Chris Melling - Part 4 (“The Magician” — Viral Shots, Derby City, Ultimate Pool & Legacy)

Mark Wilson 0:14

But that definitely happens in one pocket. You can definitely forget your pocket. The year that you produced the famous clearance against Meek Em and then a combination carom, a severe swerve or massey, and then the four-rail bank, before we discuss the shots, what was the match situation and what were you feeling?

Chris Melling 0:35

Well, I think it was I think it was a second rack, or maybe the third rack, it might have been one-all. But Darren had put these events on the World Pool Savers in New York, but he tightened the pockets from a regular size pocket, which none of us was used to that at the time. But obviously, coming again from a snooker background, the pocket inside of the game and the technique, I thought would favour favour the English pool player or the snooker player. And I drew Mika and me and Mika have had a few not run-ins, but you know, a few battles, let's say, over the years. And um, I mean the first time I ever played him was at the European Championships, and I beat him 9-1. And I'd I'd never played in my life. That was the first time I'd ever played. I I was about 18. And I asked him for some advice after the match. I just says, uh, what do I go about you know taking it up full time? And he just started laughing at me as if to say, You just beat me 9-1, and now you're asking me how to play professionally, how how to make a career about it. But yeah, obviously, when I played Mika, and anybody who knows Mika is he's fully, fully focused on winning and he doesn't like losing to anybody. Um obviously doing what I did during the game and then three shots, and I think what makes it more than anything is a commentary from Johnny Archer and and uh Ted Lerner. I remember Johnny Archer turning round and saying, if somebody did that against me, I'd kill myself. It just makes it for me. And obviously you can hear Darren screaming in the background saying, Oh my god, I can't believe that's got happened. And it was just it was unbelievable because it was not only live, it was on a tight table, and it was call your shot, call your pocket, so you couldn't fluke a ball either. So you do get comments on it from time to time saying, No, it was luck, and I'm thinking, Well, it's call shot, call pocket, how can it be luck? But then I I don't respond to some of them because I just think, well, you can't win this battle, so there's no point even saying anything.

Mike Gonzalez 2:31

Yeah, take us through the rack shot by shot, because you've done it a million times, I'm sure. You've watched the video as as 25 million or so other people on the planet have done.

Chris Melling 2:42

Yeah, and I think I think over over all social media, it's had about 120 million viewers. Wow when you had when when you had when you had them all together, crazy. So when I broke off, it it was take what you make as well. So if you make a solid, you've got to go for solids. If you make a stripe, you've got to go for stripes. If you make one of each, obviously you've got the choice. So I'd broke off, made a solid, and I had no shot whatsoever. And I was first thinking, do I come off the side cushion and try and cut the ball in the middle, like kick it in? But then I thought to myself, well, I'll play the ball into the ball on the top cushion and come off the side rail, off the top cushion, and try and pop the ball in the corner. If I don't make it, I'm still gonna leave it a bit funky for him. And obviously I called it because I wanted to make it. I made it, and then I had no shot again, so I had to play a masse full length of the table. I made the masse. For me, that was the easiest shot of the three. Um I made the shot, and then the next three balls was quite simple. It was one into the top pocket, one into the other pocket, into the middle, roll through. Um, but as I've rolled through, I've not rolled through enough to leave the perfect angle to drop down for the ball in the centre pocket. So I'm looking around the table and straight away I've thought, hang on a minute, I've got a shot here that I could play four rails. Now I'd just played the Derby City one pocket, and I'd just played obviously the bank pool and everything else. So that is a kind of a bank pool shot. So I thought, right, I know I know my systems, I know the table's playing, let's go for it. Because if this ball goes in, it's gonna be the greatest claims of all time. And as soon as I as soon as I hit it, I knew it was in. As soon as I hit it, I thought, that's close. And then obviously what watching it back, I heard Johnny um Johnny Archer turn around and say, This is close, and then he goes, Oh my god, my god, and the ball went in, and it was just a straight in and it's a straight in eight ball, but it's the first time I have ever ever seen Mika shake somebody's house, uh some somebody's hand during a match, yeah, apart from when the match has finished. Right. Yeah. I remember his I remember his words, he just turned around and went, You're not serious. He said, You're unreal. That was his words to me. And it obviously Mika kind of obviously losing his battle against cancer recently. There was a massive loss to the pool world, and you know, a massive loss to to anybody who knew him because he was a great character and he was fierce on the table, and that's what everybody knew about him. He'd he'd you know, he'd give it he'd give it all that with his hands when he was playing, and he was just a competitor, he just wanted to win all the time, and you know, one of the greatest players that's ever ever graced the table, to be fair.

Mike Gonzalez 5:13

Yeah, and of course, you know, having just started this a year ago, as we mentioned, this this series of of life stories, we we miss Mika. We we we'd hoped to be able to do him. Obviously, Mark in particular would have loved to have been able to do Buddy Hall, but uh, you know, we're trying to we're trying to catch him before we lose him.

Chris Melling 5:32

Yeah, definitely. I I I didn't see much of of Buddy Hall, but obviously I know about Buddy and um what people say about him and how much of a great player he was. Obviously, I got I got to meet um Earl Strickland, Efren, Buster, Johnny, you know, Mike Massey. You know, and obviously met a lot of the the great, great American pool players, Mike Seagal, when the um when he he he was in the King of the Hill and things like that. So yeah, it's it's nice to see the other eras of people to see how good they are. Would would they have compete competitive with somebody like a Shane, a filler, a ghost, a Shaw? I don't know, because I didn't see him at that level, and obviously the tables were more difficult, I guess. Then the cloth wasn't as good, the balls wasn't good, the chalk wasn't as good, the cues probably wasn't as good. Uh you know, the standard of play was probably somewhere near to be fair.

Mike Gonzalez 6:23

Yeah. Yeah. So after a hundred and some million views, kind of hard to be anonymous anymore.

Chris Melling 6:31

Well, the the last two or three years have just been like anybody who knows me knows I'm down to earth. I've got the same friends, I live in the same house. Yeah, I've got a couple more quid than I used to have. Um, but I work hard for it. I'd probably, in all honesty, I probably work harder than any Q Sports player alive. I don't think there's anybody who works harder because if I'm not doing exhibitions, I'm playing tournaments, if I'm not doing that, I'm coaching somebody. Or I'm running a pub while I have at home with my mate. So literally don't stop. And I try to do as much as I can because a lot that the exhibitions are, you know, it's good pay, it's good it's good wages. So um I try to do my best, I try to keep busy. But yeah, it's just it's just one of those things. I guess you you've got to do it while you can. Yeah, I mean you're you're being recognised everywhere, I assume. It it's mad, it's absolutely obviously in China it's it's ridiculous. You literally can't sit down and eat food without being mithered. I said mithered, it's probably the wrong word, but you know, being asked for a picture or an autograph, which listen, if you're doing something right, that means people are gonna take note and they're gonna want uh photographs, autographs, things like that. And I think it's part of what you do, and I think you have to appreciate that. I mean, you look at your your players like you know, your Tiger Woods at golf, your David Beckham's a football, even Yoronio Sullivan's a snooker, they must get absolutely like annihilated with people that want pictures and the autographs. Because I see what it's like sometimes with the pool, and I I do get it a lot every time I go abroad. I get it. Like I was in um I was in Benny Dorm and I got a message on Facebook, you may not know him, but I'm sure Alison might know him. A guy called Gerwin Price, who's a dart player, he's one of the best dart players in the world from Wales, and he was in Benny Dome, and he sent me a video from one of the bars, and he said, Don't bring your pull cue, bring your darts, I'm gonna beat you. And I was just like, Why is it why is this guy sending me why is this guy sending me these messages? That's excellent. But yeah, it's it's it listen, it's nice to be recognised for what I've what I've done and what I'm doing. And I did a uh uh Stephen Hendrix Q-tips podcast a couple of months ago. I've got I've got a few people lined up that I'm gonna work with um Emil Heske, used to play football for England, Leicester and Liverpool, a guy called Shea Lacy who plays for Man United, a couple of the dark players, Lou Humphreys, who's world number one. So yeah, I've got a fair few people lined up, and hopefully I'm trying to get Joe Rogan when I get over to Las Vegas.

Mike Gonzalez 8:56

Well, you know, those are all those are all big deals, Chris, but it can't be anything like being here on Legends of the Queen.

Chris Melling 9:01

No, it you know what, I I love doing things like this because people see this side of you when you're not playing, but like people can, you know, understand what life is about when you're not playing pool. So like people will know I own a bar around the around town with my friend. Like I said, I'm when I'm not doing that, I'm busy in there, or you know, sorting wages out or sorting drinks out and things like that. So there is a lot more to it than you know just turning up to a pool tournament and and practising and being, you know, ready. There's a lot of things going on in your life that's totally different.

Allison Fisher 9:33

In 2018, you won the Derby City Classic nine ball division, edging John Morra nine eight. What made that victory special?

Chris Melling 9:42

Um I think what made it special was obviously I was eight-two down in the final and I'd been playing for roughly um I think it was I think it was about 19 hours set straight. Um when I played him in the final. I was actually flying home at 8 o'clock in the morning. I didn't play him till five, and me and Jason was on the same flight. So uh me and Jason beating him from being eight two down was very special because he's a he's a class act his job.

Allison Fisher 10:08

Yeah, he's a good he's a good guy. That's amazing, amazing comeback. So went to Hill Hill. What do you remember about that final game? Anything particular?

Chris Melling 10:18

I think I'm not sure if there were a couple of safeties involved or he scratched. Um it was either that game or the game before, and I just thought to myself, if you're gonna win it, you've got to win it now. Um and obviously I got that chance, I was lucky to get that chance, and I ran out, so uh yeah, it was a great feeling because it was funny because Darren Appleton actually bat me the year before in the Derby City, and I've I'd um I'd won the straight pool, so Darren had made profit out of me, I'd made money as well, and then the year after I said, Do you want to bat me again? Just you know, be just being friendly. And he went, Oh no, I'm I'm uh I'm taking a bit of time out because things are happening at home. I said, Okay, no problem. Then I found out he was backing Josh Villa and Jason Clapp. So so I was I was absolutely I was absolut I was absolutely fuming with him because he he didn't tell me that. And then um I spoke to Jason Shaw and one of his friends who backed Jason to Derby, and um I said, Would you be interested in backing me? He said, Yeah, of course we will. And obviously I went on to win the Derby City, and uh Jason just kept sending Darren messages with a picture of a horse saying, My horse, my horse. Aaron was fuming.

Allison Fisher 11:24

Oh, that's funny. That's great. So what does that mean? That they were backing you, so you had somebody paying all your expenses, is that what you're talking about? Yeah, then you split the winnings or yeah.

Chris Melling 11:35

Yeah, they they paid for everything and we just went 50-50.

Allison Fisher 11:39

Right.

Chris Melling 11:40

They called him Chad Bowling, he was the other guy uh with Jason who bat me. And I think Chad had bat Jason for about seven or eight years.

Allison Fisher 11:48

Yeah.

Chris Melling 11:48

So yeah, it was funny because I I did quite well in most of the other events. I think it came out with about twenty-seven thousand, I think it was. Wow. Something like twenty-six, twenty-seven thousand. Yeah. Um but then obviously we split that. So mine was kind of like a 13,000 profit without risking anything. But yeah, it was funny because that I'm sure that was hoping I was gonna lose.

Mike Gonzalez 12:11

All right, so we're gonna take you from that high and that Derby City win. I want to take you to a low, and I'll I'll let Mark bring you back up with your next tie. But the low came with a tough loss, and I think you've described it as perhaps your most painful defeat of your career. This at the Chinese Pool World Championship in 2018, losing 21-19 after having a few leads.

Chris Melling 12:35

Yeah, I was uh I was massively in front. I beat a lot of the top Chinese players leading up to the final, and I was playing, in my opinion, at that time, the best player in the world. And I was in front, I think I was about 9-3 in front, and then I was 17-12 in front, and I was on a I was on an eight ball in the corner, and obviously on the Chinese pool tables, they're very tough pockets. It was near the near the rail, and it was a shot what I should have potted, and I got down for the shot, and one of the cameramen flashed the camera straight in front of my eyes, and you know yourself Alice and from playing over there the old snook ups and the old you know, trying everything they can to put you off.

Allison Fisher 13:13

Yeah.

Chris Melling 13:13

Because all I was doing is just passionate, they want the one their player to win, and they flashed a camera right in front of my eyes, and I missed the eight ball by a country mile, and then obviously my eyes wouldn't adjust straight away. Um but he he cleared up, and by the time we played the next frame, I was okay. And then uh the next thing I know, I'm 2019 down, and I I've got him in a situation where he he he really can't win unless something stupid happens, and um he went for a ball, missed it, flooped it, broke three balls out, and they all landed over the pocket and he cleared up.

Mike Gonzalez 13:45

What what was your takeaway from that match, Chris? Because that was a tough loss.

Chris Melling 13:50

Yeah, definitely obviously leading um 19-12 and uh 9-3, I think it was. I thought I'd won the game to be honest. As soon as I got to 17-12, I just thought, well, no, nobody's winning from here. And then the brakes changed, he started pointing off the brake, I started breaking dry, I missed a chance where I missed the eight in the corner, and then just everything turned on me. Um but the hardest part was that I was I was used to having a a crowd on my side where over there there was about I'd say there was about 3,000 people in the arena, uh, and every one of them was from for my opponent, which is understandable. I mean, I'm in China. So it was it was a strange one, but I think the winner got a hundred thousand, I got forty-four thousand. Uh yeah, it's one that I think I let slip. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 14:39

Well, Mark, let's get him back on the winning track in Bucharest, huh?

Mark Wilson 14:43

You responded later that year by winning the World Pool Series, eight balls classic in Bucharest. Defeating Jason Shaw after leading 10-2 and surviving his comeback. How did you stop the match from escaping?

Chris Melling 14:58

I don't really remember a great deal about the match apart from um Jason had a few issues with Desi who was racking the balls, and uh he didn't appreciate the rack that she was giving him. Um but I'm sure she's a she's a great referee. She was doing uh the best she could, and I was getting the balls over the break. He he wasn't, and obviously it got to him a little bit, and obviously having a 10-2 lead against him, he uh I think he kind of gave up a little bit, which made him relax a bit more, and you know the game started changing, and then you have thoughts that go through your mind where you're thinking this has happened before, i.e., when I was in China. But yeah, I kind of held it together well and and and finished the match off, really.

Mike Gonzalez 15:35

Hey Chris, speaking of Jason and and also I'll mention John Schmidt and what those two have done with straight pool, large runs. What's your perspective on all that? Are they ever anybody gonna reach a thousand?

Chris Melling 15:49

I think they could definitely reach a thousand. Obviously, if they're playing on the same conditions, but um the records was made on, let's say, so five inch pockets, I think there was. I do think it's it's certainly possible. Um, I'd actually like to have a go up myself to try and do it. I think it's just a case of of concentration. Um, I don't think you're gonna miss many balls on five inch pockets. Um, but it's obviously like Mark says, there's a way to break the balls as pattern play, which I I I did learn as I was going along. So, say for instance if I was putting a ball in the left-hand corner and splitting the stack up and by potting that ball, um, I used to play that with right-hand spin, but I didn't realise it was screwing the whiteing off in the corner pocket or nearly going it off. So then Jason said to me, No, you need to play with inside. So then I played that shot with inside, which screwed it away from the pocket, and I thought, that's really clever, that is. Uh but I didn't know that. Obviously, you learn these things as you're going along. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Gonzalez 16:44

Well, it's just phenomenal what those guys have done, and perhaps somebody, perhaps you, uh, will make a thousand, and uh that would be uh that'd be quite a record.

Allison Fisher 16:53

In Ultimate Paul brought televised English eight ball back to prominence. What attracted you to the new circuit?

Chris Melling 17:02

Um well I I didn't play on the circuit for around seven, eight years, and then I I got asked to be an ambassador for Ultimate Pool along with Mick Hill and Gareth Potts. So I got offered a substantial amount of money to play on the circuit to promote Ultimate Pool and be an ambassador for them. So I looked at the the figures and what you know I was getting involved in and things like that, and the time it had taken out of my career. So I just thought, yeah, let's give it a go. Obviously, I you've got the new players on the block that are coming along, and I just thought to myself, you know, I've still got a lot to offer here. Um so I played on the circuit, I won one of the I think I've I won the second or the third event that they had with a queue that I'd never used. It was my friend's queue from Leeds. And then and the next two events that I won, I won with two different queues as well. The first three events I won, I won three different queues. But yeah, I just started playing, and then obviously Ultimate Pool USA came along, started playing in them. I think I've won five or six Ultimate Pool events in America, and it it's really weird because one of the players that plays we all know him, is in my opinion, probably the best bar table player, Justin Bergman. I rate him so highly, I I I've got a lot of respect for Justin, and but every time I play him, I play well and he struggles against me. And I don't know why, because he's such a great player. They even said on a interview the other week, he says, 'I'd love to play all the English guys from money, I'd love to play Chris.' And he turned round and he says, 'I'd love to play Chris.' He says, 'I can't beat that guy in a tournament,' but I'd love to play him for money. I've just started laughing. I actually asked him to be my partner in Cherokee when we play over there at the finals. He said, I wish he'd have asked me half an hour ago because I've just I'd just asked Skylar. So he said I'd love to play doubles with you. But um and then Shane texted me last night asking if I went to play doubles with him. So I'm like, but I've got a doubles partner, so I'm with Tom Cousins. So I I couldn't really say no to Tom, that wouldn't be fair. But yeah, it's just it's mad really that how it's gone with the ultimate pool. You know, it's on TV every week, it's on it was BT formerly before, it's now TNT. Uh it's live every single Monday. So uh it's certainly going in the right direction. And what I do like about it to hear. Yeah, and what I do like about it is that they do listen to the players as well. Where sometimes there were organisations in the past where the players don't really get a say. So the week after I'm going over to Bolton to actually test the table, the pockets, because they are playing generous. So um I'm going over to try and get them to a certain dimension where they play, how they should play instead of being too big.

Mike Gonzalez 19:45

Well, you you keep winning, you've had a great record on the on the Ultimate Tour. Uh at age 45, you produced another major winning year in uh in 2024. You win the Louisiana Open, you win the Kansas City Open, the Ultimate Pool Masters. Which title gave you the greatest satisfaction that year?

Chris Melling 20:06

I'd probably say winning in America, to be honest. Because obviously you've got a bit of jet, like you're playing in a city, let's say, where you I've never played, and playing class-class players on tables where 99% of people can break and run against you. So it's it's hard to win on them bar tables because they're generous. The pockets are generous, and and anybody can beat you on them tables. So uh it gives me good satisfaction to to win it, not just once, but obviously win the Kansas City straight after as well. And then obviously ever since I I won the I won eventually I think I won two events in in uh Ohio, I think it was, and then I won two events in Florida.

Allison Fisher 20:45

People often describe your game as instinctive. How much calculation is happening underneath what looks like instinct?

Chris Melling 20:53

I think I think a lot of it is instinct, but I do see the table patterns very, very quickly. Like I mentioned before, I think we're having that uh kind of autism. I do see patterns unbelievably quick. Um as soon as I break, within I'd say five or six seconds, I know exactly the pattern, what what I see.

Allison Fisher 21:10

Yeah.

Chris Melling 21:11

Doesn't necessar necessarily mean it's right, but it's right for me.

Allison Fisher 21:14

Yeah.

Chris Melling 21:15

Because I I believe that 99 times out of a hundred, instinct is probably the right thing.

Allison Fisher 21:20

Yeah.

Chris Melling 21:20

And um, yeah, obviously having a a short clock on most of the events and most of the tournaments, yeah, uh I have a huge advantage when it comes to that because it takes a lot of people a lot longer to think about it. Yeah, definitely.

Mark Wilson 21:33

You have said that because partying is a natural strength, practice time is better spent on the break, kicking in weaker areas. What does an effective practice session look like for you?

Chris Melling 21:46

Um, well, I don't I don't really practice as much as I I used to do, or maybe I should do, but when I do practice, it's all about my weaknesses, what I need I feel like I need to work on. Um, because I think you can find a lot of players at play and they're going. For shots where you shouldn't be going for them or you wouldn't go for them in a match. So to me, you've got to play like um you're playing a match in practice, vice versa. When you're playing a match, play that like it's practice, if that makes sense. Yeah, I I mean normally I'd play probably if I was playing leading up to the money match I have against Tom on the 12th of September, I'm probably gonna be playing about four hours a day. Um I'll start off on my own for probably 30 minutes and then probably play a couple of different opponents raised to race to 30, um, which probably take about three hours maybe to play race to 30. So I know that obviously when I turn up to the the money match when I play Tom, I'm gonna be ready. I'm gonna be sharp. I've just got to hope that the ball's going off the break, and then who knows what can happen. Mm-hmm.

Allison Fisher 22:48

Do you think your versatility has sometimes made it harder for people to place your career in historical perspective?

Chris Melling 22:58

Uh yeah, I think so, yeah, because I mean you can only beat you who's in front of you. Um but I do believe that the area when I played with your Mick, your Gareth, your pots, your twists, your brewers, your Kendalls, all them type of players, I do believe that was the best area was playing on tougher equipment, was playing, uh, in my opinion, tougher rules. Um obviously the World Championships really was the world championships. It would there was players from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, all over the world that was playing. Where these days it's kind of more UK really. You do get the odd countries like France and Australia that do come over, but it was never it's never been as big at the World Championships as what it was when I played. I mean, um the second time, I think it was when I beat Twist, or the first time when I beat McKenna, they had to have a big TV in a separate room because there wasn't enough seats, and there was something like 900 people that watched that live. That's nice.

Mark Wilson 23:54

Okay, what do you hope the next generation of players learns from your career, both from the magic and from the difficult periods?

Chris Melling 24:03

I think I think there's a lot to be said for showing respect to your opponent. Obviously, when you're playing, you're playing for yourself and your friends and your family. I think it's important to hold yourself in good spirits. Try not to get involved with bad business, with the gambling, with the money matches, things like that. I mean, the money match I'm playing against Tom is this is the first one I've played for probably 15 years. I don't I don't really play them. But it's more because everybody wants to see it, because everybody's saying, well, he's the best ever, and I'm like, well, I'm not even saying I am the best ever. I think McGill's the best ever. Uh but that's just an opinion, and obviously everybody's uh uh entitled to an opinion. But I think for a younger generation that's coming through playing, I think you know you you've got to practice hard and don't think that everything's given because it isn't, and you know, my mates, if you met my mates now, they're all like, Oh, you don't have a real job, you don't do this, you're lucky. And I my explanation to them is I've been doing my job since I was nine year old. I've learnt my trade from being a young kid while you were in the park drinking and whatever else you were doing. I I was practicing hard. So there's a lot to be said to for practicing hard putting the hours in because it doesn't matter how talented you are, if if you don't put the hours in, you're not gonna win.

Mike Gonzalez 25:18

Well said. So, Chris, before we uh put a bow on this and uh and uh wrap up our interview with you uh today, we've introduced a new segment that we call Allie's Rapid Rack with the emphasis on rapid, but this is supposed to be a series of quick hitting, quick answer kind of questions, you know?

Allison Fisher 25:36

Hasn't always ended up like that with some people on here.

Mike Gonzalez 25:40

Take it away, Allie.

Allison Fisher 25:41

All right, we ready, Chris? You read it? Right. English eight ball, nine ball, snooker, or Chinese eight ball, one game for the rest of your life American eight ball. A one-four-seven or a perfect tournament set.

Chris Melling 26:01

Perfect tournament set.

Allison Fisher 26:04

Bank, kick, masse, or jump. Which shot gives you the greatest satisfaction? Kick. Best cue action you've ever seen.

Chris Melling 26:15

Mine.

Allison Fisher 26:16

I wonder whether you were gonna say that.

Chris Melling 26:20

It's actually yours, believe it or not.

Allison Fisher 26:22

Nah, yours, yours is smooth. One player, past or present, to partner in doubles.

Chris Melling 26:30

Alex Higgins.

Allison Fisher 26:32

Nice. The player most likely to punish a single mistake with five rags.

Chris Melling 26:40

Yes, I'm sure.

Allison Fisher 26:42

One rule in pool you would change tomorrow.

Chris Melling 26:47

No deliberate fault.

Allison Fisher 26:49

One shot from your career you'd love to take again. Okay, favourite pool room or venue anywhere in the world.

Chris Melling 27:03

MGM Las Vegas.

Allison Fisher 27:06

One non-pool athlete you admire.

Chris Melling 27:11

One else all of it.

Allison Fisher 27:14

Most valuable item in your cue case. Whatever that is on that day.

Chris Melling 27:22

It's it's a J Flowers. J flowers playing cue.

Allison Fisher 27:26

The perfect day away from Q sports.

Chris Melling 27:30

Um a beach holiday.

Allison Fisher 27:33

Complete the sentence.

Chris Melling 27:35

They call me the magician because um because there used to be a magician in England on TV called Merlin. And when I'm in China, they call me Chris Merlin. Is that where it came from? Is it well it c I had it years because what happened was I used to come out of snookers and pop balls and do crazy clearances that other people just couldn't do, and they said you're a magician because you make everything disappear.

Allison Fisher 28:02

Yep. Terrific. Well, it's been wonderful having you on, Chris. We really appreciate you being on Legends of the Cue.

Mark Wilson 28:08

Question for you, Chris. Could you tell us the actual story of the day that you were training in Snooker with Jimmy White? He was on the phone, and then you went to a residence for lunch. Do you recall what I'm talking about?

Chris Melling 28:24

Yeah, so Jimmy actually asked me to go down to uh where he played, down in Epsom, sorry. And we arranged to go down. I was meant to be there for about a week. I took my queue down, never hit a ball. All we did was uh play cards and go out and drink it. Never actually played a shot.

Mark Wilson 28:41

I was specifically referring to you when uh you ended up with uh having lunch with Ron Wood and uh the Rolling Stones.

Chris Melling 28:49

Yeah, that's well, that was the same time that I was down there. Jimmy had asked me to go down to um Southampton because he had to get something done and I won't go into it what it what he needed doing, but it had to be done. And um and then curiosity now, yeah. We always have a great life, and we still do to be honest. Um Jimmy said to me, we'd like to stop off at my mate's house. So I said, Yeah, no problem. So we stopped off. I had dinner with him, met his family, blah blah blah. And then when we got home, Jimmy said to me, When you go home, and your mum asked, tell her you'd just had dinner with Ronnie Wood. So I was like, Alright, no problem. Not thinking who he is. Generally didn't have a clue who he was, and uh got home, told my mum to have you had a good time, said yeah, yeah. I said uh Jimmy said to tell you that I've just had dinner with Ronnie Wood. She went, Ronnie Wood? Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. I went, I don't know. Honestly, she got she got it up on the internet on the laptop and it was Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. I went, yeah, that's him. She went, Oh my god, he's one of my heroes. That was he's so surreal, but he was a real nice guy, you know, down to earth, and that's how you should be really.

Allison Fisher 29:58

That's crazy. Great story.

Mike Gonzalez 30:00

Chris, we'll have three final questions for you, which we've asked every one of our guests to date. So it's always interesting to compare and contrast these questions. We'll probably skip the second one because you've already answered it, but Mark, why don't you take the first one?

Mark Wilson 30:15

If you knew when you were 20 what you know now, what would you have done differently?

Chris Melling 30:22

I I'd say I'd probably say don't gamble as much. I wouldn't I wouldn't have gambled as much. And I think I think I'd have probably spent more time at home knowing what time I had left with my mother. So that's probably the main thing, really.

Mike Gonzalez 30:38

Yeah, that's a good one. That's a good one. Our next question you've answered, because it was uh, you know, if you had one shot to do over, where would it be? And I think you mentioned that eight ball down the rail.

Chris Melling 30:50

Yeah, definitely it'd be the eight ball down the rail. Because I I would have been winning 2015, I think it was, or 2016. And obviously at that stage, then you've got three breaks to clear, and you only need one, and he's got to play a perfect set from there out where it's very difficult to do that on them tables.

Mike Gonzalez 31:06

Yeah.

Chris Melling 31:06

Well, Ms.

Mike Gonzalez 31:07

Fisher will have the final question.

Allison Fisher 31:09

Okay, Chris, here it is. How would you like to be remembered?

Chris Melling 31:15

I'd like to be remembered as just a normal kid from a normal town with um a normal working class family, normal friends that lived his dream, became the best in the world numerous times, numerous events, traveled the world, seen it over many times, and made a life out of playing pool. Terrific.

Allison Fisher 31:35

Thank you. Thanks for joining us. It's been a wonderful interview.

Chris Melling 31:38

Cheers, thanks for having me. Really appreciate it.

Mark Wilson 31:40

Uh love your refreshing attitude. It's very positive and uplifting, which I'd like to see more in the sport like you. So appreciate that.

Mike Gonzalez 31:50

Thank you. Yeah, and and Chris, uh just speaking for myself, we've looked forward to this for a while, and it's been a real pleasure having you. And we appreciate you adding your story to so many greats in Q Sports here on Legends of the Q. Cheers, thanks very much.

Allison Fisher 32:08

Thank you for listening to another episode of Legends of the Q. If you like what you hear, wherever you listen to your podcast, including Apple and Spotify, please follow, subscribe, and spread the word. Give our podcast a five-star rating and share your thoughts. Visit our website and support our four history projects. Until our next golden break with more Legends of the Cube.