John Pullman dies aged 75

John Pullman, who died on Saturday after sustaining a heavy fall at his home in Nottingham, was a familiar figure in snooker circles in this country as a TV commentator for the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters. Aged 75, he was World Professional Snooker champion from 1964 to 1968 and continued to compete in the event until 1981.

Early this year, I interviewed him prior to the Irish Masters at Goffs where he gave what has now turned out to be his last commentary on the event. These are his reflections:

"It was quite by chance that I came to be involved in the Benson and Hedges Irish Masters. In 1984, Trevor East of ITV invited me to join him on a trip to Dublin for two or three days. Jameson had a very successful snooker sponsorship at the time and the idea was that we would meet up with Des Heather of Irish Distillers.

"To the best of my recollection, lunch with Des at the distillery lasted about nine hours, but we had a fine time. As it happened, the visit coincided with the B and H at Goff's, so, reasonably merry, we headed down there to see the boys. As soon as I put my nose inside the place I was asked: `Will you do some commentary?'

"It was all quite easy-going in those days. I had been used to working for ITV, though my first commentary was actually for Scottish television - a competition called `Big Break.' Eight Scottish amateurs were involved and I'm afraid it wasn't a particularly eyecatching event. In fact I was informed that had it not been for my commentary, they wouldn't have bothered putting it out. Which was a nice compliment in a way.

"Later, they got professionals in and they would give me a call and ask me if I'd like to play, which I did for a few years. Anyway, I agreed to do some commentary at Goffs and stayed on for three days after Trevor had gone back.

"From then on it became an annual thing and now, dare anybody try to stop me. I love it, for a number of reasons. Among them is the circular nature of the arena which is ideal for the game, just like the Crucible in Sheffield.

"Then there is the tremendous atmosphere which has helped the tournament to grow in stature from year to year. When it started 21 years ago, it was a rather modest affair but it has developed to the extent that it is now the tournament all the players want to be in.

"The attractiveness of the package is completed for me by the celebrated bonhomie of the Irish people. Their hospitality has the effect of creating an irresistible aura around the event.

"Anyway, it's wonderful to be doing a job I enjoy. For that reason, I've always tried to be fairminded in my commentaries, even to the extent of bending the other way. For instance, rather than talk about a rank bad shot, I would say something like "maybe that didn't work out quite as he had intended. But it was slightly difficult and . . . "

Having been a player myself, I appreciate just how difficult the game is. Sure, the players sometimes make it look very easy but I can assure you it isn't. There's no margin for error: everything has to be right on the button.

"Give a cue to a non-snooker person and they'll find it incredibly awkward to handle it. I have always maintained that it is unquestionably the most demanding ballgame in the world. Precision, precision, precision all the time.

"In the modern game, however, players are becoming proficient at a much earlier age than they did in my day. And the reason is quite simple: they're getting free tuition all the time from watching the best players in the world on television. In my day, I saw a professional player maybe once in a blue moon. Effectively, we were left to our own devices.

"It led me to conclude that the players then didn't mature until they were at least 40. Think of the way Stephen Hendry was playing as a teenager and you realise how things have changed. Indeed most of today's players seem to mature at 18 or 19.

"Talking of youngsters, there's the McAnally boy, my partner in the commentary box. I enjoy working with Aonghus. We complement each other in that he knows how to play the game but not having been a professional player, he sees it from a different perspective than I do. We call ourselves the A team and it's the only commentating I do these days.

"Memories at Goff's? Well, one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen in snooker, was Alex Higgins winning at Goff's in 1989, when he beat Stephen Hendry in the final while hobbling around the table because of a broken foot. That was the most amazing sight you could imagine. He was dead and buried three times in the match, but fought his way back and eventually won it by 9-8.

"Then there was the extraordinary contribution of Steve Davis, surely the greatest example of hard work and dedication the game has seen. Eight Irish Masters titles is an extraordinary achievement, particularly when one considers they were playing the best of nine frames, which is rather like tossing a coin.

"They have been wonderful times and here I am at 74 and a model of clean living, looking forward to another visit to Goffs and sharing the commentary box with my friend Aonghus. I once said I would come over and do it for nothing. Mind you, I was careful that tournament organiser, Kevin Norton, wasn't within earshot!"