For a few years, I had four snooker players in the top of my mind who I want to win a ranking title. They are Martin Gould (who is the current German Masters champion), Ryan Day, Michael Holt and Mark King. I wrote a blog an age ago on who I think will win their first ranking title and I didn’t mention King in my Top 6 players. Now that he has finally won his first professional ranking title in 25 years or 319 tournaments, I will eat humble pie and commend him, because it has been a rocky road indeed.
Mark King became a professional in 1991, and within five years, he reached the world’s Top 48. A year later, he reached his first ranking final in the 1997 Welsh Open, where he was beaten 9-2 by Stephen Hendry. Though he was soundly beaten 9-2 against Stephen Hendry, this helped him reach the Top 32 and followed by Top 16 a year later. He reached his highest ranking of No.11 seed in the 2002/2003. A year later, he reached his second ranking final but lost 10-7 to Peter Ebdon in the Irish Masters. A high-flyer indeed – like a bald eagle. Hang on.
However, this isn’t without his own personal problems and heated moments. He was involved in a boxing bout with disgraced former pro Quentin Hann after Hann’s aggressive behaviour towards Andy Hicks in an opening World Championship match. Unfortunately for King, he lost the ‘Pot Whack’ boxing fight on points decision (unfortunately, Eddie Hearn was not around to promote the fight for a lot of money and blow it out of proportion).
The main demon that has been well-documented is his gambling addictions, something that has threatened his life, morality and his relationship with his wife. There are a number of figures around the Internet of how much he gambled away, but he estimated “he has squandered a total of £500,000 – or around half his career prize money” [1]. After rejecting many opportunities to be assisted by the GA (Gambler’s Anonymous), he even got to the point of lying to his wife and even considered a robbery. He admitted:
“I was a horrible person. I used to have rows on purpose with Sally [spouse] so I could storm out of the house and go down the casino…she knew I gambled, but never the full extent, and the lying was the worst thing she had to put up with. It hurts me to say this, but at that time she may as well not have been there. When you’re a compulsive gambler, you don’t care about anything else.” [1]
Since then, he only mentioned that he only had a few lapses related to gambling, including one in 2012 where he “only spent about £30, but I was in there sweating because I knew I was doing wrong” [2]. It seems as if his regular attendance with the GA seems to be reaping benefits. He eventually got his career back on track and safely into the Top 32, including reaching the Last 16 of the World Championship a number of times, the most recent was when he came back from 6-8 down to win four successive frames 10-8 against Mark Allen in 2013, only to be defeated by Ding Junhui 13-9. See his unbelievable miss from a hit-and-hope shot ([7] 5:33).
However, he bemoans his own game a number of times as well as his dissatisfaction to the game. After he lost 10-5 to Drew Henry in the 2013 World Championship, he threatened to quit snooker altogether, due to stress and being away from home. When he lost to the young Luca Brecel 6-5, he chastised himself for his inconsistency, stating “that is one of the main reasons I’ve never won a ranking event…one day I’ll play really well and the next I’m like a bag of spuds” [4]. However, his was still determined to carry on the sport, citing his still has love for the game and was inspired by older players such as Mark Davis, who reached the Top 16 and won a few non-ranking title at the age of 42, that there is still life in his game yet [3] (supposedly anyway, Davis been on the tour longer than a Scooby-Doo villain in a disused fairground).
Then we came to the Northern Ireland Open, an event that Mark King even admitted in his interview he had to borrow money from his Dad to enter, “because I was skint.” This was no fluke either: Mark King had to beat two Top 16 players, including English Open champion Liang Wenbo, veteran Fergal O’Brien, Norwegian Kurt Maflin, promising Iranian Hossein Vafaei and Top 16 player Kyren Wilson before he reached the final against Barry Hawkins. It was a seriously tough match – King had to come back from 5-1 to lead 7-5, only to be pegged back by Hawkins. Even after a valiant effort on the pink and black when leading 8-7, with one of the most skilled safety shots of the season, it got to the decider. The pressure created on the green baize was so damn intense.
But it was Mark King that won the decider 9-8 to take home his first crown, both players given a standing ovation and was greeted by his family, which he admitted was something he had always dreamt about, yet never thought it would happen. Honestly, if you haven’t seen his interview, go on and do it – it is a refreshingly honest interview that will tug your heartstrings a tad [5].
In his interview, he commended his wife for being unbelievable and a rock for sticking with him despite in his own words “treating her like crap” due to his compulsive gambling addictions. He gave his thanks to his coaching team and to his Dad for helping to finance his career. He later admitted he messed around with his career due to his gambling, but he reveals that he currently has fantastic support from GA and has been clean for years, while later taking to piss out of Barry Hearn for the number of tournaments he churned out this season and hating Steve Davis because “he was too good!” In a later interview with his dad, he even said, “without the GA, I wouldn’t have a marriage, I wouldn’t have a wife and my kids certainly and I wouldn’t have even got to that final…they have been really helpful in my recovery” [6, 9:48]. This is sheer, real life with real emotion.
It was really fitting that he beat English Open winner Liang Wenbo along the way, ending his hopes on the £1,000,000 jackpot. What is really lovely is how much his fellow pros and fans alike wanted to congratulate him over social media.
After the interviews and Hawkins being the sporting chap, King managed to get his hands on the trophy, while exclaiming “Oh my God! You can’t believe it, I can’t!” as he lifts the Alex Higgins Trophy. I think all of those comments from other pros and fans show how sporting snooker is, and how they appreciate how hard Mark had to work to get his goal while passing through so many obstacles. This is all lovely. I’ll leave this quote by one of the commentators when King was parading his trophy:
“If you want guaranteed drama and a definitive outcome, go to the theatre – if you want something that is entirely unpredictable, that can be rubbish one day and inspiring the next, watch sport – and that’s what we had in that final.” (Colin Murray, 12:38 [5])
So, as a new champion he enters a new ranking champion, ready to play his first round match against Sam Craigie and what does he do? He forgets his bloody cue. For fuck’s sake. Talking about an anti-climax, though I doubt he will care. He is probably still sleeping with his silverware, and who can blame him?
So, if you want to read my bloody, now-tarnished and tainted article (nope, still not bitter at all!), click here: clusterofredssnookerblog.wordpress.com/…/countdown-the-race-for-the-first-ranking-title
Lastly, if you are in need of any problem related to gambling or that you cannot cope with it all, please visit the Gamblers Anonymous website. Please watch the Youtube links below and hear what good they do, and if this article proves anything (other than me being an odd writer), is that there is a way out, and it will pay dividends in the form of a better life: gamblersanonymous.org.uk
[1] Nunns, H., “Mark King: I was thinking about a robbery to get money to gamble.” The Independent. (6th March 2011) Accessed from: independent.co.uk/…/mark-king-i-was-thinking-about-a-robbery-to-get-money-to-gamble-2233549
[2] Phillips, O., “UK Championship 2016: Mark King talks about gambling addiction and recovery.” BBC. (25th November 2016). Accessed from: bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38097569
[3] Moss, G., “Mark King EXCLUSIVE interview: “I’ve never won an event but I haven’t given up hope”” On Cue. (23rd March 2013). Accessed from: welcometooncue.blogspot.co.uk/…/mark-king-exclusive-interview-ive-never
[4] Skilbeck, J., “Teenager Brecel reaches quarter-finals after coming from behind to see off King.” Mail Online. (5th December 2012). Accessed from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2243701/UK-Snooker-Championships-2012-Luca-Brecel-beats-Mark-King.html#ixzz4SIYZVON1
[5] Block, P., “Mark King 2016 Northern Ireland Open – Final PMI.” Youtube. (21st November 2016). Accessed on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udEv0In9m7U&t=259s
[6] GC Snooker-Xtra., “Snooker 2016 Triumphant Mark King Tells It Like It Is.” Youtube. (1st December 2016) Accessed from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5c3vho77iQ
[7] Tequila., “Funny Escapes.” Youtube. (9th August 2015) Accessed from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIMTopXtvLg
