ON CUE: Dennis Guilfoyle, 72, is still going strong as he prepares for his 33rd season in the Hyndburn Independent Pool League where he is chairman
DENNIS Guilfoyle will break off' his 33rd year in the Hyndburn Independent Pool League this week - and he has no plans to hang up his cue just yet.
Just as he has done since 1974, a year after the league was formed, Dennis will cue off with the best of them. And he is not just there to make up the numbers.
For the 72-year-old, who has played for the Boars Head for the last 25 years, only lost one game last season.
"Some of the younger lads come up against me and think there is no way they are going to lose to an old man," said Dennis who has been the league's chairman since 1980. "But more often than not they end up losing. I lost just once throughout last season."
It's a remarkable record considering he only took up the sport by chance - and that was only after a bit of nagging off his wife Wilma!
"I remember we were in the Imperial Pub which has since closed down. There were a couple of blokes playing pool and Wilma suggested that I should join them.
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"I said there was no way I was going to play as I only played snooker but I ended up playing."
Dennis was no mean player at snooker which his dad introduced him to at the Top Club in Clayton before going on to play for Poplar WMC.
"My biggest break is 94 which isn't too bad is it?"
Despite winning a number of league title while playing for the Boars Head team, Terry ranks winning the Observer Cup with his family as his greatest achievement - mainly because he only entered as a laugh.
"At the time, the Boars Head had two teams in the competition and I suggested that we put together a team consisting of family members. It was more for a bit of a laugh than anything else but we ended up winning it. That has to go down as one of my greatest achievements."
Terry lined up alongside relatives Steve Hargreaves, Stuart and Gary Nicol and his son Alan to conquer all before him.
At its height, the league had 72 teams but nowadays it still manages to attract an impressive 63 teams - mainly due to keeping registration fees down and insisting on playing to English Pool Association rules.
"There have been calls for us to change to the World Pool Association rules but, if we did that, I know we would lose a lot of players. Most of them, just like myself, like to turn out on a Thursday night, play some pool and have a chat with their friends."
And long may Dennis' Thursday night outings continue.
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