By Elliott West
Introduction
The working men’s club has always been a hotbed of great snooker and so was the case when two of the snooker’ greats arrived at the Alfreton Palmer Morewood Memorial Club to challenge some of the local hotshots to a frame of snooker. It was a night where Joe Johnson and Tony Knowles stole the limelight accompanied by Michaela Tabb, the referee and Colin Phillips as the Master of Ceremonies.
The Night
After a shaky start that involved me, Tony Knowles and a SatNav that seemed to have a tracking system that was stuck in the 1980s. I say that because it tried to take us to the local McDonalds drive-through, thinking it was the actual hotel. That aside and mission accomplished reaching the hotel, we all got into Tony’s car and went to the club and were greeted by a legion of local snooker fans that gave the players a rapturous applause.
The challenge began and a number of local talent were pitted against these former professionals. What a talent it was with a number of players showing their skills in various age ranges as they attempted to overthrow their opponent. A few succeeded and quite a number didn’t but the main point was they could have a photograph taken with their snooker hero, play in front of a live audience and savour the atmosphere, whatever the outcome.
The challenges included a 92-year man by the name of John Smith who probably had a few pints of his namesake before he played Joe Johnson. Despite his advancing years, he still managed to pot a number of balls and definitely displayed a finesse that showed off his talent in prior years. In fact, this humble man, dressed in a fancy jumper and wearing a shirt and tie for the occasion, once made a century break. Despite losing the frame, his delicate touch and positioning were duly noted and he was definitely a local star on the night.
By the end of the night, the legends had claimed victory but didn’t let the victory go to their heads. They instead posed for selfies, professional photographs with the audience and mingled with the crowd as if they were just playing down their local club.
The night was accompanied by an array of signed snooker memorabilia, including a signed World Championship t-shirt that fetched a princely sun of £100 for charity. Whether you wanted to bid for Hohn Virgo signed waistcoat, a snooker ball signed by a professional or a player in their golden era, they were all there. As the beer flowed and the laughter filled the room, the night marched on and the evening ended on a successful note. It concluded with a raffle with a number of lucky winners and then the lights on, the audience filed out to the clink of empty beer glasses, with everybody leaving with a smile on their faces and a snooker memory to cherish for life. I was no exception as got to sample a pint or two of mild which I haven’t drunk since living in South Wales in the early 1990s.
Our appreciation goes out to Joe Johnson, Tony Knowles and Michaela Tabb for sparing the time to make this event happen and the tireless work of Colin Phillips and Ben Monk who work so hard to get these events off the ground with numerous phone calls, groundwork and booking the great venues that are a necessary backdrop to complete the icing on this snooker cake. The event now moves to Great Yarmouth where another welcoming crowd can enjoy a Saturday evening that gives them a snippet of legendary presence and audience interaction.
