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Just to say hello to this forum,
I am now 54 and have played snooker for some 47 years.
I play in Derby and have played in the local institute league since i was 11. (1966 to be exact)
i started playing at the nearby local ciu club that my mother worked at, i would go with her at weekends when i was about 6 or 7 and play about on the table while my mother went about her business,
i had some natural aptitude and started playing with some other young players in the local institutes leagues. These working mens clubs up and down the country formed the backbone i believe of snooker and billiard play.
also many teams came from places such as the fire brigade, police clubs, the post office, various works clubs, church clubs and other social clubs such as the British legions.
i would also play in my younger years at the local rileys club, which had quite a somewhat dubious reputation as a place where 'money' changed hands between the players! amongst other things.
In my late teens our family moved to a different area of Derby and i began playing for the local british legion team, i put in quite a bit of practice and improved somewhat. At my best i would describe myself as a very good club player, i practiced and played a hell of a lot in the 70's and 80's but began to tire a bit in the last 15 or so years. in practice in those times i would regularly have breaks in the 50's 60's and 70's, my best break is 117 which unbelievably was scored against my brother. Also on 99 with the blue to come with a long rest the table lights went off as the money meter had ran out, however a 20p piece saw me pot the blue for the ton!!
My best form was in the mid to late 1980's. i played well enough to win a couple of local intitute competitions. I think i am being reasonable to myself to say several of the better players in the institues knew they were in for a bit of a battle when they played me and i think they respected me for it. Alas my form has now withered but i still enjoy playing for my team work permitting, its just frustrating to remember you were once a good player!
The golden years of snooker in the 70's and 80's were mirrored in Derby with several snooker clubs opening, the local scene boomed with competitions every week sometimes for quite nice money prizes! I once won a christmas competition at one of the local clubs with £150 as top prize. a great day that was!
However despite having my moments i never really played to my full potential in matches suffering from both nerves and more important some basic poor decision making.
It has been sad to see Snooker in decline, what was a thriving scene in those years has now all but disappeared in Derby. Many of the local working mens clubs have gone along with most of the social clubs i mentioned above. Why has this happened? A big question and one which would include many factors, economic and social.
well Snooker was over exposed somewhat in the glory days of the 1980's, the younger members on this forum will not know that in the 1980's snooker was on tv perhaps every six weeks or so in the pro season, with ITV covering tournaments as well, ( i recall John Pulman and Jim Meadowcroft commentating and the events being introduced by Dickie Davies on world of sport) Also in a sense the pro's became more professional, and one seemed to see less 'characters' in the tourneys as young, purposeful but somewhat monotonous players took over. (save for Ronnie, Jimmy and one or two others)
Also in a social sense i presume young guys simply chose not to take up snooker! other pursuits claimed them.
For example in the popular years people would be lining up outside at 7.00pm opening time in their dozens to get on the tables at my local club. Sometimes you might only get to play 1 or 2 times a night there were so many players.
and the legion competions would attract over 100 players to the snooker k.o cup.!!
In those times the institute knock outs also would attract many players, but now one can get through to a quarter final without playing a game!
In my time i have played and lost to all of Derby's best players! several of which became professional players, such as a young scamp called Munraj Pal ( a lovely lad) who hit a magnificent 126 against me in the local league, i played once against a young David Roe at the local church club he started at (Queens hall) a fantastic player and talent who has not quite acheived his full potential on the pro front. Derby had some very fine amateur players in its time indeed though.
well i am sure there is more to say but thats enough for now, hopefully being on this forum can reignite some of my enthusiam for the game, a great game it is to.
Cheers BBG
I am now 54 and have played snooker for some 47 years.
I play in Derby and have played in the local institute league since i was 11. (1966 to be exact)
i started playing at the nearby local ciu club that my mother worked at, i would go with her at weekends when i was about 6 or 7 and play about on the table while my mother went about her business,
i had some natural aptitude and started playing with some other young players in the local institutes leagues. These working mens clubs up and down the country formed the backbone i believe of snooker and billiard play.
also many teams came from places such as the fire brigade, police clubs, the post office, various works clubs, church clubs and other social clubs such as the British legions.
i would also play in my younger years at the local rileys club, which had quite a somewhat dubious reputation as a place where 'money' changed hands between the players! amongst other things.
In my late teens our family moved to a different area of Derby and i began playing for the local british legion team, i put in quite a bit of practice and improved somewhat. At my best i would describe myself as a very good club player, i practiced and played a hell of a lot in the 70's and 80's but began to tire a bit in the last 15 or so years. in practice in those times i would regularly have breaks in the 50's 60's and 70's, my best break is 117 which unbelievably was scored against my brother. Also on 99 with the blue to come with a long rest the table lights went off as the money meter had ran out, however a 20p piece saw me pot the blue for the ton!!
My best form was in the mid to late 1980's. i played well enough to win a couple of local intitute competitions. I think i am being reasonable to myself to say several of the better players in the institues knew they were in for a bit of a battle when they played me and i think they respected me for it. Alas my form has now withered but i still enjoy playing for my team work permitting, its just frustrating to remember you were once a good player!
The golden years of snooker in the 70's and 80's were mirrored in Derby with several snooker clubs opening, the local scene boomed with competitions every week sometimes for quite nice money prizes! I once won a christmas competition at one of the local clubs with £150 as top prize. a great day that was!
However despite having my moments i never really played to my full potential in matches suffering from both nerves and more important some basic poor decision making.
It has been sad to see Snooker in decline, what was a thriving scene in those years has now all but disappeared in Derby. Many of the local working mens clubs have gone along with most of the social clubs i mentioned above. Why has this happened? A big question and one which would include many factors, economic and social.
well Snooker was over exposed somewhat in the glory days of the 1980's, the younger members on this forum will not know that in the 1980's snooker was on tv perhaps every six weeks or so in the pro season, with ITV covering tournaments as well, ( i recall John Pulman and Jim Meadowcroft commentating and the events being introduced by Dickie Davies on world of sport) Also in a sense the pro's became more professional, and one seemed to see less 'characters' in the tourneys as young, purposeful but somewhat monotonous players took over. (save for Ronnie, Jimmy and one or two others)
Also in a social sense i presume young guys simply chose not to take up snooker! other pursuits claimed them.
For example in the popular years people would be lining up outside at 7.00pm opening time in their dozens to get on the tables at my local club. Sometimes you might only get to play 1 or 2 times a night there were so many players.
and the legion competions would attract over 100 players to the snooker k.o cup.!!
In those times the institute knock outs also would attract many players, but now one can get through to a quarter final without playing a game!
In my time i have played and lost to all of Derby's best players! several of which became professional players, such as a young scamp called Munraj Pal ( a lovely lad) who hit a magnificent 126 against me in the local league, i played once against a young David Roe at the local church club he started at (Queens hall) a fantastic player and talent who has not quite acheived his full potential on the pro front. Derby had some very fine amateur players in its time indeed though.
well i am sure there is more to say but thats enough for now, hopefully being on this forum can reignite some of my enthusiam for the game, a great game it is to.
Cheers BBG
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