I went shopping with Judd a couple of days after he won the UK, and a year ago I went shopping with him and a couple of people sort of looked and recognised him, but this time it was like every other person was looking at him and asking to have a picture. What a difference a year makes, it’s crazy!
I can’t really count it as a proper tournament. We went there early, it was half past 3 in the morning when we set off, and I thought I would have time for a nap when we got there. I was playing at 4pm but we got stuck in traffic in Belgium and it was half 12 by the time we arrived so it was too close to the match and I knew if I tried to sleep I’d feel worse when I got up so I stayed up and tried to get through the first match. I wasn’t feeling well from a couple of days before we got there and unfortunately I just deteriorated as the day went on!
I am an attacking player, although over the years the experience has helped me control what some may have called rash, I thought it was run of the mill shots, and now I feel I am more solid and when I get my scoring boots on I can knock ‘em in pretty quickly!
Initially when I was playing professionally I was about the only player to go and watch. I used to love watching and I still do now, it fascinates me seeing what goes on out there. So although these were the people I was playing against, I used to love going out there as a spectator. I learned a lot through observing what was happening with the other players.
When I was an amateur I was ok like most people, I wasn’t quick but I was normal, and then when I played in the World Championships I’d have people telling me I was quite slow and I’d think ‘Quite slow?’
I really would like to go back to playing on the main tour, but here in Brazil we need to work much more on the marketing aspect of snooker so that it receives the same sort of investment as other sports. This isn’t just for me, but for snooker as whole. But yes, I really would like to return.
Winning the PTC meant a lot to me. I didn’t expect to win going into the tournament, I just wanted to win two matches to secure my place in the top 64, and then it just got better and better. I couldn’t believe I’d won!
Gareth Allen is a talented 23 year old Welsh amateur snooker player with ambitions to make it onto the main professional snooker tour. Real life has so far got in the way of his snooker playing ambitions, but with the advent of the PTCs and sponsorship courtesy of Sport Wales he has taken the plunge for a once in a lifetime crack at the big time.
On the Friday when Ronnie was playing I had little peep and there were only about 15 people watching. I just think it needed to be promoted a bit more in Ireland. I’m surprised they haven’t got a ranking event in Ireland to be honest, there are a lot of good players over there and Killarney is a good venue.
Gloucester’s Michael Wasley is yet another promising young amateur hoping to gain a place on the main tour and launch his snooker career. He is based right next to the South West Snooker Academy and has been part of the set up since inception, both working and practicing there. I caught up with him during PTC7 to find out how he came to be in his current position.