The Humour of Snooker

Sporting Chronicle, Saturday 30 November 1907

The Humour of Snooker.

We continue to derive any amount of amusement out of the snooker pool games. It is wonderful, as Aiken remarked last week, how “one gets mixed up at snooker after playing billiards.” The Scot found himself in the unhappy position of holing the pink twice with consecutive strokes although there were plenty of reds still left upon the table. What is more, he had turned to the referee after the first holing of the pink and, pointing to it, asked, “Is that a coloured ball?” The official readily replied “Yes!” and Aiken as promptly slapped it into a pocket. “Six away was the referee’s immediate call, to the openly expressed astonishment of the Scottish champion, who put the query “Why? You told me it was a coloured ball!” “I know I did,” said the referee, “You asked me and I said ‘Yes.’ It wasn’t for me to tell you were on the wrong ball, was it?”

An almost similar happening was within an ace of coming off this week. Higgle had made a rare shot on the pink after taking the last of the reds. But he has had a lot of bad luck in connection with this valuable coloured ball and again his ball, returning from the top cushion at a very narrow angle, found its way into the depths of a middle pocket. It was a case of the cat among the pigeons now as Reece, going on from the D., had the three smallest colours, the yellow, green, and brown, beautifully placed to be taken. In they went, with successive shots.