Tall tales and true from a legendary billiards player

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 48

Tall tales and true from a legendary billiards player

By

NIGEL WILSON

The more advanced billiards becomes the more its art conceals its art. That is one of Jack Proctor’s favourite quotes from the billiards immortal, Clark McConachy. At 72 years of age and playing in his fortieth Lion Brown National billiards championship last week in Christchurch, Proctor, of Southland, can often be seen entertaining with his tall tales and true from the legendary past of a game that has produced many brilliant and notorious characters. In the familiar surroundings of green baize tables and soft lights, Proctor, when discussing the history of New Zealand and world billiards players, slips into an easy stride as he sets off down the years highlighting the many great players he has met and befriended. One of the most notable was Clark McConachy who, until Dene O'Kane, was New Zealand’s only professional player. Proctor tells how McConachy, when visiting at his home in Invercargill, would practise 16 hours a day and run four miles a day at, age 64. Shortly after that visit.

McConachy. went on tour in Canada and Proctor tells the story of how the great champion, due to play the -top Canadian player, could not practise on the main table until 11 p.m. the night before the big match. At exactly 11 p.m. McConachy started practice and was still going when the cleaners arrived the next morning. Leaving for . home McConachy completed his four mile run, had a quick sleep, then returned to blow the Canadian off the table.

“McConachy’s dedication to practice was legendary,” said Proctor. He went on to point out how this dedication and the brilliant performances that ensued, were often lost on a public that failed to understand the intricacies involved in a game that looks so easy when played by its best exponents. “Billiards is a game of such intense subtlety,” said Proctor, who described the 1930 s English professional, Tom Reece, as one of the past masters of cannon play. Reece,

with his amazingly delicate touch, once scored a world record break of 499,000. Played over two sessions a day the break took over three weeks to complete. The only specators for the most part were the unfortunate referee and the even more unfortunate opponent. While the numbers of billiard players has also declined in, New Zealand the game is still very much alive and Proctor is adamant that billiards has a future here. Proctor believes we will never see the likes of Reece, McConachy and Walter Lindrum in billiards again mainly due to the steady increase over the years in the popularity of snooker. .The N.Z. National Tournament which began in 1908 is the second oldest in the world after England and down the years there have been a number of great cham? pions who for a period of years have been very dominant.

Rupert Carrick, of Auckland, whom Proctor describes as the best

cueist he has seen, was dominant in the 1940 s winning seven national titles before the wonderful West Coaster, Alan Twohill, emerged as our greatest ever champion, winning nine times between 1953 and 1968.

Other, top players included Lance Stout, of Wellington, who won both the billiards and snooker in 1952, a feat only equalled by Canterbury’s Tom Yesberg in 1964 and Lance Napper, of Dunedin, the following year.

Another player • who really stood out was Arthur Albertson, an extremely colourful character who first won the billiards in 1933 then again in 1943 and 1958 and finally in 1961, 28 years after his first win. In the more modern era the Wellingtonians, Bill Harcourt and Herb Robinson, as well as Canterbury’s Brian Kirkness have been to the fore with Robinson claiming four titles and Harcourt three well as three victories

in the snooker. Kirkness was the winner in 1972, 1977, 1978 and 1986. . The 1980 s have belonged to one player, Dave Meredith, of Canterbury, who has reigned supreme winning seven billiards titles.

As president of the Southland Billiards and Snooker Associaton for the past 25 years Proctor was instrumental in his association being granted the hosting of the 1986 World snooker championship in Invercargill. Keenly intelligent and always immaculately dressed, Proctor set off to raise the $150,000 required to host the championship and when the event was all over it was not only acclaimed internationally as a huge success but also made a profit.

The interview over, Proctor gets up to leave and is stopped by a billiards enthusiast with a question about “the good old days.” With a spark in his soft blue eyes the billiards historian unleashes his charming smile and sets forth with a tale. .