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Where are they now...? |
Kirk
was one of the most talented, likable people I have ever
met. He was also the most frustrating.
I first met Kirk when I was playing in Canada in the early
eighties. You could see straight away what potential he
had. He had a lovely way about him and everybody liked him--particularly
the girls. So what went wrong!
Firstly I don't think he loved the game as much as you need.
All the hours and hours of practice. Sometimes the only
thing that keeps you going is the enjoyment you should be
getting out of it. A classic example of this was when Kirk
was staying at my house. There was a tournament about a
week away and I was going to the snooker club to practice.
Kirk said he needed to come with me as he was also in need
of some table time. We got to the snooker club, had coffee
and a sandwich and went to the table. Half way through the
second frame he said he'd had enough. I tried to reason
with him that he needed the practice but his answer to this
was, he found the game boring. So he sat there and watched
me practice on my own for 21/2 hours.
I have said many times that being an overseas player must
have been really hard. You are either staying in a hotel
or somebody's house---the classic living out of a suitcase.
Unfortunately for Kirk, staying in a hotel wasn't the best
scenario. It was probably alright when he was at a tournament
because he had only to go down to the bar to see someone
he knew. It was those other times, alone in a strange country-a
strange town.
I can honestly say to my knowledge, that when he was staying
at my house that he never took any drugs. In fact the reason
he was staying with me was to try and get him back on the
straight and narrow. All seemed to be going well until the
day I had a tip for a 10 - 1 winner on the horses. I had
been playing at an exhibition that evening, when I went
into his bedroom he had twenty pound notes strewn all over
the bed--He had won £3,000 pounds on the horse. He
immediately informed me that he had booked a flight back
to Canada. There was a tournament coming up in a week--Oh
" I am only going for 3 days " was his reply.
The next morning he left for Heathrow. It's funny, I never
put the two together until now--but the name of the horse
was Making Tracks--How apt.
He did come back for the tournament but by this time there
was none of the money left and he looked like a wreck.
His 147 maximum break in the Masters was one of his great
moments. There should have been many more but unfortunately
he wasn't cut out for the rigours of professional sport.
The last time I saw him he looked really happy. A little
overweight but back to the bright and bubbly youth I knew
all those years ago and working at a snooker club in Toronto.
You can catch Kirk playing in the qualifiers in Prestatyn
in an attempt to rebuild his career, I wish him luck
If any young person needs reminding how drugs can affect
your life then there was a classic example. I don't think
he's doing those things now. The irony of that - he doesn't
earn the big money at snooker now and could not afford it.
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