TIM Dutton wants to banish the perception that snooker is an ‘old man’s’ game.

Hereford Billiards & Snooker League has a growing number of new teams with younger players.

And Dutton says Herefordshire people should have a positive frame of mind about the green baize sport.

“For a small league, we are strong and, with new teams of younger players starting to get involved, I hope that we can shed the perception of snooker being an old man’s game played in Working Men’s clubs.

"A visit to Hereford Snooker Centre or The Potting Shed, which have both seen a lot of investment recently, would alter this view.”

Last year, a team from the Hereford Snooker League won the Inter County team event against rivals from Worcester and Kidderminster.

Tom Cousins, the reigning league singles champion, won the Inter County Singles event against a very experienced field of county players.

Dutton has been the Hereford League secretary since 1997 and says the standard of play has improved over the past 10 years.

The league introduced handicaps eight years ago owing to the wide range of players’ abilities.

“The ages range from 14 years through to 80 and the introduction of handicaps has made the league a lot more competitive,” said Dutton.

The Miller Boys and the Zeds have been the outstanding teams of the last decade.

The two teams have provided the best and most consistent players in Andy Gray, Stuart Roberts and Cousins.

When Dutton moved to Herefordshire in 1990 the league had 42 teams in three divisions.

But that number dwindled to just 13 teams playing in a single division in 2005.

However, he said: “I am pleased that we have grown year on year since then and we now have 20 teams and two divisions and over 120 registered players.

“We have lost a lot of teams as venues such as the Liberal Club, Conservative Club, Welsh Club and Wiggins club have either closed or removed tables.

“We operate out of seven venues, six of which are in Hereford plus the Leominster Royal British Legion.”

Harry Magee and the late Dave Johnson founded the Hereford League in 1971 and were helped for many years by then secretary Bert Hemington.

The league was set up with the aim of ‘promoting competition between clubs and by so doing improve the standard of play in the district.’ At its height, the league boasted four divisions with teams competing from Leominster, Ross, Hay-on-Wye and New Radnor.

Now, The Potting Shed and Hereford Snooker Centre are two of the city’s premier snooker and pool clubs.

“We are grateful that Terry McDonald-Smith at The Potting Shed and Bruce Jones at Hereford Snooker Centre have taken on their respective venues when they could easily have been closed and yet more tables lost,” said Dutton. “These two clubs provide 10 of the current 20 teams.”

RECORD LEAGUE BREAK STUART Roberts holds the record for the highest-ever break in the Hereford Billiards & Snooker League.

Roberts hit 140 and just failed to get position on the final black for a maximum clearance.

There have been breaks of more than 100 in each of the last five years.

NEW TEAMS NEW teams are wanted to join the Hereford Billiards & Snooker League and those interested should contact Tim Dutton on 07730 652209 or e-mail: trdutton@tiscali.co.uk Matches are played at The Potting Shed, Hereford Snooker Centre, Railway Club, Farmers Club, Richmond Club, Military Club, Leominster Royal British Legion.

SNOOKER’S RESURGENCE?

HEREFORD Billiards & Snooker League secretary Tim Dutton is confident the sport will see a resurgence in popularity.

Promoter Hearn is the new chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

“Hearn has come back to promote the game at a professional level and this will have a big impact,” said Dutton.

“I am sure that they will look to introduce shorter formats of the game as they have done with darts and cricket.

“The formats will be more lively and aimed at bringing back the crowds.”

Hearn, who also chairs the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has revived that sport in recent years.

Dutton believes Jimmy White’s third-place finish in ITV’s ‘I'm A Celebrity’ programme highlighted snooker’s popularity in the UK.

“Jimmy’s success on the show has demonstrated that the characters of the game are as popular as ever – we just need a few more of them.”