BILLIARD CHAMPIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 19, 23 January 1926, Page 19

BILLIARD CHAMPIONS

SOME OF THE IDIOSYNCRASIES EOBBETS'S "SHOWMANSHIP." Several of the leading professional billiard players have been noted for their "'little ■ways," writes "C.U.E." in the Melbourne "Argus." Roberts was one of them. After making a shot, for example, he would always leave his bridge hand resting for a moment or two on the table, but aa soon as he had delivered his cue he would drop his thumb and fold it under the palm of his hand. It was an unconscious trick. Some of his mannerisms, however, were deliberate, and were adopted for the sake of "showmanship," of which he was a past master. A well-known one was his way of picking up the cue ball (when it was in hand, of course) and wiping it on his shirt sleeve. In doing 60 he set a fashion which has been followed by every profeisional. Roberts often rubbed hia ball in this way when it was guiltless of having picked up any chalk. Aa far as I could judge he always did it when he was confronted by a really difficult shot. From a showman's point of view this was thoroughly justified, for it afforded him a moment to c»l----culate possibilities, and it also raised the expectation of the spectators. Another of his "little -ways"—but this no other player has ventured to imitate-—was turning his back on the balls and walking to the baulk end of the table immediately after he had delivered for a run-through along the top cushion. This was most effective, for if he brought the shot off the spectator* were awed by an exhibition of such confidence. On the Other hand, if he did not score, his wVI-sim-ulated amazement would ( greatly amuse the room. Everything he did, indeed, in connection with billiards was in a class of its own. He could ask for the rest, the half-butt, or the long rest as no one else could. He never spoke out, but made his request to the marker in a penetrating whisper, which impressed everyone present' though why we could not say. Roberts never wasted a moment at the table, and he always came to it immaculately groomed. Ordinarily he was perfectly self-possessed, but undue hesitancy in play on the part of his oppenent or slovenliness in dress would always upset his balance. I remember Weiss, doing this many years ago, when the two were playing a-match at the Athenaeum. Weiss hobbled into the room one afternoon in a pair of list slippers. He apologised to Roberts, saying that his feet were tender. Roberts said nothing; he merely glared. The slippers annoyed the champion, and annoyance did not improve his play. On another occasion during this match Weiss (who waa the incarnatio of "stoclginess" at the table) played even more slowly and ponderously than usual. For one shot he first had the half-butt, then he said ho would take the long rest, but he altered his mind once more, and remarked that he would play the shot lefthande'd. "Roberts meanwhile was chafing under the delay. When AVeiss had at last made the shot lie turned to Roberts, and said, very deliberately, "I'm afraid, Mr. Roberta, my slow way of playing annoys you." "You're not exactly a flash of lightning, Mr. Weiss," replied Koberts. The rcpiy came swift as a rapier Ihrust, When a player is "on the stroke" he naturally objects to anyone in his 1 lia* of sight atrikiug at match. This

not only puts a man off his shot, bat in gome cases, especially if he misses when the game is at a critical stage, it will put him out of temper for the rest of the session. There are exceptions, however, and Shorter, the great spot-stroke player, was one of them. Once, when he was in the very act of delivering for a rod winner off the billiard spot, a spectator, who was git* ting in line with the spot and in the front row, struck a wax match to light his cigar, and thereby completely dazzled Shorter. He missed the shot, but, instead of losing his temper, he went to the offender and said, "Please don't do that again, for, though I can get on the 'spot' whenever I like, and stay there as long as I like, still it is not worth while throwing away a chance." Shorter, who in 1877 came suddenly into fame, was regarded by some judges aa the finest player, or, at any rate, the greatest scorer of his day. He had an unusual temperament. Tew men can excel at something they do not care about, but Shorter excelled at billiards, though he had no liking at all for the game. He simply hated practice, and, therefore, he would not practice. If he was going to take part in a tournament or a match he depended on playing himself into form during the game. His health had never been good, and in 1884 he developed consumption. His only chance of recovery, he was told, was a voyage to Australia, and he took the advice; but it was too late, and he died at i Deniliquin in August, 1885.

Of all the players Edward Diggle was perhaps the greatest character.'' Although he had the keenest sense of humour, he looked the very picture of melancholy. His technique, like his expression, was all his own; he had no real bridge, for example, for ho would just put his left hand flat on the table and would play sometimes between his thumb and forefinger, sometimes through his forufinger, and not seldom between his first and second fingers. He was a very great player, however, and with more ambition he might well have won the championship, for he succeeded several times in s6undly beating Stevenson when that player held the title. He was fine at the top of the table, but, as he used to say in his marked Lancashire accent, "Ah doan't believe in playin'-tha balls too well. Ah like to keep them well separated, and ,then.ah find they doan't 'cover' as often as they do if you play like Stevenson." When he was in Australia some years ago he was playing in Sydney against Fred Lindrum. The red loser was very fashionable then, and in the course of the game Diggle dribbled the white over the centre in position for a loser. After regarding the ball with the greatest gravity for some moments ho turned to the spectators and said: "Gentlemen, you've seen a lot of red ball play; now you shall sco a world's record off the white." Amid great laughter he succeeded in doing this with 110 consecutive white losers. Perhaps it was because he looked so dismal that the spectators did not like to applaud him too much, though he was a favourite with the public; but Biggie liked applause, though it seemed rather to depress than to cheer him up. Once when he had made a very clever shot which passed unnoticed, he put down his • cue, clapped his hands heartily, and said, "Well done, Edward Diggle, lad." Then he went gravely on with his break.

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