Pool Ball Wizzard
East Leeds Magazine, Issue 5, March 2010
Ever since he was a young boy, he’s played a...er..pool ball, maybe I’ll stop with the non existant Who connection & get on with the article.
Liam Waterworth is 17 years old and is in the 6th Form at John Smeaton. When he was about nine years old he started playing pool with his Dad Andrew & his older brother Adam. Pool soon became Liam's hobby. And then a little bit more:
"After playing just for fun for a while, I plucked up the courage to enter my first limited age tournament, I didn't disgrace myself and that encouraged me to enter an open age tournament. I won my first youth tournament at twelve and soon after won my first open age one."
At the age of 13 Liam had county trials, the competition was strong and he didn't get in the first time of asking but a year later he did and ended up making his debut against Lancashire. He went full throttle from there, now, he plays for five different pool teams as well as the county.
After making the England team sit up and take notice while playing at County Level, Liam represented England for the first time in a singles event in February, he reached the quarter finals. Next up follows internal trials for the England team in April. The top 16 English players compete against each other and the top seven qualify for the World Championship in Blackpool. His ambitions lie across the Atlantic, he’d love to have a crack at the American circuit in the future but realises he needs a lot more experience before he could try his luck out there. Asked if he’s ever huslted anyone Liam laughed: “I wouldn’t dare hustle anybody, I’d probably blow it if I tried!”
The only problem Liam has is finding the money to travel to various trials and tournaments which are held all over the country. As well as hotel and travel fees, entry fees for tournaments can be quite high and it all stretches the sixth formers budget. Help from local snooker clubs for things like a free light in off peak times has been slow in coming forward, so that's why on April 23rd Liam's Mum Lisa has organised a fundraiser at Crossgates Working Mens Club on Orchard Road.
It starts about 7pm and includes a disco, raffle, bingo & horse racing evening. It's only £1 a ticket and that includes entry into a raffle. Children are allowed and you don't have to be a member.
Businesses who have donated prizes at time of going to press are Dominoes Pizza, Coes Chippy, Blush hair salon, West Yorkshire Jewellers, Sedgefilelds Butchers, Amaans Indian Restaurant & Cash Convertors but Liam's Mum would welcome any donations for raffle prizes. For further information contact East Leeds Mag.
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