Shane Castle

.... now a member of the England Squad....

SHANE CASTLE clinchs his first national title at the World Snooker Centre in Prestatyn.

MARCHWOOD wonderkid Shane Castle led his travelling support on an emotional roller-coaster ride as he clinched a first national title at the World Snooker Centre in Prestatyn.

The ten-year-old century-breaker, a beaten finalist last year, was presented with a Pontin’s sponsorship package and £200 after a 2-1 victory over Welsh junior Ieuan Davies in the week-long Search for a Star under-12 tournament.

Coach Dave Mumford, who travelled to North Wales to see his protégé in action, described the performance as “magnificent”.

Davies (Swansea) took the first frame on the black but Castle replied with a 31 to level.

Trailing in the third, Castle knocked in a 20 and clipped a frame-ball pink into the middle pocket for glory.

“I was going to take it up in the top pocket,” he said. “But I took it in the middle so I wasn’t going to leave it on if I missed.”

Mumford said: “Bless him, there were 50 people watching and it was being videoed for TV.

“In the third frame I didn’t have any nails left, it was just too much. To be 20 behind with two reds left and the way he took those balls was incredibly impressive.

“To have the sense not to take on the pink that was tight down the rail and play a really good safety shot which put the lad under pressure was maturity beyond his years.”

Castle thanked his supporters and added: “I thought I was going to win.”

Competing against top players from across the UK, Castle eased through 11 unbeaten group matches with breaks of 33, 36 and 53.

In the deciding frame of the quarter-finals, he left a re-spotted black hanging over the green pocket but Birmingham’s Rob Jones followed in with the white.

Mumford said: “It was just unbelievable. He’s not my own son, but how Jeffery, his dad, watches, I’ve got no idea.

“I had all the feelings that I used to have when playing multiplied by about 50.

“It was amazing. I was very nervous for him and honestly thought we were coming home.”

The evening semi-finals were delayed for 45 minutes as hundreds of players, officials and holiday-makers were evacuated to the cold Pontin’s car park when a fire alarm sounded.

When play resumed, Isle of Man under-21 champion Darryl Hill, who is through to the last-16 of the EASB under-16s, laid down a marker with a 35 clearance.

But Castle rose to the challenge, levelled and cleared with a 33 to run out a 2-1 winner.

“Darryl Hill was a class player,” added Mumford, whose three-year-plan to win this event has been accomplished in two.

 “He showed Shane, in no uncertain terms, that he could play. But of all the things that Shane achieved that week, the semi-final comeback was by far his greatest.

“He was magnificent and I was so proud of him.

“I said to him, before he went up to Prestatyn, ‘go and show people how good you are’.

“The clearance was professional standard finished with a flourish.”  

Chandler’s Ford club-boss Jim Everett said: “It’s excellent for the club.

“You need to take your hat off to Dave Mumford who drove up again, like he did last year, to see Shane in the last stages.”

Mumford added: “He hasn’t played to the best of his ability, which is frightening.

“What we all have to bear in mind is that he’s ten. He’s gone hundreds of miles away in unfamiliar surroundings in a high pressure environment with everybody expecting great things of him and he’s absolutely delivered.

“He’s brought home a magnificent trophy, a magnificent title and all the trimmings that go with it.”

 

Shane Castle chalks up a first century break in competition

NINE-year-old Shane Castle has fulfilled the vow he made to his coach to score a century break in a tournament before the end of 2007.

Castle cleared to the black for a 101 in the second frame of a 3-1 victory over Sam Harvey, from Bedford, at the Rushden SC under-19 Grand Finals last Sunday.

The ‘Pocket Rocket’ missed out on a world record by 81 days.

Castle, from Marchwood, said: “I wasn’t nervous at all.

“I had to get three reds off the cushion as well. I missed the black for the clearance. It was a hard cut-back, though. I didn’t mind missing it.”

Last month the youngster scored a 101 in a practice match.

Coach Dave Mumford said: “When he made his century he said to me ‘I’ve just got to do it in a match now’ and I said ‘don’t set your sights too high, don’t expect too much’ and he said ‘I’m going to do it by the end of the year’.

“He’s just unbelievable, the boy.”

Castle added: “I said to him that I would do it by the end of the year in a match, and I did it as well.”

Welsh professional Michael White holds the record for the youngest ever competitive century, at nine-years-and-eight-months.

Castle, whose hero Ronnie O’Sullivan achieved his first ton aged ten, celebrates his birthday in January.

England team manager Del Hill, ‘Rocket’ Ronnie’s former coach, said it was “an unbelievable achievement for one so young” and added: “It’s obvious Shane has a great future ahead of him.”

Tournament director and Rushden SC manager Andy Voyce said that the break was made on one of the club’s tighter tables.

A World Snooker Association spokesman said: “This is an outstanding achievement.

“To score a century under tournament conditions at such a young age suggests that Shane has real potential. We look forward to hearing more about him in the future.”

Mumford, 39, added: “He keeps churning the records out, bless him.”

Mo Bobat, dad of Castle’s south coast rival Adam, watched the drama unfold. “Shane’s century was a pleasure to watch,” he said. “With great potting and positional play.

 “Everyone involved with him should be very proud of this extremely gifted little man.”

In the group stages, Castle beat Lloyd Walden (Leicester) 2-0, Danny Douane (London) 2-1, Leo McClean (Rushden) 2-0 and James Voyce (Market Harborough) 2-0 but lost 2-1 to Bobat (Fareham).

After his last-16 victory against Harvey, Castle lost 3-0 to John Pritchett (Birmingham).

Proud dad Jeffery said: “I think it was marvelous what he did.

“He did say to me ‘when I’m ten I’m going to do the 147’.”

 

 

SHANE CASTLE has chalked up a first century break in a practice match.

The Pontin’s under-12 finalist potted a massive 101 against Chandler’s Ford club-mate Jordan Winbourne.

Castle, nine, achieved what he has been threatening to do for some time on Monday evening on a full-sized table at Winbourne’s home in Hedge End.

The Marchwood wonderkid’s new local record was witnessed by proud dad Jeffery.

Castle, who admitted he was nervous on the final blue, said “I had 11 blacks, a pink and a blue.”

Castle, whose highest tournament break is 62, recently won through to the EASB national under-14 last-16.

This season, he made his debut on the EASB Southern Regional Junior Tour.

Chandler’s Ford SC owner Jim Everett said. “Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

 

NINE-year-old Shane Castle has caught the attention of the England camp after chalking up a 137 total clearance on the ‘line-up’ practice routine this week.

The Marchwood wonderkid, who retired from the under-13 league at the age of seven, was working with coach Dave Mumford on an exercise where the 15 reds are lined up down the centre of the table.

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s former mentor and now England coach Del Hill said: “That’s unbelievable at nine.”

Mumford said: “He was slightly out of position on the final blue, but apart from that it was immaculate.”

 

      

 

time for a break..... after practice at Chandlers Ford

IT’S one apiece in the battle of the south coast wonderkids.

In their first national clash since the Pontin’s under-12 ‘Star of the Future’ final, good friends Adam Bobat (pictured)

and Shane Castle were drawn together in the EASB Southern Regional Junior Tour group stages.

On home territory at Chandler’s Ford SC, Castle, nine, edged out Fareham’s Bobat, 11, 2-1 in a tight tactical match.

The opening frames were shared as both took advantage of the ‘miss’ rule.

Castle (Marchwood) won the decider on the pink to avenge his February defeat in Prestatyn.

Coach Dave Mumford was among many who watched the eagerly-awaited match.

“It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if he’d lost to Adam,” he said.

“But to beat the guy who beat him in the final at Pontin’s is a boost for his own self belief and confidence.

“If nothing else, he proved to himself that he can beat the best.”

The six-event under-21 circuit across half of the country acts as a feeder for the national EASB Premier Junior Tour.

Castle qualified for the event-two knockout in second place.

He beat Jason Hildyard (Fair Oak) 2-1 but lost 2-0 in the last-eight to Danny Douane (London) who rattled in a 74 in the second.

 

MARCHWOOD wonderkid Shane Castle potted two centuries in a practice routine at Chandler’s Ford SC.

The nine-year-old passed another landmark in his short career during a Sunday morning coaching session with mentor Dave Mumford.

Castle set a new club record, for his age group, on the break-building ‘line-up’ exercise where all 15 reds are lined up down the centre of the table with the colours on their spots.

Photographer Kevin Legg, who works part-time at the club and snapped the youngster moments after his achievement, witnessed the drama unfold.

“As I was brushing the tables, I was watching,” said the 52-year-old. “And by the time I’d finished - Shane hadn’t finished.”

 Mumford, 39, said: “We spoke at length about break building and how we’re going to change our approach.

“I suggested that we started with the ‘line-up’, and he promptly made back-to-back centuries, 104 and 105.”

The former Daily Echo champion, and captain of Southampton Premier League team, Churchills’, asked Castle: “Did you get nervous when you got to 90?”

“No,” replied the youngster. “If I get nervous I miss.” 

(earlier news)

NINE-year-old Shane Castle has been described as one of the most gifted young snooker players in the country.

But, like any top sportsman, behind the scenes there are hours of dedicated practice. 

Six-time world champion Steve Davis would famously place a cheese roll at the end of the table as an incentive to clear the colours 19 times.

Practising at his Australian home, the late Eddie Charlton would knock a century in before stopping for breakfast.

Shane’s coach, former Daily Echo champion Dave Mumford, tells of a recent practice session with the Marchwood wonderkid.

“I said to him: ‘What I want you to do is clear the colours for me but I want you to do it three times on the trot without missing.’ We were about half-an-hour through our lesson.

“He’s cleared once, he’s cleared twice, he’s then got to the pink on the third attempt and missed four times.

“So I said: ‘Do you want to stop and do something else?’

 ‘“No,’ he said. ‘I’m not going home until I’ve done it.’”

By now, players on nearby tables at Chandler’s Ford SC had downed their cues and were willing the Foxhills’ School-boy on.

“About 25 minutes later he managed to clear all three sets of colours,” said 38-year-old Mumford. “For him to take two hours to finally achieve it, and not want to do anything else, is what makes him something special. It will live with me for a long time.”

The session started at 7.30pm and finished at 9.45pm. “Should’ve been in bed, shouldn’t he?” added Mumford.

 

He has recorded a first tournament half-century break – at the age of nine years and four months. 

The region’s hottest young snooker talent compiled a massive 61 break against Jason Hildyard in the Chandler’s Ford Under-21 Roll-Up.

“I had to pot a difficult red into the middle and screw back for the black to get to 50,” Castle said.

“I felt nervous, but I was calm when I took the shot otherwise I’d have missed it.”

Castle started on full-sized tables less than two years ago but has quickly established himself as one of the country’s top players in his age group.

On his debut at the Pontin’s Prestatyn ‘Star of the Future’ tournament in February, he reached the under-12 final.

And on his ninth birthday in January he signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Insurance Brokers Oliver and Sanders.

Coach Dave Mumford has been working with Castle for more than a year.

“Breaks are one measure of progress,” he said. “The other is how he performs in tournaments which, to me, is more important.

“The progress he has made is phenomenal; he must not lose sight of that. But also he needs to be more focused in his match-play.

“A 61 in 15 months, nine-years-old, how much more progress do you want? It’s scary.”

 

 

(earlier news)

 MARCHWOOD wonderkid Shane Castle was crowned the youngest Division 1 champion in the Eastleigh and District Under-19 League’s 12-year history.

And just for good measure the nine-year-old chalked up a new high break of 55 in a practice match on Cue T’s championship table in Hythe.

Castle, a national under-12 finalist at Prestatyn, won all four matches to take top spot from Jordan Winbourne.

The young star is coached by former Daily Echo champion Dave Mumford and sponsored by insurance brokers Oliver and Sanders.

 

 

Shane wins a first tournament, at Salisbury

 MARCHWOOD'S Shane Castle won his first snooker tournament in Salisbury