By Elliott West
Introduction
Barry Pinches is an instantly recognisable figure in snooker. A proud Norwich City supporter, Pinches has even combined the club colours of yellow and green into his waistcoat for tournaments. A professional player since 1989, Barry has experienced the game at the top and trying to reaching the first round of events by scrapping it out in the qualifier booths. Whether it was on the main tour or the Seniors, Pinches is a player like a dog with a bone, he never gives up until that final ball is potted. A legacy that has been passed onto his son Luke, who has also taken up the sport.
Career
Amateur Career
As an amateur, Barry Pinches was a very dangerous and accomplished player. Feedback from those who drew him at the time, not my words. The winner of the English Amateur Championship in 1988, defeating Craig Edwards 13-6 and a runner-up in 1989, losing to Nigel Bond 11-13, Barry also reached the final of the 1988 World Amateur Championship, losing to James Wattana 8-11.
Professional Career
Off the back of his victory in the 1988 English Amateur Championship, Pinches was able to turn professional in 1989. After a pretty nondescript start to his professional career, Barry proved his mettle, hitting good form in the early 2000s. An impressive appearance at the World Championship in 2004, led to victory against Jimmy White 10-8 and he almost beat Stephen Hendry in his next match, leading at one point 11-9 before losing 12-13. Pinches had set a record of taking thirteen years to appear again, his first was in 1991, losing to Terry Griffiths.
Pinches also did very well at the 2003 UK, his best run to date. In this tournament, Barry reached the quarter-finals, defeating Marco Fu, Graeme Dott and Stephen Lee before Stephen Hendry ended this run of good form.
As a result of this surge of good form, Barry entered the top 32 and was even provisionally number 14 at one stage after rising from 82-56-36-21. This spell at the top lasted for two years before dropping back down to 56 in the 2006-07 season. Pinches blamed this sharp drop in the rankings to a change in his cue action.
Despite this drop in form, Barry still managed to win the 2007 Paul Hunter Classic in 2007, beating Ken Doherty with an emphatic 4-0 victory. He also reached the last 16 of the 2008 China Open, beating Graeme Dott 4-1 but went in to lose to Nigel Bond by the same score line. A defeat that was also inflicted again by Bond when he knocked Barry out of the 2008 World Championship 7-10 in the final qualifying round.
He also won a PTC event in Event 4 in 2010, beating Mark Williams 4-1 and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final 4-3. An amazing feat, just highlighting how well Pinches could play.
However in 2018, Barry lost his tour card and had to enter Q School twice, in 2018 and 2019 before he regained his place on the main tour, beating his son Luke in the 2018 event.
Barry also had some success in the World Seniors winning the Seniors Masters Qualifying Event in 2019 and reached the final of the same event, losing to Joe Johnson 1-2. A player who would feel bereft without a cue in his hands, Barry is such a likable person and what he doesn’t know about snooker, isn’t worth knowing!
