Video: Snooker kids are right on cue - Joe Perry
With the amount of young talent progressing through the ranks at clubs in the Staffs and West Midlands League, the dream of president Derek Evans has a chance of becoming a reality.
Evans – who has been involved in the league for 19 years, including a spell as chairman – would dearly love to see the World Championship trophy journey from The Crucible to the West Midlands in the hands of one of the league's star names.
And with 96 teams spread across six divisions – making it one of the largest in the country – there are plenty of places a new sporting superstar could spring up from.
"The pros give us a good reputation all around the country," said Evans, speaking at the league's presentation night. "We are held in high esteem and we like to think we are the best in the country.
"If we could say one of our players has turned into a world champion, there would be nobody more pleased than me.
"I just hope I live long enough to see it."
The league's star guest for their awards evening got close to winning the World Championship in 2008.
Current world No.9 Joe Perry lost 17-15 to Ali Carter in the semi-finals that year, but was mightily impressed by the league as he handed out hundreds of trophies and played a handful of exhibition frames.
"To hear there are 96 teams in this league is incredible," said Cambridgeshire-based Perry, nicknamed the Fen Potter and the Gentleman. "It's just great to hear that snooker is still thriving and on the up in the amateur level, as well as the professional."
Ten-time world ladies' champion Reanne Evans is among the top names currently in the league, while professional Mitchell Mann – whose loss to Joe Swail in qualifying meant Perry was a late replacement for Swail – was part of the Brandhall team who won the Division One title.
And Evans hopes her matches in the league can help her achieve her ambition of qualifying for the World Championship at The Crucible. "I find league snooker quite good preparation for playing professionally, particularly when you get into final-frame deciders," she said. "This league is one of the biggest in the country and probably one of the best standard-wise as well."
Brandhall Labour Club A – consisting of Alan Hooper, Geoff Williams, Gary Miller, Jamie Brown, Bal Sembi and Mitchell Mann – were this year's winners of the Division One title, while Lea Hall's Adrian Rosa won the Individual Championship after overcoming Hotshots' Callum Downing.
In the junior ranks, Hamim Hussain (Golden Cue) was under-14 champion and also made it all the way to the under-21 final before succumbing to clubmate Rob Jones, while Richard Haney was the runner-up in the Individual Handicap.
Read how our Deputy Sports Editor Derek Bish got on against Joe Perry in tomorrow's Express & Star.