torstai 7. toukokuuta 2015

Retiring Andrew Pagett: "Been there, done it, got the T-shirt"



Cue Power Snookerblog had an opportunity to chat with the retiring snooker pro Andrew "The Welsh Wizard" Pagett from Wales. Pagett talked about the reasons why he wanted to retire, about his friendship with legendary Mark Williams, about his family and even about the possibility of a comeback. 

 

Great chat, great person, great (ex) player. Here´s the Q & A.

 
Andrew "The Welsh Wizard" Pagett

 

Q: Some time ago you made it public that after this season you are going to retire from snooker. What led you to this decision? After all you are quite young for a snooker player.


A: The professional snooker tour has reached a stage that to be a top player you must play in every tournament. Its hard when you’ve got a young family. For most of the season I was living out of a suit case, jumping on planes, going from one hotel to another and sometimes this can all get on top of you!

 

Q: Now it seems that the last match you ever played as a pro was your second round match against Alan McManus in the 2015 World Championship qualifiers at Ponds Forge. How did you feel after the last ball was potted and the match ended?

 

A: Do you know what, I couldn't wait for the match to be over with, I was sat in my seat thinking what the hell am I doing here! I'd been up in Ponds Forge qualifying for 5 days and it hit home that the professional game is now for single lads without a family!


Q: What kind of role will snooker play in your life after retirement? Like i said, you´re quite young, surely there can be a possibility for a comeback someday?


A: I’m going to take the whole summer off and spend some quality time with my fiancé and 2 daughters, go on a few holidays and then maybe I will want to come back to snooker. I think I will play a lot of local stuff first and then you never know I might feel hungry enough to come back as a professional.

 

Q: I´ve heard you say you don´t need to play snooker to earn a living. Do you have some other profession outside snooker tables already? If yes, has it been difficult to balance snooker with your work outside the tables?

 

A: I am the proud owner of AP DISCOUNTS. This is a discount shop in the valleys that I set up about 4-5 years ago, my family help to run it when I’m away playing snooker but yes its hard to juggle 2 businesses.
 

Andew and "Willo"

Q: You are good mates with Mark Williams. In Twitter your relationship seems to be built on banter (Mark once said that Pagett is the worst snookerplayer ever to play in Crucible), but what about in "real life"?



A: What you’ve got to understand about our relationship is that I was brought up by Mark playing snooker basically, I first met Mark when he was about 19 from then I’v probably spent more time with him then I do with my family, I once lived with him for about 6 months when I was 18, he has helped me out no ends and vice versa, normally our banter on twitter is when we are sat in the club doing nothing and we’ll target someone to wind up! It always works a treat!


Q: I know you practice together as well. What is your relationship like around snookertable, do you train as equal professionals or is Mark coaching you? It must be quite an advantage to have a player of that caliber in your corner?


A: Yes we practise together most days when I can be bothered, I’m not too dedicated I’ll be honest. I’ve always said if it wasn’t for Mark I would never have got to a professional standard, he is tough to play against and if you want to win then you have to be at the top of your game. He does give me a few pointers but not many, I’m not really one that believes in coaches.


Q: So what do you like to do outside the snookerworld? What are your interests and hobbies?


A: I like to go on weekends away with the family, I play golf, cricket and like socializing in the local pub with a few pints and a game of cards!


Q: Im interested in snooker cues so i have to ask about what kind of cue do you use now, and how many cues have you had during your career?


A: At the moment I use a trevor white cue, I’ve had it for about 7-8 years now but I am looking to try something new so John Parris is in the middle of making me a new cue

The Welsh Wizard with his family


Q: Are you a snooker fan? Do you watch a lot of snooker from telly, read blogs or anything like that?


A: If I’m out of tournament then I wont watch the snooker unless one of the welsh boys are playing just so that I can give my bit of support, other then that I don’t think it’s a very good spectator sport because its too slow.



Q: Now that your snooker career is ending, what are the memories that you will be taking with you? Best moments of your career, worst moments?


A: I’m never one to take the worst moments, I can’t really remember any as I can just shrug them off. As for my best memories the one for me will always be playing at the Crucible, when you start out as a professional that’s where everyone wants to play and luckily I can say that I’ve been there, done it and got the t-shirt. Other memories are getting to the semi-final of the Antwerp open with wins over Bingham, Robertson and then another memory is beating world no1 Mark Selby in the Wuxi classic.


Q: And finally, what will you be missing most about being a professional snooker player?


A: Not a lot to be honest, I played at the highest level for years and had some great times and great laughs with all of the lads on tour and will leave with some fab memories that I can tell the kids when their older. Sadly I just fell out of love for the game and felt like it was getting in the way of my personal life. I will miss traveling with Mark and most of the welsh boys because I felt that we were like a little family, I’m sure they won’t miss me though because I was a little pain haha.


*************


I would like to thank Andrew for taking the time to talk to me and answer my questions during the last couple of months or so. I wish him and his lovely family nothing but best for the years to come. 

And who knows, maybe we´ll see him pick up his cue again one day and maybe he´ll give us more shots like this (which was NOT a fluke but a carefully calculated attacking shot by a professional player in a tough situation):