Toilet trip meant Kettering fan missed Kyren Wilson's Crucible 147 - so snooker star presents 'wally' with T-shirt

When Clive Shackleton popped out during a mid-session interval at the World Snooker Championship he didn’t expect to miss anything.

The retired Kettering GP was watching Kyren Wilson’s first-round match against Ryan Day when he went for a beer, and then to the toilet when he saw play hadn’t yet resumed.

But when he returned the door was slammed shut as the players were back out – and he had to watch on in disbelief from the bar as Wilson knocked in a magical 147 break.

Clive, who has never seen a live maximum in his 30 years of watching snooker, said: "I was a bit gutted but worse things happen in life. When I was able to go back in I sat down and the man sat next to me joked ‘don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything!’

"I missed it but at the same time I was still there to see the celebrations.

"I’ve been to the Crucible 50 or 60 times and it’s the only frame I’ve ever missed.”

Kettering star Kyren, who like Clive also plays pool at the town’s Argyll Club, has now presented him with a T-shirt making fun of his unlucky decision to pop out and called him a ‘wally’ on Instagram.

The T-shirt features an image of Kyren potting the final black ball with the caption: “World Snooker Championship 2023. I was at the bar!”

Kyren, 31, told the Northants Telegraph he had no idea Clive was in the crowd until his friend Ian Hay, who runs the Argyll Club, told him what had happened when he got back to his hotel.

He said: "I had to laugh because it’s just so unfortunate but it’s one of those things. Seeing a 147 live is on the bucket list for a lot of people.

"When I saw the T-shirt I was almost wetting myself with laughter. Clive has taken it really well.”

Kyren, nicknamed as ‘The Warrior’, is now one of just 10 players to ever make a maximum break at the World Championship.

Clive, who worked at Eskdaill Medical Centre, said he was a bit embarrassed when he saw the T-shirt which had been made by friend Dan Bishop.

But the 64-year-old, who plays in the local pool league’s Argyll Aces team with sons Luke and Sam, said it is all ‘banter’.

He added: “They’ve all been taking the mickey out of me for a few weeks.”

Kyren Wilson and Ian Hay will be making their Ultimate Pool debut in a pairs competition on June 19.