WarrenH

[cueboyzn]

Hi all. Just recently found this site after searching for info on the "tip revolution" led by John Higgins & Ronnie O'Sullivan.
I started playing at age 12 and have been playing ever since (17 years). I ain't no world-beater but do enjoy the game and have won 5 South African Champs titles at Snooker and 2 at Billiards. I'm also privleged to have played with & against the best South Africa has had to offer (Perrie Mans, Silvino Francisco, Peter Francisco), and have gained loads of experience and knowledge from them, especially Peter, who in my opinion is the best of our era. I look forward to being part of the "online snooker community"!

Warren H

[Cyril]

Welcome WarrenH,

Do you see much of Perrie these days? Great single ball potter in his day, one of the finest ever. Mind, this was a trademark of all the top SA players, Silvino and Peter included, was it not.

I wonder, do you have any information on former SA professional Freddie van Rensburg? He was around in the 50's and 60's and challenged John Pulman for the World title in 1966, when John was touring South Africa.

[mutalieb]

Hey Warren.

I am waiting for Talisman and hi there Cyril. How have you been keeping?

[cueboyzn]

Hi Cyril,

I see Perrie when he comes to Durban every now and then, spoke to him a few days ago in fact. He doesnt play anymore as he hurt his hand over a year ago doing some cue work and had to have an operation on it which kind of put him out of commission for a while. A couple of years ago before this happened i went with him and watched him in action at 9-ball at a Johannesburg club and let me tell you his eye was as good as any I've seen on a 9-ball table in SA, at age 63 he missed 1 ball in 8 games and cleaned the rest. I first met Perrie when i was 15 and had just joined the SA Pro Snooker circuit with him in 1992, i never had the privilege of playing against him in a tournament match as a pro, as the pro circuit closed in late 93, but i still learned a lot from him.

So far as I know Freddie was the father of Jimmy van Rensburg, both great players in their time, I dont have any info on him other than Ive heard a lot about him.

I think Perrie was without doubt the Mark Williams of SA Snooker, greatest single ball potter of our history as ive seen him on TV and in person and it was top drawer without question. Silvino and Peter were good potters too but for single ball potting Perrie was in his own league. Silvino and Peter were very rounded players with a top notch all round game and also we have to remember the 2 Francisco's, certainly Peter, were playing in the era after Perrie, so the standard had gone up a level in my opinion as a result of Steve Davis's arrival. Thats to take nothing away from Perrie, he goes down in history as our country's best as a former World No. 2 and Embassy world finalist, he really was The business in his day and is a household name here.

Yup Mutalieb, as soon as Maverick gets me that box you will get one, one is for Peter F and one is for me. Shhh keep it quiet we dont want too many of our rivals cottoning on to our new found advantage

[missneworleans]

Hi Warren welcome to TSF!

[Cyril]

cueboyzn,

Very interesting post mate, thanks. Shame about Perrie's accident.

Cyril

[Ginger Freak]

How is the game in South Africa these days? Is it still widely followed, do many play it?

It's a shame to see the decline of the game in the old Commonwealth Countries, Canada, South Africa, Australia etc (though Robertson is doing his bit for Oceania!)

It would be nice to see them back on the snooker map, otherwise I can see it just being Britain vs China in about 10 years time!

[Miss_S]

Hi Warren and welcome!

[cueboyzn]

Thanks all for the welcome

@ Ginger-Freak:

Snooker in SA use to be very popular in the 1960's 70's, and 80's, it had an amateur and a professional scene in our country from the 70's onwards and we had players in the world professional ranks such as Perrie Mans and the Francisco's, who also used to come home to participate in our local professional tournaments which were mostly televised to the nation which naturally kept the game in the public's consciousness. In the 1990's things changed somewhat, as not only did the pro circuit close down in SA in 1993 but we had no more players in the heights of the world pro ranks after 1995/1996.

The amateur scene is still alive here but lacks for sponsorship as it does not fall into the category's of so-called "major sports" here such as Rugby, Cricket, Soccer, and so our sport as a result struggles for sponsorship and exposure. Most of us now just play for enjoyment and to try to get selected for our country at IBSF amateur level (World & African Championships) and of course since the games of Billiards and Snooker have a long history here dating back to the early 1900's, there is still a measure of prestige in competing in and winning our events, even though there may not be a lot of money to be won.

I think this may change in the near future starting this year as there will hopefully be a Pro circuit starting up again which will see our sport taken to venues such as Casino's and upmarket shopping malls, tournaments held at venues like this have been very successful in the past. We as players can only hope things take off positively as a successful pro scene will hopefully lead to an influx of players into the amateur game, especially younger players who would otherwise choose Pool over Snooker.

[thinsy]

Silvino Fransisco... What a Gentleman...

Welcome Warren,

When I was younger my parents would take me to Butlins Holiday Camps usually at least twice a year, I started playing snooker at about 14 years old and got to the regular 20+ break standard quite quickly. We often went to Skegness because it was the nearest camp to our home, Graham Cripsy was their 'resident pro' but one day in the week Silvino would come and do an exhibition and also play the winners of the weekly events.

I won the junior event and got to play Silvino:

He broke the pack quite thick and left me a chance, I made a 12 or 15 break then snookered him. He left me another chance which I mustered a 20 break before missing.... Needless to say I never went back to the table as he cleared up with a 86 break. He told me what a good player I was and in true gentleman fashion made a long haired girly looking teenage boy feel great!

We went back about 6 months later for our second annual visit and sure enough Silvino was still doing his bit. I got to play him again and just like last time he was breaking the reds thick and returning the cue ball to the middle of the table......... Until he played me, he looked at me and said "I've played you before havent I?" then before I could answer broke off and left me virtually snookered behind the green. He turned to the crowd, who seemed astonished that he would be so cruel to a young boy, and told them "Last time I played this young man he nearly beat me, if he achieves this they will sack me and hire him..." I only scored 6 points this time as he knocked a ton in (the first ton I had ever seen live, and it was against me... how cool is that!)

I felt proud that he willingly 'pretended' that I was a threat to him and honoured that he asked me to stay back for 20 minutes to give me a few tips on my game...

As I said 'A Gentleman'

If I can find my very embarassing photo I will upload it for all to view.

[RaNeN]

Hi Warren, Welcome to TSF!

[cueboyzn]

@ thinsy

Thanks for your post and yes Silvino was a true gentleman. I remember he came to SA for one of our professional events here in 1993, at 16 I was the youngest pro there and naturally with him being such a high profile player at that stage I never expected him to notice let alone take time to speak to me and give me some advice, which he did, in between him winning the tournament.

A few years later I got selected as the reserve for the 3-man SA Team to play in the World Cup in Bangkok in 1996. Me being the reserve of the team, I wasn't given all the privileges of being part of the squad and started to feel somewhat excluded, but Silvino the Gentleman he was went out his way to include me in all the concessions given to players in the event, such as sneaking me breakfast vouchers every morning, a pass to the refreshments in the practice room which all players were entitled to, and even getting the WPBSA to include me in the team's welcome and complementary gifts. Thats in addition to practising with me almost every day, and I really enjoyed pitting my skills against him on a daily basis!
He then went on to famously beat Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Alan McManus in the same evening (albeit in single frame matches) which I sat and watched from beginning to end, and he was even then as professional and determined on the table as id ever seen him. I'll never forget the world class performance he put on that night, truly a memorable day for South African Snooker.

Basically he made my trip to this prestigious event all the more memorable, and one that for sure i'll never forget.