T for Tony

He was coaxed out of a 30-year snooker retirement at the age of 54 by his son Dave.

And the pair were randomly drawn together in the Shirley Conservative Club doubles tournament. And they won.

However, the honours board in the impressive six-table snooker room reads A for Anthony not T for Tony.

“I was a little bit peeved by that,” he said.

Rawles, now 62, started playing snooker at the Portswood bus depot where he began working life as a conductor.

“I took to it like a duck to water. Most of the bus people could play pretty good because that’s all we ever did, play snooker.”

Rawles added that this season is “a little bit special”. Shirley Cons E have won their first seven matches. “We’ve been having a good crack,” he said. “It’s been a good laugh. I thoroughly enjoy it.”

Chris Holland told me to s** off

SHIRLEY Cons E skipper John Baker recalled the day 13-time Town Champion Chris Holland told him to s** off.

“Years ago I knocked about with my dad down Church End,” he said. “In fact, I met Steve Davis down there. He autographed my case. He was playing Chris Holland.

“I said to Chris ‘will you do mine as well?’ He said ‘sod off’. He thought I was taking the mickey.”

JB Specials

SO, why do Shirley Cons E players call flukes JB Specials?

Their captain, John Baker, explained: “It’s because I go for one pocket and it goes in another. And I get SO many of them. I am a lucky player.”

There were three JB Specials in the first three frames between the E side and Totton Rec C. But each one belonged to the losing player.

Tony Rawles beat Allan Payne who had a JB Special on the blue. John Hexham fluked the green but lost to Des McCarthy. And Dave White won on the pink after Bob Payne had fluked the blue.

“That was a cocked-hat come goodness knows what,” said White.

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