It would be a best of 11 final in a packed pub between me and Neil Dodds circa 1993. We would have to do 11 frames because we wouldnt have the concentration to do anymore , and also it would probably only take an hour.

Of all the players Ive seen the only person that made me think "what the hell is he doing with this shot ?" is Neil.

One season playing for the county B, Neil and I were first up in slots 1 and 2 all season and we were a joy/disaster to watch. Whoever won their match first got a Stella top, whoever could double the black in - a Stella top , 8 ball clearance - stella top and so on …

At the end of the season we topped not only the county averages but the regions as well. His shot making was incredible. With the worlds thinnest roll up hanging out of the side of his mouth, face screwed up and a cue action that looked like an Octopus falling out of a tree Doddsy was car crash pool.

The pair of us went to England Trials for Region 7 in Portsmouth and thrashed everyone. Neil and I were the only representatives from the region 7 B teams who were there. 120 players from the A teams and only six qualified but I got a place, so did Neil and I have a feeling that Peter Lofts did as well.

For the England trial itself Neil brought his dad and his brother Gary to Portsmouth and they spent the weekend drinking the bar dry. In the first match Neils dad 'dropped one' as his opponent was cueing up the black and up went the usual Doddsy chorus of ' OOOP , MORE TEA VICAR ??' :roll:

At the end of the night they hadnt booked anywhere to stay as they didn't realise it was a two day event. When I left the building at 10pm to stay at a mates, Neil and his Dad were passed out on the sofa and Gary was face down on a pool table.

If you wanted a night of utter chaos then all you needed was a barrel of Stella, Neil, Dean Hardesty and Dermot McCarthy !!

Neils also the only person I have met who had no bank account. He had money coming for a semi final place in the TVPA singles and when the cheque was presented to him he told the committee that he needed it in cash as he had never opened a bank account and had no way of cashing it ! I always wondered if that was true or just a way of getting the cash.

While in Racks one night we were talking about great players and great shots and my observation was that the reason some people have a reputation as a great shot maker or a superb potter of doubles is because they are the players who have terrible positioning and get into these situations more than others. As a consequence they get far more practise at trying to play the "remarkable right hand deep screw of three cushions and free the last yellow miracle". Well, no one got more practise at it or pulled it off more often than Doddsy.