Drago draws the crowds in Faversham
It is always a pleasure to come down to Faversham to the Faversham Club and my good friend Colin Phillips always puts on a good event. Last night was no exception and having been here in January for Joe Johnson/Tony Knowles night, it was great to be back in this special snooker paradise. This time it was for Tony Drago who I last met recently at the Crucible for the World Seniors. After a great meal in a local Turkish restaurant, we headed down to the club and what a night it was. Tony playing on a table that was a hundred years old, produced some of his magic, whistling around the table like a storm that was gathering pace. My friend Glen Sullivan-Bissett was at times running at Tony’s pace having to replace balls quicker than it would take to re-heel his shoes.
Player after player fell to Drago’s mercy and out of ten frames played only one challenger managed to silence this devastating tornado. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife as silence reigned at this charming, Kent snooker club. The concentration was etched on Tony’s face as he played shots that largely hit the back of the pocket rather than than were embraced by the cushions. Class has never left this Maltese titan and as I watched him play, the memories of years past came flooding back as his quick mind calculated shots faster than a calculator can create an answer. His mind is just as sharp as it was but like any player the misses frustrate and perfection is always the ultimate goal.
Unlike some players, who lose that spark, Drago’s game has stood the test of time. He is still exciting to watch and rather like a coiled spring, is always ready to build up to a century break but sadly last we didn’t see one last night but the thought was always there. As the previous played put away their cue, the next looked unprepared and unsure as they took a momentary dip into Tony’s lair. They would all survive but would leave the table with a smile that they had the chance to play one of the snooker greats.
The Drago train now moves to Eastbourne tonight with another exhibition in Leicester next week before he returns to his beloved home of Malta. It was lovely to spend some time with my new friend and get to know what makes this man tick. It is clear that Drago loves this country and spent many years living in Balham. Like for a any player, the snooker Road is a lonely journey and one that makes you jet lagged and and homesick. Tony may not play as much these days but it is great to see that himself and Alex Borg have flown the flag for their country. Malta now boasts a snooker academy and it would great to see the former Malta Open tournament back on the main tour. However a local tournament now allows the chance for the winner to become a wildcard on the main tour so maybe there could be a second blast of the player that they call Tony “the Tornado” Drago.
Player after player fell to Drago’s mercy and out of ten frames played only one challenger managed to silence this devastating tornado. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife as silence reigned at this charming, Kent snooker club. The concentration was etched on Tony’s face as he played shots that largely hit the back of the pocket rather than than were embraced by the cushions. Class has never left this Maltese titan and as I watched him play, the memories of years past came flooding back as his quick mind calculated shots faster than a calculator can create an answer. His mind is just as sharp as it was but like any player the misses frustrate and perfection is always the ultimate goal.
Unlike some players, who lose that spark, Drago’s game has stood the test of time. He is still exciting to watch and rather like a coiled spring, is always ready to build up to a century break but sadly last we didn’t see one last night but the thought was always there. As the previous played put away their cue, the next looked unprepared and unsure as they took a momentary dip into Tony’s lair. They would all survive but would leave the table with a smile that they had the chance to play one of the snooker greats.
The Drago train now moves to Eastbourne tonight with another exhibition in Leicester next week before he returns to his beloved home of Malta. It was lovely to spend some time with my new friend and get to know what makes this man tick. It is clear that Drago loves this country and spent many years living in Balham. Like for a any player, the snooker Road is a lonely journey and one that makes you jet lagged and and homesick. Tony may not play as much these days but it is great to see that himself and Alex Borg have flown the flag for their country. Malta now boasts a snooker academy and it would great to see the former Malta Open tournament back on the main tour. However a local tournament now allows the chance for the winner to become a wildcard on the main tour so maybe there could be a second blast of the player that they call Tony “the Tornado” Drago.
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