Tow Law Snooker player's back on cue to fulfil his dream
AY did not end well for David Craggs but a trip to India next month could be right on cue to help him heal his heartbreak.
The 33-year-old from Tow Law will represent England at the World Amateur Snooker Championships in Hyderabad and said it would literally be a dream come true to win it ahead of the 150 other entrants, writes Duncan Leatherdale.
David, who practises at Crook Belle Vue Working Men’s Club (WMC) and Institute since Tow Law WMC closed in April, said: “You won’t believe this but I had a dream about it. People say you can never remember your dreams but this one I can.
“I had it several months ago, even before what happened in May, and I dreamt I walked into the club with the world championship trophy and all my friends and family were there and we had a big party. I was wearing a turban in the dream. If I win I think I’ll set up a shop telling people’s fortunes.”
David was introduced to snooker at the age of nine when his father bought a small table. It was his dad who also took him to Darlington snooker club where he played his first game on a full size table.
David said his dad has a lot to answer for.
David said: “My dad has always supported me, if ever I’ve needed anything he’s got it for me. My mum died when I was 13 but dad never crumbled and that really helped me.”
David also spent his youth playing at the Spectrum in Willington, then Lloyds in Bishop Auckland before starting regular practice at Tow Law WMC.
The highlight of his young career was reaching the semi-finals of the U16s British Championships where he narrowly lost to Matthew Stevens. He finished higher than Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins yet while their careers rocketed, David lost his desire for snooker.
He said: “I started going out with my friends and spent more time socialising than playing snooker. I started playing a bit again when I was 19 just against my friends but it’s only in the last four years that I’ve started getting serious again.
“When you’re young you think you’ll be around forever but the years fly by. Giving up when I was 16 is my one big regret, I want people to remember me for my snooker not how good I was at going out drinking with.
“My advice to any young players is don’t waste time, keep going and you can achieve whatever you want.
“I wish I’d buckled down in my early 20s but I just didn’t make the most of it.”
The death of pro Paul Hunter, a friend of David’s, in 2006 serves only to remind David about the tragedy of wasting time.
Paul, who was snooker’s Masters Champion from 2001 to 2004, died aged 27 after losing a battle against cancer.
David said: “Losing Paul was a horrible thing. All of us snooker players knew each other from years back, we basically grew up playing each other like one big happy family, so to lose someone so young was just tragic.
“I know that when I’m playing, Paul would love to be there playing and it just reminds me how lucky we all are.
“At the end of the day it is only a game, you can’t forget things like that. We are lucky to be able to do it.”
Now David is on the brink of fulfilling his dream of turning professional, following in the footsteps of his idols Jimmy White (who he has beaten in exhibition games) and Stephen Hendry.
In May, he got to the finals of the English Amateur Championship and then, a week later, the last two of the English Pro-Ticket event. A win in either game would have moved David into the professional ranks where he would play against the household names he had beaten as a child.
However, in the first final he lost 9-8 on the pink ball. In the second final he was 5-1 up but missed a simple black in the final game eventually losing 6-5.
David said: “I was heartbroken, absolutely devastated. I just stood outside the club in tears. For a minute I thought about quitting but I realised that if I cared this much about it, it obviously meant I wasn’t supposed to quit.
“The day I don’t mind losing will be the day I should quit.
“There was this old guy in a flat cap who came up to me afterwards. He saw I was really upset so put his arm around me and said I shouldn’t be so sad, I should look at the positives. At the time I could have stuck one on him because I could see no positives but now I see what he meant and he was absolutely right.
“I wish I could see him again and just say thank you. I haven’t seen him since though, I hope he’s alright.”
David didn’t pick up a cue for a month after his devastating losses but last week was back to his winning ways winning the first English ranking event in Leeds.
He said: “After what happened in May, where I just froze in the final because I thought I’d won it, I’m doubly determined not to lose.”
He has three more ranking tournaments this season and good performances could see him finally turn pro. However, David has his sights firmly set on India knowing a win guarantees him pro-status meaning a relaxing final six months of the season as an amateur.
He said: “I’m not going to India for a holiday, I’m going there to win the championship. I would say there are 12 or 13 players capable of winning it and I’m one of them. I’m really looking forward to going there and just giving it 200 per cent.
“I think the toughest competition will be from China, India and the home nations. I’m doing two or three hours of practice a day, I don’t want to overdo it and burn myself out before the final.
“I’ve started swimming as well to try and get fit as it’s going to be very different conditions over there.”
Last month, David captained England in a tournament against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and three years ago he and two fellow North Easterners travelled to San Jose to represent their country in the world team championships, a competition which they won.
Yet without the support of local people David says he would be going nowhere. He said: “Michael Urwin, who has bought Tow Law WMC, has given me £500 without which there is no way I could afford to go to India.
“The support from people and businesses has been fantastic. I’d also like to thank Crook WMC for opening their doors to me and letting me play here. I really appreciate it.”
While David is more than happy potting the reds, having managed the ultimate 147 break eight times in his career, he refuses to wear anything crimson during a match.
He said: “I bought a red car and a girl in a pub told me it was a really unlucky colour. I didn’t get rid of the car but what she said stuck with me so now I won’t wear any red socks or anything while I’m playing. I’ve had a few bumps in the car but nothing serious, maybe there is something in it after all.”
Though he may be required to tour the world potting balls, David says his home will always be Tow Law. He said; “I was born here and am proud to represent the town wherever I am.”