By Elliott West
Introduction
It is always a joy when Ken Doherty agrees to do a snooker exhibition and this time it was the turn of the Paddock Wood Social Club in Kent. Set back in a quiet road, is situated what looks like from the outside, a porter cabin but when you walk in there is a bar area, a pool table and a custom made room that contains a full-sized professional snooker table and a small seating area that Lee Smith had built so that his son Dylan could chase his dream of becoming a professional snooker player.
Irish Magic
However this particular Saturday was Ken’s evening and after a round of golf at a nearby golf course, the Dubliner drove to Paddock Wood, entering the social club to a round of warm applause and the comical banter of Martin Glassett and Colin Gross. This was designed to be a fun night but one with an air of competitive spirit. With ten frames of snooker to play across the night, it was up to several hopefuls to steal Ken’s thunder. Ken powered through the frames, winning all of them which included a century, a 120 plus break.
With various pauses for charity bids and an impressive raffle, lots included a bottle of champagne signed by Ken Doherty, a mounted picture of Cliff Thorburn and a piece of baize signed by the Canadian legend and an autographed Mark Williams cue. Pieces of snooker memorabilia that many a snooker fan would be envious of someone owning and a prized possession for anyone that managed to win, especially the waistcoats signed by a whole host of snooker players including the likes of Stuart Bingham and Jimmy White.
This was a cracking night and it was good to meet Alisha Lancaster as she continues to gain confidence as a snooker walk-on girl, my dear friend Colin Philips who it is always a pleasure to spend time with and the brilliant referee Richard Barnicoat who generously gave me a lift from my home in Stevenage to the hotel and the event.
Organising a snooker exhibition involves a lot of hard work and it is always great to see all the crucial pieces of the snooker puzzle join up on the night. A percentage of the money raised on the night will go to the worthy charity Children with Cancer and it is always great to see a well-known snooker player, playing in an intimate environment. Fans get to talk to their hero, have selfies taken or a professional picture snapped. Whichever player is there on the night, will get through a few pens as they autograph their way through the evening.
