By Elliott West
Introduction
Behind all the headlines that have hit Mark Allen’s snooker career, lies a quiet and funny person, a player that has nerves of steel and someone who is extremely proud of his country and his Northern Ireland heritage. Following in the footsteps of Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor before him, Mark has successfully made the transition from amateur to professional player, taking only three seasons to reach the top sixteen. Twice a runner-up at the UK Championship in 2011 and 2018, a victor at the Masters in 2018, Allen has a number of titles to his name and has just added the Northern Ireland Open to his snooker portfolio after overcoming a hard-fought battle with John Higgins, winning a scintillating deciding frame to win 9-8 after being 8-6 down in the match.
The Man behind the Cue
Mark Allen has something that any snooker player craves, resilience and determination. He has it in abundance and is able to win matches when the going is tough and he has to deep. This was proven at this year’s Northern Ireland Open, a tournament that he not only attained a 147 break but silenced the doubters who thought he would never win this title. However, the roar from the home crowd, caused the adrenaline to flow and steady Allen just enough to pot the required balls before the emotional floodgates opened in the hour of victory.
Mark plays snooker because he wants to play the very best in the sport and he shares that title. Allen seizes on the opportunity when it comes his way and he could easily have lost against John Higgins. However, he was determined for that not to happen and went one step further than all the semi-finals they had met before. This was the first time they had met in a final and so both players would have been ravenous for victory but on the day, Mark kept that hunger going the longest.
Spurred on by his family and friends in the audience and individual outbursts that Mark could identify who they were when they shouted. This man from Antrim wants to play because he has been faced with the threat of not being able to play during the pandemic. This is what he is good at in life and the reigning Champion of Champions winner is craving for more titles but brushes aside targets, instead of concentrating on the next challenge.
This prolific break-builder, who plays left-handed although naturally right-handed, had already inspired the likes of Jordan Brown to win the Welsh Open and young natural players such as the up and coming Robbie Mcguigan. Far too young to remember Alex Higgins in his heyday, Allen is a natural successor to Alex. They play games that are poles apart but linked by the love for their country and the desire to please their fans and enthuse the audience. Mark Allen has laid the foundations for greater things and I am sure over time, will win the Triple Crown titles including the World Championship, having already won the Masters. The Allen train should be feared because it will be departing with another title in the near future.
