Sheffield Snooker Players

[RJRB]

I’m not talking about the professional game.

I started playing at what was then the Reform Club as a 15  year old but then went on to play for various teams in the Works League,Star Cup and 3/4 Tuesday night league.

I was only ever very average but we had some great nights.

The “names “when I started were the likes of Jack Seffers and Ken Phelan.

Then the next wave included Alan Beedham,Roy Currie,Ronnie Wilson.

Peter Bardsley and Barry West followed

A century break was a very rare event and made news.

Darnall Libs had a great team,as did Firth Park.

The Burgoyne seemed to attract the better 3/4 players such as John Turnbull.

There were those who liked to have a bit of a side stake and spent their time in the local snooker halls such as the one near John Lewis.

Snooker went through a real boom time where every pub or club with a table took part in the leagues.

Whilst some of the leagues continue ,they operate on a much reduced basis  to the 70s and 80s when interest in the amateur game peaked together with televised Snooker.

Has anybody else got fond memories?

 

[Padders]

8 minutes ago, RJRB said:

joI’m not talking about the professional game.

I started playing at what was then the Reform Club as a 15  year old but then went on to play for various teams in the Works League,Star Cup and 3/4 Tuesday night league.

I was only ever very average but we had some great nights.

The “names “when I started were the likes of Jack Seffers and Ken Phelan.

Then the next wave included Alan Beedham,Roy Currie,Ronnie Wilson.

Peter Bardsley and Barry West followed

A century break was a very rare event and made news.

Darnall Libs had a great team,as did Firth Park.

The Burgoyne seemed to attract the better 3/4 players such as John Turnbull.

There were those who liked to have a bit of a side stake and spent their time in the local snooker halls such as the one near John Lewis.

Snooker went through a real boom time where every pub or club with a table took part in the leagues.

Whilst some of the leagues continue ,they operate on a much reduced basis  to the 70s and 80s when interest in the amateur game peaked together with televised Snooker.

Has anybody else got fond memories?

 

Certainly have RJRB.

I could write you a few pages about the old snooker players, starting with Percy Hayman.

I know every name you have mentioned, 

I played for Bellhouse WMC. with Johnny Hollingsworth, what a team they had back then, Barry West, Steve Root, Barry Rennison, and Peter Bardsley.

Used to love Wednesday night snooker.

I could go on but it's bedtime...

 

[RJRB]

You have added a few there.

That Bellhouse team was pretty useful.

I came across Barry Rennison a little while ago playing bowls.

Gordon Harrison I remember,and his brother who played from a wheel chair.

Brian Abdul a pretty useful player with one arm.

Carry on reminiscing.

[Alextopman]

Other top Sheffield players were Vic Darbyshire, Jimmy Lee, Staffy Brittle and Stodge Haines.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Alextopman

[RJRB]

George Quibell was pretty good and liked to have a side bet to raise his game.

David Langton had the opportunity of plenty of practice.

When I started there were still a few players that came from a billiards background.

Ted Birkenhead was in a class of his own at that game.

[Padders]

44 minutes ago, RJRB said:

George Quibell was pretty good and liked to have a side bet to raise his game.

David Langton had the opportunity of plenty of practice.

When I started there were still a few players that came from a billiards background.

Ted Birkenhead was in a class of his own at that game.

George Quibell, left Dial House Club to play for Bellhouse.

[bassett one]

i ran the langtons hall for a short time ,david was a good player,but to many bad lads with bad manners ect at my time there so moved on to the ball inn at heeley,

[Padders]

3 minutes ago, bassett one said:

i ran the langtons hall for a short time ,david was a good player,but to many bad lads with bad manners ect at my time there so moved on to the ball inn at heeley,

Remember being in the Mucky Duck one night and Keith Littlewood was getting a towsing on the snooker table..

Naturally Keith was Effing n  Blinding after every shot..

A bloke sat with his wife said "Watch your language pal"

Keith replied "Were not boy scouts in here you know"

This bloke stood up, pointed to his wife and shouted, "SHE'S NOT A EFFING BOY SCOUT"

 

[lazarus]

I knew Alan Beedham when he was 17/18 years old when he was a regular in the Snooker Hall under the Manor Picture house, he was a very good player, far superior to the rest of us BUT he always had to win, he even sunk to cheating on occasion by placing by hand  a red closer to the pocket and easier to pot, he had no reason to do that but he did.

Edited September 9, 2023 by lazarus

[RJRB]

@lazarus

Certainly Alan did not like to lose ,like most winners.

I’m not sure what you mean by “playing a red closer to the pocket” .

I always associate him with Arundel Club,although he played elsewhere for Brooke Tools in the Works League.

There was a wide range of playing conditions.

Some where Snooker was the main event on the night,and others where you had to contend with the locals.

The Punch Bowl on Gleadless Common was always lively and if you called for order in the Springwood the response was predictable,

In later years the table at Pitsmoor WMC was possibly the worst.

A very well worn cloth with much damage and frayed cushions repaired with black insulation tape.