GAZ Hampson has picked up just about everything going in small table snooker in the Darwen and Blackburn area. But he's never landed a loyalty bonus.

He probably doesn't know what they are. His Missus might try to explain.

Gaz must hold the record for winning most trophies in 30-odd years in the game. But there's one record he doesn't like to talk about.

"How many teams have you played for?" he was asked the other day. "Oh, a few", he said. We counted them up for about ten minutes. Sixteen was the answer.

The following day he rang up with two more he'd forgotten. Eighteen? A poor do, he was told. The next day he rang up with NEL Bowling Green to make it 19. Perhaps understandable that he'd forgotten that one although it was just across the road from his home. There's probably another lurking in the shadows to round off the 20.

It'll be one top score he won't be mentioning around town.

Gaz has won everything. Individual and pairs titles and a string of league and cup wins in the local leagues, the Borough Cup and the Lancashire Ten Reds championship. He won both his matches in the Lancashire v Yorkshire battle a few years ago and is the only player selected for all 15 matches in the East Lancs v Fylde Gascon Trophy clashes. Highest break is 105, just two short of the ten-red maximum

But 19 teams in about 35 years? Doesn't look good, does it?

He tried to explain. "A lot of 'em were for summer league teams and I just signed up to help 'em out a bit. Some pubs and clubs closed and I had to move. Other times I just moved on when my mates moved. It wasn't like I kept getting barred or anything."

It all started when, as a 14 year-old, he began going into Bolton Road Con with two or three pals. His Dad was a member and the steward was easy going. He went up to the Cemetery when he was a bit older and was soon cracking in 90 breaks.

He is currently playing with Rishton Con Club and they have just clinched the Blackburn with Darwen League title. Other clubs over the years have been: Cemetery, Swan Bolton Rd, Swan Lower Darwen, NEL Bowling Green, Borough, Black Bull, Alexandra, Black Horse, Farthings, Greenfield, Prince Of Wales, Feniscowles, Longshaw, Britannia, Mill Gap, Vale, West View and Aqueduct.

Local players he has enjoyed fighting alongside include Chris Lawson, Craig Steele, Walt Jarvis, Andy Maudsley, Ian McClure, Jim Ollerton, Mark Jennings and Danny Haworth and captains such as Harold Heys, Dave Almond and Shaun Pendlebury.

He has also played on the full-sized tables in Blackburn and Darwen – seven at the last count – and has added more trophies. Along with Tommy Hannon he is probably the only player to have collected individual titles in both the Blackburn Con and CIU Leagues.

Next season? "Oh, we'll be staying a Rishton Con," he says. "I'm still in my 40s - just about - and ready to settle down a bit. One match a week doesn't help. And it doesn't get any easier as the years roll by."