Billy Castle pockets sponsorship deal

Steve Rutherford, who took over the Marchwood club last September, is sponsoring England international Billy Castle in a new EASB national competition that starts today.

All six legs of the North East Derbyshire Snooker Centre Under-21 Series will be played at Clay Cross, near Chesterfield.

Rutherford (pictured above with Castle) said: “I have played Billy on many occasions over the past few months since taking over Cue T’s – or should I say picked the balls out of the pockets for him.

“Not only is Billy a very talented young snooker player, but he has shown his maturity on and off the table and has the personality to become a great champion. We at Cue T’s wish him every success for the future.”

Castle, 19, who lives in Marchwood and is five points clear of Oliver Douglas at the top of the Cuestars South of England Championship Tour rankings, said: “It’s great that (Rutherford) carried on from the previous owners and sponsored me for the Chesterfield Under-21s.”

Rutherford added that he hopes the extra exposure will land Castle a similar deal to his cousin Shane Castle, who was signed last year by player management company On Q Promotions.

“I appreciate that the costs of entering tournaments can be difficult for these young players to meet,” he explained. “By sponsoring Billy this year I hope to increase his chances in getting recognised and getting the break that he needs just like his cousin.”