The Natural: The Story of Patsy Houlihan, the Greatest Snooker Player You Never Saw

by Luke G. Williams

The The Story of Patsy Houlihan, the Greatest Snooker Player You Never Saw is the compelling story of a man who potted balls fast and potted them hard. South Londoner Patsy Houlihan was one of the top amateurs of the 1950s and 60s as well as the greatest hustler of all time. He should have been a major player on the world stage, but the professional game was a closed shop and the likes of Patsy weren't welcome. However, in the smoke-filled snooker halls of the backstreets of working-class Britain, populated by tough men seeking to make a quick buck from the game they loved, Patsy was a folk hero and an inspiration to a generation of players, including his close friend Jimmy White. This is the story of the greatest snooker player who never reached the big time, but whose exploits, adventures and skills guaranteed him immortality in the minds and imaginations of those lucky enough to have seen him play. The Natural brings to life the story of a forgotten snooker pioneer and master entertainer.

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 3, 2023

About the author

Luke G. Williams is in his third decade as a journalist and writer. A former staff writer for uefa.com, sportal.com, euro2000.com and Boxing Social websites, his freelance work has been published in The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Express, Boxing News and 007 Magazine among many other outlets. Luke was also a prolific feature writer and the online editor of Boxing Monthly magazine for several years. In the course of his career, Luke has interviewed many of the world’s top boxers, including Manny Pacquiao, Tyson Fury and Roy Jones Jr, as well as other leading figures from the world of sport such as David Beckham and Jimmy White. Luke’s first book Masters of the Baize (Co-written with Paul Gadsby) was published in 2004 and was named ‘book of the week’ by both The Sunday Times and Independent newspapers. His second book, Richmond Unchained, was published to widespread acclaim in 2015 and was featured on the BBC and ITV among many other media outlets. Nominated for Best Biography at the 2015 British Sports Book Awards, Richmond Unchained has also featured for the past six years on Thomas Hauser’s annual list of the greatest boxing books of all time and is currently under option for a potential television adaptation. In 2021, Hamilcar published Luke’s third book, President of Pandemonium, a meticulously researched investigation into the life and career of troubled Nigerian heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi which was hailed by sports writing legend Donald McRae as a “gripping read”. Luke’s fourth book, entitled The Natural, is a biography of cult snooker hero and hustler Patsy Houlihan and will be published in April 2023 by Pitch.

Reviews

[Brendan Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning why an author wrote a particular sports book. Finding out what motivated them to tell the story and why they felt like they were the right person to do it. Luke Williams’ fascination with Patsy Houlihan began with a reference in the great Jimmy White’s autobiography that named Houlihan among the 3 best players White had ever seen. This casual reference, that would have left most readers thinking Patsy Who? before forgetting about him altogether, was the initial catalyst that ultimately led years later to this fantastic book. I just love the combination of curiosity and passion that led Williams to write the book and these traits are reflected in the quality of the book.

Patsy Houlihan was a gifted snooker player who was desperately unlucky to miss out on turning his talents into fame and fortune. While he became a legendary figure on the amateur snooker scene, he was ultimately kept from turning professional during his peak by the powers that ran the snooker circuit. He spent much of his time hustling and seeking to win money in snooker halls across the UK at a time when such places played a much bigger part in British life.

As a work of biography, Williams has done a great job capturing the essence of Houlihan as a man, a friend, a father and a snooker player. It would have been easy to paint him as a caricature given his hustling – an Alex Higgins type but without the fame – but Williams avoids this by speaking to an extensive range of his friends and family. His humour, warmth, and generosity, despite his own frustrated ambitions shine through in the many stories told by his various peers and proteges. Arguably there is no better legacy to leave being so well remembered and fondly thought of by those left behind.

The book also stands out as a work of social history capturing the role that snooker halls and amateur snooker played in Britain. It also tells the early days of professional snooker and the closed shop mentality that prevented talented players from earning a living through the sport. It’s a history I was totally unaware of (other than childhood memories of pool halls and watching world championships with my Granny) and one that would have made a good book in it’s own right.

While Houlihan played some matches on TV, almost no recordings remain of Patsy playing which left Williams hunting for memories from those who witnessed Houlihan’s gifts. It is fitting in many ways as the book is ultimately about the importance of memories as we learn of Patsy through the recollections of his daughter and his peers. Williams has done a wonderful job in brining Patsy Houlihan to life in this entertaining, excellent book.

The Natural is published by Pitch Publishing and will be released on 3 April 2023.

[Bustagroovy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched account of Patsy Houlihan's snooker career from start to end, with some great photos also included. It's a travesty that there's absolutely zero footage of ANY of his matches in existence, mostly thanks to the shameful practice of 1970s TV networks wiping and re-using video tapes to save costs. Furthermore, Joe Davis' snobbery in refusing Houlihan's admittance to the professional ranks when he was at his peak is also pretty disgraceful. At least now we have this book, which is a brilliant compilation of all his efforts and achievements.

[Ruth McAvinia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Patsy Houlihan deserves a book but the material in this one is just too thin. Long pages of reprinted match reports and a tangent about the career of a journalist felt like desperate attempts to meet a word count.

[Paul McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Fascinating subject matter but also a brilliant look at snooker in the 50s and 60s. Loved it

[Laura O'Neill]

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