Adrian Ridley practising at home last week before heading off to Manchester England.
Former Australian number 1 ranked player, Yarrawonga’s Adrian Ridley, arrives in Manchester England next Wednesday, May 3, an hour’s drive from Sheffield for the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship.
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Playing in the world’s top snooker event at the iconic Crucible Theatre is “not something I’d ever think would happen” he told the Yarrawonga Chronicle. “To play at the Crucible will be a dream come true.”
Although it hosts regular theatre performances, the Crucible is best known for hosting professional snooker’s most prestigious tournament, the annual world snooker championship, which has been held at the venue since 1977.
Now aged 40-years, former Allegro Theatre Company Yarrawonga performer Ridley now qualifies for the senior championship to be played at the Crucible which has a seating capacity of 900 people and where snooker is televised world-wide.
“I’d like to thank Allegro, it might soften the blow a little bit!” he said. “The Crucible is a bigger stage than the Allegro type with a different snooker type table.
“There are heaters under the table, the cloth’s warmer and brand new cloth so it will be every slippery, very quick – I’ll need the five days of getting used to it.”
Only the top 32 players in the world each year have ever had the privilege of playing in the Crucible Theatre.
Ridley knows his first opponent in the sudden death match. “I’m up against Joe Johnson (England). He was 1986 world champion. I know I’ve got a chance,” he said.
Over the March 25 and 26 weekend, Ridley won the 2023 Oceania Masters Tournament in Albury winning the final convincingly, defeating Sydney’s Joe Minci. In the best of seven frames, Ridley won 4-0. He only dropped only one frame over the whole event in a dominating display of his outstanding talent in the sport.
Ridley has won many state and Oceanic tournaments and titles, and the title of Australian champion in 2017 when he beat the highly decorated Australian champion Steve Mifsud.
But the Albury victory last month was all the more pleasing as it was the first time that all of his family had been able to attend to witness him winning an Australian title.
Ridley’s arrival in England will allow five valuable days of practice and he appreciates the support of his employer Indigo North Health in Rutherglen.
The iconic home of world snooker, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where Adrian Ridley will take on 1986 world champion Joe Johnson.
This time, at least on the television screens, the world will be watching the general services manager at Indigo North Health put his cue in action on the faster type of surface on the world stage.
Yarrawonga Snooker Club President Darren Thompson described the news of Ridley competing on the world stage as “pretty exciting”. “It’s just amazing having someone of Adrian’s ilk. He’s always sharing his knowledge,” the president said.
“If people want to know anything about snooker, Adrian’s so helpful to them and is a great ambassador for our club. We wish him all the best for this year’s seniors world championships.”
