The world No.3 heads the billing for the Northern Ireland Open, which begins at the Waterfront Hall tomorrow, after concerns he would not be able to take part due to a family illness
Home hero Mark Allen wants to leave a lasting legacy for Northern Irish snooker. The world No.3 heads the billing for the Northern Ireland Open, which begins at Belfast’s famous Waterfront Hall tomorrow, after concerns he would not be able to take part due to a family illness.
“I want people to be playing snooker in Northern Ireland hoping to be the next Mark Allen,” insisted the Pistol, a decorated 11-time ranking-event winner. "That’s not me being arrogant or big-headed, I just want to inspire new people to take up the game. But the shackles were unleashed with a magical maximum 147 in the opening round en route to his brilliant run to the title three years ago.
He reflected: “It was massive to put that poor record behind me. We used to joke about it year after year. It was terrible for me to be honest.“I'm very thankful that the fans kept coming back year-on-year because I didn't deserve the support that I got because I wasn't giving them anything to cheer.“I still feel pressure when I play there.
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