis’s attempts to revive snooker, this was

Barry Hearn’s pitch for a ‘faster and more exciting’ game, which was almost equally short-lived (2010-11). Played out for a set 30 minutes it has a shot clock, nine reds in diamond formation, and a red-and-white Power Ball. Sinuca Brasileira An almost exclusively Brazilian variant, with only a solitary red ball in play. It disrupts the sacred symmetry of the snooker table, sitting cheekily to the right of the pink. Six-red Very similar to regular snooker except, as you might guess, with six reds instead of fifteen – meaning shorter frames but no centuries. Snooker Shoot-out Ten-minute, one-frame knockout games, with shots played against the clock. A current ranking event with, sadly, no waistcoats. Tenball Created for ITV and running for just one series/tournament in 1995, ‘the snooker of the 90s’ featured a diamond of reds nestled around a yellow-andblack ‘tenball’. Youthful hosts Phillip Schofield and Steve Davis will acquaint you with the game over on YouTube – thanks to whoever had the foresight to upload such a thing. Denise Courcoux is a writer and snooker fan based in New Brighton, Merseyside. Twitter: @denisecourcoux

The current site of the now-demolished Burroughes Hall, Soho Square, London in September 2019 (Pictures - Denise Courcoux and Phil Olsen)

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JOHN VIRGO: ‘IF IT’S FUNNY, IT’S FUNNY’ >> www.twitter.com/JamesOne47 <<

e may be living in uncertain times. However, one constant in every snooker fan’s life for the last 35 years has been John Virgo’s presence in the commentary box. He has provided the soundtrack to some of snooker’s finest moments and has witnessed the game’s greatest talents firsthand. One thing is for sure, once normality is resumed, JV will reclaim his position as one of the sport’s leading voices. The proud Salfordian has been around the game for 60 years, but his commentary debut came six years after his famous UK Championship win against Terry Griffiths in 1979. It was the year 1985 and by this time, his appearances at the latter ends of snooker’s big tournaments were becoming more sparse with each passing year. The 1985 World Championship was arguably the peak of snooker fandom and it was the opportune time to carve the now welltrodden career path from player to commentator. The snooker boom had fully erupted and the 1985 final was viewed by over 18m households into the early hours of the morning. It was Steve Davis’ sixth World Championship final and I’m sure we are all aware of the fateful night in Sheffield and Davis’ missed black against Dennis Taylor. If not, where have you been hiding? Commentating on the final was Ted Lowe, JV’s main commentary inspiration. Renowned for his hushed tones, Whispering Ted was everpresent in snooker’s flagship events. Virgo shared the box with him on a number of occasions, eager to learn from his idol. His now legendary ‘where’s the cue ball going?’ catchphrase was originally coined by Lowe, but John decided to add a bit of panache to proceedings. In his own words, ‘snooker is theatre’. Sadly, Ted passed away in 2011 on the first day of the World Championship final. However, his influence still lines the fabric of the sport. A true legend. Lowe’s style of commentary largely focused on adding to the spectacle of the sport. As was the case with a number of sporting TV personalities in the 80s, his playing experience was lacking. The nearest he’d come to witnessing snooker first hand was marking for Joe Davis. Instead of making technical observations outside of his remit, he’d focus on the narrative of snooker, leaving the others to mull over cue actions and technique deficiencies. This is where John’s

playing experience came into play, as he has the ability to draw upon his own playing experience when calling the action. The 74-year-old grew up in a typically working-class, socialist environment. Snooker in the ’60s was rather a closed shop, and professional status was near impossible for someone who regularly played for money. The World Championship, at this point, was an invitational event and it wasn’t easy receiving the golden ticket. Therefore, Virgo cut his cloth playing hard, match, club snooker. Money snooker. Supplemented by his love of horses and gambling, John needed to win matches against all-comers to keep the electricity meter running. He would visit smoke ridden snooker halls across the country looking for suitable opponents who would play for money, often playing until the early hours of the morning. If this doesn’t give him a unique understanding of the pressure put upon players, I’m not sure what will. Another feather to the Virgo bow was his exhibition work. Unlike now, the snooker tour calendar was much smaller throughout the late ’70s and the game’s top stars would often perform shows across a number of holiday

parks around the country. At the Warner Holiday Parks in Hayling, Virgo started trying out impressions of the game’s top players to keep the act fresh. This is something he carried on doing for the next 40 years. Due to the positive reception received from impressions of Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon and John Spencer, Virgo began to forge a niche which would help support his career for decades to come. He’d even be called upon to perform his act during the World Championship if a match finished early. His exhibition work is still going strong, and he regularly hosts the Snooker Legend events put on by promoter Jason Francis. His knack for reinventing himself was a common theme throughout his varied career and arguably peaked during the ’90s once his playing career was burning its final embers. Deciding not to take part in the qualifiers for the Crucible, he began to forge a TV career alongside comedian Jim Davidson on the Big Break and quietly retired from competitive action. This enrolled John into a new chapter of his career - a hugely successful, lucrative chapter. Despite struggling to take to the on-screen work early doors, the show ended up being a huge hit. Gradually,

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John was asked to contribute more by the episode, and alongside Davidson, they became one of TV’s most endearing double acts. He became a household name, not for his snooker ability, but for his TV work. Virgo will be the first to cite Davidson as a key figure in the second half of his career and lived by his motto of ‘if it’s funny, it’s funny’. A saying which has run through his commentary style throughout his career. Throughout the years, Virgo’s catchphrases have become as famous as his varied waistcoat collection. From the Big Break days of ’pot as many balls as you can’ and ’say goodnight, JV’, through to his ‘where’s the cueball going?’, he’s always managed to find his niche. This even followed on to a number of different pantomime and on-stage stints. Snooker is theatre, Virgo is completely right. To the most hardened of snooker fans, constant chatter in the box can be a frustration, and many harp back to the days of Whispering Ted – speak when absolutely necessary and let the action speak for itself. However, entertainment has changed, and JV has adapted to meet the needs for a constant narrative. It’s a direction taken

HE HAS PROVIDED THE SOUNDTRACK TO SOME OF SNOOKER’S FINEST MOMENTS AND HAS WITNESSED THE GAME’S GREATEST TALENTS FIRST HAND

by the BBC and other broadcasters to help engage younger, new audiences. Virgo, alongside his co-commentators, definitely play a huge part in that. They will try and get inside the head of the players and voice the inner narrative each shot entails. John will often talk about getting the cueball tight to the baulk cushion on each safety shot and will let audiences know when a player is disappointed after not finding the right side of the blue. After all, ‘inchperfect’ positional play is the holy grail for most pros.

In line with the mechanics of the sport itself, snooker commentary will naturally evolve from what it is now. In 2020, we have a whole host of different ex-pro’s commentating the action on the green baize, from Neal Foulds, Alan McManus to seven times World Champion Stephen Hendry. However, the old guard have cut their teeth over decades of action and have overseen the game’s biggest changes. No doubt, they are passing on their vast experience to help the sport move forward again.

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GARY FILTNESS

>> GARY FILTNESS – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR THE CHALK! <<

The Chalk sat down (over the phone because of social distancing) with Gary Filtness for this exclusive chat.

his month at The Chalk we catch up with one of the former professionals, someone who was destined for greatness on the green baize but never broke through. The London Coach, also known as The Blade, Gary Filtness. It’s well documented that during the

1980s many of the game’s greatest ever players, including the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ken Doherty, learnt their trade at one of the many Essex Snooker Clubs. But walk though through those doors, as Ronnie did at a very tender age, there

was one player there who was known as one of the men to beat, Gary Filtness. Known across London as a fearless money match player he was someone they all naturally assumed could emulate the likes of Steve Davis and Tony Meo and join the game’s top ranks.

“I COPIED REARDON’S ACTION, ELBOW OUT, I STARTED TO IMPROVE BUT I FELT MY GAME WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE TOP LEVEL SO DECIDED TO TINKER, COPIED A FEW OTHERS – FORGOT WHO I WAS. THEN ONE DAY IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS GAME OVER.”

o, Gary, take us back to what it was like playing snooker around Essex in the late 70’s 80’s, around the start snooker’s boom time. It was magic, I started first at The Regal Club in Stratford, close to where I was born, but over the period I played at Barking, Ilford and Upton Park, going wherever the next competition or money match was. You started playing money matches at a young age? My first ever shot on a full size table was at the age of 10, £100 a frame at Stratford Snooker Centre, one red. £100 a frame at ten years old? Yes my Uncle, who loved a gamble, took me to the club. I was watching a lad called Chris Pellegrini and I said to my Uncle “I’m better than him!” I’d spent hours on my small 6 x 3 but never hit a shot on a full size. My Uncle backed me and we walked out of there with £900, I think I got £10 which was still a lot of money for a 10 year old in those days. My Uncle had a right result.

As you grew older you started taking your snooker a bit more seriously, who were you looking up to at that time? There were so many good players around at that time, I grew up playing the likes of Bob Harris, John Wright, Gary Keeble, so many more I could list dozens – all top talent. Toughest opponent on that scene? That’s a tough one, you had Paul Fryatt, Tony Putnam, top juniors. I was in awe of them. Terry Whitbread was the Ronnie of today – probably the best of them all. When did you first become aware of Ronnie O’Sullivan? When he was 10, he came into Barking Snooker Centre with his dad, he was hitting a few balls. His Dad asked who I was, when I introduced myself he knew all about me and what I’d won. He asked would I be prepared to have a knock with little Ronnie and help him along. So we played for a bit when he was a kid but then he moved to the Ilford club and I stayed at Barking till it closed down. Why didn’t you make it to the top in the

game? People say you had the talent? Well I wasn’t a recognised player as junior, I was playing money matches when I was 12/13 and not entering the junior tournaments. I started them late. But you won competitions, and got picked for England? Yes, what a great honour, I’d won the London Champs and 3 or 4 pro ams on the spin. I remember Dave Gilbert (no relation to today’s professional) was due to be in the team but broke his arm in a car crash so I got a place in the trials. The best up North would play the best from the South. I won the event and got to play for my country. After two years I was made Captain and got Ronnie first picked for England Juniors. Who were your team mates during those England Years? Nearly all the English professionals around 40-50 years of age now all played under me for England during that time. Peter Ebdon, Anthony Hamilton, John Wright- top players. Who was your hero growing up?

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Patsy Fagan mostly, he was like a mentor to me, Ray Reardon too. Amateurs like Dave Gilbert, John Wright, Bob Harris and probably Tony Meo. Did you play like Patsy or Ray? I copied Reardon’s action, elbow out, I started to improve but I felt my game was not strong enough for the top level so decided to tinker, copied a few others – forgot who I was. Then one day it happened and it was game over What happened? I got the yips, I found I couldn’t get through the cue ball anymore, dreaded condition and robbed me of the sport I loved for 27 years. You’ve seen it in golf and darts as well. Did you under achieve? Well I’ve not finished yet. I was 3 times London Amateur Champion 85/86/87, won countless Pro-Ams – England international and Captain. Never won the English Amateur, best was Quarters the year Ronnie won it but now I’m Number 1 in the over 55s so it kind of makes up for that one. When did you turn to coaching? I retired with yips in 91/92, didn’t play for 18-20 years but my son Jack played from 8 years old and I started coaching him without actually hitting a ball. I was telling him, not showing him as I couldn’t get through the ball. When Jack gave up some other parents asked me to coach their kids so I shut myself in a room for weeks on end, on my own, faced my demons and conquered the yips Is that your best victory? Without a doubt. Beating the yips, my toughest ever opponent and biggest ever victory. When I see a player suffering nowadays I get very emotional as I’ve been there and I know how they feel.

Jimmy White and Patsy Fagan

Previously you’ve worked with Judd Trump and a lot of the top professionals, what is it you can pass onto them? People know I did a bit with Judd a few years ago but I don’t talk now about players I do a bit of work with. They come and see me and part of my thing is I won’t boast about that, if they want to talk about it that’s their choice but for me it’s not about needing the praise and attention anymore. If I can help I will but I won’t try and change them. What do you mean? I don’t tell any player to copy any other, I work on natural ability, tell them be yourself. You are either born with a cue action or not. No one aims to miss. How is your snooker now? Well I’m trying to catch up for 27 years when I couldn’t play. Imagine having the thing you love most taken away from you overnight? Has the Seniors Tour given you a new lease of life? Yes, it’s great seeing old friends and sharing memories. The best part is the banter but the willingness to win is still there. I still compete as hard as ever. The Seniors Tour standard has gone up and up. We’re having to practice and prepare like professionals but the rewards are still there and now someone like me still has a chance to walk out at the Crucible one day, I’d never of thought that could happen You’re Number 1 in the over 55s globally now, something you are proud of? Of course and you have Tony Knowles, Patsy Fagan and Mike Hallet competing on that with more coming every season. Still love a Sunday handicap down at Upton Park? Yeah they handicap me a bit now but I’m still in there and I don’t forget what a great life this sport has given me. You’ve been heavily involved in the fundraising for the NHS with the Seniors, e v e n saw you singing on the charity single? Well my

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snooker is better than my singing but my son actually produced that track so I couldn’t really not be involved. We’ve done the Blue Ball Challenge, I got 10, just started something called First Poke, I got 133, and I’m still supporting the cancer charity for young Billy who we lost a few years back. You get emotional when you mention Billy, don’t you? Such a great kid, taken too soon. Good player as well. Breaks my heart and raising money won’t bring him back but it may help another child in his position and one day let’s hope we get a cure. Billy O’Connor was one of the good uns. We leave a clearly emotional Gary deep in thought about a young player he coached who was taken by cancer. It’s clear he loves the sport and rather than being bitter about getting a condition that robbed him of playing for 27 years, he is now embracing competing and being known as ‘The Blade’ again, although some days with his bad back he refers to himself as ‘The Blunt.’ We have a feeling you can learn a good lesson on life as well as snooker from The London Coach.

^ Watch Gary take on his Blue Ball Challenge ^

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COACH BARRY STARK >> www.patreon.com/barrystarksnookercoach <<

RESIDENT COACH BARRY STARK GIVES HIS MONTHLY ADVICE TO THE CHALK READERS Here at The Chalk we are delighted to have Barry Stark as our resident coach. Every month we will feature two videos from Barryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s YouTube page to help you improve your snooker game. To watch the videos just click the images below.

This video is Part 2 about cueing in a straight line. Barry teaches you how to establish fixed points in your cueing action and what you should do to establish a good standing position (stance). This will help you strike the cue ball correctly.

This video is Part 3 about cueing in a straight line. Barry Stark teaches you how to establish fixed points in your cueing action and what you should do to establish a good cueing bridge. This will help you strike the cue ball. BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEED IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

RODNEY REMEMBERS >> www.thechalk.co.uk <<

RODNEY GOGGINS LOOKS BACK AT A MATCH THAT PULLED HIM INTO SNOOKER

hen people talk about their favourite matches, I think that anyone who has seen this match between Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge tournament held in the International Convention Centre in Birmingham in early 1997, would have this match high on their all-time list. Heading into the tournament in its only third season, and won once previously by Hendry, the snooker landscape was such that Hendry was king. He was 28 years of age, a sixtime World Champion, and recently becomes UK Champion for the fifth time, defeating World No 2 John Higgins in an exciting match, that went to the nineteenth and deciding frame, he looked odds on to capture this tournament as well. Mentally, Ronnie O’Sullivan, 21, looked like he had turned a corner.He had started to deliver and put in heartfelt performances. You felt he wanted to be there 100 %. Whereas there was a lot of incidents and early round lost matches from the previous season, this time he looked physically leaner, not only feeding off a new running and gum buzz, but looking meaner at the table. Earlier in the season he won The Asian Classic in Thailand in September and the German Open in December. In this 12 man tournament that was televised on ITV, the dozen players played for their own charity. Hendry, playing for the National Playbus Association, seeded number two through to the quarter finals, defeated Nigel Bond 5-3 and Alan McManus 6-5. Ronnie O’Sullivan, playing for the Dyslexia Institute, was defending champion and seeded number one. He had accounted for John Parrott 5-4 and Peter Ebdon 6-1 respectively. The two men were the form horses and this prove to be a fabulous final, and still holds up as one of the greatest finals ever played. Hendry had proved the last three or four years that when he went into a bubble of concentration and fluency with his break building he could dominate the table and the sessions, consigning his opponent to the role of mere spectator. In the 1993 UK Championship semi-finals first session against John Parrott where he had five centuries in eight frames to lead 7-1 and in the 1994 UK Championship final he had seven centuries against Ken Doherty in fifteen frames where 16

he defeated the Irishman 10-5. These were like a Hendry glorified practice sessions, except it had the competitive circumstance, crowd and cameras on sight. He was raising the level of break building in the professional game to new heights, but the younger crew, the so called class of 92, of O’Sullivan and Higgins, and later Welshman Mark Williams, were looking on. The slightly older professionals e.g. James Wattana, Ken Doherty and Peter

in fast on him which proved a few months later at the Crucible. Back to this match, Stephen Hendry would kick off proceedings with a 110 break in the opening frame, second frame was scrappy enough with the Scotsman winning 59-31, the third he made a break of 129 and the fourth he made a 39 but broke down on a red to the yellow pocket, the first ball he properly missed in the opening session. Later when he potted a red

HENDRY HAD PROVED THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS THAT WHEN HE WENT INTO A BUBBLE OF CONCENTRATION AND FLUENCY WITH HIS BREAK BUILDING HE COULD DOMINATE THE TABLE AND THE SESSIONS, CONSIGNING HIS OPPONENT TO THE ROLE OF MERE SPECTATOR. Ebdon, who had turned pro in the late 80s and early 90s, were all adding new dimensions to their game. However, it would take a few years for this to reach its fruition. In this particular season, the 1996/97 season they were closing

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and messed up a layup snooker behind the green, O’Sullivan swept in a three quarter long pot around the black and proceeded to make an effortless 46. He made it look easy considering the fact that he hadn’t seen much of

the table. But then he missed an easy brown in the middle, gifting Hendry the final three balls up to the black and making it 4-0 to the Scot as they went for their tea break. O’Sullivan came out in the fifth frame, and made a century of his own with 106. Hendry won frame six in two visits on a 1299 scoreline. He followed it up in the seventh frame with another century, a 136 to make it 6-1. Looking back on this

After winning the 11th with a 74 break, the twelfth was interesting. For the first time in the match Hendry showed a chink in his armour in the match, when he played a straight beautiful stun run through shot on a red, but missed a semi blind cut back black badly in the green black pocket and left O’Sullivan in the balls making a great and every fluent 137, 8-4. He took the next as well, making

dreaded double kiss. Hendry replied with an okay safety, but O’Sullivan then played a safety shot, to this day I think he would take back in terms of the quality played by sticking Hendry to the baulk cushion. Hendry coolly rolled in a red from the baulk cushion and after he never lost the cue ball once he made a maximum 147. On the 14th black, he didn’t quite catch the white right, but got away with it when he

OVER THE 17 FRAMES, 7 CENTURIES, 4 FROM HENDRY, TO WHICH HE ALSO ADDED BREAKS OF 97, 82 AND A 51. O’SULLIVAN’S 3 TONS WERE COMPLETED BY BREAKS OF 91, 87, 74, AND A 59. THE FINAL WAS COMPLETED IN 2 HOURS 59 MINUTES match, in particular at Hendry, there was an unique fluency to his play. He wasn’t overly fast, he wasn’t slow, but a great rhythm about him, almost like a classical musician, you knew when he was going to hit the ball. Rex Williams, the ITV commentator, alongside Jim Meadowcroft, stated at this point, it’s not possible to play the game better than this”. With the last frame of the afternoon, it was a must win for O’Sullivan, and he took it with a frame scoreline of 66-23, to get out of the session at 2-6. That was by no means a complete disaster considering the heavy barrage of scoring from Hendry. One thing I notice when I look back through the match and about the table, is that the Riley Aristocrat pockets seemed to be on the generous side, especially balls along the black ball cushion compared to today’s Star tables. In the evening, Hendry looked like a man intent on wrapping up proceedings as quick as possible when he held O’Sullivan to a point in the first two frames, 82-1 and 88-0 to make 8-2. O’Sullivan even though he was getting ran over by a break building train, looked assured in himself throughout the day and possibly enjoying the challenge of pitting his game against the very best at the time, started to dominate the match.

another century 124. The 14th frame, looked curtains from the man from Chigwell, Essex when Hendry started off with 37 from the O’Sullivan break. However, he lost position when he finished straightish on a black, he sank it by running the white off two cushions but ended up nestling in the pack. A few safeties later, O’Sullivan fluked a ball when he was trying to clip a ball on the side cushion and this enabled him making a 91. 8-6. The alarms bells must have been going off in Hendry’s head at this stage. O’Sullivan took the 15th frame with ease with an 87 break. 8-7. At this stage the final was averaging just shy of 10 minutes a frame, a phenomal pace of play. Frame 16 was the slowest of the match, after 10 minutes with no balls potted, a tactical battle ensued, with the Englishman bossing this particular safety exchange with the target area being underneath the black spot cushion, with the reds straying up to the middle and the baulk end of the table. Hendry was the first to blink, with O’Sullivan hitting him with a one-two counterpunch with visits of 59 and 13, 8 frames apiece and down to the final frame. Hendry made a good break off. O’Sullivan responded by playing an excellent thin contact on a side cushion red safety, narrowly avoiding the

cannoned the green on its spot, which gave him the perfect angle for the red in the middle from baulk end to track down for the 15th black. Rex Williams said he thought miracles stopped two thousand years ago and added that this match was the greatest match he had ever seen in his life. The prize was Hendry’s second Liverpool Victoria title in three years, and £120,000 for his chosen charity, the National Playbus Association, which included a special £20,000 donation for the 147 and an added £30,000 for himself. O’Sullivan getting £38,000 for his charity, and an added £20,000 for himself. Over the 17 frames, 7 centuries, four from Hendry, to which he also added breaks of 97, 82 and a 51. O’Sullivan’s 3 tons were completed by breaks of 91, 87, 74, and a 59. The final was completed 2 hours 59 minutes. Hendry said after the final by far the best final, he was ever involved in, but the not the most exciting because we never missed. Twenty three years later, this great match still lives fresh in the memory of anyone who has seen it. I remember saying to myself after, that this was a new high for snooker. It wouldn’t be the last time that O’Sullivan would reach the mountain tops, but Hendry’s days were rather numbered after this success.

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SNOOKER BACKER >> www.twitter.com/snookerbacker <<

POPULAR SNOOKER BLOGGER @SNOOKERBACKER PENS HIS FIRST COLUMN

t was unfortunate timing to say the least to release a new cuesports magazine at the start of a pandemic when all plans of a big launch before an eagerly anticipated World Championship ground to a halt. You’d think that snooker in lockdown would be largely non-existent but in fact, quite the opposite has been the case and it’s given fans and to some extent players, the chance to see a side of snooker that we’re all not used to seeing. I personally started to stream recordings of classic matches on an online channel at the beginning of April, this was then followed by the BBC streaming a classic two hour Crucible match every day that the championship was on. They all seemed to generate a lot of interest online for the anorak army of snooker addicts to get their fix. There’s also been some ‘fun’. Alfie Burden instigated a ‘Snooker 11’ challenge which I’m proud to say I won (Alfie judged my entry just ahead of my pal down the road Allan Taylor). The challenge involved naming a football team of snooker players but replacing their names with objects from around the house. I’m particularly proud of Ken Wok-erty and Pastie Fagan I have to say. I never win anything so I’m listing this as my greatest sporting achievement since reaching the semifinals of the Pontins Junior in the mid80’s. There’s also been some snooker chat between some legends of the sport over on Instagram, mostly involving Stephen Hendry who has had chats with Ronnie, MJW and Steve Davis which have all drawn quite a crowd and given a personal insight into these great champions, Hendry has also got a tan worthy of Barry Hawkins. That show-off Jason Francis of

Snooker Legends and World Seniors fame also did his bit. His ‘Blue Ball Challenge’ for the NHS saw potters of varying abilities trying to pot as many long blues out of ten that they could, live over on Facebook. I even had a crack at that on my (BIG) home table and managed a respectable 7/10, which wasn’t bad considering I was absolutely bricking it. Jason is now into a new initiative called ‘First Poke’ but I’ve decided to quit while I’m ahead and not participate in that one, always know your limitations is what I say. Away from snooker, we’ve also been witnessing something of a ‘cook off’ between the aforementioned Mr

fan base by their actions, put it this way, I think a lot of us will be cheering

THEY ALL SEEMED TO GENERATE A LOT OF INTEREST ONLINE FOR THE ANORAK ARMY OF SNOOKER ADDICTS TO GET THEIR FIX. Burden and snooker’s answer to Jamie Oliver, Michael Holt. It’s not yet, as I write descended into handbags at dawn but given the competitive animal that stirs within all snooker players I’m not sure how long it will be before they are cooking bare chested and slagging off the other one’s filo pastry. Of course, nothing can replace action on the baize but it’s been an interesting period nonetheless, with some players I’m sure increasing their

on Alfie and Michael if and when the qualifiers get under way for Sheffield. Will it go ahead or won’t it? The truth is we really don’t know, Barry seems keen, the BBC seem keen, the government seem to have given crowdless events the thumbs up, but if this whole tragic few weeks has taught us one thing, it’s that the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. Stay safe everyone.

BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEED IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

NEWS FROM THE BAIZE >> BY TOM MOORCROFT <<

PETER EBDON ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT FROM SNOOKER

eter Ebdon, nicknamed ‘The Force’ or ‘Psycho’, has unfortunately announced his retirement from snooker. This came after a string of neck, back, shoulder and arm pain, and between retiring from snooker and having spinal surgery, he chose the former. Peter Ebdon is renowned as an underrated snooker player. Whilst many will think of the legends of the sport, such as Ronnie or Hendry, people often overlook the 18 ranking finals which Ebdon made, including his World Championship run in 2002. Ebdon will be retiring after playing in 412 tournaments, with 29 seasons as a professional, and amassing £3,639,502 in prize money. Ebdon explained to Betfred what the surgery would entail, suggesting that he would have to have two vertebrae replaced which, if the surgery went wrong, would result in him being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. “It’s far too risky”, Ebdon stated, “It wouldn’t be a cure. It could work, but it could also make things worse”. Many fans, ranging from professionals to the public, took to Twitter to respond to the news of his retirement. These include Judd Trump, who stated: “Happy retirement to [Peter Ebdon], what a fantastic career. I learnt a lot from playing him in my early career and he loved to take on some crazy shots at times, which I

have a lot of respect for”. Steve Davis also took to Twitter, saying: “Congratulations on a fantastic career [Peter Ebdon]!! An absolute credit to the game and one of the most amazing players the game has ever produced. A true one off and the fiercest of competitors”. Ebdon expressed his gratitude on the site, saying: “Thank you so, so much to everyone that has taken the time to message me. I am truly overwhelmed, by the love, support and best wishes, from the fellow professionals and public alike. It has been an honour to play a small part in our beautiful sport, loved by millions”. So, in honour of the illustrious career in which Ebdon has had, let’s take a look at some of his highlights... He first came onto the scene in 1992, sporting a ponytail which many new fans, myself included, were never graced with. He managed to stomp a highly renowned Steve Davis 10-4, and went on to be named ‘WPBSA Young Player of the Year’. When he went on to win the World Championship in 2002, he did so against 33-1 odds at the beginning of the tournament. He beat Stephen Hendry 18-17, accomplishing his first and last title as World Champion. A few years later, in 2005, Ebdon brought a classic Crucible moment in a match against Ronnie O’Sullivan. He countered the conventional speed of

Ronnie with a much slower, complex game, at times taking over 3 minutes per shot. This left Ronnie frustrated,

“I AM TRULY OVERWHELMED, BY THE LOVE, SUPPORT AND BEST WISHES, FROM THE FELLOW PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC ALIKE.” showing clear signs of fatigue and desperation, as Ebdon went on to win 13-11, returning from 6-10 down! After a backlash of people suggesting he was cheating, he responded saying “When I’m trying my hardest I seem to go slow. I don’t do it intentionally”. Peter Ebdon was a highly respected snooker player, showing grace and decorum in all that he did, and on behalf of The Chalk we wish Ebdon all the best!

THE SNOOKER FAMILY FOR HEALTH WORKERS ALL OVER THE WORLD >> WWW.JUSTGIVING.COM/FUNDRAISING/SNOOKERFAMILY <<

n the day of what would have been the World Snooker Championship Finals snooker stars such as Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Mark Selby, Ken Doherty and Stuart Bingham joined players from the Seniors Snooker Tour, the Women’s Snooker Tour and the World Disability Snooker Tour to record a version of Every Breath you Take by the Police. We are delighted to report that donations are close to reaching an incredible £15,000! To donate please visit - www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ snookerfamily 20

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NEWS FROM THE BAIZE >> www.thehchalk.co.uk <<

TIM’S STORY - PUTTING LIFE IN THE FRAME

ack in 2012 I was involved in an accident outside my house which resulted in a bleed on the brain and subsequent brain surgery to stop the bleed. This was a pretty dire part of my life and there was a slow and steady recovery following this. During my recovery I was fortunate to win tickets to a Snooker Legends event in 2012, where I got to meet my still idol, Ronnie O Sullivan as well as Jimmy White, Michaella Tabb and John Virgo. The anticipation of this day hugely helped my recovery as it gave me something to look forward to. The day itself was amazing, all of the Snooker Legends staff were really welcoming and Ronnie and co were all really nice and strangely... normal! Having time to chat with these people was amazing but getting Ronnie to sign the butt of my cue was a mistake as I had to go out and buy a new one! I got my hands on the World Championship Trophy for the first and last time and all in all it was a day I will never forget. Moving forward a number of years I am very fortunate to be in good health

and have no long lasting effects from the accident. The memory of this event will be something I never forget and really put a positive twist on what really was a negative part of my life.”

JOIN IN WITH THE FIRST POKE AND HELP RAISE ££! Another new initiative being launched by The Rokit World Seniors Tour has been FIRST POKE, a couple of weeks ago Jason Francis explained what it was all about and how you can win some great prizes. To view the video of the rules and to see how some of the pros have got on with the challenge click here.

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WORLD EIGHTBALL POOL FEDERATION >> WWW.WEPF.ORG <<

www.wepf.org

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SNOOKER FANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO LUCKY… >> BY CHRIS GAYNOR <<

From that famous black ball final in 85 to Judd Trump’s six ranking final wins in 2020, snooker fans have been entertained for well over 45 years, being able to escape life’s darker moments…

ots happened in 1986 around the globe… Hollywood Legend Cary Grant died. Now successful pop star Ellie Goulding was born. The UK and France started talks on creating something special. The Channel Tunnel became the gateway from the UK to Europe. The Eurostar emerged. Further away, the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine erupted, irradiating everything. Tragedy hit. Sydney, Australia, later in the year saw record rainfall in one day. Devastating. The FBI were involved in an infamous “shootout robbery” in Miami where a string of officers were injured and 2 lost their lives. America’s iconic landmark the Statue of Liberty from the land of the free was reopened to the public after a refurb! And, PCs, better known as personal computers, played host to the first of what was known as the virus “Brain” for the first time. Virtual viral pain began. Art often imitates life. You couldn’t write a better script for what’s happening now in 2020. We’re all starring in the movie from hell. The irony. The corona virus has been terrorising the world and has forced most of us to stay at home until it has been able to be put under control. But for snooker fans. Throughout April, the BBC has been showing off the archive reels of the best of snooker at the Crucible. One such classic was in 1986. Snooker was a sporting “virus” that was spreading quickly across the UK. Snooker was in a boom. The 1980s became the BOOM years. And 1986 was also an incredible year for one 33-year-old man from Bradford. He rose from nowhere and became a sporting sensation. Joe Johnson won the World Snooker Championship and became a household name. He now is known everywhere for his commentary on Eurosport for the sport. He was the 150 -1 underdog to win the title that year and against Steve Davis in the final. Everybody loves an

underdog in sport. Welshman Terry Griffiths had done it in 79. Snooker fans thrive on watching the underdog make the favourite squirm. The favourite was now legend Steve Davis. The Nugget. Mr Interesting. Davis was made to squirm for the second time in a row. His first was the previous year where he had to endure a marathon against Northern Ireland’s Dennis Taylor, who made 18.5 million people stay up till way past midnight to sink the final black before he was able to kiss the famous lady on top of the iconic trophy first won by Joe Davis in 1927. This time, it wasn’t as painful for snooker fans. And not for Joe anyway. For Steve it was though. The Essex man, had he won these two finals, would have had more titles than Stephen Hendry. But he didn’t. Dennis and Joe denied him that. What happens in snooker is a lot like what happens in life. You get chances. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. You get the ups and you get the downs. And for Joe in 86, donning his snazzy black and white with a hint of pink shoes, and his down to earth grin, he battled and battled taking his chances to deny Steve glory in 1986. It was a tight first day of the final with both sharing the spoils at 8 – 8. Then, Joe surprisingly eased away to go four frames in front 12 – 8. Davis managed a comeback to 13 – 11 to trail by two, but it was Joe who then had all the session and proudly lifted the trophy 18 – 12. Like Shaun Murphy in 2005, another outsider, beating the favourite Matthew Stevens, fans love shocks and surprises. And in 2014, Mark Selby shocked by beating favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan who could have won a sixth World title. Life has a habit of shocking us when we least expect it. So does sport. Strangely enough, it was the same two faces in the final twice on the bounce and in 1987, Joe wasn’t so lucky that time around. In December of that year, pop star Kylie Minogue, AKA Charlene Ramsay in the BBC Soap Neighbours found fame

with her pop hit, “I should be so lucky.” And Tory leader Margaret Thatcher was lucky enough to have won the 87 General Election, giving her a historic third term in office. No-one though, in the history of snooker at the Crucible since 1977 has yet been “lucky” enough to scoop the fabulous World Championship title twice in a row as a first-time winner. There’s still time for that to change though as sport, like life, always has the habit of surprising us when we least expect it. The 90s: The start of a magical time in snooker… The 90s were the start of a magical time in literature as JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books began. And a handful of snooker players also began their wizardry on the baize. As snooker headed into the 90s, with the rise of the World Wide Web and protests over Thatcher’s poll tax policy, snooker gave rise of a Scottish legend. The one and only Stephen Hendry who won the title in 1990 at the tender age of 21. But the sport still managed a few surprises with 91 being the year that John Parrott defeated a popular Jimmy White. Sadly, for Jimmy, he couldn’t lift the trophy over six attempts, five during the 90s. And Hendry dominated as the King of the Crucible. Then came the Rocket. 1997 saw Ronnie O’Sullivan take snooker to another level with fast breaks, a 147 and an unpredictable temperament. Ronnie then dominated the noughties with his class of 92 compatriots John Higgins and Mark Williams. All are still in the top 16 in 2020. Whatever happens in the rest of 2020 and beyond, snooker will still provide fans with shocks, tears, joys and sweaty brows as those who battle, battle hard to be the one to try to lift the sport’s ultimate prize in Sheffield. Judd Trump is the new “kid” on the block now and this year he’s created history of his own by being the first player to win six ranking events in one season. Snooker has always been lucky in having characters who entertain, dazzle, cause controversy and create history. And may it long continue.

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