Give me another chance
“I have never felt such a desire to make a success of my snooker career. I now feel so driven by the dark times I have been through and I can’t wait to be back doing what I do best - playing professional snooker “.
Last year I did a piece for the SnookerFans website on the player Jamie Jones and how one of my favourite players had been suspended from the sport for failing to report a match fixing report. This for me is a heartfelt story and had left the highly talented Welsh player out of the game for a year. Jamie commented after the ordeal that this had been “the worst year of his life” and left him having to earn a living working as a grass cutter for his local council just to pay the bills. Jones feeling low and for a while, not being able to leave the house, has had to get used to not using his cue to seek glory and has been somewhat forgotten for the massive inroads he made into snooker when he was a top professional player. That is not to say I agree with any form of irregularities in sport and anyone who is proved to have broken the rules should be punished. That is why we don’t see the likes of Quinten Hann and Stephen Lee play anymore and rightly so, if you cross the line you pay the consequences, highly talented or not.
Prior to this suspension, Jones was riding on the crest of a wave, earning just short of £500,000 in prize money and had reached the semi-final stages of both the Paul Hunter Classic and the now defunct, Goldfields Australian Open. At the time I was touting Jamie for big things and had this upset not occurred, he could have easily have been a top sixteen player, having already climbed to 29 in the world rankings. This was the player who made a 147 break aged just 14 in competition, a record only now beaten by Judd Trump and has had 98 centuries in his professional career, no mean feat! This Welsh player hailing from Neath and nicknamed the “Welsh Warrior” in my opinion oozes talent and when in the groove, can beat anyone. He is a player that causes upsets in tournaments but unlike most, goes on to prove his worth by reaching the latter stages of the event. He is a player that I love to watch and produces fluid play and high breaks.
Ironically this suspension ended in October, 2019 but because Jones missed most of the 2018/19 season, he ended the season outside the top 64 and fell off the tour and lost his tour card. The £9,000 fine along with this added blow, understandably has been a bitter pill to swallow and it is only now with the dawn of a new year and decade that Jamie has been able to try this quest for glory again. This comes in the form of the World Snooker Federation in Malta which gives the winner an instant tour card place. Jones is up for the challenge and I hope he achieved his goal as he is sadly missed on the main tour. I spent some time recently with Tony Drago and he was keen to promote this event as a opportunity for rising stars to progress and to showcase Malta as a hub of snooker. Who can forget the once legendary Malta Open that was once played on these shores. The tournament starts on January 10th and guarantees the winner two years on the tour. Via the Welsh Warrior and here’s to great things for the player they call Jamie Jones!
Last year I did a piece for the SnookerFans website on the player Jamie Jones and how one of my favourite players had been suspended from the sport for failing to report a match fixing report. This for me is a heartfelt story and had left the highly talented Welsh player out of the game for a year. Jamie commented after the ordeal that this had been “the worst year of his life” and left him having to earn a living working as a grass cutter for his local council just to pay the bills. Jones feeling low and for a while, not being able to leave the house, has had to get used to not using his cue to seek glory and has been somewhat forgotten for the massive inroads he made into snooker when he was a top professional player. That is not to say I agree with any form of irregularities in sport and anyone who is proved to have broken the rules should be punished. That is why we don’t see the likes of Quinten Hann and Stephen Lee play anymore and rightly so, if you cross the line you pay the consequences, highly talented or not.
Prior to this suspension, Jones was riding on the crest of a wave, earning just short of £500,000 in prize money and had reached the semi-final stages of both the Paul Hunter Classic and the now defunct, Goldfields Australian Open. At the time I was touting Jamie for big things and had this upset not occurred, he could have easily have been a top sixteen player, having already climbed to 29 in the world rankings. This was the player who made a 147 break aged just 14 in competition, a record only now beaten by Judd Trump and has had 98 centuries in his professional career, no mean feat! This Welsh player hailing from Neath and nicknamed the “Welsh Warrior” in my opinion oozes talent and when in the groove, can beat anyone. He is a player that causes upsets in tournaments but unlike most, goes on to prove his worth by reaching the latter stages of the event. He is a player that I love to watch and produces fluid play and high breaks.
Ironically this suspension ended in October, 2019 but because Jones missed most of the 2018/19 season, he ended the season outside the top 64 and fell off the tour and lost his tour card. The £9,000 fine along with this added blow, understandably has been a bitter pill to swallow and it is only now with the dawn of a new year and decade that Jamie has been able to try this quest for glory again. This comes in the form of the World Snooker Federation in Malta which gives the winner an instant tour card place. Jones is up for the challenge and I hope he achieved his goal as he is sadly missed on the main tour. I spent some time recently with Tony Drago and he was keen to promote this event as a opportunity for rising stars to progress and to showcase Malta as a hub of snooker. Who can forget the once legendary Malta Open that was once played on these shores. The tournament starts on January 10th and guarantees the winner two years on the tour. Via the Welsh Warrior and here’s to great things for the player they call Jamie Jones!
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