SNOOKER fans were treated to a memorable exhibition by six-time World Championship runner-up Jimmy White and fellow professional Alfie Burden at Snookes in Weymouth.
White and Burden first played a best-of-five match in a raucous atmosphere, White storming back to win 3-2 after Burden had opened up a 2-1 advantage.
Although no centuries were scored, they each registered breaks in excess of 50 and dazzled the crowd with a series of trick shots, long pots, break-building and deft cannons.
Spectators from near and far watched the event, including snooker super fans Rob Francis and the two Amandas.
READ MORE: The story behind Jimmy White and Alfie Burden coming to Weymouth
Local players Charlie McKinlay, Jason Raybould, Joe Djeebet, Dean Tisler and Snookes chief Austin Wainwright also played one-off frames against White or Burden.
However, the professionals avoided defeat to retain the air of invincibility they displayed, enchanting the crowd with their skills.
Some £995 was also raised for the Special Care Baby Unit at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, courtesy of a raffle and a generous £500 donation from Wainwright.
And the Snookes proprietor, for whom White is an idol, was delighted to welcome the ‘London Invasion’ to Weymouth, including guest MC and TikTok revelation ‘Big John’ Fisher.
Wainwright told Echosport: “It’s a brilliant night with Jimmy and Alfie, they’re great personalities and very accommodating.
“Jimmy’s one of my heroes, I’m glad I’ve met him and he’s not disappointed. We got to see some magic from the legend.”
Four-time world champion Mark Selby was the previous professional player to visit Snookes in 2013 and Wainwright is keen for exhibitions to become a more regular occurrence.
He said: “I’d love to do one again, the logistics aren’t easy but we’ve just got to make sure everyone enjoys it.”
And for White, this was a second trip to Snookes after his visit in 2007 under the former name of Weymouth & Portland Snooker Club.
He said: “I’ve been here before almost 20 years ago but they were my party days, so I can’t remember!
“It’s great to come back and play some amateurs, show off our skills and do a few trick shots and try and make a few centuries.
“I’ve always loved doing that and it’s good fun.
“I do it for a living but, at the same time, I’m playing so well again now that I get such a buzz playing.”
Burden could not take revenge over White after ‘The Whirlwind’ beat him 5-3 in the World Seniors final earlier this year.
However, this summer Burden did regain his World Snooker Tour (WST) card via the brutal Q School route, leading White to express his happiness for a good friend.
“I’m pleased that he got back on (the tour),” he said. “For me, he’s got all the talent in the world. You’ve got to put in the time.
“Hopefully he’s going to do it this year and get some results, because he’s good enough.
“I’ll be on at him to come and play me and to practice. The hard part he does easy, that is scoring, but you’ve got to learn the mental side, the safety and be a Mark Selby.”
Dorset has not held a major tournament since 2000, when the Bournemouth International Centre hosted the UK Championship, part of snooker’s prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ including the World title and The Masters.
The closest tournament for snooker fans in Dorset was previously the Welsh Open in Newport, before The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse hosted the World Grand Prix in January.
However, The Centaur is located 112 miles from Weymouth and will in September host the British Open.
Asked if he would welcome a major WST event back to the county, White told Echosport: “I don’t know, we’ll see. It’s difficult, you’ve got to have the facilities. We were in the BIC for ten years.
“Unfortunately for us, because we all loved the BIC and Bournemouth, after the contract finished we forgot to renew it and of course someone jumped in for that week.
“We weren’t able to get the slot, that’s a shame.”
The exhibition was organised by MSK Sports Management and sponsored by MN Walker Scaffolding and Dorset Trade Windows.
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