He seems to be saying there is more action and more tournaments and more money. Which I agree with. I don't read that as saying the level of skill is higher. In the UK, the main cue sport is snooker. And also gambling matches aren't as big in Europe.
He's actually a living example of what I'm talking about. Which American plays at Appleton's level except for Shane? Nobody. There's a big gap between Shane and everyone else in the US. Europe has more people at the very top level. Mika, Niels, etc.
You have to read towards the bottom of the interview ... He was asked specifically how America has affected his game and how the Eurotour compares to America. I won't pretend to be a Eurotour expert when I am not. I am just trying to interpret and understand Appleton's response. Reading this doesn't sound too convincing for your arguments. How do you guys interpret this?
Pro9 Do you feel you have genuinely benefited professionally from this relocation? Do you feel you have performed better in the majority of tournaments overall, or would you have had the same success no matter where you were based? Do you think there are other European players who could benefit from doing the same as you?
Darren I think my game is sharper, I'm more active and I'm learning all the time. Trust me, people haven't seen the best of me yet. I'm still improving but we will see, I'm still young to American pool, but moving to the States was a great move for my career. It was also great for my private life, I met amazing people and I feel more appreciated in the States with the fans in general. I'm sure if I lived anywhere else, I would still be successful, but who knows. When I lived in England, I was successful, but
I still felt my game would improve more in the States... so that was the goal.
I'm sure other players would benefit if they spent more time in the States. Phil Burford, for example... his game looks strong now and he looks better mentally also. I'm sure someone like Jayson Shaw, who, for me, is an unbelievable talent in the UK, would improve so much more in the States... especially on this tougher equipment and none of the magic stuff. He would get a lot of action over here and also learn so many different games like one pocket, bank pool, straight pool, etc. It makes a big difference to your knowledge, which is the only weak part of a lot of Brits, is lack of knowledge. So I'm sure it will benefit all the guys if they spent more time in the USA.
Pro9 How do you think the European tournaments stack up against the ones in the USA? Is there anything we can learn from how they do things in America, are we missing out on anything over here? Conversely, what do you think the top Americans would make of the GB 9 Ball Tour and the EPBF Euro Tour if they were able to come over here and attend an event or two? Can we be rightly proud of what we have right here on our doorstep?
Darren In the UK, we have so many raw talents coming through. The standard and numbers rose so much over the last few years since the 8ball lads followed me after my success. They all steam-rolled over, which is amazing. More and more have come over each year and the GB9 is growing all the time. I'm pretty proud of what I have done and got 8ball lads to see the light - that
American pool is so much better and has a potentially much better future in regards to exposure, titles, money etc. With the world of Lee Rigby and his staff, it's getting bigger and bigger. There are also MMTV events that Andy Appleton runs, plus all the local events. It's a real buzz in the UK for 9ball and it's great to see. When I first started playing, there was nothing really... just a handful of players in the Yorkshire area. How things have changed, wow. It will only get better, UK pool players will dominate in Europe for sure in the future, but I suspect the likes of Jayson Shaw and other youngsters coming through will do serious damage on the world stage. It's an exciting future for Great Britain in the pool world.
I think the GB9 is great and there is not much to change there. It's the players' tour and run for the players, so it's a happy camp and will grow... especially with Lee Rigby.
European tour, the playing conditions are better than past. The huge pockets have gone, but I feel the races are too short and the prize money very poor for what it is.
The States, I like the tournaments here because it's rack your own and on Diamond tables 90% of the time. In my opinion, Diamonds are the best tables in world and most events have double elimination, which I like. The venues are much better in the States, with the arena and seating for spectators and introduction for the players gives you that buzz. They don't stop professionals from playing local tournaments. In Europe, they just handicap the players. It really is a disadvantage to be a professional in the UK, especially if you're not in the elite top 6-8 players. For example, my brother turned pro this year he hardly played any pool this year. It has nothing to do with play as 90% of the tournaments are one day tournaments. He's not quite at the top 8 level, so last year when he was amateur he was playing every week and did great. It's a shame these guys get shut out... that would never happen in the States or Asia.
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