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.

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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...