Sponsorship deal for Silver Tour player

IT WAS certainly an opportune moment for a potential sponsor to walk through the door.

Eastleigh teenager Connor Benzey was right on cue when a representative from Pitman Training Winchester popped into Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club during a competition.

The first thing that Paul Lawrence saw was the 13-year-old knock in a 45 break.

Benzey followed that with a 39 in the next frame and then beat Lawrence in a friendly.

Suitably impressed, the group business manager for the Winchester, Southampton and Bristol franchises committed to a year-long sponsorship deal on the spot.

“Connor’s got a lovely cue action and is fluent around the table,” he said. “He’s a quiet lad, really polite and seems to have a really nice temperament. He looks very promising.

“He’s the sort of lad we’d like to promote and be associated with. We look forward to seeing Connor develop.”

Benzey, who has been working with World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley for two years, has a high break in competition of 53 and competes on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Silver Tour. He is entering this year’s English Under-14 Championship and hopes to make his debut on the EASB Regional Junior Tour South next season.

When Martin Ladd, Director of Pitman Training Winchester, received one of the leaflets that Connor’s mum, Sam, had spent six months distributing to Hampshire businesses, he passed it on to his resident snooker expert.

Recognising the surname, Lawrence, who plays for Park Gate RBL B, made some enquiries as he knew a Mark Benzey, the 2001 Town Champion, from the Southampton Super League.

He discovered that Connor was Mark’s son and arranged a meeting.

Pitman Training, founded by Sir Isaac Pitman who invented his own form of shorthand in 1837, runs courses worldwide in a range of subjects from typing to accounting.

Benzey is also receiving financial backing from exclusive tea manufacturer Ahmad Tea, whose offices are a stone’s throw from Chandler’s Ford SC behind the Central Precinct.

“We got two sponsors within the space of a couple of weeks,” said Sam. “I can’t believe it.”

And she added: “We’re very proud of Connor. He’s come a long way. He works hard and just needs the extra push to get a little bit further.”

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley. Paul Lawrence (left) and Connor Benzey.