13.5.09

R.I.P.

Two stalwarts of the snooker scene died recently.

Mario Berni was a leading Welsh amateur who won the country's national title in 1964 and also played snooker on black and white TV in the 1960s before the boom heralded by the introduction of colour television.

Billy Telford was a long time administrator of Northern Irish amateur snooker and also former treasurer of the International Billiards and Snooker Federation, one of many positions he held in the amateur game.

They were linked by a deep love of snooker and the desire to be involved in it.

We here at Snooker Scene send our sympathies to their respective families.

2 comments:

Janie said...

Mario "The Professor" was a legend of Welsh snooker.
Even after his best playing days were behind him, he followed all the young Welsh players closely, offering invaluable advice to many of them.
He will be sadly missed around the Welsh snooker scene and at HOme Internationals and other international events.

Likewise it was a dreadful shock to hear of Billy's death last Friday. Few people have had a longer or more infuential involvement in grass roots snooker.
Not only will it leave a huge gap in Northern Ireland, but in Europeand and IBSF business.

These sad deaths followed on the shock death of EASB's David Joyce in March.

It's been a sad couple of months for grass roots snooker.

Chris said...

Very sad news indeed, I send my sympathies to their families.