IntroductionÂ
Spending time with my friend Lenny Baker is always a pleasure. A man who lights up a room and gives the perfect shot of joviality to a snooker gathering. He always greets you with a massive hug and is always armed with a cue and a pint. He hoovers up a pool or snooker table as fast as Alex Higgins and never breaks out in a sweat. A master of his craft, Lenny has a multitude of friends as thick as a telephone directory and warms a heart with his Cheshire cat grin. A natural in a suit, he can often be found having a cheeky cigarette outside the fire exit and what he doesn’t know about snooker is not worth knowing. A gifted snooker player who has the cue ball on a piece of string and strikes it so sweetly that the pockets surrender in submission.
The Gifted Touch
Hailing from Folkstone, the 44-year-old is no stranger to a snooker table. A presence at the English Amateur Championship qualifiers, WSF Championship and the Q Tour, Lenny made the snooker headlines in 2022 in the furious and ruthless Snooker 900 shown on Sporty Stuff TV and online. This tournament was organised by Jason Francis and provides players with the chance to gain experience in television snooker conditions and compete in a media atmosphere. It brings together gifted amateurs and players from the present and past such as Michael Holt, Emma Parker, Michael Judge, Joe Johnson, Tony Knowles, Dennis Taylor and Barry Pinches. Broadcast over 25 nights, £6,000 is on offer every week. Lenny Baker reached the television stages by defeating Tam Mustafa and went on to beat David Church, a player on the disability tour. Eight weekly winners went on to the Grand Final. Ant Parsons claimed the title with a £10,000 prize, defeating Marin O’Donnell at Jason Francis’ Crucible Club in Reading. Although Lenny didn’t win the title, he should give himself a pat on the back for his efforts, especially as he started the event as a 14/1 outsider. A tournament presented by Rachel Casey, Neal Foulds, Reanne Evans and Lee Richardson.
A regular at the Dunstable Snooker Club where players flock to practice on the excellent Star tables in the snooker room upstairs, Lenny is a familiar face front and back of house at many snooker tournaments. I am so proud of my friend and know that he always gives his all when he plays. To qualify as one of the 96 amateur players for the 900 is some achievement and to be able to adapt to a pressurised 15-minute frame and a shot clock is impressive. Lenny continues to shine and I am sure he will be raising a trophy very soon.
