Cliff Wilson - wow you just hit on another player who I had some great memories with. You talk about a fast player with deadly accuracy and maybe as good a potter as has played the game, that was Cliff Wilson.
He was the man's man and one thing only his friends and family knew about him - could he ever sing! I stayed with Cliff and his charming wife when i was in Newport for the Regal Welsh championships. He told me the only two people he ever let stay at his place was Kirk (Stevens) and me - guess he liked the Canadians. Anyway we head off to his local pub one night and when he entered everybody and their dog said hi to him. They all knew Cliff. After a few pints they coaxed him into a song and I was shocked, this guy should have been on stage somewhere, he could give Tom Jones the wild 8!! (for the pool fans out there). In snooker terms, two blacks. Of course my memory of that night faded fast because after two beers i was a goner and anybody that knows me will ask you how I managed to get two beers down me before passing out.
Another thing about Cliff, he had this huge boxer that he loved second only to his wife. He was kissing this dog smack on the mouth one night and the dog was slobbering all over him, thats true love. What a character Cliff was.
I remember getting a story from him through another friend of ours that he had just seen the best snooker player he had ever witnessed. A young scrawny left hander who reminded him of himself when he was a teenager. The scrawny kids name - Mark Williams.
I sure miss him. I used to call his wife every time I was in Newport, even after I retired when I was there doing commentary at the Regal Welsh Open for BBC Wales. She was with Cliff wherever he went and when he played, she was in the front row always close by. And she used to just shake her head and laugh at all of Cliff's antics, I miss seeing her too. They were perfect for each other.
These are the times I miss and the snooker players of that generation were a different breed to today's players. I think the players today are a different class, miles better and younger. But back then there wasn't enough money in the sport for anybody to be phony or pretentious so we genuinely hung around together and were real friends. Plus there weren't nearly as many players back then either so we saw each other much more frequently.
Hope you enjoy a few of these. Time tends to alter a person's perception of actual accounts but these are not far from the truth. And thanks again for allowing me to think back about some terrific people who knew which end of the cue to use as well.
Last Cliff Wilson story, just remembered it:
He used to put on all his own cue tips, wouldn't let anybody touch his cue. I was awful at doing tips but I always tried to do my own. Anyway Cliff and I are practicing at his house one afternoon and my tip comes off. He starts putting a tip on my cue and licks the back end of the tip. I said what are you doing licking my tip? He says the saliva seals the tip so the glue won't soak into it when you glue it to the cue, this allows it to adhere better. Never knew that - now to this day I lick the back of my cue tip when i change them. Thanks Cliff!!
:thumbup:
