Snooker legend Jimmy White to take on the public in Burnley (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Snooker legend Jimmy White to take on the public in Burnley

7:50am Friday 3rd July 2009 in

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SNOOKER legend Jimmy White will challenge members of the public to a game of pool when he opens new offices at a Burnley business park today.

White will be at the new Dylan Harvey Business Centre, off Liverpool Road near the Lowerhouse Lane junction, between 11.30am and 2pm and is welcoming pool and snooker enthusiasts to attend and take him on in a frame.

The ‘Whirlwind’, now 47, appeared in the World Snooker Championship final on six occasions between 1984 and 1994 and has also represented Europe in pool’s Mosconi Cup.

White, who will jet off to China for a tournament immediately after the event, said: “They’re putting a pool table in at the new offices, and anyone can come down and play a frame against me.

“I still love to play and it’s nice to play against members of the public. Some of them give me a good game and a few have beaten me!”

White, who is hopeful of continuing his recent revival in form in the next 12 months, hails from south London but does have links with East Lancashire.

He visited the Padiham Snooker Centre in December to help raise funds for the Paul Hunter Foundation Snooker Academy, while friends Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor were once based in the area.

“Alex Higgins lived there when he first came over from Belfast and terrorised the place!” he recalled.

“Alex came over and made snooker the game it is.

“I still love the game. Two or three years ago that probably wasn’t the case because of all the travelling.

“I was 65th in the rankings but now I’m 56th – and 42nd in the provisional rankings.

“If I have a good season I should be near the top 32.”