New pro Billy Castle returns to his roots

IT WAS the day that new professional Billy Castle came home.

The 24-year-old returned to his roots to play exhibition frames against nine members of the Saturday morning junior leagues at Chandlers Ford Snooker Club.

Castle, who qualified for the World Snooker Tour through Q School in May after winning the Cuestars Championship Tour, began his career as an 11-year-old in the Under-12 League.

“For me to come back as a pro was something I’ve only dreamed of doing,” he said.

“I wanted to show the lads that hard work and believing in yourself can make dreams become reality.

“They are such a good bunch of youngsters. It reminded me of when I was coming through. All credit to the club.”

The first player to complete the journey from the club’s junior leagues to the professional circuit raced into a 7-0 lead.

In a last ditch attempt to snatch at least one win for his young guns, club owner Ray Cooper unveiled his secret weapons.

He brought on William Thomson, who celebrated his fifth birthday a fortnight ago and is currently second in Division 1 of the Under-13 League.

But the pint-sized potter failed to win the psychological battle by sitting on his mum Zoe’s knee while Castle embarked on a run of 35.

And then nine-year-old Lewis Aisthorpe-Buckley stormed into an early lead but made the schoolboy error of missing the black off its spot on a run of nine and left his opponent in amongst the reds.

All the frames were officiated by Steven Hughes, who passed the EASB refereeing exams last October, two months after his 15th birthday.

Frame scores, Billy Castle first (40+ breaks): (48, 41) 107-8 Riccardo Drayton, (52, 54) 106-15 O’Shay Scott, (65) 93-24 Oliver Sykes, (57) 98-22 Riley Ellis, 79-25 Ryan Hughes, (69) 109-1 Connor Benzey, 111-14 Lee Cooper, 98-17 William Thomson, (67) 93-30 Lewis Aisthorpe-Buckley.
Referee: Steven Hughes.

Picture by Tim Dunkley

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)