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‘Chalkie’s’ on cue for a new snooker season!

Paul ‘Chalkie ‘White recently put away his cricket whites after a successful season where he helped Pembroke Cricket Club gain promotion from Division Three of the Nicholas Insurance Pembroke County Cricket League, and was ready to start chalking his snooker cue in the top echelon of the indoor game in Pembrokeshire.

He helped the Pembroke Power Station gain promotion in snooker last season as they brushed aside the opposition to take their place in the top echelon alongside top clubs like the Black Rabbit.

‘Chalkie’ certainly made a cracking start to the new campaign because in his very first encounter at this higher level he beat old rival Mark Cleeveley, of Tenby Cons, and had also come out on top in his other four games so far. In his most recent victory he scored a useful break of 45 and mopped up the table with another 28 points so he is certainly playing well at the moment.

But Paul knows he will need to be at his very best to take on really good players like John Lloyd, Brett John and Mike Dearden – but he and team mates Lee Goldsmith, Mike Johns, Kevin ‘Dickie’ Davies, Paul Grimwood and Jamie Stanley are looking forward to the challenge.

Early start

He started out playing pool with his late father David, who was also known as ‘Chalkie’, and his grandfather, Bill Bailey, at the rugby club, where he received some excellent coaching from Eifion Powell and Paul Kemp.  He also has a small snooker table at home and after watching the likes of Alex Higgins and Jimmy White for hours on TV he decided he would like to be the next ‘Hurricane’.
He eventually progressed in his potting skills at Pembroke Conservative Club, where he was allowed in to practise at 14 years of age, under the strict promise of good behaviour.

Chalkie readily admits that it wasn’t easy at first but within a couple of years he was knocking in quite big breaks.  He also continued to play pool and as well as winning more than his share of trophies also won a few bob as he was ever ready to accept a challenge with a little side bet for added interest!

During his pool-playing career he played for the county but found it hard going because of the games being on a Sunday – and he won the Pembroke town doubles alongside Sasha Dix, plus the Tenby & District doubles with Kevin West. He went one season without losing a league match for the Plough Inn, in Sageston, and reached the semi-finals of the Pembroke singles on five occasions.

League start – and a first big score

In 2003/4 the Power Station Social Club started up a team in the local snooker league and Chalkie was asked by Mike Dearden to join in.  He needed no second bidding but sometimes struggled against some of the experienced old hands in the game because although they couldn’t match his long-potting skills they kept him tied down with steady defence and beat him in the long run.

It was the start of a learning curve for Paul, but he soon adapted and although he still likes to attack he can also play good safety shots, when the occasion demands.  His potting ability was never more in evidence then when he took on Mark Cleeveley (Tenby), and made his top score.  Paul set out with a small break of sixteen before Mark replied with nine points, but then left Paul with a potable red – and Paul built up a score of 98 – and was denied a century only because by then he had cleared up every ball on the table!

Cricketing all-rounder

Chalkie is also waiting his first three figure innings in cricket at Pembroke, where his top score is 77, made against Cresselly 2nds in Division Two.  He is rightly regarded as a good all-rounder at Treleet because his leg spin has earned him best figures of 8 for 50 against Whitland 2nds, as well as several four wicket hauls when Pembroke were in the first division.  He once thought he’d grabbed five wickets in one innings as he bowled a bemused batsman – but was no balled because there were three fielders behind square leg, which is against the rules!

He started his cricket for Pembroke almost by accident when Ray Kane asked him if he would play.  Paul says he wasn’t over fussed but decided to give it a go and was quickly hooked as Ray gave him every encouragement to learn the art of leg spin – and earns high praise from Paul as he is described as ‘a great character and a great man.’

He captained the Pembroke teams throughout much of his junior playing career and was a regular at county level, although he always played second fiddle to Haverfordwest’s Dai Davies as first choice leg-spinner.  But Paul enjoyed his county involvement and once led the team when regular captain Will Beresford was unavailable. He also captained Pembroke Youth in the Ormond Cup, where he played in five consecutive semi-finals but the team never quite made the big day at Carew.

Another early start

Paul was a member of Pembroke’s third team when he was 12, moved up to be a regular in the 2nd XI a year later and made his first team debut at 15 under the leadership of Mark Fraser, and with plenty of support from players of the calibre of Kevin Jenkins and Nigel Phillips. 
Chalkie moved to Lamphey for a couple of seasons, and was captain there in 2008 before moving back to Pembroke and enjoying last season, where he was almost a senior player in a talented young team captained by Sean Powell. That he managed to play was something of a bonus after having a knee reconstructed earlier in 2011. But he has worked hard at building it back in regular work-outs at the gym, by swimming and doing some jogging for good measure.

Looking forward to new snooker season

But now it’s back to snooker and Paul practised hard in readiness for the new season, as well as playing some pool. He also reached the final of the Divisional Cup in snooker in the previous campaign, but lost out to team mate Kevin Davies in a tense final played at the Power Station Social Club.

He’s eager to keep improving and will enjoy testing his skills against the best snooker players in the county, ever-ready to learn from previous years.  Paul ‘Chalkie’ White is very competitive by nature and this is bound to help him do well – and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk will watch his results in snooker with more than a passing interest!

PHOTOS:

Paul 'Chalkie' White. 

Paul and his snooker team mates at Pembroke Power Station Snooker Club.

A young Paul with Jimmy White.

Paul takes on Dennis Taylor.

Paul shows his cricketing prowess with runs at Llangwm.