Chris Shutt
When 17 year old Chris Shutt met Bob Close in the Widnes Pro-Am Plate final, it was generally reckoned that, even though the game was only over one hour, and that Close was conceding 100 points, the Hartlepool professional would probably be a little too good, and far too experienced for his youthful opponent. It didn't work out that way at all. Shutt won by far more than the start and made a great break of 177 unfinished. Those in the know were not quite so surprised. When aged only 14 the tall youngster, playing in the Teesside League, scored 331 points in a half-hour game, and a year later, also in a half-hour game, scored 404 and made a break of 121. Chris is still eligible for the Boys' League, and by the end of January had scored his twentieth century of the season, highest 197 - overtaking Mike Russell's record of 19 in one season. His most outstanding feat to date is that of overtaking Russell's record half-hour match score of 426 when aged 17, by totalling 461 with breaks of 174 and 147 when still only 16. Such a total by a 16-year-old in a half-hour game is scarcely credible, nevertheless it did happen.
At the Huntingdon Pro-Am, Shutt's play was a revelation. His breaks during the day were 294, 204, 146unf, 130, 125, 117, 109, arid 102, together with numerous half-centuries. He eliminated such good amateur players as Phil Welham, Chris Ross, and Ron Whitten; and he eliminated one world-class player - Roxton Chapman. He reached the final where he lost to Mike Russell but scored a highly commendable 313 points.
Chris Shutt is a very tall young man, reminiscent of Gilchrist both in physique and style. He is an excellent potter and when he gets the balls going at the spot end can score (obviously!) at a very rapid pace indeed. His all-round game is not as solid as it might be and would perhaps distress the purist. For example, when faced with a quite ordinary middle pocket loser with the red ball close to the pocket, most players will play to bring the red ball back into play by cutting it slightly so that it will take the centre line of the table. Shutt will usually play this shot slowly to leave the red very near to the to pocket for a pot from hand - and not only when the object white is near the spot. This is not particularly sound billiards, there is great potential for disaster in such play, but there is no arguing with the score board. This is typical Teesside League play. Russell used to play that way, so did Gilchrist, and both of these great professionals are now masters of the all-round game. They might be said to have learned the game back to front and against all accepted principles.
Thanks to the efforts of the Secretary of the EABA and of Teesside enthusiast Albert Hanson, Chris has recently been awarded a Sports Aid Foundation grant of £150, and this follows an award of £1000 last year by the Cleveland County Council specifically for this young man to develop his billiards career. There is a lot of talk about how to get youngsters interested in billiards; well, that's one way! All sorts of people get grants of one kind or another and there seems no reason why billiards should be left behind. One wonders if maybe some cash could not be screwed out of the National Lottery and put to the development of the game. But that is an aside. This boy seems destined for a professional billiards career and readers will wish him well.