I was just thinking about my younger days playing snooker in England. When I was about 7yrs old Snooker was VERY big in England and I watched it all the time. One Christmas my parents bought me a little Fuzball table, I never played with it. I would unscrew the pole like legs and take the ball and then get on my hands and knees and shoot the ball all around the carpet no OB just a foozball ball. my dad thought I was mental but about a year later he asked me if I wanted to go to the local club and play for real. This was awesome, I got to spend time with my dad and play snooker. I got the hang of it fairly quiclly and my dad would take me every Saturday night to play. Before long I was beating his friends he was so proud of me, and that was something I wanted. It made me try harder and the better I got the prouder he got.
Fast forward a few years I am now 15yrs old and Snooker is bigger than ever (The 80's). People in the town I am from would talk about a local pro that never really won anything big BUT he was a Pro Snooker player and that made him god like to the local snooker fans. His name was Joe Johnson. I had secured a little job at the local snooker club that started at 6.00am and my duties were to brush and iron all the tables in the morning before they opened. 25 tables, all 12fters so it took alot of time, mypay for this 7 days a week job was table time. Meaning I couldplay anytime as long as I wanted for free.
Having free table time was a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that I lived and breathed snooker the bad thing is that instead of doing my job and leaving for school I just stayed at the snooker club all day and misses the last year of school (you can leave school at 15 in the UK).
One morning I got a call from the owner of the club telling me to clean the match table first and also wash the balls. Joe Johnson was coming in to practice for Sheffield. Anyone who knows snooker knows that Sheffield is where the World Championship is held. I was excited that a local celeb and great player was coming in and there was nobody here but me.
I got everything done and here he comes through the door, I said "Hello Mr Johnson, I have the table all set up for you." My eyes were probably as big as plates. he threw the balls around and began tojust warm up. I could not help myself, I know he probably wanted to be left alone to practice thats why he was in so early and practicing for the biggest event inthe world. I gingerly walked over and said "Excuseme Mr Johnson but do youmind if I watch while you practice?" He looked at me and the words came out in slow motion "You can play if you like" WTF ?? WTF?? my head began to spin how fast can I unpack my cue I turned around to get my case and he said "Hey call me Joe will you?" "EERM erm yeah yeah sure JOE"
I played with him almost everyday for 2 weeks before the world Championships. The whole of Yorkshire was watching was watching as the 1,000 to 1 shot from Bradford moved through the rounds. He makesit to the final, the whole town, County, country and world are going crazy about Joe Johnson the under dog in the World finals against none other than the man himself Steve Davis. To put this into perspective, its like a local golf pro at you local course plaing in the final round with Tiger. Joe's game was just on fire, he beat Steve Davis easy. Joe is now the World Champion and famous throughout the world. A couple of weeks go by and one night the snooker club was packed myself and a bunch ofother people are sat watchingTV and in walks The World Champion. The room goes deadly silent for a few seconds as the whispers go around the room "Joe Johnson is here, Joe Johnson is here" then the room erupts in applause and cheers. Everyone wants to be near him, shake his hand etc. Now here is where I must have seemed like a total dick to all at the club. Joe yells across to me"Hey Mark, you want to play a couple frames?" Now you got to know that every single person in that room would have given a arm tohave that opportunity. All heads turn to see who is he talking to,who is the lucky guy. I kinda scrunched up my face and looked at my watch and said "yeah, ok but it's gonna have to be a quick one cos candid camers comes on in 45 mins" What a stupid ungrateful thing to say and arrogant to say the least. I always reget saying that. Well everyone put the championship down to a flash inthe pan until thenext year he made the finals again. Again against Steve Davis, however this time Steve was not going to take this lightly and did the same thing as had been done to him the year before.
This is one of my fondest memorys of my younger days and something that maybe changed my life and kept me playing and being involved in cuesports. Sorry for going on so long I just wantedto share that month of my life with you.
Fast forward a few years I am now 15yrs old and Snooker is bigger than ever (The 80's). People in the town I am from would talk about a local pro that never really won anything big BUT he was a Pro Snooker player and that made him god like to the local snooker fans. His name was Joe Johnson. I had secured a little job at the local snooker club that started at 6.00am and my duties were to brush and iron all the tables in the morning before they opened. 25 tables, all 12fters so it took alot of time, mypay for this 7 days a week job was table time. Meaning I couldplay anytime as long as I wanted for free.
Having free table time was a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that I lived and breathed snooker the bad thing is that instead of doing my job and leaving for school I just stayed at the snooker club all day and misses the last year of school (you can leave school at 15 in the UK).
One morning I got a call from the owner of the club telling me to clean the match table first and also wash the balls. Joe Johnson was coming in to practice for Sheffield. Anyone who knows snooker knows that Sheffield is where the World Championship is held. I was excited that a local celeb and great player was coming in and there was nobody here but me.
I got everything done and here he comes through the door, I said "Hello Mr Johnson, I have the table all set up for you." My eyes were probably as big as plates. he threw the balls around and began tojust warm up. I could not help myself, I know he probably wanted to be left alone to practice thats why he was in so early and practicing for the biggest event inthe world. I gingerly walked over and said "Excuseme Mr Johnson but do youmind if I watch while you practice?" He looked at me and the words came out in slow motion "You can play if you like" WTF ?? WTF?? my head began to spin how fast can I unpack my cue I turned around to get my case and he said "Hey call me Joe will you?" "EERM erm yeah yeah sure JOE"
I played with him almost everyday for 2 weeks before the world Championships. The whole of Yorkshire was watching was watching as the 1,000 to 1 shot from Bradford moved through the rounds. He makesit to the final, the whole town, County, country and world are going crazy about Joe Johnson the under dog in the World finals against none other than the man himself Steve Davis. To put this into perspective, its like a local golf pro at you local course plaing in the final round with Tiger. Joe's game was just on fire, he beat Steve Davis easy. Joe is now the World Champion and famous throughout the world. A couple of weeks go by and one night the snooker club was packed myself and a bunch ofother people are sat watchingTV and in walks The World Champion. The room goes deadly silent for a few seconds as the whispers go around the room "Joe Johnson is here, Joe Johnson is here" then the room erupts in applause and cheers. Everyone wants to be near him, shake his hand etc. Now here is where I must have seemed like a total dick to all at the club. Joe yells across to me"Hey Mark, you want to play a couple frames?" Now you got to know that every single person in that room would have given a arm tohave that opportunity. All heads turn to see who is he talking to,who is the lucky guy. I kinda scrunched up my face and looked at my watch and said "yeah, ok but it's gonna have to be a quick one cos candid camers comes on in 45 mins" What a stupid ungrateful thing to say and arrogant to say the least. I always reget saying that. Well everyone put the championship down to a flash inthe pan until thenext year he made the finals again. Again against Steve Davis, however this time Steve was not going to take this lightly and did the same thing as had been done to him the year before.
This is one of my fondest memorys of my younger days and something that maybe changed my life and kept me playing and being involved in cuesports. Sorry for going on so long I just wantedto share that month of my life with you.
I'm glad I didn't though. Never in a million years did I think I would get the chance to play my favorite pool player of all time. Even though I got spanked it is still a memory I will never forget.
