By Elliott West
“It makes me feel great, proud, walking out in your home city. I’m going to miss that”.
Brendan Moore
Brendan Moore. Photograph courtesy of the Yorkshire Post.
Introduction
There won’t be a dry eye in the Crucible Theatre on Bank Holiday Monday night as Brendan Moore officiates his last match as a World Snooker referee. He will oversee a sizzling final between Luca Brecel and Mark Selby over two days in what is considered to be the benchmark of the snooker season and a final curtain call to the calendar before snooker takes a break for the summer months. It is a proud moment for this 51-year-old former Sheffield bus driver from Meersbrook who would have clocked up three world championship finals and 19 years as a World Snooker referee, tinged with more sadness that his father Derek will not be there to witness it as he has recently passed away. Brendan will take on a new challenge after this tournament concludes, switching to pool to work for Matchroom as a tournament director for the nine-ball pool circuit.
Cheers and Tears
It must have seemed inconceivable all those years ago when Brendan was driving his bus past the Crucible Theatre that he would ever get to stand in the middle of this fabulous venue and be in the throws of the drama that the World Championship creates. The Sheffield Wednesday supporter who once made a 63 break in snooker, first appeared on the professional tour in 2004 for a Grand Prix qualifier between David Roe and Patrick Wallace and was in charge of the 2014 and 2018 World Championship finals as well as the finals of the 2010 and 2013 UK Championship finals and the 2012, 2015 and 2020 Masters finals. He has also borne witness to nine tournament matches that have contained maximum breaks.
This year’s World Championship final, Brendan describes as a “bitter-sweet moment”, one that he thought wouldn’t happen for a while and the snooker family will miss the referee with a twinkle in his eye. However, we must look at the positives. Brendan has been offered a job that is too good to turn down and one that allows him to start a new chapter in his life. A move that has had plenty of positive feedback on social media. This is a man who doesn’t get nervous so I am sure that he will relish this new challenge but before her can get there, he has to complete his swansong, one that won’t really hit him until the final ball is potted on Bank Holiday Monday. The impeccably dressed Moore should make sure he has a tissue or handkerchief to hand because the water will be coming from his tear ducts and not from the River Sheaf.
Work Ethics
Brendan’s work ethic is simple, he is good at his job and if he doesn’t get mentioned, he is doing his job well. Ethics explained to Dennis Taylor when he apologised to him for not mentioning him during the commentary of a match. Moore is no big head, he is just positive and work motivated. Brendan gets more nervous playing in a league game. Becoming a top referee takes years to perfect and a few pairs of shoes are worn out before you can get to that stage. It is certainly not a two-minute job. You have to cut your teeth on the local leagues before you can get there and that’s how it should be. Players don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry and certainly not someone who makes mistakes. Brendan is a true professional and a credit to the city of Sheffield, who should go out in a blaze of glory with his favourite, the Simple Minds’ greatest hits album playing in the background.