Former world number one snooker champion Steve Davis met his match when he joined a group of Black Country clubs for 10 frames against some tough competition.
Davis, who was ranked number one from 1983 to 1990, was at Wolverhampton’s Goodyear Pavilion last night as a special guest of the Staffordshire and West Midlands Billiards and Snooker Association.
It was his second night in a row at a Black Country event having been at Darlaston Conservative Club on Thursday for an evening of trick shots.
Hundreds of players from around the region packed into the Stafford Road venue to see Davis go up against four young players and six seniors, including the association’s current champion Danny Ward.
Davis, aged 50, said: “It’s been really nice to be here. The camaraderie between all these players is great. I wasn’t going easy on anyone, it would have been insulting to them if I had.
“I love coming to clubs because it’s places like these that snooker started before it became popular and ended up on the TV.
“All professional players know where we came from and it’s just nice to meet a really down to earth bunch of people that play snooker for the love of it.”
And for 26-year-old Danny, of The Green, Darlaston, he was able to fulfil a lifelong ambition by beating Davis 101-9 in their game.
Danny, a welder, said: “It felt really good but I’m not ready to give the day job up yet. It was only one frame and I don’t think I’d do so well in a full match.
“I grew up watching him on TV winning so many tournaments to become the best player in the world so it’s been a real privilege.”
Many of the players were chosen because they had won the club’s championships while others took part in a raffle to win their chance to go up against Davis.
First to take up his cue in front of the crowded venue was 17-year-old Steven Giles, of Batmans Hill Road, Bradley.
He said: “I knew I wouldn’t win against him but it’s been brilliant. He’s an amazing player.”
By Daniel Wainwright
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