How good is Shane Castle?

[snookerdad]

So, how good is Shane Castle? Now’s your chance to find out.

Shane missed out on Michael White’s world record by 81 days when he scored a 101 break in a tournament in Rushden, aged nine. In February this year he was crowned Pontin’s Star of the Future Under-12 champion, aged ten.

Shane competes in the Chandler’s Ford SC £1,000 Under-21 Roll-Up, a best-of-five scratch knockout with a best-of-three Plate every Saturday from 1pm until about 6pm.

We are privileged to be watching history being made.

Other regulars include: EASB Premier Junior Tour players Dan Hildyard and Alex Dunkley, Pontin’s Spring Festival Under-16 champion Billy Castle and a smattering of EASB Southern Regional Junior Tour youngsters.

The top 15 at the end of 20 weeks share £1,000.

Reports are carried in the Southern Daily Echo every week.

Chandler’s Ford is situated just off the M3 between Southampton and Winchester

The new series starts August 9. For details contact Jim Everett 02380 254834

Tim Dunkley (TD)

[Monique]

So much expectations on such a young person always makes me uneasy. I can't help thinking of the pressure it put on a mere child, even if he loves it ... for now. And the so many hours spent away from the nornal children activities that build up a balanced personality ...

Sorry.

[snookerdad]

Quite agree, Monique.

Shane was good at cricket and football but fell in love with snooker at the age of seven.

He has a supportive family who place no pressure on him.

Dave Mumford, a recently qualified World Snooker Association Grade A coach and a well respected figure in our neck of the woods, is his mentor and makes sure he is not over hyped.

Anyone worried about Shane should have seen him enjoying the week-long junior festival at Pontin’s. In between matches while we were all comparing scores and checking other results, Shane would be outside kicking a football or in the play area.

He is just a kid. But not on the snooker table.

Tim

[bongo]

Shane has a great future ahead of him, he is young and has a long time to improve as long as he is still motivated to improve. I have seen him play and he is a great player, but he is in Snooker Scene and Cue Sport magazine a lot, I hope he doesn't mind as it is an international magazine! A lot of publicity!

[jonashford]

Well done to all the youngsters who play at Chandlers Ford Sc, I have noticed over the last few years quite a few players from the club do well at pontins festivals, the junior scene is very strong there. A credit to the adults around them who also have to put in a lot of effort.

I originally came from Chandlers Ford left 31 years ago as a boy, I lived on Underwood Rd, moved to Grimsby, home of the best snooker league in the country, unfortunately we do not have any juniors of the standard that C.F. Sc has so our league will suffer in the future because of this.

How do you encourage the juniors to get interested in playing snooker? I am keen to learn.

cheers

[snookerdad]

It has taken a very enthusiastic club-owner 17 years and many hours a week to achieve this.

Jim Everett admits he enjoys his Saturday at the club more than anything else.

He runs scratch leagues for under-13s and under-18s with prizes and engraved trophies. And that is probably the secret. Tough competition between players of similar ability raises standards.

He also encourages then to enter Cuestars events, national events and introduces them to the local social clubs’ league as soon as they are good enough, regardless of age.

And then they progress to the under-21 competition which over the last four or five years has proved to be a breeding ground for national champions.

In the last 19 weeks of the current series we have had 28 different players of which 17 have scored competitive half-centuries and five of those have made tons.

Tim Dunkley

[snookerdad]

EASB under-14 finalist Adam Bobat will join up with EASB under-14 quarter-finalist Jordan Winbourne and Pontin’s Star of the Future under-12 champion Shane Castle at Chandler’s Ford SC tomorrow.

Three of the country’s top youngsters meet up again in the first tournament of the new Chandler’s Ford £1,000 Under-21 Roll-Up series.

The scratch best-of-five event with a best-of-three plate kicks off at 1pm.

Ring 02380 254834 for more details.

Tim Dunkley

[MattWilson]

Such a shame that Shane has given up the game at such an early stage in what looked like a blossoming career.

Another wasted talent.

[Byrom]

why has he given up?