Stuart Bingham’s sponsor supports Cuestars tournament

SWISS Watches Direct has joined the Cuestars family of sponsors.

Ashley Beal, who founded the company in 2005, has sponsored many household names over the years – including Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Joe Perry and Barry Hawkins.

But the highlight was watching Stuart Bingham lift the World Championship trophy in 2015 while sporting the Swiss Watches Direct logo on his waistcoat.

Ashley said: “A week later he brought the trophy down to show to the guys in the office and then down to my dad in Eastbourne.”

An accomplished player himself, Ashley started his snooker career at the age of 16. In 1983, he became the first junior in East Sussex to make a century break and he won the county’s under-21 championship at the age of 20. And two years later, he beat former Saints full-back Ken Jones in the Southampton singles final while at university there.

It was through practice partners Mark Davis and Jimmy Robertson that Ashley was introduced to Stuart and the other top professionals.

The 60-year-old from the village of Maresfield in East Sussex practises at home on a Riley Tournament table in an extension that he designed 15 years ago.

“It’s thanks to having my own table that I have managed to keep my game going,” he said. “I plan to keep playing while I’m still making regular century breaks.

“But at the age of 60 and having won 22 county titles over five decades, 14 billiards championships, six senior snooker championships and two junior championships, I took the decision to limit my competitions to mainly the over-55 competitions run by Cuestars and the EPSB.”

His only national title came in the 2020 English Over-55 Championship where he beat John Welsh 5-3 in the Covid-delayed final in Leeds.

And he’s still adding trophies to his sideboard! During the summer, Ashley was part of the England Over 55 A Team which beat Scotland in the Home Internationals final at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.

Swiss Watches Direct will sponsor the penultimate leg of the 2024/25 Cuestars Seniors (40+) Tour at Frames Sports Bar, Coulson, next April.

The company specialises in TAG Heuer, Breitling, Omega and Longines watches, but can source other top brands when required. Customers typically save 15-20% on a brand-new watch.

Discover more about Swiss Watches Direct at www.swisswatchesdirect.co.uk.

Picture: Stuart Bingham (left) and Charles Beal (Ashley’s late dad)