Riley Powell has become so good at snooker even his school teachers let him out of lessons to practise. The 14-year-old, who lives on a modest housing estate in Tredegar with his mum Emma, dad Stephen, and his brother and sister spends almost 40 hours a week on a table he could hardly see over not too long ago.
“I used to wear polystyrene shoes so I could reach the table to pot them,” Riley told us, fitting an interview into a ridiculously busy schedule of school and snooker. “I knew people were saying I was a good player when I started at Mark Williams’ Snooker Club down the road but I think I realised about a year after I’d been playing there.”
Good is an understatement. Tredegar Comp student Riley dispatched five-time ranking event winner and world number eight Kyren Wilson in the Shoot Out 2023 tournament last week – his first ever senior competition – and he’s been the talk of the town since. “I feel like I’ve shaken a thousand people’s hands to be honest with you,” he laughed. “It’s been nice. They’ve just said: ‘Well done’ and told me how I’ve made the town proud.”
Tredegar is an area steeped in snooker history. Some of the game’s most decorated players Ray Reardon and Cliff Wilson hail from the town while Williams and Jackson Page were brought up on snooker in nearby Ebbw Vale. Riley plays with the pair weekly at Williams’ Park Place club a three-minute walk from his school.
“I don’t go to school on Mondays and Fridays anymore because the school lets me have time to practise on those days but on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I’ll walk to the club after school and dad will be there ready with my cue,” Riley told of his unwavering weekly schedule. “On average I practise every day for about six hours. I play in the league on Mondays and Wednesdays so that’s about four or five hours. On a Monday I’d do six or seven hours in the day too. On a Tuesday and a Thursday I’d practise in the club for around three or four hours. Friday I do six or seven hours like on a Monday. Then there would usually be a tournament or two at the weekend.”
How does someone so young cope with the balance of schoolwork and preparing for highly competitive competition? “It doesn’t usually get too much unless I have two competitions at the weekend. When that happens [then] on a Monday I feel tired. I really enjoy it – I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t.”
Mature Riley said he hopes he can continue the legacy of those who have gone before him by inspiring local kids. “Boys at school have started to come down for a knock. It’s good to see. If I can get more young people into the sport then that’s great.
“I started seven years ago in my bampy’s house where he has a pool table upstairs. I’d have a knock with bamp and I’d pot a few. Dad realised it was a bit unusual how well I was doing and took me down to Mark’s place. The cue was bigger than me and my arm was backwards. They had a look at me playing there and I joined the academy then. I was wearing polystyrene shoes but I was making good shots – not the breaks I’m making now though.”
There was a moment in his match with Wilson where the referee tells the players the sound telling them they have 10 seconds to take their shot isn’t working. Riley cuts an unmoved figure as he comes back from 31 points down to complete an astute 41-31 win.
If he was worried he didn’t show it. “I was waiting for the beeps but obviously they weren’t working. I did panic a little bit but I just told myself to stay calm and focus on the lights changing colour instead [which also tells him he has a second left to take the shot]. I didn’t feel nervous – I just try and take each shot as it comes and concentrate on one at a time. At 31-0 I was thinking I’d be going home without even scoring a point in my first tournament to be honest but I went there to enjoy it whatever happened with it being my first one. Once I potted the first one though I got into a rhythm and tried to start building some breaks. I was amazed that I won – I wasn’t expecting it at all. I went home and watched it back straightaway.” And what did you think? “He’s good isn’t he?!”
In the minutes after his triumph he was in front of the cameras explaining how he wrote his name into snooker history. Companies have “inundated” his parents asking their son if they can sponsor him.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever done a media interview like that,” Riley continued. “I enjoyed it actually – I was asking if I could do a few more. I feel okay with it all.”
In March he’s off to Malta with his family to represent Wales at the European youth championships. It’ll be his fourth tournament abroad following trips to Portugal, Romania, and Albania. Nursery nurse Emma says travelling around Europe and the UK is a significant commitment but one they’ve enjoyed immensely.
“We get help with funding it all from Talent Cymru and Riley is also sponsored by the Motorpoint which pays for Riley and one parent. We’ve got a fantastic family too who support us so much.”
After Riley was knocked out of the Shoot Out by fellow Welshman Daniel Wells he allowed himself one day off before he was back at the table and looking ahead to qualification for more senior competition. “My ambition is to become world number one," he added. "With the support of my community, and especially Mark’s club where everyone supports and helps me so much, I think I can get there.”
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