SKIPPER Alan Hamilton, 61, reckons he used to play as quickly as the youngsters in his snooker team.

Hamilton made his league debut for Chandlers Ford Central Club in 1974.

He recalled players such as Brian Gregory, Charlie Gregory, Maurice Hamm, Wally Gibson and - later - Ken Jones, who won his first Town Championship in 1983 while based at Chandlers Ford Central.

The B side was formed in the late 1980s. Hamilton, Mark Crisp and Phil Yeomans all signed in the early 1990s.

Carpet-fitter Hamilton laid the foundations for the present side with a youth policy that started with a 15-year-old Arron McIntyre eight years ago.

Speaking about the youngsters he’s recruited, Hamilton said: “Sometimes the frame is over in ten or 15 minutes, when they get going.

“I used to be the same. I used to play pretty fast as well. It’s only because I’ve got older that I’ve slowed down.

“(Arron) is just natural. He doesn’t think about it; he just does it. Scott (McGaw) is very much the same.

“I like to let them get on with it.

“You’ve got to go out and find them. We’re still looking.”

Also in the squad is Ben Spiers, 17, and Jordan Sainsbury, 18. Former team member Will Baird, now 21, is concentrating on his football.

Crisp said: “It’s quite a pleasure to watch some of these guys - Ben, Arron and Scott - when they start playing well. It’s more enjoyable to watch.”

McIntyre chalked up the Premier high break (82) last season and the Divisions 1-5 high break (88) in 2007/08.

Hamilton said: “You just don’t know when he’s going to do it. But he’s very capable of doing it.”

And the Pied Piper of Chandler’s Ford explained that some clubs’ under-18 rule is “a bit of a problem sometimes”.

“It always has been and most probably always will be,” he said. “Some teams just don’t like playing the younger lads. We’ve had our rules changed. We can accept anyone over the age of 14 now.”

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