A snooker fan says he has no regrets after being on the wrong end of a 147 break by reigning world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan at a Dundee event.
Ray Gardiner, 48, travelled from Aberdeen to the City of Discovery on Sunday for the exhibition with the sport’s biggest star.
Held at the Gardyne Theatre over two evenings, lucky players and punters either qualified or paid to play one frame against ‘Rocket’ Ronnie.
Hopes O’Sullivan would have ‘bad day’
But Ray’s dreams of making his mark on the table were swiftly killed off.
The fabrication boss said: “I watched some of the other guys who were taking part, one had a highest break of 137 and there were some semi-professionals.
“But when I watched these guys only getting one or two points, I knew I had no chance.
“It was just a bit of fun for me.
“When you’re playing a man like that, someone who has played 50 frames at these events held in the area and has won them all, you’d hope he was having a bad day to have any chance of beating him.
“The guy is a genius and I hope he goes on to win more World Championships.”
What is a 147 in snooker?
Seven-time world champ O’Sullivan is widely regarded as one of the greatest – and most naturally gifted – players in the game’s history.
The maximum break possible – providing the other player hasn’t fouled before the break begins – in a game of snooker is 147 and is secured when a player pots all 15 red balls and 15 blacks for 120 points.
This is followed by potting the six coloured balls for a further 27 points.
Ray broke by playing the first shot but did not pot any balls, leaving O’Sullivan to step in and clear the table.
He said his partner had surprised him by booking tickets for the event, which was organised by Shotz Pool and Snooker owners Ryan and Marc Fleming.
He said: “It was my other half, Alison, who organised it. She saw a post on Facebook and decided to book a place for me.
“I don’t really play much these days. I used to play a bit in my younger days but I’m not very good. I’m fortunate to have a snooker table at home and I invite friends over to play now and again. Alison organised it and I couldn’t say no.”
No need to prepare
When asked if he dedicated more hours to prepare for his match against The Rocket, Ray said: “To be honest, not really.
“A couple of friends came round but I know that I would have had no chance against Ronnie, the man is a genius.”
O’Sullivan, who holds the world record for the fastest 147 break at five minutes and eight seconds, took just under seven minutes to clear the table at the event.
VIDEO – Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 147 against Ray
Ray, who spends his spare time breeding Aberdeen Angus pedigree cattle, got the opportunity to have a chat with Ronnie during the event.
He said: “I spoke to him briefly during the interval and got him to sign a photo and write ‘147’ on them.
A shared passion
“He’s a passionate runner and I used to run quite a lot when I was younger but my knees are done nowadays.
“I mentioned his running and I saw that his eyes lit up a little.
“I said that if he is ever up in Aberdeenshire, he should try the Balmoral 10K which is one of the trickiest runs I’ve done and he said he probably will.
“He didn’t say a lot but it’s probably because he had to go through a certain number of people and he would have been focused on the job.”
Although he suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the man currently ranked the best in the world, Ray would jump at the opportunity of facing another professional.
He said: “I’d definitely do it again and maybe get the chance of potting a ball or two.
“One of the other players said that he’d have loved to have been against Ronnie hitting a 147.
“Once it went on, I did feel like a bit of a plonker but this is the man who has won seven world championships.
“It was a magical experience.”
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