Simon Webb is likely one of the broadcasters that works on the Final Pool circuit, alongside colleague Steven Jamieson.
SnookerZone caught up with the 41-year-old to search out out a bit extra concerning the man behind the mic who has a background in snooker, however grew to become hooked on pool from an early age.
For the previous 12 months and a bit, the Final Pool Group has been entertaining followers with its drama and dazzling viewing of tournaments with lots of the large names from the previous popping out of hibernation and dusting off their cues and enjoying on the primary stage on TV.
Freesports has been the showcase for a brand new period in 8-ball, with Monday nights enjoying an enormous half in introducing new followers to the wonders of English 8-ball pool.
Love seeing the legends from my period having a weekend like this. https://t.co/RUfXwTvLQk
— Simon Webb (@Simontwebb) March 9, 2022
Simon Webb and his colleague Steven Jamieson, lap up the motion and take followers by the video games on the mic, with their mix of wit and wealth of data to entertain the followers, in addition to interview and learn the way the gamers are feeling on the market earlier than and after the matches.
Webb informed SnookerZone about his first recollections of being concerned within the sport: “My first recollections of pool have been enjoying with buddies within the native league. I didn’t play any tournaments apart from native league singles for years. I believe the primary large event I performed in was the Bristol Masters, I didn’t have a clue find out how to actually play the sport, however I might pot and management the cue ball and obtained fortunate a few instances, and managed to win it.”
Nevertheless, Webb’s first sport he performed earlier than turning to cue sports activities was the extra sedated cricket.
He added: “I first performed snooker at round 14, as an sickness stopped me from enjoying cricket and I wanted one thing aggressive to do. From there, I began enjoying in my native league pool. Following that, cue sports activities have been simply one thing I did within the winter to fill the time between cricket seasons. It wasn’t till I finished enjoying cricket that I made a decision to see how far I might go in pool. I went from native league to County A to England worldwide to Professional inside a few years.”
However Webb believes there’s extra to pool than simply potting balls. Most low amateurs who play in pubs or golf equipment can’t see the patterns and don’t observe the desk intimately to have the ability to make clearances like those you see so neatly carried out on the TV. Like in snooker, making issues straightforward for your self is the important thing to prime play in cue sports activities.
Webb added: “I believe pool is a good sport. For me, I really like the puzzle of the sport. Understanding find out how to make the sport straightforward for your self, relatively than counting on nice potting and massive photographs. For anybody beginning out within the sport, I’d say attempt to perceive the entire body, and never simply assume one ball at a time.”
Final Pool’s goal is to convey ALL the 8-ball world collectively…
Final Pool’s key goal is to convey all people collectively underneath one roof and to create an organisation and a model that everybody acknowledges within the sport.
The worldwide rule set is worldwide guidelines, a set that isn’t essentially performed regularly within the UK.
Stated Webb: “IMO Worldwide Guidelines are already the usual for the sport. They’re probably the most broadly performed guidelines on the earth (by a good distance), simply not as a lot within the UK. However I believe that’s altering.
Webb thinks Final Pool is a game-changer for the game: “In my view, Final Pool are altering the sport. For the primary time, there’s a actually skilled setup, and I don’t simply imply on the prime of the sport, I imply the entire construction of the group. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I believe most individuals can be massively shocked. They’re making an attempt to convey the pool world collectively, which is a big activity, however they perceive the significance of the way forward for the sport.
The Final Pool workforce is turning into such a close-knit group that Webb sees it now as a household.
SnookerZone readers could do not forget that 4 instances World Snooker Champion Mark Selby appeared within the Final Pool Pairs Cup final 12 months, and reached the second stage of the competitors together with his brother-in-law Gareth Potts, however they, sadly, needed to pull out because of points off the desk.
Webb added: There’s all the time a number of enjoyable and video games behind the scenes with UP and the printed crew, however most aren’t match for an interview. One factor springs to thoughts that matches with my largest ardour and pastime, golf. After enjoying golf with Gareth Potts, the place I performed nice however misplaced, I modified his participant profile to say ‘golf bandit,’ as an alternative of one among his cue sports activities achievements, and it ended up going out on television!
Nevertheless, Webb believes that there could also be extra prime snooker gamers sooner or later who resolve to provide the Final Pool a go.
“I believe it’s extremely doubtless we are going to see much more gamers cross over from different cue sports activities sooner or later.”
Webb’s proudest achievement was enjoying for England.
He added: “Taking part in for England for the primary time was actually cool, and enjoying for the highest England workforce is one thing I’m very pleased with.”
In a earlier submit, SnookerZone mentioned that the Final Pool Group, whose CEO is Lee Kendall, who additionally has performed prime pool, have been centered on not simply selling the skilled facet of the sport, but in addition the beginner facet of the sport so, close to the tip of March, the 2022 Final Pool Newbie Championship will happen on March twenty fifth – twenty seventh.
Not solely does Webb even have broadcasting duties, however he additionally works on his personal teaching movies and a Pool app referred to as the Pool Exercise app, which has a helpful set of drills, routines, and normal suggestions and recommendation for a spread of gamers from newbie to superior.
Its uniqueness is the truth that you may document your individual information within the app calculator inside and monitor your progress!
No must lug round notebooks!
The app will be downloaded on IOS, and can quickly be accessible on different platforms.
Take a look at Webb’s YouTube channel under…
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