Parliamentary Snooker

In Parliament, I recently lodged successful motions to recognise the professional impact of two famous locals on the world of snooker.

Dunfermline resident Michaela Tabb has now refereed for her second time at the recent World Snooker Championship final.

Ms Tabb, also known as ‘Lady Ref’, has achieved several ground-breaking milestones in the sport — as the first woman to referee at a professional-ranking snooker tournament, at a world-ranking snooker final and at the World Snooker Championship final itself.

Meanwhile, Stephen Henry, a former pupil of Inverkeithing High School, has announced his retirement from tournament snooker, having broken a host of records over his career.

Among his most notable achievements, Stephen has won the World Championship seven times. He first took the title aged just 21, the youngest ever player to become World Champion. He was ranked world number one between 1990 and 1998, and altogether he holds 36 world-ranking titles — more than any other player.

It is always inspiring to see local people doing well. Both Michaela and Stephen have made huge contributions to snooker and set records for others to aspire towards.

Good luck to Michaela in her continuing career and to Stephen in his future ventures.

The above was originally written for Bill’s Dunfermline Press column. This version may vary slightly.