By Elliott West
Introduction
Snooker is fronted by players but an integral role of any match is the part played by the referee. Their role is to be the eyes and ears of the game and to be a physical rule book, administering decisions when needed to be taken and making sure the letter of snooker law is adhered to. Over the years there have been many fantastic referees, Len Ganley, John Street and most recently, Jan Verhaas. Amongst the crop of current officials is the leading light from Belgium, Olivier Marteel.
Handle with Care
Hailing from Ghent in Belgium, the ‘Gent from Ghent’ as he is fondly referred to, splits his time between being a nurse in a radiology department in a Belgian hospital and gracing the snooker stage as a fully qualified referee, switching between surgical and white gloves. Both roles require a great deal of skill, courage and care, aptitudes that Olivier scores very highly in.
The Belgian recently recounted in a interview the reason why he was absent from the World Championship earlier this year. Falling in the middle of the first wave of Corona Virus meant that Marteel had no option but to follow his calling and nurse the extremely ill blighted by this virus. Belgium was badly hit in both waves and infection rates soared. With scarce protective equipment at the start, Olivier rushed from his radiology department to see if he could help his colleagues in the intensive care unit and was allocated the task of admitting patients.
With frequent admissions, Olivier had to improvise due to the lack of protective equipment available. Donning a diver’s suit and later a hazmat suit, Marteel endured soaring temperatures to provide care for the very sick and worked long hours with little respite. Marteel remains humble though following the harrowing experience, putting it down to the career that he trained for. A dedication that sees someone at near death and nursed back to a normal life.
Aside from his day job, Olivier was determined to referee again and thanks to an understanding manager and flexible colleagues, he was able to swap shifts to attend the recent UK Championship in Milton Keynes. This was probably the best decision he could have made because he was to witness one of the best tournaments that has been since its founding in 1977. Given the honour of refereeing the final between Judd Trump and Neil Robertson, the Belgian was part of a final that ended on a knife edge with both players sharing the frames and a title that was decided by a final ball, the pink. Olivier was part of a segment of snooker history that was exciting, tense and tumultuous for the loser, Judd Trump who lost 10-9.
However, Olivier just takes it in his stride and places the match balls back in their case in the very early hours of Monday morning. In his pocket, he carries what he does for every tournament, four ball-markers, a two pound coin, a pen and a photograph of his late Grandfather. This has been his routine since he first qualified as a referee in 1994.
Conclusion
Marteel is a softly spoken man but won’t take any nonsense when he is adjudicating a match. He is respected by the snooker community because he is fair but also consistent with his decisions. Although he may say a few words under his breath if he has to apply the simultaneous hit rule, the most difficult rule to apply. Olivier is quite good at snooker himself, making a 133 break in practice and a 78 break whilst playing. Away from snooker, Olivier loves watching his football team, Standard Club de Li`ege, immersing himself in a book or relaxing by watching a science fiction film. However don’t embarrass him by mentioning the time when in 2007, he went to the Grand Prix in Aberdeen and his luggage went missing, turning up three days later. Oliver Marteel is just one of the best referees in snooker and deserves all the praise he receives for playing a vital role in the sport. A role that he does so well.
Picture courtesy of sportinglife.com
