A message from Paul Gibson
Many of you may remember my father Dave Gibson who ran Beeston Snooker Hall for 48 years up until his passing in 2013. My Grandfather Harry Gibson purchased the snooker hall for my parents in 1965 when I was only 2 years old. By the time I was 9 years old I had started playing snooker in the club and due to my small size I needed to stand on a box in order to reach the table. That was the start of my snooker journey which ultimately led to me turning professional. Sadly my professional career was cut short due to a freak neck injury.
Snooker has played a large part in my family’s lives for over six decades and I have wanted to do something to commemorate that part of our lives for a long time. I therefore contacted Steve Butler and offered to sponsor a tournament and donate a new trophy.
We have agreed that the Open Singles Snooker Championship (formerly known as the Nazareth House Singles and The Capocci Cup) will henceforth be known as The Gibson Trophy. I have purchased a beautiful trophy that I hope local players will be excited to compete for. I have also provided £100 sponsorship to boost the prize fund.
I hope you will support this tournament and also continue to support the many other tournaments and leagues that are run by Nottingham Snooker.
I plan to attend the final to present the trophy to the eventual champion. Play well!
Fantastic news and a great way to commemorate your family’s long standing snooker heritage. Had some great times in there as a junior and was sad to see it go!
All the best Paul!
I played in Beeston Snooker Hall regularly from 1999-2003, initially while a student at The University of Nottingham until I moved out of Beeston after finishing my studies. Dave Gibson was one heck of a cue doctor. He was the go-to man for anything more technical than a re-tip (which I could just about do for myself!) and I wouldn’t have let anyone else touch my cues. I remember a lad in the Commercial pub just round the corner put his foot through his cue one day in frustration; another lad took the snapped cue -shards of wood all over the place- to Dave and Dave repaired it that well that you had to know what you were looking for to be able to tell it had ever been snapped. Incredible cue doctor!