It’s been a funny old year

IN AMONGST the glorious highs and the heart-breaking lows of a dramatic year on the green baize, Cuestars players have (sometimes unwittingly) produced some laugh-out-loud moments.

JANUARY

New Cuestars sponsor Ian Bell, boss of Poole-based decorating contractor Bell’s Decor Ltd, reckons nothing has changed since he was a youngster on the junior circuit.

The 28-year-old said: “The parents are still sat there biting their fingernails and the kids are just potting balls for fun.”

FEBRUARY

David O’Callaghan won the Cuestars Silver leg in Fareham despite dislocated his left knee while competing in the Dorset Open at the Ambassador Club in Poole at the end of January.

Explaining the somewhat unusual injury, he said: “I was coming round to get the rest and I caught my pocket on the corner pocket and it twisted my knee.”

And he admitted: “It was painful.”

MARCH

Christian Chislett, an ethical computer hacker who struggles to get his cue on line, wins his first Cuestars Championship Tour event in Bournemouth.

SEPTEMBER

Dan Hammond was mistaken for a drug dealer while sitting in his car during a long wait between matches on the Cuestars Seniors Tour in Bournemouth.

Staff at the Kings Arms pub, which shares a car park with the snooker club, became suspicious of the man on his phone.

Two of then tapped on his window and asked if he was all right. Once Hammond explained he was actually in a snooker tournament, they revealed their concerns that he was a drug dealer!

NOVEMBER

It was only funny if you weren’t competing in or organising the event!

A total of 48 players turned up for the third leg of the Cuestars Championship Tour at the nine-table Top Spot Snooker Club, Havant. The final ended at eight minutes past midnight.

The following Sunday, Wayne Muddiman (pictured) got lost in the Swindon Station car park, arrived late at the 147 Snooker Club for the third leg of the Cuestars Seniors Tour, won the event and got lost trying to find the exit from the car park.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

Have you got any snooker news?

Send me your snooker news now. It doesn’t have to be from a Cuestars tournament. E-mail me details or contact me via Facebook and you could be on the Cuestars website and in your local newspaper. E-mail: [email protected]

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)