Player Information

Nickname/Web username: Stu
Year of birth: 1988
Year started playing pool: 2004
Current team: The Entertainers

Background

Stuart Robertson is one of the younger crop of players coming through in the EKPL at just 24, although you would be forgiven to think he is a veteran due to his acheivements in such a fairly short time playing. Starting out in the pool league at just 16, Stuart is a multiple League and Robert Black Cup winner, and also won the league in 2006 in his first season with the Entertainers. He’s been a mainstay in Superleague teams for the last five years and has featured in multiple ‘A’ teams. A product of Club 2000 where Stuart served his apprenticeship, Stuart moved to the Entertianers in 2006, and has captained the team this year along with Grant McNairn. Outwith playing pool, Stuart is also an active committee member, and is currently the IM rep.

Singles Information

Aspirations for the current season:
Want to have a good run in the EK Singles (hoping for semi finals), have a record of 75%+ in the league and win a tournament.

Greatest pool achievement in singles:
Beating Grant McNairn 5-0 in a tournament earlier this year in under 20 minutes.

Honours in singles competition
Won one of Oby’s tournaments earlier this year and a Club 2000 Christmas Tournament in 2005. That’s my lot, hopefully that wll change this year.

Team Information

Aspirations for the current season:
To win everything.

Greatest pool achievement with a team:
Winning the league in 2006, reaching semi finals of B team Superleague 15s in 2009, reaching quarter finals of Superleague 11s in 2010.

Honours in team competition
League Winners 2006. Robert Black Cup Winners 2006, 2007, 2011. League Cup Winners 2007, 2010,2011

Cue

Make: No idea.
Acquired: Uk 8Ball website a few years back, not even sure if site still exists.
Cost: £70
Tip size: 7mm
Who retips it? Oby

General Questions

Who, or what, inspired you to play?
My dad used to hammer me every year on holiday never giving me a chance. I swore that one day I’d get to a level that I could do the same back. My brother joined the league and a couple of years later took over the Club 2000 team, and I joined then. Played for 18 months or so but my temperament was terrible and I was on the verge of giving it up as I didn’t think I was getting anywhere. Became friends and practise partners with Oby and he has been without doubt the biggest influence on my progress since then.

Favourite EK team you have played in?
The Entertainers

Favourite EK team you haven’t played in?
The Emeralds…..haha, aye right. The Sharpshooters team (RIP)

Best player you have ever played against?
Mark O’Brien or Ian Livingstone. Oby is a great finisher and it is so dificult to find a single weakness in his game. Livvy because he nevers knows when he’s beaten. Both are brilliant at taking away finishes that hurt you, when you are expecting another chance. Glad both play in my team rather than against me.

Best player you have played alongside?
Same as above. Won so many crucial frames over the years, great team players who can be relied upon to pull out big finishes when needed.

Favourite pro players (Pool or Snooker):

• MarkAllen
• Ding Junhui
• Davie MacKinnon

Who is your bogey player?
Ian Livingstone and Scott Collins when he used to play. Livvy is just a nightmare to play against, safety is very good and his potting is better. Scott I used to dread drawing in tournaments, very good all round player, and he makes you work so hard for every frame. Hard to get into your stride against him, and a match for anyone on his day.

What’s the one match that sticks in your memory
Beating the Hotshots 8-6 from 6-2 down in 2006, the year we won the league. The game was played upstairs in the Murray and at 6-2 down we looked beaten. A combination of poor play, bottle crashing and good luck helped us win that night, and that game probably won us the league. Thanks Tich! Beating Avondale 8-7 from 7-1 down at the Superleague was a game I won’t forget either, to this day no idea how we won that one. Smithy playing the decider helped!

What would you say your best pool attribute is?
My perfect cue action……..! Nah, would probably say my ability at doubling a ball. What started off as a weakness (having to play them as my positional play was non existant) has helped me a lot, as it’s now a shot I deliberately leave. Winning a frame with a double hurts your opponent more than a normal pot and over the years it is a shot that has dug me out of some rather large holes in matches.

How would you rate the current standard of pool in EK?
Three very good teams selected for the Superleague 11s in March suggests that as an area, we are getting stronger and stronger. I also think that whereas 3 or 4 years ago the Superleague teams were the same guys year after year, a lot more players are getting chances nowadays, and that is reflected by so many new faces representing EK teams in superleagues.

What do you think we could do to raise the standard of pool in EK?
A new pool venue is badly needed in the area and this in my opinion holds us back. To get quality practice, players have to go outwith East Kilbride which is a shame.

Anything else you would like to say?
I have been described by a few people as a bad loser (some in less polite terms) – I’d completely agree with them all. Losing on a Tuesday ruins my night, and while I admire the temperament of guys like Oby and Billy who rarely if ever lose the plot, that will never be me.

To me there is no better feeling in pool than winning a big frame for your team, whether it be on a Tuesday night or at the Superleague. The day I stop feeling like that will be the day I stop playing.

I love nothing more than taking part in a noisy game on a Tuesday night and while they have come in for criticism over the years, I hope the Top Guns never fold as the league wouldn’t be the same place without them and the level of noise you have to put up with when you play them. The highlight of my season is games against them, no doubt about it and I’d happily play against them every other week.

To finish off, I’ve plenty I still want to achieve in EK pool, but considering a few well known EK players said I had no chance of doing well when I started out due to my cue action (what cue action?), I’m happy with what I’ve achieved. Even if I never hit another ball, I’ve won the EK Pool League, won several cups, and played for the A team at the Superleague.

Not bad for “a boy who just pots baws”.