9-Ball
Topic: Open Message to all American Pool Players in the UK

In case you weren’t aware, American Pool has been in decline for the past 10 years. Rileys are closing down up and down the country, Mickey Flynn’s has gone and no doubt numerous other independent pool clubs up and down the country are closing.

For those of you who love the game of 9 ball – the technical break shot, jump shots, kick shots, fizzing the cue ball around multiple rails – you need to act before it is too late. Get out and support your local club, enter local competitions, enter competitions which have been set up for the players. GB9, T9B, Stars and Stripes, SMB, Arena Leicester etc. All of these tours need the support of the players if they are ever going to follow where Snooker has been and where 8 Ball is headed. However, without the support of the players, American Pool will be confined to America and the rest of the world outside of these shores. The UK has produced players like Darren Appleton, Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Mark Gray, Raj Hundall, Chris Melling, Karl Boyes and Craig Osborne – just to name a few. These players are world beaters, but yet the players are still reluctant to support the events.

No doubt there will be a barrage of comments about “tournaments should be x or y”, or “there isn’t enough prize money” etc. If Snooker players had thought that, then Hurricane Higgins wouldn’t have played in the World Championship in 1972 to pocket £480 for winning it!

Despite popular belief, anyone running a competition will probably be lucky to make £3 per hour. Its amazing to hear people saying “It’s not worth it even if I win” – with regular competitions normally giving you the chance to win 10 times your entry fee, it’s always difficult to see many pool players who could make a few hundred pounds on a weekend doing anything else.

So having been involved in American Pool for nearly 15 years, I just hope that it doesn’t die – but without the support and backing of the cue sports players in the UK (who are likely amongst the very best in the world), it’s going to keep heading towards extinction.

I agree lad. I tavell 50miles to Liverpool tournaments not to win the pot. I like american pool so much that the prize for winning it is not the factor making me attending. Appart from the rolling balls I like the atmosphere, nice people, friends and all the place itself. Normally 2 or 3 games and im out but as i said im not there for money.
My club shut down 2 moths ago and I have not played since. Now im recovering from the injury and im boosting to go out and play. I cant imagine that american pool my die in this country. Lets be proactive and prevet it happening.

If there is a heaven I hope they have nice levelled american pool tables and brand new simonis cloth on it

You know what Nick I'm glad somebody put up a post of this nature up. Recently it seems like unless Dave posts/creates a thread then we don't see a lot of activity on the site. Considering that we have just staged arguably the biggest tour event in GB9 history and there was a huge buzz with the A list players in attendance but there has been little in the way of discussion about players thoughts or the tournament in general.there is some top people doing brilliant things for American Pool in this country but we aren't even reflecting on it which in turn is not letting others getting into the game know what's happening around the pool scene. Great post mate. I hope it generates lots of opinion and discussion.

Great post and yes all players need to come together and support as many events as possible. If your not currently playing events then why not? Is it the cost? Limited practise? We are lucky in the UK to have regular high quality events and some of the best players in the world. Support your sport.

I live in North East so its a 3-4 hour journey each way (minimum) to enter most tournament (GB9, T9B, Rack and Roll etc.). If there are any up my end of the country I would like someone to let me know????
Additionally anyone who wants a few games in the Sunderland area give me a shout. Great post. Everyone could/should do a bit more to push our sport.

Great post Nick. The main problem think is there's not many venues for people to practise locally. I live in Doncaster and travel to Barnsley to practise 2-4 times a week, but when I've spoke to people who 10 years ago played American pool, they've gone back to UK 8-ball or snooker purely because there's nowhere locally for them to practise, and lets be honest, it's understandable to not want to enter and travel to tournaments when you can't practise.

Clubs are selling American pool tables, so I think if more clubs had merican tables, more players would practise, which would mean more tournaments. It's a domino effect. I know in Yorkshire there's only Escape Pool Bar in Barnsley (old Rileys) to practise


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Matt Lester
www.matthew-lester.com

i run events each month in liverpool and don't take a penny out of it, all fees go to prize fund.

every weekend i end up asking for people to play just a few small sets only 5 10 a set in chesterfield or an hour either way but nobody is bothered or they want to play for 10k lol

every weekend i end up asking for people to play just a few small sets only 5 10 a set in chesterfield or an hour either way but nobody is bothered or they want to play for 10k lol

On 2016-09-04 05:12 , pigeon Wrote:

Tried sending you a PM on here but it's not working. Fancy playing at Escape in Barnsley? I could do with someone new to practise with


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Matt Lester
www.matthew-lester.com

On 2016-09-04 05:12 , pigeon Wrote:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Stop sulking pal

nelly dont you start or ill tell kelly to hide you batteries lol