Array
Welcome To Pro9 - Europe

  Create An Account Home  ·  Topics  ·  Stats  ·  Your Account  ·  Submit News  ·  Top 10 March 28, 2024  

  The Pro Shop


NEW: Buy 2 items (or more) and get a free
upgrade to 1st Class UK postage.

Viking
Cue Towel


Cuetec Bowtie
Now in Colour!


Cuetec Glove
New NOIR Colour


Black Ingot
Break Cue Tip


Pechauer Naked
Black Ice


Triple 60
Billiard Chalk


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
Noir Limited Edition


Cuetec Pro Line 2x4
Noir Limited Edition


Aramith
Camouflage

Cue Cube
Dime Radius

Cue Cube
Nickel Radius

Mosconi Cup
Team Europe Lag Ball

Aramith BLACK
Single 9 Ball

Predator P3 REVO
Purple Racer

Predator SP2
Limited Edition Nova

Mezz Sneaky Pete
Purple Heart 2

Kamui
Tip Protectors

Bear
DB-8 / UniLoc Shaft

Hans Delta
Shaft & Ferrule Care

Cuetec HI-TECH
Graphite cue cleaner

Predator Urbain
Black & Yellow 3x5

Predator Urbain
Black & Yellow 2x4

Taom MaxRack
Coming Soon!

Predator P3
Red Tiger

Table Cover
9ft Leatherette

Lucasi
Limited Edition LUX63


Lucasi
Limited Edition LUX58


Viking Two Feather
White Wolf


Cuetec AVID
Opt-X FK Blue


Pechauer
Rogue Carbon Shaft


Aramith BLACK
Orange 5 & 13 Ball


Predator
Pro Billiard Series


Sure Shot
Joint Protector Holder


Predator Air Rush
Red Revenge


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
New GREY Colour


Cuetec Pro Line 4x8
New NAVY Colour


Cuetec Glove
New GREY Colour


Cuetec Glove
New NAVY Colour


Mezz
ASTR Series


Felt Saver
by Cue Candy


8pt Sneaky Pete
Maple and Rosewood


Last 4 Ever
Combo Tip-Tool


Desk Clock
Ideal Gift


BMC Meucci
Custom Casino 3


4pt Sneaky Pete
Leather emboss wrap


Predator Aspire
Weight Bolts


8pt Sneaky Pete
Leather emboss wrap


High End JPs
Engraved Aluminium


Predator K Series
Iconic Classics 2-3


Predator BK4
No Wrap/Linen/Sports


Kielwood Shafts
11.75mm Torrified


Taom Pro Tips
Back in stock


2 1/4" Table Bowls
Made in England


Mezz
Wavy Joint Protectors


Zan Premium
14mm Soft


Magic Ball Rack
Matchroom Grey


Predator
Black Shadow Hoodie


Predator
White Shadow Hoodie


BMC Meucci
Glass Rose - White


Predator
Crest Billiard Chalk


In Stock Now
Simonis 860


Cuetec AVID Proof
Brown - NW


Cuetec AVID
Low Deflection Shafts


Cuetec AVID Proof
Black - LTW


Predator Pure
3-pc Chalk Sampler


PRO
Inspection Machine


TAOM
Leather Chalk Pouch


HOW
Premium Chalk


Predator P3 Nova
British Racing Green


Moori
Billiard Glove


Predator
Pool Ball Carrier Case


Cuetec Cynergy
SVB Gen 1 Series


BRAD
Cue Scuffer


Aramith BLACK
Back in stock!


Aramith BLACK
Individual cue ball


Cuetec Pro Line
2x4 Hard Case


Cuetec
Alcohol Wipes


Cuetec
Acueweight Kit


Cuetec DUO®
Smart Extension


Cuetec AVID Era
6pt Sneaky Pete


Cuetec AVID Era
Florian Kohler


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Walnut


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Walnut


Cuetec AVID
11.75 & 12.75mm


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Leopard


Cuetec Truewood
Cynergy Leopard


Cuetec Billiard
Microfiber Towel


Cuetec Gloves
All sizes in stock!


Cuetec AVID
Surge Break Cue


Cuetec
Bullet Jump Cue


Pocket Lathe
Portable shaft rollers


Predator
Shorty + Sport Grip


Tiger
Silicone Grip


Longoni
Bohemia


Longoni
No Blue


Predator Throne
Series 3-1


Predator Throne
Series 3-2


Predator Throne
Series 3-3


Predator Throne
Series 3-4


Predator Throne
Series 3-5


Lucasi Rival
3x4 Soft Case


Back In Stock!!!
Folding Cue Holder


Willards Tool
Nickel and Dime


Taom
Midas Gloves


Mid-Cue Extension
1¾ Inch UniLoc


Predator
REVO Wipes


Jacoby BlackOut
Brown - No Wrap


Jacoby BlackOut
Grey - Sport Grip


Rasson Method
Last chance to buy!


5/16x18
Mid-Cue Extension


Predator REVO
SP2 Zebra 1


Fury
Telescopic Extension


Predator 2x4
Special Edition Case


Predator 3x5
Special Edition Case


Taom
Soft Chalk


Predator - Appleton
2x4 Hard Case


Predator Glove
Bold New Colours


Predator Strike
Red Jersey


Predator Strike
Yellow Jersey


Brunswick K55
Cushion Rubber


Predator Air 2
Replacement Bumper


Tiger
Bridge Head


HOW Titan
Japanese Pig Skin


Predator 8 Inch
Exotic Extensions


P3 Bocote Radial
Leather Luxe Wrap


Magic Ball Rack
They are back!


Taom Magnetite
Round Chalk Holder


Predator K-Series
Classics 1-4


Predator K-Series
Classics 1-4


Kamui Athlete
Tip for Carbon Shafts


Predator Aspire
Predator ONE Shaft


Fury Stinger
X-Series Cues


Lucasi Air Hog 2
3-piece jump cue


Magic Rack
Tournament Edition


REVO BK RUSH
Break Cue Shaft


Mezz EC9 Cues
Buy NOW!


Kamui Kageki
Extreme Chalk


Predator TrueSplice
LE Gen 2 Ebony


Predator TrueSplice
LE Gen 2 Curly


Hans Delta
SK-BK1 Break Cue


Jim Rempe
Special Training Ball


Kamui - Training
Diamond Slicer


Exceed
Chalk Holder


Turtle Racks
10 Packs


ProPockets
Free post worldwide!


Pocket Lathe
Free post worldwide!


Predator
AeroRack


Great White Chalk
Thresher Blue


Predator 8-Point
Black/Green Veneers


Predator ARCOS II
Reserve Cue Ball


Predator APEX
9ft Pro Table


Tiger
Sniper Tip


Predator
Ikon4-1


Predator
Ikon4-2


Predator
Ikon4-3


Predator
Ikon4-4


Predator
Ikon4-5


Kamui
Chalk Shark


Speed 2
Affordable UniLoc


Mezz ZC-23
2 butt/3 shaft


Master Pro
K55 Cushion Rubber


Rare Predator
Matt Black BK-2


Lucasi Custom
UniLoc Joint


Lucasi Custom
UniLoc Joint


Lucasi Custom
3/8x10 Joint


Lucasi Custom
3/8x10 Joint


UniLoc Weights
Cartridge System


Mezz Avant
Dual Loading System


Magic Ball Rack
All-In-One


Kamui SAI
Control Break


Ignite 12.2 Shaft
Pre-order NOW!


Accu-Rack
Complete SET


Accu-Rack
DIAMOND 9


Accu-Rack
PRO 10


Predator Roadline
3x5 Black/Yellow


Predator ARCOS
Back in stock!


Aramith Pro Cup
Back in stock!


Taom
V10 Chalk


Tiger Corona
Leather Bridge


Taom
Pool Chalk 2.0


Taom
Pyro Chalk


Longoni
Cuetip Razor


Bulletproof
Break Cue Tip


Meucci Shaft
Carbon Fiber Pro


Predator REVO
11.8, 12.4, & 12.9mm


McDermott
6x6 Sport Case


Nicks Edge
Burnishing Papers


Pechauer
Jump Cue Natural


Pechauer
Jump Cue Black


Predator
Metro Cue Cases


Thor Hammer
Break Cue by Joss


Poison Armor3
2x4 Hard Case


Poison Armor3
2x4 Hard Case


Mezz Glove
Grey / Ambidextrous


BIG BALLS!
2¼" English Pool Balls


HXT-P1 PureX
Multi-Jump/Break


Tiger Icebreaker+
High Density Microcell


BK2 Re-Issue!
In Stock Now!


Arcadia Reserve
Tournament Blue


Predator Exclusive
Best value!


"Super Bat Wing"
The best got better!


Billiards 2021/22
Official Rules/Records


Predator SL 1
Valour Cue by Jacoby


NEW Improved
Magnetic Clip Chalker



TheProShop.biz
Free Post in Europe!
Order now!

  Main Menu

JONATHAN MATHERS - IN THE CHAIR
 Posted on Wednesday, September 01 2010 @ 15:36:50 UTCby admin
Advertisements

Photograph ©Andrew Warden/belleza-photography.co.uk - used by Pro9 with permission.

JONATHAN MATHERS - IN THE CHAIR

At the midway point in Season Three, arguably the most important season in the history of American Pool in Great Britain , talk amongst the players is already centring on the pitfalls, the possibilities, the perils and the promise regarding their beloved sport and where it’s headed. There’s no doubt whatsoever that the current incarnation that boasts the title of ‘National Tour’, the GB 9 Ball Tour, has taken the task of getting 9 Ball to the masses by the scruff of its collar in boldly moving houses but the question now is, are we on the right track to lavishly furnishing this new house in order to make it a home?

The man with that answer is of course 39 year old Jonathan Mathers; researcher for Birmingham University by day, American Pool fanatic by night and during whatever time in between, the Chairperson of the GB 9 Ball Tour. “I’m not the boss of GB9 or the committee”, Jonathan is keen to point out as we sit down over a coffee, making me wonder if I’d sat down at the wrong table, until quickly following up that statement with the self-deprecating if slightly ominous, “I just keep a strategic eye on things”.





"Read More..." for the full interview.

Having sat on the GB 9 Ball Tour’s committee since day one, Mathers took over as Chairperson at the end of Season Two as Lee Rigby , whom our interviewee is keen to acknowledge as a key and enduring factor in the tour’s success thus far, took on the role of Tournament Director. Since its inception in 2008, the GB 9 Ball Tour has successfully been fuelled by the drive, ambition and honesty of both its committee and volunteers. In it for the money? Reader, I assure you not.

Having known Jonathan for a number of years already, mainly in the guise of ‘fierce competitor’ with such achievements as a British ranking third place finish and a spot on the 2007 GB European Championship team adorning his highlight reel, I came prepared for our chat with two things; a cushion and my bumper sized dictionary; the one without pictures, I might add.


Photograph ©Andrew Warden/belleza-photography.co.uk - used by Pro9 with permission.

Pro9 Jonathan, you’re known on the table for your cool, methodical and patient approach. I’m presuming you bring those same qualities to your current role as Chairperson?



Jonathan "No, not always (laughs). Once that fuse has run down I’m maybe not as cool-headed as the people on tour may think. But seriously, I like to think I do, I guess it’s one of things the Chairperson’s role demands. I’m enjoying it so far but like anything, it has its ups and downs."


Pro9 So you’re halfway through Season Three, the first to be held in hotel venues. Simple question, how’s it going?




Jonathan "It’s going well. I think Buxton and Blackpool (events 1 and 2) had their teething problems but Daventry (event 3) holds up against any tournament in the world. Logistically, it’s absolutely massive, the preparation work that went on by the committee behind the scenes for us to get where we are was huge. We were constantly asking ourselves, will it work? Can it work? Light rigging, getting 16 tables up to a tournament standard for 144 players and getting those 144 players booked into the hotels are just a few examples."


Pro9 Why was the move into Barceló Hotels so important?





Jonathan "First of all I have to say that Rileys have supported pool tours in Great Britain for many years, giving their facilities and equipment for which I think we’re all grateful but unfortunately it became increasingly obvious that those conditions were not ideal. Having bespoke equipment allows us to optimise playing conditions and, ultimately, player experience. We knew the only way to maximise this was to move to hotels. A professional environment also provides a better basis for the one thing that has been missing all these years and that is a serious commercial financial sponsor. They need to be able to see the foundations in order to wish to be associated with us."

Pro9 Specifically, what were the issues with Rileys’ facilities?





Jonathan "Mainly the cloth and cushion conditions. I don’t want to be over critical but the standards that are required for a professional pool tour are over and above those that are routinely provided to the pool playing public."


Pro9 And how does your relationship with Rileys stand currently?



Jonathan "We still have a relationship, they supported our qualifiers last year and they’ll do so again this year. We want to recognise their support over the years. "



Pro9 In your experience, what does a sponsor look for when deciding whether to part with their money?





Jonathan "We’ve got to be realistic, money is invested to gain exposure and to use that exposure to gain access to a particular market. What we need to do is demonstrate that we can do that but it is difficult, we see this worldwide. Our aim is to put ourselves in the best possible position to succeed. I don’t want to make any promises such as by next year we’ll be on the BBC but I am optimistic regarding the future, the fantastic skill mix on the committee can only take us in the right direction. We’re not only looking at commercial sponsors, we’re currently developing proposals to take to Sport England."

Pro9 Tell us more about Sport England …




Jonathan "Sport England are a government agency who support, financially and otherwise, not-for-profit organisations such as ourselves who are looking to sustain and grow grass-root sports."




Pro9 What sort of person does it take to be on the GB9 committee?





Jonathan "I think you’ve got to be a little bit selfless and be willing to work for nothing more than your own self pride. Dedication is the word. The volunteers who help with the set up and take down at events are just as important a component, it’s simply an amazing team effort."



Pro9 Do you and the committee relish the challenge of having the future of the sport in your hands?




Jonathan "To be honest we don’t really get that much time to reflect but I guess we do relish it, especially when we see more and more players coming over from English 8 Ball and Snooker, which is great for the game. I don’t think we’re the only ones with the future of the sport in our hands however. Yes the GB 9 Ball Tour plays a vital role, and gives a national focus for the game, but there are also a multitude of local events run by other American Pool enthusiasts which generate fantastic interest in the sport, which is key. To grow the game we do need a sustained and healthy national tour that provides a focus for players, and allows the game to grow to the heights the players deserve. However it’s the players’ responsibility, as much as the GB9 Committee’s, to ensure we’ve got the support we need to get the game where it deserves to be."

Pro9 So why do you think we’re seeing established cue men making the switch to 9 Ball?




Jonathan "If you look and listen to someone like Darren Appleton for example, you’ll know that the game offers ultimate variety and appeal. You can literally beat someone up using knowledge alone. It’s the intricacies, the different skills, the strategies, the patterns, it’s fascinating to me. It’s fresh, exciting and you never stop learning…even Efren’s still learning!"

Pro9 So you’d be happy to see more English 8 Ball and Snooker players sign up?




Jonathan "Yeah bring it on! If they think they’re big and hard enough, why not?"




Pro9 Given the strength of the tour, is there the possibility of any top European names joining for a year?




Jonathan "Yes, GB9 would certainly be open to that idea if there was the interest."




Pro9 If you had a £500 charity bet, would you back GB9 against any other tour in the world right now?




Jonathan "Tour v Tour? In a word, yes. Actually wait, are the Philippines included? (laughs)"






Pro9 Can you clear up where the GBPA fits into the structure of American pool in Britain ? There seems to be much confusion on the subject.



Jonathan "I can see where the confusion lies as any organisation, GB9 included, has to justify their existence by its actions. Obviously I’m not a spokesperson for the GBPA but I can give you my understanding of the present situation. The previous national tour, the BPPPA (British Professional Pool Players Association) was not only the national tour but also the British Association affiliated to the EPBF. Following the demise of the BPPPA, GB9 was established as a national pool tour but not as an Association. At that time, in order to protect the British players’ rights and to allow them to compete outside of Great Britain , we paid the necessary fees to the EPBF. The GBPA has now been established as the new British association with affiliation to the EPBF. I hope that goes some way to explaining that. The GB9 Committee have had extensive discussions with David Morris, the Chair of the GBPA, about the implications of their organisation and the work they wish to do in Great Britain. We have stressed that we would like to see positive steps for Pool in Great Britain which, as we all know, hasn’t always necessarily been the case in the past. We have been given assurances of the GBPA’s intentions such as their wish to promote the game within schools and we’re very much looking forward to seeing how that develops."

Pro9 Despite its demise, the BPPPA had one success story in its youth system. Are there any plans for the GB9 to introduce something similar?



Jonathan "At the moment we don’t have any plans to do that as the tour is a full-time enterprise in itself. We do of course wish to support the development of the next generation of American Pool players and if we can play a small part in that by seeing more younger players on tour, or by supporting other initiatives then we’ll certainly look to do that. Until then, we’ll support the GBPA’s development of the youth game wholeheartedly. "

Pro9 The financial structure within the GB9 is what makes it so unique. Is it frustrating to be tarnished with the same brush because of previous organisations’ questionable finances?



Jonathan "I’m happy for people to question our finances; it’s something we’re very proud of. GB9 is not-for-profit and every single penny received by GB9 players’ membership fees, any sponsorship deals, basically, any revenue whatsoever goes back to the players in what is delivered and no member of the Committee has taken one penny for their work. The revenues and outgoings are there for all our members to see."

Pro9 Can players and fans expect to see any changes for next season? I’ve heard whisperings that the introduction of a Ten Ball event could be popular?



Jonathan "First of all, nothing is set in stone and we’re always striving to improve and to deliver to the players’ needs. If we felt there was a call for variation to the calendar then of course it is something we would consider very seriously; player experience is paramount in everything we do. We want to represent the players’ voice and opinion so if there are any novel ideas or even comments about how we can do something better, then they would be taken to the committee and we would discuss the suggestion and the logistic and financial implications around it. If it’s a ‘no-brainer’ then we’ll implement the suggestion straight away but for other matters, we may take it to a vote as all of our committee have an equal say. "

Pro9 Finally, every single player has been in love with the game at some point or another. Would you say you’re still in love with the game since taking on your current role?



Jonathan "I’ll be honest, for a period I did fall out of love with Pool when I realised my game had suffered because of my work but I’m 100% in love with it again now. I’ve never been the greatest player but I’ll always be the greatest enthusiast."




Photograph ©Andy Warden/belleza-photography.co.uk - used by Pro9 with permission.



Many thanks to Jonathan for agreeing to this interview and also to Andy Warden, for lending his photography prowess at short notice, regardless of how reluctant the subject might have been.



Jonathan Mathers was talking to Ben Moore, Saturday 31st July 2010.








Enjoy the article? Now try this...

Chat about this tournament in our forums.

Visit The Pro Shop to see what's new in cues and gadgets.

Check out the Pro9.co.uk calendar for details of more events.


 

  Advertisements


Comments


"JONATHAN MATHERS - IN THE CHAIR" | Login/Create Account | 0 comments
Threshold
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.





PRO9 has established an outstanding reputation as Europes No.1 source for information on American Pool in the UK and Europe. Upcoming tournament details, prompt match reporting, exclusive images by talented photographers, superb articles by expert pundits, active pool related forums, player profiles and a very sophisticated membership - basically, an incredible information resource for the American style game in Europe.
Since it launched, PRO9 has become compulsory reading, not just for the UKs pool players, but to hundreds and thousands of pool obsessives from around the world every single day.
PRO9s members range from professional pool players, cue-sports enthusiasts, club managers, tournament organisers, pool fans and aficionados, as well as various "movers and shakers" in the cue-sports field, including entrepreneurs in the wholesale and retail sector, as well as magazine editors and television sports promoters.
Growing more and more popular every single year, PRO9 is the best placed vehicle for the promotion of your pool club, billiards brand, associated products, services and opportunities in the truly massive pan-European billiard market.
If you qre reading this, you should check out www.Pro9.co.uk for yourself!
Please use these logos and text in your links to www.Pro9.co.uk - thank you.

Forum rules: No advertising, no links to businesses/shops/eBay, no swearing, respect our sponsors and each other, no hate!

Flag Counter
Flag counter installed Monday 11 November 2013


All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner.
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 2006-2020 by Big Dave at Pro9.co.uk.

This web site was made with myPHPNuke, a web portal system written in PHP.
myPHPNuke is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL license.

Anyone read this bit down here???


You can syndicate our news using the file
backend.php or ultramode.txt


  




































































































































Page took 0.04224 seconds to load.