By Elliott West
“I hope you’re finally not in any more pain, I will miss you forever, until we meet again, I love you brother”
Oliver Lines
Introduction
The loss of a loved one is difficult to bear in any circumstances, so I was deeply saddened to hear yesterday of the passing of one of the young and very talented snooker players, Jake Nicholson. Jake was respectful and much loved by the snooker community and was described as a “warrior, through and through” by his father, Jake senior.
A player who had a great future ahead of him, Jake practised alongside amongst others, Sanderson Lam, Oliver Lines, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and was a leading light in his junior days when he competed with Kyren Wilson. A gentleman of snooker, who was taken from us after a courageous four year battle against cancer.
The Talent
Snooker was engrained in Jake’s DNA and from the first moment he first picked up a snooker cue, the talent lightbulb lit up, showing that this lad had the potential of becoming a great snooker player and winning multiple tournaments. For Nicholson, this steep journey to success was just beginning. A sportsman who had already started tongues wagging, representing England at an Under-21 level and in 2019, won a Challenge Tour event after defeating Andrew Pagett 3-1 in the final.
Nicholson had recently competed in the 2020 World Championship qualifiers, losing to Wales’s Jak Jones and had also reached the last 16 of the prestigious English Amateur Championship during the same year before becoming too ill to compete.
Jake’s Legacy
Jake may have left this life but his light had certainly not been extinguished. He will be remembered for being a polite and liked individual, someone who wouldn’t want you to be consumed by grief for too long. He would have wanted those who loved him to remember the happy times in his short but precious 28 years of life. Although he didn’t have the chance to fulfil his dreams, he can now be remembered by aspiring snooker players for what you can achieve with dedication and hard work. A “reet grand lad” whose legacy will live on in others.
