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04 GREAT CRUCIBLE 07 MOMENTS MAX POTTER 09 CARTOON PREVIEW: WORLD 10 CHAMPIONSHIP COACH 15 BARRY STARK RODNEY 16 REMEMBERS SNOOKER 19 BACKER ABOUT 20 R.A.C.C.S INTO THE EYE OF A HURRICANE

21 SNOOKER ZONE: 23 PERFECT BREAK NEWS FROM THE BAIZE

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ello and welcome to edition number four of The Chalk. We hope you are all keeping safe and enjoy the read. As always 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 will aim to bring you insight into cue sports from around the globe. Issue three broke our viewing records and hopefully that will increase with every publication we produce. In this month’s issue, we have a new page and we welcome Max Potter along. You can see what Max gets up to in the next few issues of The Chalk. Our thanks go to Steve ©. SnookerZone’s Chris Gaynor talks about the upcoming film Perfect Break and Rodney Goggins pens his regular article Rodney Remembers. New Chalk team member Monique Limbos previews the World Championship and regular Tom Moorcroft picks his three greatest moments from The Crucible. Barry Stark returns with two new videos, answering your questions. There’s also three pages of a chapter on Alex Higgins from the book Snooker Legends. 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 as always go also to our advertisers and contributors, 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, stay safe and we hope you enjoy The Chalk. The Chalk is designed by JRH Media. james@jrhmedia.co.uk www.jrhmedia.co.uk | 07881237868

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INTO THE EYE OF A HURRICANE Citywest Hotel, Dublin: November 2009 >> www.thechalk.co.uk <<

This chapter tells the story of the first time Snooker Legends promoter Jason Francis met Alex Hurricane Higgins.

t was the early flight out of Stansted, the ‘red eye’ Ryanair flight into Dublin, so called because most of the passengers have been up half of the night to make sure they don’t miss it. As usual, with this particular budget airline, the queues were horrendous; people were being made to pack and unpack their suitcases and because they were carrying one business card too many they were being charged an extra £40 in excess baggage. Tempers were rising, it was a crappy cold November’s morning barely breaking freezing, but I didn’t care. Amid the turmoil and revolutionary atmosphere I was happy. Why? Because I was off to meet my hero and I’d just found out the snooker show I was putting him in was already a sold out! Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins was the reason I started playing snooker. The swagger, the grace, the sheer arrogance of this man who seemed to have a blatant disregard for authority of any kind, captivated a nation. This included one chubby 12-yearold boy in Cornwall, who watched as Alex cried and cradled his young daughter Lauren after winning the 1982 World Snooker Championship. Alex was different; he was box office. A genius? Well, compared to a man who performs life-saving surgery, no, but by God he could play snooker, and play it in a way the world had never seen. Alex Higgins, and his possible participation, was the main reason I created the Snooker Legends Tour. Alex Higgins, and the fact I sacked him after just one show, is the reason Snooker Legends is now one of the world’s largest independent snooker promotions. With him it was created; without him it was able to continue… A bout of earache meant I missed the chance to see him play at a local leisure centre when I was just 11; my mate Gary’s dad got me his autograph though. Little did Alex know that this particular signature, one of hundreds he would have given on the night, would be for a child who would one day employ him and take him back to the Crucible Theatre to play his last ever snooker exhibition. Ironic really. Alex was my favourite player but Jimmy White was close behind. Jimmy was young, just coming on the scene, he looked like a rock star and I wanted his perm. I wasn’t so keen on Cliff Thorburn: he was so slow and based his game on stopping Alex and Jimmy expressing themselves. Kirk Stevens was someone else I supported, whereas Steve Davis was the easily the best at that time but berated on programmes like Spitting Image for being ‘not interesting’. I can’t remember what I thought of him at that time, if truth be told. I’d been warned by Jimmy about meeting Alex, and the legendary tricks and stunts he 4

could pull. The route to meeting Alex had to come through Jimmy, and the route to Jimmy had to go through his manager at the time, Double K, Kevin Kelly. The first meeting with Kevin was at Epsom Golf Club where I intended to use the booking of Jimmy for my local’s league’s presentation night as a vehicle to introduce him to the idea of a Legends Tour. My idea was to replicate what they had done in Golf and Tennis for their retired legendary performers, I thought there was a gap in the market, I just needed a catalyst to get it going. There is no doubt this man came into Jimmy’s life at a time when ‘The Whirlwind’ needed him. There is also no doubt that the next five to six years, and the way they lived their lives, played a part in Jimmy’s decline in the rankings. They travelled the country in an overaged Mercedes, making a few quid here and there, playing exhibitions in anything from the finest hotels and casinos to the grubbiest of clubs. The lovely thing about Jimmy, and you will see numerous references to this later, is that he doesn’t regret a moment of it – they had a lot of

fun, made a lot of money, and who needs a spare wheel or a change of clothes in the boot when that space can be taken up by a few old black and white photos of Jimmy and Alex that Kevin can flog for a tenner? Jimmy had to earn money; his outgoings and commitments were huge. Five children, an ex-wife, a young girlfriend on his arm and flash cars cost money, and it wasn’t coming in from tournament winnings. Jimmy and Kevin were the masters – it really was Del Boy and Rodney. The problem

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was the more they earned, the more they spent. I’m not judging them, and not one bit of this is Kevin’s fault, but it almost cost Jimmy his job as a professional snooker player. The saviour came in 2009, in the form of the Australian outback and a TV show called I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, hosted by a Geordie duo by the name of Ant and Dec. It seems as if the offer to go to Australia for a TV show, and the creation of the Legends Tour, came along at just the right time for The Whirlwind. The first time I promised to deliver a

show at the Crucible they both collectively ridiculed me – Jimmy and Kevin that is, not Ant and Dec. As Jimmy says in his own book, they thought it was a scam. By the time I produced the proof of the Crucible contract, they had both agreed to become joint promoters, taking part of the business, and any profit, in return for delivering Alex. I thought that making Jimmy a partner, and including Kevin in a share of profits, would tie them in long term, and, more importantly, give me a buffer for the antics of Alex. Alex listened to no one, but if anyone could get through to him on some level, it was going to be Jimmy. Jimmy travelled the country doing exhibitions with Alex. The general consensus was that Jimmy was the only person who would work with Alex – but don’t be fooled. Jimmy knew having Alex on the bill guaranteed ticket sales, and large ticket sales guaranteed large merchandise sales! Jimmy has been called many things over his 35-year career; stupid is not one of them. Kevin had met a new lady and was moving to Cork to run an organic vegetable farm. How on earth he thought he could co-promote a Legends Tour was beyond me, especially as he seemed to have a real problem answering a phone. Then again, he was hardly Alan Titchmarsh either. Nevertheless, he was tasked with getting Alex to sign the contract. Alex’s Legend contract detailed £18,000 for 18 appearances; it was more money than he had earned playing snooker for a long time and it would be drip fed as we went along, to the delight of me but not paddy power I suspect. Jimmy going into I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here on ITV that winter meant that he would miss the UK Championship, a huge event in the snooker calendar. That decision told me two things: 1. Jimmy thought he could no longer win the UK Championship. 2. The money offered to live in squalor with Katie Price and cockroaches for a few weeks was too good to turn down. For me it was great timing. Say what you like about these reality shows but they give the people involved a huge profile boost, and they pay well. Of course, in return, you get to eat kangaroo cock and not shower for three weeks! During my time with Ronnie he’s been offered all the reality shows – the Jungle, Strictly and most recently Dancing On Ice. We’ve also been offered Celebrity Big Brother and I think if he ever does go down that road it’s that particular one that will appeal most. I think in the end Jimmy surprised even himself, finishing third, and making some good friendships with Hollywood film star George Hamilton and chef Gino D’Acampo. Jimmy’s girlfriend at the time, Kelly, had travelled with him to Australia and spent three weeks in the Versace five-star hotel while he shat daily in an oil drum – not a bad way to impress your bird either, I suppose! About this time, our first shows went on sale and the news broke of a Snooker Legends Tour being created. The Crucible show sold out in about 48 hours. Alex going back was enough to guarantee that, but with the added incentive of him playing Thorburn there again, and Jimmy there as well, it was big news.

A day before I travelled to Dublin to meet Alex for the first time I delivered the news of the sell-out to all the players. Michaela Tabb, the high profile lady referee I had booked, was delighted, Jimmy stunned and Alex said, ‘Babes you should have charged double – they would have paid it for me.’ He was probably right! I arrived at Citywest about 10am, Alex was due at 11. In the days between the story breaking and this trip, I’d been contacted by Jim White (no relation) from the Telegraph wanting to do an exclusive interview with Alex. Within their contracts all the players have an obligation to help promote and advertise the shows at no cost to me. No chance with Alex. He wanted 1,000 euros, the Telegraph offered 300, we settled on 500 – in cash of course… and saved on unnecessary paperwork!

later use as a base for the players during our events in Goffs in Kildare. We’d do a photo shoot there, as it had a snooker table, and then return to the hotel to record the interview for the Telegraph. Everyone was getting photographs with Alex. I desperately wanted one, too, but had to try to remain cool: he already had me at a disadvantage. In 2009 the ‘selfie’ was still not yet the chosen choice of quick portrait. Steve, Alex and I sat at a table. Alex had brought me a gift, a gift! It was a black and white photo of him from 1974 that wasn’t in circulation. He said I could get it copied and we could sell them at the shows as no one would have it. I was thrilled, then of course he said, ‘And I only want five euros a piece for them.’ Alex wanted to talk about the tour. I asked Steve to fetch out the current tour dates and details. ‘No need,’ said Alex, as he already

WHAT I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR, WHEN I HELD MY HAND OUT TO SHAKE HIS, WAS THE FULL KISS ON THE LIPS I GOT. The camera crews set up; the public at the hotel were asking what was going on. News that a Hurricane was due to hit the hotel had already created quite a buzz. Jimmy told me he’d be late, I’d warned everyone. I was on edge, but Jim White was relaxed, explaining he’d interviewed George Best and Oliver Reed so he was able to handle Alex. I was ready, I had 300 euros in cash ready to cover any eventuality – all I needed was for this day to go smoothly, in some ways for me to weather the Hurricane. At 11am a cab pulled up outside the hotel… It was Alex ‘Sandy’ Higgins, bang on time. I was prepared for the physical state he would be in, I was prepared to be hit with the cab bill (and of course I was), I was prepared to stick to my guns and not pay any more money than was in the contract we had signed… What I was not prepared for, when I held my hand out to shake his, was the full kiss on the lips I got. ‘Hello babes… you owe me 60 euros for the cab.’ He put me on the back foot straight away. I was gone. Snooker’s royalty had arrived in Dublin, and he was demanding that every protocol be followed. I had brought Steve Smart, who worked in my office with me; he was visibly shocked at this skeleton of a man in front of me. Alex was very thin, but his mind was sharp and he was holding court. We’d arranged to go down to Palmerston House, the private residence of Citywest owner Jimmy Mansfield and a place I would

had the full dates and venues written on three betting slips, one for May, June and July. Next to the Crucible date were the words SOLD OUT – I feared the worst. I’d already been fleeced for a cab fare, and a first-class train ticket from Belfast soon followed. He wanted to know if the Telegraph had brought cash for the interview, but then to my amazement started suggesting we did a show in Ulster Hall in Belfast and a venue in Blackburn he had played at. After Alex had had a pint of Guinness, with a quick rum chaser, we travelled down to Palmerston House. Alex reminded me that he needed to put on our branded shirt with the Snooker Legends logo – he wanted a private room to change in and once the door had closed it was just the two of us. For five minutes the façade dropped. It wasn’t easy to have any conversation with Alex as the throat cancer had ravaged his vocal cords; all he could manage was a quiet rasp. It was difficult to understand and obviously any speech was painful for him. I later learned it was the scarring from the chemotherapy. I gingerly helped him out of his fulllength coat and long-sleeved shirt and we put the Snooker Legends polo shirt on. I was shocked at the state of him: not so much the malnutrition, as you could see that through his clothes, but that his upper body was covered in scars and what I can only guess were liver spots. He saw I was shocked and broke the silence. ‘Don’t worry,

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babes, I’m still breathing.’ I laughed almost in embarrassment; the man who once showed unbelievable strength of character in the face of adversity now didn’t have the strength to lift his arms above his head to put on a polo shirt. Sadly, even he agreed that the small size hung off him like a bin bag and his forearms

were in a bad way, so we put his shirt back on to cover his arms and the T-shirt went on top. I’d like to say ‘polo shirt on top of long-sleeved Oxford shirt’ was simply a Higgins new season fashion for 2009 – but we weren’t kidding anybody. Alex shuffled into the games room and what I can only describe as a miracle took place. Almost immediately his eyes switched on, he stood up straight, and headed straight for the cue rack. ‘Let’s have a frame.’ The Hurricane was back at a snooker table. The security blanket was twelve foot by six, and the shuffling soon became a swagger. The lights had to be moved: we’d only been planning to take a few shots at the table but now Alex wanted a game… and I was going to be his opponent! The Telegraph crew were protesting to Jim White about the time it would take and how this wasn’t in the schedule. White wasn’t stupid. He told them to put the normal photo cameras away and get the film cameras out – Alex Higgins playing snooker was something you didn’t really see any more. I was a bit stunned to be honest. The table was old, the cloth threadbare and the balls resembled a box of oranges, but was I going to turn down this chance to play him? No way. There were four cues in the rack. Two didn’t have tips; one had a tip that looked like a blueberry muffin; one tip looked pretty decent. Alex, of course, took the only decent cue in the rack; after all, this was going to be all about him. To tell the truth, I’d have played him with a broom handle. I had the break-off; the camera crew were rearranging their equipment. Alex was busy banging the shaft of the cue he had chosen on his palm, apparently checking its 6

stiffness. Whereas most players use maybe one or two cues throughout the whole of their careers, I believe Alex had dozens. Was he always looking for perfection? Maybe, but I’m sure many had to be replaced after being broken across someone’s shoulders or lost as collateral in a card game in one or more Belfast watering holes. I was shitting myself. I was a fair player in my youth but in this situation, with this table, and a tip like a soggy marshmallow, I feared the worst. I broke off, touch of righthand side, hit the fourth red and came back inside the blue nestled perfectly frozen against the top cushion. I looked around. I’d played perhaps the perfect break-off, but was anyone looking? Not a chance. People were messing about with camera leads and lights, and Alex was still using the natural light of the window to inspect the ferrule on his cue. I’m sure I could have placed the ball there by hand and no one would have noticed. I handed the only piece of chalk to Alex. I wouldn’t be seeing it again. He had no shot; the only red he could see was tight on the cushion just past the middle pocket. He could either clip thin off the edge of it and play what we call a ‘dump shot’, or come off a cushion and drop into the pack. What he couldn’t do was roll the red four feet up the cushion and drop it dead weight into the corner bag. The place went mad – of course now every fucker was watching. Alex just grinned. ‘Never lose it babes,’ he rasped. We played for 15 minutes and Alex was happy to pause on shots for them to get a good camera angle. He probably made the odd 20, nothing spectacular. I made a couple of colours but had to pick them myself – our friendship wasn’t blossoming that much! It was obvious he was lacking any cue power but the touch and feel were still there, even on this table. The lighting was very poor, and the cameramen were having to supplement it to get any sort of image. It didn’t bother Alex – ‘I grew up playing in the dark,’ he remarked. At the end of the game we wanted to do some photos at the front of the house. I put my cue in the rack, Alex held onto his. ‘I like this cue, it has potential, I’m having it,’ he announced. The housekeeper at Palmerston House looked a bit flustered. ‘I’m sorry Mr Higgins, but that’s Mr Mansfield’s personal cue, so I can’t let it go.’ The reply was genius: ‘Get Mr Mansfield on the phone, and tell him Mr Higgins wants his cue, and I’m not taking no for an answer.’ She was unmoved, far braver than I would be. ‘Sorry Mr Higgins but I can’t do that as Mr Mansfield is on holiday, but if you’d like to call him next week…’ She went on talking, but by that time Alex had thrown the cue on the table and headed up the stairs outside for the photo shoot. She’d verbally sparred with Alex and won; I almost wanted to take her on tour. I wish I had done. The cue’s rightful owner, Jimmy Mansfield, was a pretty formidable character. According to a 2003 report, when he sold 100,000 tonnes of machinery, which had been left over from the Falklands War, The Irish Times estimated the profit at £19m in the US and a further £7m in the UK. He realised

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that land was going up in value in Ireland in the early 1990s, and he successfully secured several thousand acres near Saggart, County Dublin. He successfully turned this land into the Citywest Hotel and built the private residence we were currently using for the shoot. He carried on dealing in his machinery trade, which once again added to his wealth, amounting to a reputed €200m as of 21 February, 2010. But he wasn’t Alex Higgins, was he? The photo shoot went relatively smoothly, mostly because the bloke was petrified and Higgins ran the show, telling him where to stand and how to take the photo. Before we left, Alex asked to use the bathroom, and while we got into our cars, and said our thanks, he popped back inside. After about five minutes I sent the Telegraph car on ahead back to Citywest to set up for the main interview. What on earth was Alex doing? Our host went back through the front door to see if he was OK. Once she was out of sight, Alex appeared from round the side of the building and got in the back of the car with me. It felt like some sort of prison break that Michael Scofield and Linc would have been proud of. It was only when we got out of the gate that he opened his coat to reveal Jimmy Mansfield’s cue – Alex was having it after all, but to add insult to injury he only wanted the top half, so was going to cut it in half and dispose of the butt! I’m not sure Jimmy Mansfield ever found out – sadly he passed

away in January 2014 – and he may not have cared. His housekeeper was last seen searching his stately home for a missing Hurricane and her boss’s snooker cue! Once back at Citywest the euros were handed over and Jim White got his interview. As far as I know it was the last interview Alex ever did, and as shocking as his physical appearance was, you can see the fire still burned when he talked about snooker. He claimed he could still have been in the top 32, which was folly. The aura and arrogance were still there but physically I doubted he could have managed more than two or three frames. I was worried. In my opinion there was no way he could currently sustain an 18-date national tour with the Legends. Had I made a terrible mistake?

SOME OF THE GREATEST CRUCIBLE MOMENTS OF ALL TIME >> BY TOM MOORCROFT <<

ow are we all feeling at the moment? Anxious about the future? Head-hurting after a couple of socially-distanced pints at the pub last night? I think it’s safe to say that most snooker fans will be feeling somewhat excited for this month’s action, with the highly anticipated World Snooker Championships set to take place from 31 July - 16 August. However, with growing tensions over the presence of a crowd, and even some major players announcing they won’t be competing, it’s safe to say that it’s going to be a unique year in Crucible history. Marco Fu, amongst others, have stated their absence due to COVID-19 fears. In an attempt to not keep this article all doom and gloom, I thought I’d cast our minds back to the past. When you didn’t have a panic attack when walking on the same side of the road as someone, and a certain arena in Sheffield was home to some of the most bizarre, yet amazing, moments in snooker history. Here’s a brief list of some of the greatest moments ever recorded in the home of world snooker… Starting off this list, with someone who’s been a recurring theme of my articles with The Chalk, would be Ronnie O’Sullivan. He’s a name which has earned his acclaim, with over 1300 matches played, 982 wins and over 1000 centuries. However, whilst I could probably write an entire article on Ronnie moments alone, I wanted to shine a light on an event which shocked the snooker world. In 1997, up against Mick Price in the second round of the World Championship, Ronnie started off his break in his natural fashion. A nice long pot into the bottom left corner, which landed him nicely on the black. However, playing as if he had somewhere to be, Ronnie continued to pot red, black, red, black, with blistering pace and finesse, until he reached that renowned 147 mark. However, whilst achieving a 147 at the Crucible is a fantastic feat alone, the speed in which the aptly named ‘Rocket’ completed this maximum landed him a record which still stands to this day. He managed to pocket the 147 in 5 minutes and 8 seconds, averaging 8.8 seconds per shot and earning £147,000 in prize money. The 23 year old certainly made his mark on the tournament that year, and whilst he fell short in the second round overall, he went on to win the tournament 5 times in his career. For my second memory, I’m taking us all the way back to 1985, in what has suitably been deemed the ‘Black Ball Final’. Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor went face to face that year, beating stellar opposition to make their way to the final of the World Championship. However, I think they both weren’t expecting the chaos that would ensue.

Through grit-your-teeth determination they battled it off frame for frame, eventually making it 17-17 going into their final game. Whilst up a solid 62-44, with four colours left on the table, Davis would allow Taylor to creep back into contention, crawling back until only one ball remained: the dreaded final black. Each player had numerous occasions in which, on any other day, the black would’ve gone in. It certainly made for outstanding entertainment for the crowd. Taylor’s attempted double into the middle pocket, a dreaded double kiss from Davis, and an awkward cut into the corner made for some excruciatingly tense snooker. However, it was eventually Dennis Taylor who, after a total of 68 minutes in the final frame, managed to lift the trophy and steal the title of World Champion from Davis. Ending at 12:19, with over 18.5 million people watching, it was perhaps the biggest moment in the history of televised snooker. Finally, in a more personal and lighthearted manner, it’d be Mark William’s title-winning run in 2018. Although having won the tournament two times in his career,

Williams was definitely an underdog. He hadn’t won the World Championship in 15 years, making it a world record for longest span of time between titles, and much to everyone’s amusement, he lived up to a very unique promise. Perhaps doubting himself, he announced prior to his semi-final bout with Barry Hawkins that, if he was to be made World Champion that year, he’d do his postmatch interview naked. Consequently, after beating John Higgins 18-16 in the final, he respected his word, performing the interview in nothing but a towel. While also providing some character to the snooker scene, this story also has an important message, on perseverance and the tenacity to learn from your mistakes. Speaking about his opponent, Higgins stated: “The younger players will look at this and think they have another 15 years of coming back here, trying to win it”. So there you go, three moments, from a list of a thousand, which make the Crucible a magical place. Lets just hope that, in this strange strange year, we manage to make some more Crucible memories.

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THE 2020 SNOOKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - A PREVIEW >> BY MONIQUE LIMBOS -RETIRED MATHEMATICIAN WHO LOVES SNOOKER AND PHOTOGRAPHY <<

n the 10th of July, WST was eventually able to publish the draw and format for the 2020 Snooker World Championship Qualifying rounds. That the tournament will be held at all in the current circumstances is a little miracle, but the sort of miracle that only happened because people behind the scene - in this case WST and WPBSA devoted a lot of time, money and efforts to make it happen against all odds. It will be very different from what we, fans, got used to in previous years, and we will not be allowed to watch it “live” at the venue, but it’s here for us to savour, and, I’m sure that it will be a great tournament. How is this year’s tournament different from the previous instalments? • Since 2015, and until last year, all players outside the top 16, needed to win three matches to qualify for the “main event” at the Crucible. The tournament had, in effect, a flat random draw, except for the fact that the players ranked 32 to 17 prior to the event could only meet in the third, and last, round. This year, the event reverts to a tiered format. The players seeded 81-144 play each other in round one with the 32 winners going into round two. Those 32 winners will then face players seeded 49-80 in round two, with the winners going into round three. Again, those 32 winners will face players seeded 1-48 with the 32 winners going into round four, where they will play each others. This means that the lowest seeded players will need to win four matches to qualify, whilst the players seeded 17-48 will need

to win only two matches. This change is not a consequence of the coronavirus crisis, it was announced during the 2019 World Championship. • In rounds one to three, the matches will be best of 11, instead of best of 19. This change is rather unpopular with many fans, but it’s the only way the tournament could be played in the allocated time frame, whilst implementing the necessary sanitary and social distancing measures. Round four remains best of 19, with all matches completed within a day. There will be only two sessions per day, allowing for more time between matches to sanitise the tables and equipment. • There will be no spectators at the venue. However, Eurosport will show the tournament live on television for the first time, as well as on the ES player, it will be broadcasted in China and Matchroom. live will also show it for free in the regions not otherwise covered. • There are an unprecedented high number of amateurs in the draw, 34 of them, due to the high number of professional players, mainly from Asia, opting out of the Championship because of the coronavirus pandemics and its consequences. How could these changes impact the tournament? • The current pandemic forced clubs and academies to close for a long time. They have been allowed to reopen, under strict conditions, only recently. There has been no competitive snooker since

mid-March 2020, except for the 64 men Championship League Snooker played early June and the Tour Championship . Most players will be short of practice, and nobody will be match sharp. • The shorter format will help the less experienced players. The amateurs and lowest ranked players almost never play multi-session matches nowadays. Those matches bring a different challenge when it comes to managing the pressure, with the inter-session giving the players plenty of time for thinking, and overthinking. There will be none of that this time, until the last round, and even then, the matches will be played in one day. • The tiered system will also help the lowest seeded players, who, in general, will have a more winnable first match as compared to what they would have got with the flat draw. In the first round in particular, all professional players involved, will be facing amateurs. The highest seeded players, on the contrary, will be put under higher pressure. In rounds two and three, they will come cold, against an opponent who has already won at least one match, and they will get no ranking points should they lose. In short, we should expect more “shocks”. Let’s now have a look at the draw. It can be divided into 16 groups of 8 players, each group producing one qualifier. In the “tables” hereafter, I have added in my “picks to progress” in italic, and my “pick to qualify” in bold in the last column.

It’s hard to look past Joe Perry in this group. He’s a vastly experienced player, a former top 16 player, and he has got a pretty solid season. If we look at ranking tournaments, Joe has won 13 of his 15 first round (last 128) matches this season and has subsequently progressed to the last 32 or further each time. He has reached the QF stage three times, and the SF stage once. It is worth noting though that one of his first round exits came at the hands of Tian Pengfei at the European Masters last January.

I made two choices here that will surprise a few. I’m going for Rory McLeod over Billy Castle because Billy hasn’t shown any form this season at all. Only four times in thirteen attempts did he win his first round match, and he never got past the last 16, reaching that stage just once … in the Shootout. Rory McLeod of course is now an amateur, but he has played on the World Seniors Tour and on the Challenge Tour, and he has qualified for the playoffs. This means that he will have played at least one competitive match at the EIS before meeting Billy Castle. I’m also going for Rory McLeod over Hossein Vafaei. Vafaei had a terrible season: he made one SF at the China Championship back in September 2019 but other than that has never got past the last 32, and has lost his opening match six times in eleven attempts. 10

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Brian Ochoiski is 21 years old and has been “Champion de France” on six occasions at various levels (under-16, under-18, under-21 and men). He is the current number one in France. In recent years, he has regularly reached the business end (last 16, QF, Final) in EBSA tournaments. I still think that the very experienced Gerard Greene will have too much for him. Gerard had a very bad season overall but has shown clear signs of improvement after the Christmas break. This is one reason why I also favour Gerard Greene over Oliver Lines, the other reason being that Gerard is still in the first year of his two years Tour card whilst Oliver is in his second year, and absolutely needs the win to have any chance to stay on the main tour. That’s huge pressure. The match between Stuart Carrington and Luo Honghao, if it happens, is very hard to call. I’m going for Stuart, but only just. Luo, last year, managed to qualify for the Crucible at his first attempt. His season has been indifferent, but he’s now Ding’s main practice partner. He might well prove me wrong.

I expect the two youngsters, Iulian Boiko (at 14, the youngest player in the draw) and Sean Maddocks to win their first round matches. Thor and Patrick have only won three matches between them all season in ranking events. The man to follow in this group is Ken Doherty. Ken is currently provisionally 69th on the provisional end-of-season ranking list. He needs at least one win to stay on the main tour and I expect him to get it. At 50, he still has the desire and he’s solid under pressure. His experience and motivation should get him past Sean Maddocks and Mark King. The latter’s best performances this season were a last 32 in the 2019 UK Championship and a QF in the 2019 Riga Masters nearly a year ago.

In this group, Hamza Akbar, from Pakistan, is not to be underestimated. He’s a very useful player and he comes in this competition with nothing to lose. He has a lot more experience in international competitions than his first round opponent, Amine Amiri. If he beats Amine, as I expect him to do, he will face Martin Gould in the second round. Martin is currently 60th on the provisional end-of-season ranking list. His professional tour card isn’t safe. This will be a very difficult match for Martin and I’m sitting on the fence when it comes to picking a winner. I definitely fancy Graeme Dott to win the group. He’s a former World Champion and longer formats suit him.

In this group I can see the results going by seeding in the first three rounds, except for the Simon Lichtenberg v Adam Duffy match. Simon has only won three matches in his two seasons as a pro. Adam Duffy is a former pro and has qualified for the Challenge Tour Playoffs. He will already have at least one competitive match at the EIS under his belt when facing Simon. I also picked Ricky Walden to qualify over Matthew Stevens because, IMO, Ricky is more solid under pressure than Matthew.

James Cahill who, last year, qualified to the Crucible as an amateur and beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the first round, has done next to nothing this season: he reached the second round four times, that’s all and, if I’m honest, that’s exactly what I expected to happen. But he should have too much for 15 years old Ben Mertens. He will then face Sam Baird, who has only won two competitive matches in ranking events this season. Therefore I picked James to reach the third round… in a case of “very bad” vs “even worse”. Jak Jones and Anthony McGill had very similar seasons. If we forget the shootout, neither got past the last 16 in any ranking event, but both won the majority of their opening matches. If they meet in round three, I fancy Jak Jones to prevail as he will already have a win under his belt. Mark Davis should take advantage and win the group. BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

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I can see only one winner here: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. That said, Lu Ning showed incredible battling qualities last year in this very tournament. After beating Mark King by 10-5 in round 2, he came back from 9-4 down to force a decider against Scott Donaldson in the last round. He should not be underestimated.

After reaching the semi-finals at the Crucible last year, Gary Wilson had a rather disappointing season. He is however the best player in this group by some margin. The ??? is because I can’t really make any prediction on a match between a pro who hasn’t won a single game all season and an amateur I know nothing about…

This is another group where I expect the results to go by seeding in most matches. I picked Ben Woollaston to win it though, mainly because he really impressed me in the Championship League last June. If he can bring that sort of form in Sheffield, he will be a handful for anyone. Ben, speaking to WST recently, revealed that he had used the lockdown to work on his fitness. It would be good to see him back to his 2015 form, and, maybe, his time to shine is now.

The player to follow in this group is Michael White. It’s hard to understand how this guy who, as a junior was tipped for glory, is now, at only 29, fighting to avoid relegation. Michael won the Indian Open in 2015, and the Paul Hunter Classic in 2017. He reached a highest ranking of 15th in the World in 2015 and here he is now, ranked 71 on the provisional end-of season provisional list. Winning just one match would see him well placed in the group of four players with the highest season earnings whilst out of the top 64. But can he do it? I’m not sure. He looked very edgy in Milton Keynes last June.

Reanne Evans is the only female player in the draw. She is a 12 times Women World Champion. She has run Ken Doherty very close and beaten Robin Hull in this tournament before. I believe that she can reach the second round here, especially as, this year, the matches at this stage are best of 11 instead of best of 19. As for winning this group and qualifying for the Crucible, I’m going with Scott Donaldson. Scott has got a very solid season; he has beaten Ding Junhui three times and Kyren Wilson twice in ranking events. He won the Championship League Snooker in March, beating Judd Trump in the semi-finals, and Graeme Dott in the final. Enough said.

No player in this group has got a really good season, but Jimmy Robertson has been the more solid of the lot. I admit that I know nothing about Ivan Kakovskii, except that he is 21 years old and from Russia. Jimmy White had a very bad season so far, he won only three matches, but he is Jimmy White, a legend of the sport and that alone might be too much to handle for the young player from Russia, making his debut in the World Championship as a wildcard. I’m also giving Jimmy a decent chance to beat Michael Georgiou. Michael has reached the QF at the German Masters early this year, but other than that has won only three matches in ranking events this season. He comes in this under huge pressure: he needs to win this match otherwise he will lose his tour card. He is not the best player under pressure, I’m afraid, and he will be under huge pressure… BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

This is another group where no player has really impressed this season. Therefore I just went by seeding with one exception, Alan Taylor who has qualified for the Challenge Tour playoffs. I believe that he can beat Soheil Vahedi.

Again, the reason I fancy Tyler Rees to beat Adam Stefanow is because Tyler qualified for the Challenge Tour playoffs. Rod Lawler had a nightmare of a season and I can’t see him winning a match here. That said he was not very lucky with his draws this season and he never gives up. The most interesting match in this group could well be Luca Brecel vs Fergal O’Brien. Fergal needs to progresses to round 3 first of course, but I fully expect him to do that. He is currently ranked 68 in the provisional end of season ranking list, in the relegation zone. He needs one win. Nobody is more determined than Fergal in such circumstances. He will grind his way to victory all day and all night if needed. If Fergal gets to round 3, he will face Luca Brecel who has just won the Championship League last month, playing some terrific snooker. Only two things can happen here: ether Luca will out-pot Fergal, or Fergal will out-grind Luca. Should we have a Luca Brecel v Liang Wenbo best of 19 in round 4 match, it should be fast, furious and fun to watch.

Another group where nobody has really set the world alight this season. Granted, Ali Carter has reached the final of the Masters and the semi finals at the European Championship, but that was back in January. He hasn’t done much since but he’s till been the best player of this group over the season. Robin Hull is hard to predict. I can only suppose that, if he has accepted the invitation, it’s because he feels fit to play. At his best, he’s very, very good.

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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.

In part one Barry answers selected questions from you whilst at home during the virus pandemic. This is part one of two videos which touch on a variety of topics such as cueing, fixed points, tips, cue length, vision, table size, cloth, line of aim, follow through, cue power, side, potting angles and tall people.

In part two Barry continues to answer selected questions whilst at home during the virus pandemic. Barry again touches on a variety of topics such as cueing, fixed points, tips, cue length, vision, table size, cloth, line of aim, follow through, cue power, side, potting angles and tall people. BECAUSE EVERY CUE SPORTS PLAYER NEEDS IT // www.thechalk.co.uk

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

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

hen I was a kid getting into snooker I would have taped a lot of matches, especially big finals, and watched and studied obsessively the cue actions, patterns of break building and shot selection. Probably my most prized possession as a VHS video tape would have been The People’s Champion, a two-anda-half hour highlight video of the 1982 Embassy World Championships. I made the purchase as a 12 year old on the day I was Confirmed in late April 1990. It was the same day that Stephen Hendry took on Jimmy White in the first day of the World final. But the excitement for me was of going home and playing my new purchase on the old video recorder. It would mainly feature the magnetic Alex Higgins in his prime, only eight years previous but a different generation for the game. For the past season (1989/90) I saw an older Alex Higgins play a different type of game, more workman like and grafting for his victories to get back into the elite’s top 16. Towards this dashing colourful figure that the video cassette brought me. My father said this would be a good video, he liked snooker, I don’t know if he loved it, but as a sportsman, he respected it or maybe tolerated it for me. It starts off with Alex Higgins in his famous green shirt, in relaxed mood in an interview, that he would like to see snooker go further, and he appreciated people playing good snooker against him, whatever anyone ever says, and then with a wink of the eye and a wishful smile it be nice to be the Peoples’ Champion again. BBC Snooker presenter, David Vine would come on, in his oversize glasses with grey suit, and say what a great fortnight it was at the Crucible, Sheffield. The first snooker action that the video shows was maybe one of the biggest shocks ever at the Crucible, coming in the first round. Steve Davis, number one seed, defending champion, and winning titles galore, since November 1980, would go into Sheffield as one of the shortest ever favourites of all time, but he never looked settled and was at odds with his game, losing 10-1 to Bolton’s Tony Knowles the video showing two frames of the match. It wouldn’t be the only shock in the first round, number three seed Terry Griffiths, who seemed to be the only 16

Cliff Thorburn and Alex Higgins feature on Rodney’s videos.

one to keep up with Davis through the 1981/82 season, winning two titles of his own, (the Lada Classic and Benson and Hedges Irish Masters), played Leicester’s Willie Thorne. They showed the ninth and last frame of the first session. At four frames, a colour battle ensured, which Thorne won, to lead 5-4. He went onto win the match 10-6. Next up was the number two seed from Canada, Cliff Thorburn, the 1980 World Champion, against a dangerous Londoner, 1980 World Amateur Champ, and a man that had won two titles of his own for the season (Langs Scottish Masters & Northern Ireland Classic) who played an attractive fluent game, Jimmy White. They showed the first frame, and White in his light brown suit, hair permed, knocked in a fluent 104 break, with Jack Karnehm raving about the youngster. It would start an affinity for the next decade as I always thought Karnehm would commentate on the Whirlwind with favourable eye. He wouldn’t be the only one, as the public were clamouring for him as well. White going back to his seat, lighting up a fag with Thorburn chatting to him about the break - different times. White beat Thorburn with ease 10-4, another seed out. At this stage David Vine cuts in and tells us that this isn’t the only shocks of the first round,

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Dennis Taylor, number five seed got ousted against Silvinio Francisco, 10-5. Number seven seed, Englishman David Taylor got beaten by Patsy Fagan 109, also Dean Reynolds, the youngest competitor at 19; beat the oldest competitor of the competition, 68 year old Fred Davis 10-5. Round two – enter The Hurricane, Alex Higgins, wearing blue shirt and light grey suit facing the previous year’s finalist, Welshman Doug Mountjoy. The highlights picks up on the first frame and the sixteenth frame. One of many great shots he played in that year’s championship, Higgins playing an extraordinary blue with extreme check side and cannoning the pink out for the first frame. The sixteenth frame shows Higgins at his brillant best for potting but then nearly throwing it away, but playing a clever diagonal double pink up to the green pocket to lead 9-7 and that would enable him to fall over the line, 13-12. I would ask all snooker fans to go back to YouTube and play the 25th frame; when you see it, some things were meant to be, meaning the stars were aligning for Alex. Down to the last eight, high break of the tournament, Willie Thorne making a beautiful, controlled 143 in his match against Higgins, in the ninth frame,

at 5-3 down. Willie going back to his chair chuffed to bits and having a conversation with Higgins, as Higgins blowing smoke in his eyes, and going away from the Leicester man, winning 13-10. Semi-finals time, The Hurricane in a colourful interview talking about the four semi-finalists, “Jimmy’s the youngest, he’s 20, Charlton’s whatever he is (never no love there between them), and that fella Dracula, well he can do anything with a full moon” laughing his head off. They show the two veterans’ match first, Ray Reardon, six time World Champion, and vying for his seventh, 49 years of age, against Eddie Charlton, 52 years old, the steady no side Australian, the man who looked to be the eternal bridesmaid when it came to this championship, losing twice in finals in the mid 70s and a challenge match for the title in 1968. The video enters the 26th frame, with Reardon, not only making a lovely 97 break, but going onto win the match 1611. On the next semi-final, Alex Higgins versus Jimmy White, the match of the tournament, with the press describing it as a Western Shootout with snooker cues and a match that would be at home in the Florida quays, a Hurricane versus a Whirlwind, the video showing six exciting frames of the 31 that was played. Eight years after and sitting down and watching it, the excitement of watching it, going toe to toe with outlandish pots, it would be fair to say Higgins hung on in that match after 28 frames, the score 15-13 to White. If White had been a bit more experienced he might have got to 16 frames before this stage. I haven’t seen the 31 frames, but I thought Higgins went potting with him, which I thought was the wrong tactic. But Higgins was never one to be outshone at a snooker table, maybe he felt a bit outdone by Jimmy, he was battling a 1972 version of himself. But back to the wall, Higgins could be at his most devastating, a street fighter through and through that hated losing, maybe only that hatred was bettered by Stephen Hendry in this regard. Winning the next three frames, with a 72, the famous 69 break and a 59 in the decider. Thirty eight years later that 69 break still holds up as one of the greatest breaks I’ve ever seen, as Higgins would say in another video made a decade later, “I’m no Angel, you miss and your dead”. The final, the same as the 1976 final, with Reardon the victor 27-16. What a contrast in the two players, but both enjoyed by the public in equal measure, Ray Reardon and Alex Higgins. Reardon who never tasted defeat up to this stage in a World final, Higgins

still had the 1980 World final defeat souring in his mouth, and eager to put the record straight with another World title. The People’s Champion video would show four frames of the final, the fourth with Higgins making a lovely artistic 119 missing the final pink for 132 at 2-1 down, the eighteenth frame – Reardon making a classy 95 at 10-7 down,

Snooker was where it was at. Not everyone’s cup of tea, especially with parents for their kids back then. I was very fortunate with my parents.Fast forward 15 months, in July 1991 I enter my first tournament in a club near I live - Caesar Palace in Anne Street, Wexford. Walking up the stairs of the premises on a Monday evening, all I was, was a shy awkward kid, who loved

THIRTY EIGHT YEARS LATER THAT 69 BREAK STILL HOLDS UP AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BREAKS I’VE EVER SEEN, AS HIGGINS WOULD SAY IN ANOTHER VIDEO MADE A DECADE LATER, “I’M NO ANGEL, YOU MISS AND YOUR DEAD”. thirtieth – Reardon stealing a frame, from a snooker and making a great brown to black clearance to make it 15 frames apiece and thirty third and final frame. Higgins making a splendid 135 and going out in style winning his second championship 18-15. Ten years after his first World title in 1972, and then the teary eyed presentation, with the music of The Entertainer and sketches of the fortnight at the Crucible for 1982 closing the video. This video would be shown on the BBC Christmas snooker special in 1982 as a slightly different format and showing different frames. I have to say that video was one of the greatest video’s/dvd’s I got, many a time I watched it, I think I wore the cassette out. Life isn’t the same when youngsters discover music, when they get an album of their favourite artist or band. Others will get their buzz from their favourite football teams. My rock n roll was snooker. I wanted to be like my heroes, and more so play like them.

a game of snooker, I didn’t know what would await me in this adult world of tournament snooker scene, nervous excitement as I reach the top step with my Riley two piece cue. The smell of fresh polish keen to make an impression to the punters hits me. I look across the three lit snooker tables in the front room, all beautifully ironed, newish enough cloths and balls shining, all spotted and ready for the tournament, big beautiful pictures of the 1980s snooker stars on the walls, players gathering around having hushed conversations, but itching for start time at 7pm. A new spiritual cult awaits me, hook, line and sinker, I dived passionately at it for it and its name, tournament snooker. My father Paddy chaperoned me, and what do I wear for my very first tournament match? A blue shirt similar to the one Alex Higgins wore making the famous 69 break against Jimmy White in their famous semifinal encounter that was shown in The People’s Champion video. I loved that shirt, mystical powers it had. ☺

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

POPULAR SNOOKER BLOGGER @SNOOKERBACKER PENS HIS REGULAR COLUMN

hey say in life that there are only two certainties, namely, death and taxes. But snooker fans of all ages know this not to be true, for we have our very own dark certainty which no scholar of snooker history can possibly deny when faced with unequivocal evidence, yes I’m talking about the C Word, no, not that one; I’m talking about the CURSE. Now, I’m not one to believe that some bloke waved his magic wand and created the Earth and all who dwell upon it several thousand years ago. I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that thinks once we pop our clogs we get to sit on a fluffy cloud surrounded by angels. But if you ask me to deny the existence of The Snooker Gods, even an old sceptic like me cannot bring himself to say the words, for I believe in The Crucible Curse and this year for the first time since 2016, the curse is back. Looking back through history we find that first time Crucible champions do not win the title the following year, it’s a snooker fact. All the greats of the modern game have tried and failed, 19 of them in total, stretching back to John Spencer in 1978 who went down in the Last 16 to Perrie Mans. It wasn’t Spencer’s first world title defence, but it was his first and last win at The Crucible that started this anomaly that has now become etched in snooker folklore. So when exactly did ‘The Curse’ begin to be discussed? Well, I believe this to have originated in 1982 when the mostly unbeatable Steve Davis was dumped out first round by The Bolton Stud, Tony Knowles. Davis was a castiron certainty to lift the title but turned up playing like a man with no eyes. The Snooker Gods had weaved their spell and there was nothing the hapless Nugget could do about it. Five others have failed to get over the first hurdle

as defending champion, including Stuart Bingham, the last recipient of the Snooker Gods torture treatment. After Stephen Hendry won his first title in 1990, the world was convinced The Wonder Bairn could break the Snooker Gods hold and smash the curse, but Brummie Biker Steve James had other ideas and sent him packing in the Quarter Finals. Even The Rocket couldn’t defy the Gods, after his first title he tried his best but this time it was Hendry himself, now on the payroll of the Gods who had caused him such misery a decade

THERE MAY NOT BE A CROWD THIS YEAR AT THE CRUCIBLE, BUT THE GODS DON’T NEED A TICKET. earlier, who made sure that Ronnie wouldn’t do what he couldn’t in a bad tempered semi-final. Perhaps surprisingly the two who have come closest to the impossible are Joe Johnson and Ken Doherty who each won 12 frames in the final the year after they lifted the trophy. So it would appear that this is the absolute limit the Gods will stretch to before hitting the brakes. Rumour has it they took more pleasure in these two than any of the others, dangling the curse

in front of the champion’s eyes only to snatch it back with a grin. Judd Trump this year becomes the 20th man to try and defy gravity. It’s been a funny old year and no mistaking, Judd is more mature in years than most of the other first time Crucible winners, but why should we even begin to believe that he can do what 19 others before him couldn’t? There may not be a crowd this year at The Crucible, but the Gods don’t need a ticket.

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R.A.C.C.S >> BY KEVIN PATRICK <<

R.A.C.C.S. STANDS FOR THE REFEREES ASSOCIATION FOR CANADIAN CUE SPORTS T he association was founded by Kevin Patrick who is the acting head snooker referee of Canada. It was created to provide consistent training and testing of all snooker and billiard referees across Canada. I started refereeing snooker regularly in 1982 after being certified by Graham Duncan. I was eventually upgraded to an examiner in 1994 by Armand Barbeau and had been training referees in Ontario and Quebec as well as one in BC and Manitoba since 1994. In 2000 formed R.A.C.C.S. and was recognized by C.B.S.A. (Canadian Billiards and Snooker Association) as the only recognized snooker referee training organization in Canada. In 2011 R.A.C.C.S. was asked to supply some referees For Snooker Canada for the World Under 21 I.B.S.F. Snooker Championships in Montreal and was the assistant head referee for this event. At this time I was also checked out by Maxime Cassis as per my referee training system. One of R.A.C.C.S. top referees Sylvain Ethier was asked to ref the final and showed others we are training refs very well here. R.A.C.C.S. provides all referees for the World Senior Snooker Tour Events that are held in Canada and works closely with Jason Francis at these events. We also sent a referee (Bob Jezequel) down to Texas to assist with a seniors event there. I have a tough system in Canada (closed book only) due to the fact that once you are certified as a Class 3 you will probably referee at the Canadian Snooker Championships or the

Cambridge Pro-Am Championship with players like Cliff Thorburn, Bob Chaperon, Alain Robidoux and now also the World Senior Qualifiers that are the only events that referees are used at this time. Candidates are asked to study the latest rules posted on the W.S.A. (W.P.B.S.A. Rules) web site before attending the referee seminar. Testing consists of about a four hour seminar to discuss the rules and their interpretation and how to referee a match and is followed by a hundred and twenty or so multiple choice and true and false question test which a candidate must receive a minimum 85% pass mark. Once a candidate passes their written tests they a given a table test involving two participants which are prepared to deliberately foul many times during their match. The candidate is marked on their table demeanor and ability to call the correct fouls as they occur. When a candidate has passed both the written and table portions they will be issued a Class 3 licence and

certificate as well as a pair of gloves and ball marker. All refs are expected to fill out forms of their history of events refereed etc and file them yearly with R.A.C.C.S. to remain in good standing. Progression to Class 2, Class 1 are based on experience and ability on the table. R.A.C.C.S. maintains a listing of all certified referees, test histories; Class updates and provides updates of rule changes etc. via E mail or mail as required. I also was involved with several English Billiards instructors such as Dan Lewis and Steve Starkie that did seminars in Winnipeg for several years and provided all licences based on their recommendations. Now R.A.C.C.S.is proud to announce we have a new billiards examiner in Winnepeg named Donald Senkiw who will be able to train and certify Billiard referees in Canada. R.A.C.C.S. referees and myself have refereed many C.B.S.A. Canadian Snooker Championships for many years and all since 2009. R.A.C.C.S. also provided referees for Snooker Canada for The Richler Cup for a few years. The big problem in Canada is the geography of how large the country is. R.A.C.C.S. goal is to have at least one examiner in each province. Also the goal would be to have all qualifiers for any major event to use certified referees at their events. R.A.C.C.S. is able to provide tournament directors the names of referees in their area or names of people that are available to travel to their events. Right now we are all waiting to see how snooker will proceed in Canada with the Covid 19 crisis which is a problem all over the world.

james@jrhmedia.co.uk | 07881 237868

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

REANNE EVANS LOOKING FOR CRUCIBLE GLORY

eanne Evans from Dudley, the current and 12 times Women’s World Snooker Champion, will take her latest tilt for Crucible glory on the 21st July in the World Professional Championship Qualifiers. With COVID-19 restricting the travel of the other two female players invited,

Reanne, 34, will once again be the only female player in the 144-strong field. Her task this year is not easy, drawn first round against former Crucible semi-finalist Andy Hicks but she does already have two notable performances from previous qualifiers, a narrow 10-8 defeat to 1997 World

Champion Ken Doherty and a victory that made global news when she defeated Robin Hull in 2017. Reanne is no longer seen by her professional colleagues as anything but a ‘very good snooker player’, the novelty of playing a women or it being something ‘odd’ have long since passed. In November she took 2005 World Snooker Champion Shaun Murphy to a deciding frame in the ITV Champion of Champions Event – the bigger the event and stage the better she seems to perform. Left handed, right handed and sometimes even one handed she is sure to be the focus of much attention when the qualifiers start. Reanne is proud to be teaming up with the Ectodermal Dysplasia Society during the World Snooker Championship to try to bring awareness to the work of the Charity who are helping families affected by Ectodermal Dysplasia. For those who want to find out more about the charity go to https://edsociety.co.uk/

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SNOOKER GETS ITS FIRST PREMIERE FEATURE FILM - DRIVE-IN STYLE… >> BY CHRIS GAYNOR OF SNOOKERZONE.CO.UK <<

nooker leads the way as a new film gets its premiere in London at a drive-in. Break is the brainchild of director Michael Elkin and also stars three snooker heroes in 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty, Chinese number two Liang Wenbo and the young talent Jack Lisowski. It’s co-produced by Ex-Hollyoaks actress Terri Dwyer, who also stars in the film and is a rags to riches Brit flick which sees snooker for the first time get a proper feature film from July 22nd in Brent Cross. In snooker flicks... The plots are often about revenge, or the desire to break free away from something, or someone. The central character has an issue either struggling with his identity in the world, or with another. Gangs. Knife crime. And drug violence all entwines into this new independent Brit flick. This new snooker flick follows a troubled but talented young character Spencer Pryde (Sam Gittens), struggling to find himself in a world where he has been sucked into a life of crime and violence – but – a chance encounter with a Chinese pool player Vince Qlang and a club owner Ray mean Spencer has the chance to turn his life around. Actor Rutger Hauer starred in his last screen role before he died. But can the young gifted talent Spencer, break away from his current struggles and make good? The new Break film has been described as “Rocky with a snooker cue…” Snooker has produced very few films. The Rat Pack… A kind of docu-film on the life of Alex Higgins and snooker in the 1980s, is the most famous and came to fame a few years ago, and sought to entice a new audience to fall in love with snooker through learning about the controversial characters and personalities of yesteryear – especially the Hurricane. Did it succeed? On the Warrior Film Productions site it’s described as “Rocky with a snooker cue” and has that British stereotypical feel about it. It has the typical rags to riches theme with a British independent twist to it. Terri Dwyer, one of the film’s producers wrote on her blog: “It’s the first feature film I’ve produced and I

also have the pleasure of starring in it with a ridiculously talented cast and crew.” Added on what made her want to be involved in the project, she said: “Well, something fell through and I found myself picking the script up the next day and I couldn’t put it down! I called him straight back and said ‘I Love it!’ We’ve been firm friends and business partners since. It wasn’t long after that moment that he asked me to produce it. “The first thing I did was bring on board Dean Fisher. I’ve known Dean for 20 years and knew he’d teach me and not just produce it and let me watch. I’ve learnt a huge amount from him and Michael and I have every faith that Break will be the success it deserves to be.” Your favourite snooker stars who’ve appeared and will appear on-screen…

The young talent Jack Lisowski will make an onscreen appearance in Break…

Snooker players are no stranger to screen appearances. The people’s Champion Jimmy White and John Virgo starred in a comedy film Perfect Break in 2016, where the ten times ranking event winner and six-times World finalist starred as the ‘host’ of an amateur snooker event, the Jimmy White invitational. Perfect Break… What if you found out you had been conned out of a major title? The central character Bobby Stevens (Joe Rainbow) had to face his demons and his nemesis Ray Carter (TJ Herbert) in a revenge match. (Ironically, TJ Herbert, the star of Perfect Break, also stars in Break as DCI Bly). Ironic. In Perfect Break, their previous televised championship match some years earlier had been supposedly fixed by a very manipulating girlfriend,

who possessed “hypnotic” powers. Bobby comes good both on the baize and off and falls for another girl, Kate, and the matchmaking “annoying” daughter Sophie. Snooker and its rawness on the screen… Those involved in snooker films have always tried to bring rawness and a down to earthiness of the characters and worlds the characters portray. In Perfect Break, for example, Bobby has confidence issues but is just a normal guy trying to make an honest crust from something he loves, until his world is destroyed by a selfish and manipulative money-grabbing girlfriend. Search Break on Youtube to watch the trailer… In the new film Break, the key slogan is “talent is a gift, don’t waste it.” This is a key theme running throughout past snooker films. Wasted talent. In the docu-film The Rat Pack, the talented Hurricane Alex Higgins was portrayed as having all the talent, but wasting it on drink and more. In Perfect Break, Bobby makes the most of his talent by getting revenge on Carter in the Jimmy White amateur tournament final. Perfect Break will be released on DVD in August and is available on Pre Order or Amazon Prime… You can also watch Jimmy White in Perfect Break too.

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

Stephen Hendry MBE

Seven time World Champion

Snooker Legends

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