Legends of the Cue

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"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports.

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 6 (The Future of Snooker, Pool vs. Snooker, and Alli’s Rapid Rack)"The sixth and final...
08/04/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 6 (The Future of Snooker, Pool vs. Snooker, and Alli’s Rapid Rack)"

The sixth and final part of our Legends of the Cue interview with Alan “Angles” McManus looks forward as much as it looks back. After tracing Alan’s journey from Glasgow schoolboy to Masters champion, Crucible semi-finalist, commentator, and podcaster, this closing episode turns to the future of snooker, the growth of cue sports, and the enduring connection between snooker and pool.

Alan shares his views on the modern professional game, the extraordinary standard of today’s players, and the influence of young talent from China and around the world. He, Mike Gonzalez, Mark Wilson, and Allison Fisher discuss how snooker continues to evolve, what makes the current generation different, and what the sport must do to keep expanding its audience.

The conversation then bridges snooker and pool, a perfect fit for Legends of the Cue. Alan reflects on the skills that transfer between cue-sports disciplines, while Allison and Mark bring their world-class perspectives from snooker, pool, teaching, and competition. The discussion touches on technique, stance, cue action, equipment, and the challenge of moving between games played on very different tables under very different cultural conditions.

The episode also features our fun new segment: Alli’s Rapid Rack. Allison puts Alan on the clock with quick-fire cue-sports questions, bringing out his humor, honesty, and love for the game. The interview closes with reflective final questions about what snooker has given him, how he views his legacy, and what he hopes people remember about Alan McManus.

For fans of snooker history, pool history, cue-sports technique, modern snooker, Chinese snooker, Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson, and Alan McManus, this finale is a thoughtful, funny, and fitting conclusion to a remarkable six-part conversation.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

The sixth and final part of our Legends of the Cue interview with Alan “Angles” McManus looks forward as much as it looks back. After tracing Alan’s journey from Gl…

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 5 (From Professional Snooker Player to Commentator, Analyst, and Podcaster)"In Part 5 ...
08/04/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 5 (From Professional Snooker Player to Commentator, Analyst, and Podcaster)"

In Part 5 of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Alan McManus, we follow his transition from the professional arena to the commentary box, the television studio, and the world of podcasting.

After more than three decades as a professional snooker player, Alan retired in 2021 and moved more fully into broadcasting. In this episode, he reflects on how the balance gradually shifted from competing to commentating, what he learned from being around television production, and why explaining the game well is a craft in itself. Alan discusses the difference between studio work and live commentary, the challenge of offering insight in short broadcast windows, and his desire for more time to explore the deeper “nuts and bolts” of snooker stories.

That natural curiosity leads into a discussion of The Snooker Breakfast Podcast, Alan’s own show. He explains how the podcast began partly as a way to fill time during tournaments, only for him to discover how demanding regular podcasting can be. From recording late at night during the Crucible to getting episodes out early in the morning, Alan shares the behind-the-scenes reality that every podcaster will recognize.

The conversation is full of warmth and humor, especially as Alan admits to being old-school about technology, recording, editing, and the mechanics of modern media. Mike, Mark, and Allison connect his experience to the mission of Legends of the Cue: preserving cue-sports stories in the voices of the people who lived them.

This episode is ideal for listeners interested in snooker commentary, sports broadcasting, podcasting, retirement from professional sport, BBC and television analysis, and the storytelling side of cue sports. Alan McManus proves that the same qualities that made him a great tactician—observation, patience, curiosity, and honesty—also make him one of snooker’s most engaging voices.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

In Part 5 of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Alan McManus, we follow his transition from the professional arena to the commentary box, the television studi…

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 4 (Beating Stephen Hendry, Winning the Masters, and Crucible Memories)"Part 4 of our A...
08/04/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 4 (Beating Stephen Hendry, Winning the Masters, and Crucible Memories)"

Part 4 of our Alan McManus series brings us to the championship heart of his career: the 1994 Masters at Wembley, the famous final against Stephen Hendry, and the long arc of a professional snooker life lived at the highest level.

Alan takes Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher, and Mark Wilson inside one of the most memorable wins of his career: defeating Hendry 9–8 in the Masters final. He reflects on what finals felt like, why some players seemed naturally built for them, and how different the atmosphere became as a tournament moved from the early rounds to the title match. His memories of Hendry are especially compelling: the aura, the standard, the pressure, and the knowledge that Stephen was operating in a different competitive stratosphere during that era.

The conversation also explores Alan’s wider professional résumé, including the Dubai Classic, Thailand Open, and his consistency as a top player during the fiercely competitive 1990s. He discusses what it meant to perform in the Hendry era, how he viewed his own strengths and limitations, and why tactical awareness and match craft mattered so much.

A major thread in this episode is the Crucible Theatre and the World Snooker Championship. Alan reflects on his early Crucible semi-final appearances and the extraordinary later-career run in 2016, when he once again reached the semi-finals more than two decades after first doing so. The discussion captures the endurance, resilience, travel, fatigue, and deep love of the game required to sustain a 31-year professional career.

For fans of Stephen Hendry, the Masters, Wembley, the Crucible, Scottish snooker, World Championship history, and snooker’s golden era, this episode delivers the stories behind the results—and the mind of the man who lived them.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

Part 4 of our Alan McManus series brings us to the championship heart of his career: the 1994 Masters at Wembley, the famous final against Stephen Hendry, and the l…

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 3 (Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Technique, Talent, and the Rise of “Angles”)"Part 3 of ou...
07/28/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 3 (Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Technique, Talent, and the Rise of “Angles”)"

Part 3 of our Legends of the Cue series with Alan “Angles” McManus explores the influences, techniques, rivalries, and self-awareness that helped define his rise in professional snooker.

Alan looks back on Steve Davis as the model player of his youth: the standard-bearer whose technique, discipline, and professionalism changed what young snooker players believed was possible. As a boy, Alan even staged imaginary tournaments at home, pretending to be Davis, Jimmy White, and other stars while studying their cue actions and trying to understand what made each player different.

That leads to a rich discussion of snooker technique, including stance, cue action, cue-ball striking, and why the game changed when players began to treat fundamentals as seriously as scoring. Alan, Allison Fisher, and Mark Wilson compare snooker and pool mechanics, discussing why a 12-foot snooker table exposes flaws and why elite cueing demands repeatability under pressure.

This episode also digs into the contrast between structure and genius. Alan reflects on Jimmy White’s incredible natural ability, his fearless shot-making, and the difference between being able to pot balls and knowing when not to attack. The conversation examines why some gifted players thrive on instinct while others build their careers through practice, method, and tactical judgment.

Mike, Mark, and Allison guide Alan through his early professional breakthrough, his first big win at the Masters qualifying event, the insecurity he felt before matches, and the confidence he often found once play began. Alan describes being afraid beforehand but comfortable at the table—a revealing insight into the psychology of competition.

For listeners interested in Steve Davis, Jimmy White, snooker technique, cue action, pressure, practice habits, and the mental architecture of a top professional, this episode is a deep dive into how Alan McManus became one of the game’s sharpest minds.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

Part 3 of our Legends of the Cue series with Alan “Angles” McManus explores the influences, techniques, rivalries, and self-awareness that helped define his rise in…

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 2 (Pool Rooms, Road Players, Turning Pro, and the Discipline of Safety)"In Part 2 of o...
07/28/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 2 (Pool Rooms, Road Players, Turning Pro, and the Discipline of Safety)"

In Part 2 of our Legends of the Cue interview with Alan McManus, the conversation moves from Glasgow snooker halls to New York pool rooms, from schoolboy promise to professional ambition, and from natural ability to the hard-earned craft of safety play.

Alan begins with a fascinating cue-sports crossover discussion, asking Allison Fisher about the open bridge, snooker technique, and how her move to American pool may have influenced the way pool players approached fundamentals. That opens the door to a broader conversation about equipment, discipline, practice structure, and the difference between snooker and pool culture.

One of the great stories in this segment is Alan’s unexpected visit to Chelsea Billiards in Manhattan during a spontaneous 1996 trip to New York. He describes walking into a 24-hour pool room, playing nine-ball without fully knowing the rules, losing money to a local player, and loving the atmosphere of American action pool. Mark Wilson then offers his own memories of the road-player era, where pool halls, road atlases, small-stakes matches, and local champions created a romantic and competitive underground cue-sports world.

The episode also returns to Alan’s own development as a snooker player: his first century break at 14, the Scottish amateur circuit, his decision to leave behind a short-lived job as a trainee car mechanic, and the moment he committed himself to trying to become a professional snooker player. Alan also shares a telling story from the Scottish amateur final, where he spent the break between sessions practicing safety shots instead of relaxing.

For fans of snooker, pool, road-player culture, nine-ball, safety play, and cue-sports development, this episode captures the moment ambition becomes discipline—and discipline becomes a career.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

In Part 2 of our Legends of the Cue interview with Alan McManus, the conversation moves from Glasgow snooker halls to New York pool rooms, from schoolboy promise to…

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 1 (Glasgow Beginnings, “Angles,” and the Making of a Snooker Mind)"In Part 1 of our ex...
07/28/2026

New Episode! "Alan McManus - Part 1 (Glasgow Beginnings, “Angles,” and the Making of a Snooker Mind)"

In Part 1 of our extended Legends of the Cue conversation with Scottish snooker great Alan “Angles” McManus, we begin where every cue-sports life story should begin: at the first table, with the first cue, and with the first signs that something special might be happening.

Alan joins Mike Gonzalez, Mark Wilson, and Allison Fisher for a warm and thoughtful opening chapter that traces his early years in Glasgow, his first memories of cue sports, and the childhood moments that helped shape one of snooker’s most respected thinkers. He recalls being the “sporty one” in the family, playing football as a boy, watching Cliff Thorburn win the 1980 World Championship, and discovering the magic of the small snooker table at home.

From school lunchtime pool tournaments to Gus’s Pool Hall, from realizing he could beat older players to being invited into a local snooker team as a teenager, Alan paints a vivid picture of the grassroots snooker culture that formed him. The conversation also explores coaching, discipline, technique, and why snooker players of his generation learned early that talent alone was never going to be enough.

Allison and Mark add their own perspectives from the worlds of snooker and pool, comparing the structured coaching culture of UK snooker with the more informal development path of American pool. Along the way, Alan explains the origins of his nickname “Angles,” reflects on Scotland’s golden snooker era, and shares how a young boy with a cue in his hand slowly became a serious student of the game.

This episode is essential listening for fans of Alan McManus, Scottish snooker, cue sports history, coaching, fundamentals, and the early making of a world-class competitor.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

In Part 1 of our extended Legends of the Cue conversation with Scottish snooker great Alan “Angles” McManus, we begin where every cue-sports life story should begin…

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 6 (A Pool Player with a Dream: on Survival, Service, and Legacy)"The final chapter o...
07/21/2026

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 6 (A Pool Player with a Dream: on Survival, Service, and Legacy)"

The final chapter of Jorgen Sandman’s Legends of the Cue interview brings together the personal and the historic: a lifetime of service to pool, a near-death experience, a renewed commitment to the WPA, and a simple answer to how he wants to be remembered—“as another pool player, with a dream.”

Jorgen continues the Olympic conversation by explaining why pool may deserve the first true chance if billiards sports are admitted to the Games. He points to pool’s global reach, the possibility of champions from dozens of countries, and the WPA’s sanctioned participation from 128 countries as evidence that cue sports have far more international depth than many people realize.

The episode then turns deeply personal. Jorgen recounts the devastating 2020 landslide in Norway that destroyed his home, moved it hundreds of meters, and took lives around him. He and his wife survived, losing nearly everything but choosing to stay in the village they loved. The global cue sports family, including the EPBF and WPA, rallied around them—an act of support that reflected the respect Jorgen had earned across decades.

As the conversation closes, Jorgen discusses the current WPA, the leadership of Ishaun Singh, the importance of Predator’s support during difficult times, and why he believes the organization is again doing meaningful work for the sport. In Alli’s Rapid Rack, he reflects on his first cue, ball colors, the best advice he ever received, players he would pay to watch, Olympic discipline choices, and the future of pool.

This is a fitting conclusion for fans of Jorgen Sandman, WPA history, pool governance, Olympic cue sports, Predator, international billiards, and the people whose dreams shaped the game.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

The final chapter of Jorgen Sandman’s Legends of the Cue interview brings together the personal and the historic: a lifetime of service to pool, a near-death experi…

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 5 (The Olympic Dream: World Games, Brisbane, and Pool’s Global Future)"Can pool beco...
07/21/2026

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 5 (The Olympic Dream: World Games, Brisbane, and Pool’s Global Future)"

Can pool become an Olympic sport? In this fifth episode of Legends of the Cue, Jorgen Sandman offers one of the clearest explanations you will hear of where billiards sports stand in the Olympic movement, what still has to happen, and why the dream remains alive.

The episode begins with the continental structure of the WPA and why organizations like the EPBF, Asian federations, BCA, African associations, and Pan-American bodies became essential to pool’s global survival. Jorgen explains why the BCA’s role in North America has always been unusual, why USA Cue Sports may be an important step, and why a more complete North American or Americas-based federation could matter for the future.

From there, the conversation turns to the World Games, where billiards sports have long had a platform, and to the bigger question of Olympic inclusion. Jorgen breaks down the old limits of the Olympic Games—28 sports, 300 medals, and 10,000 athletes—and explains how newer thinking has opened the door for additional sports. He discusses Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032, the importance of host-city shortlists, and the challenge of convincing Olympic committees that billiards deserves a place.

Jorgen also explains why multi-sport events matter so much: the World Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, South American Games, and others all help strengthen the case for Olympic inclusion. He gives special attention to Brisbane, Australia’s Neil Robertson factor, and the strategic question of whether pool, snooker, carom, or another discipline would have the best chance.

A vital episode for listeners following pool’s Olympic hopes, World Games billiards, WPA development, USA Cue Sports, and the future of international cue sports.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

Can pool become an Olympic sport? In this fifth episode of Legends of the Cue, Jorgen Sandman offers one of the clearest explanations you will hear of where billiar…

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 4 The Alphabet Soup of Cue Sports: How Billiards Reached the Olympic Family)"Pool fa...
07/21/2026

New Episode! "Jorgen Sandman - Part 4 The Alphabet Soup of Cue Sports: How Billiards Reached the Olympic Family)"

Pool fans know eight-ball, nine-ball, ten-ball, and straight pool. But behind the games themselves is a complex world of federations, Olympic recognition, acronyms, politics, and diplomacy. In this fourth episode of Legends of the Cue, Jorgen Sandman becomes the ideal guide through the “alphabet soup” of international cue sports governance.

Jorgen explains how carom, snooker, and pool first came together under one umbrella, eventually forming the World Confederation of Billiards Sports, or WCBS. He traces the historic meetings that brought the UMB, IBSF, WPBSA, and WPA into conversation, and explains why the International Olympic Committee required the entire billiards family to be united before recognition could even be considered.

The story moves from Switzerland to GAISF, from rejection to acceptance, and from skepticism—“billiards is not a sport”—to eventual Olympic recognition. Jorgen shares how a glossy presentation, persistent lobbying, and years of organizational work helped billiards sports earn provisional recognition in 1996 and full recognition in 1998. He also recalls operating billiards rooms inside the Olympic Villages in Barcelona and Atlanta on behalf of Brunswick, offering coaching and trick-shot demonstrations to Olympic athletes.

This episode also clarifies the differences between carom, snooker, pool, English Billiards, Pyramid, Blackball, Chinese Pool, and Heyball. Jorgen explains how these disciplines found their place within the world structure and why inclusion was often the only practical path forward.

For listeners interested in cue sports governance, Olympic billiards, WPA history, WCBS, carom, snooker, Heyball, Pyramid, Blackball, and the international future of pool, this is an essential masterclass.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.
Support the show
Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:
Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1
Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.

Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.

Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

Pool fans know eight-ball, nine-ball, ten-ball, and straight pool. But behind the games themselves is a complex world of federations, Olympic recognition, acronyms,…

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