I received a call almost 2 years ago from a gentleman named Vince Jones. “I am calling from British Columbia, and I would like to do my part to get snooker going out here” he said, in a calm tone. I had heard these words before a few times in the past from callers, and unfortunately, not one person before him  had sustained more than a few days of back & forth.

But there was something different in the way Vince spoke that peaked my curiosity. What he said next was even more interesting. “How about we do lunch and talk about it” ? I thought to myself, you are on the other coast how can that be possible? He said he can come down for a couple of days and we can discuss the possibilities of how we can get snooker going again in our country.

Within a few hours his flight and hotel were booked and a few days later, we were indeed having lunch and breaking things down, piece by piece. It was like a breath of fresh air to meet someone who shared the same views and more importantly, who had the drive and passion to sustain the inevitable obstacles.

Vince ended up coming to Montreal again to help out for the inaugural Richler Cup. He also assisted in sending players over to compete in it. This is a man who backs up what he says, and I am grateful that the game has been blessed with Vince’s skills and experience towards the game, I repeat, THE GAME. ie. not himself, not me, not money, recognition, or anything else, THE GAME.

Vince is currently working on more stepping stones as he prepares for a tournament to commemorate another ambassador that we lost not too long ago, Ted Wormworth, who I had the pleasure speaking to a couple of times a few years ago.

There are also plans for qualifiers for the next Richler Cup as well as a few other projects in the works. I am excited for the West Coast as it was one of the hotbeds of snooker once upon a time.

Thank you Vince for that phone call, thank you for all the time and energy spent, thank you for the selflessness, thank you for all the hours and hours of feedback and brainstorming, and thank you for doing your part for snooker in Canada.  There are a lot of people that talk but your actions are creating changes that are evident and exciting for the present & future.

Vince is the Executive Director of Snooker BC, which is part of the Snooker Canada family. A provincial website is in the works and will be up and running shortly for snooker enthusiasts to enjoy.  We look forward to coming out West to support your efforts soon, my friend.