Player Information
Nickname/Web username: Living Legend
Year of birth: 1982
Year started playing pool: 1988
Current team: Hunters
Singles Information
Aspirations for the current season:
To win our team’s player of the year.
Greatest pool achievement in singles:
Getting to a Masters/Poolmania Final, eventually losing out to Colin Phillip.
Honours in singles competition
None of any note, although I have won a few tournaments in the Hunters but that’s about it.
Team Information
Aspirations for the current season:
Finish in the top 8.
Greatest pool achievement with a team:
Finishing in the top 6 one year. We needed to beat the Flukesters on the last day to finish ahead of the Top Guns and we won.
Honours in team competition
Won the Silver Cup with the Sharpshooters in the one year I played with them.
Cue
Make: Snooker Craft
Acquired: Shop in Shawlands I think.
Cost: £75
Tip size: 10mm
Who retips it? Me, although I should ask Oby to do it as the best I ever played was after Oby done my tip once!
General Questions
Who, or what, inspired you to play?
I had always played pool from a very young age in pubs on holiday and at caravan parks and used to beat older guys all the time and loved it. I used to play American 8 ball for years before I started playing English 8 ball. Me and my mate used to play at Churchills every weekend for about 6 years and I could never beat him until one day it just clicked and I learned how to play with a bit of side on the white. I beat him and he never beat me after that! I really got into 8 ball when the hunters opened in 1998 I think it was, and the rest is history.
Favourite EK team you have played in?
Mine, the Hunters!
Favourite EK team you haven’t played in?
Entertainers.
Best player you have ever played against?
Hard one this, I would need to say two players or none. Colin Philip because at his best he just didn’t miss and was a joy to watch taking out finish after finish (although wasn’t a joy in the masters final when he beat me). Also, Oby who must be, in my opinion, the most consistant player I have seen. I’ve never seen him play bad, and he can play any style, which makes him so hard to beat.
Best player you have played alongside?
Again so hard to pick after playing with so many players over the last thirteen years, but I would need to say Bomber (Davie McKinnon). We used to play doubles together and one year we only lost one doubles game in the league, and it was Bomber that blew it! But seriously, I always knew how good he could be and he’s showing it now, although he still can’t beat me!.
Favourite pro players (Pool or Snooker):
- Earl the Pearl Strickland for pure entertainment
- Jayson Shaw for making the game look so easy
- Efren Reyes for making the white ball dance
Who is your bogey player?
In tournaments, Arthur Russo, I just can’t beat him. I think he beat me 4/5 times in 2 years. In the league, probably Billy Edmond. I have played him probably 4/5 times over the years in the league and never won, although I did draw 8-8 with him in one of Obys tournaments…I think that was the only point I got!
What’s the one match that sticks in your memory
Again a very hard one as there has been so many in the team and some great games I have played in tournaments. The match I will never forgot is being 7-1 up on the Hustlers when it was 12 frames or beating the Hotshots one of the years they won they league and we had four dishes in a row.
Although the one that sticks out is not a great memory but does stick. Our final game in the Hunters before they were getting rid of the table, which was about 6/7 years ago, so it was quite emotional. We were playing the Top Guns and was a great match. Andy [Mason] dished to put them 6-4 up, then I dished for 6-5. The last frame took forever but the Top Guns eventually won it. At the time they were still unbeaten and top of the table with an excellent team including Smithy, Davie Dewar and Davie Angus. Anyway, Sinky jumped on top of the table when they won and started shouting all sorts and shouting “nobody can beat us”, however I think he upset Kenny. The Top Guns lost the league that year after losing their last three games, or drawing one and losing two, I can’t quite remember, but it looked like they had it in the bag.
What’s would you say your best pool attribute is?
Never giving up, and battling away to win frames that look lost. I enjoy tactical pool as much as taking out finishes.
How would you rate the current standard of pool in EK?
I think pool in EK is of a good standard but could be better, but we have always done fairly well at Super Leagues, so hopefully a win is just round the corner.
What do you think we could do to raise the standard?
It would be great if we had the Masters/Poolmania again, with ranking points etc., because I think that would bring through more players and keep standards high. I started playing tournaments properly in the Masters/Poolmania and got much better in a short space of time. When Oby and Kev were running Poolmania we had 64 players and I loved that year playing…except playing Arthur Russo who beat me three times!
Anything else you would like to say?
My game has massively been affected over the last two years. As most of you know, I had big Dennis Taylor glasses for about six years or so, and for the last two years I have been without them because, somehow, when they are doing them for me now with my new prescription they are blurry. And so I haven’t really played or have played just now and again with my small glasses, which I hate and just can’t play with them. I got new Dennis Taylor’s recently and they are still blurry although I can move them a bit which means they are not as bad, but not perfect. I’ll hopefully get them sorted properly soon so I can get back playing like I know I can, and maybe enter a tournament for the first time in about 4/5 years. I’d also like to get back playing in the Super League, as I was in the B team for years and know I’m good enough when I sort my glasses out to be playing at that level. I’d also like to captain the B2 team again at some point in the future, or even a B3 team, as I love helping younger and less experienced players, and bringing players on which is maybe something for the future and may help EK for the future of our pool.