Keeping Up With The Woollastons - Snooker's Family Affair

Ben Woollaston changeable into nan snooker spotlight pinch his astonishing first-round triumph against Mark Selby astatine nan World Championship.

It was a lucifer betwixt friends and believe partners from Leicester, and 1 that Selby said earlier nan tie he hoped to avoid.

While Selby coughed up what he described arsenic a "pathetic" capacity to suffer 10-8, Woollaston celebrated arguably nan champion consequence of his profession successful what became a post-midnight finish.

A first triumph astatine nan celebrated Crucible theatre has been a agelong clip coming for Woollaston, who is now 37.

He has suffered pinch chronic fatigue successful caller years and said he was truthful sickly he was "green" earlier nan last convention against Selby.

But if nan surname rings a bell, past that mightiness not beryllium wholly down to Ben's snooker achievements alone.

Wife Tatiana is 1 of nan sport's starring referees.

She is not allowed to return complaint of Ben's matches to debar immoderate imaginable accusations of a conflict of interest, but has officiated connected galore of nan sport's large occasions and first appeared astatine nan World Championship successful 2020.

Ben Woollaston turned master astatine nan property of 17, and, arsenic mightiness beryllium expected, recovered it reliable initially to get nan wins to enactment connected tour.

He flitted betwixt master and amateur ranks, but since 2009 has been a fixture connected nan main tour.

It was while successful Germany for nan Paul Hunter Classic successful 2010 that Tatiana, making her measurement successful nan crippled arsenic a European Billiards and Snooker Association referee, first encountered Ben.

They joined successful 2011.

Tatiana later told BBC Sport: "I had ne'er heard of him. When we met he was 70 aliases 80 successful nan world.

"I deliberation it improved him a batch and has fixed him motivation. Maybe it inspired him."

Woollaston is 44th for now pinch 2024-25 play net of £139,900... and counting. He has been arsenic precocious arsenic 25th.

Ben Woollaston won a first insignificant ranking title successful a Players Tour Championship arena successful Sheffield successful 2011, and was 1 of a number of players pinch superior committedness to look astatine astir that time, others including Judd Trump, Jack Lisowski and Anthony McGill.

He qualified for nan World Championship successful 2013, and contempt losing successful information 1 to Ali Carter mightiness good person expected to go a Crucible regular.

He besides reached nan 2015 Welsh Open final, wherever he was beaten by John Higgins.

Losing successful qualifying for nan Worlds became a frustrating and difficult wont to break, and returning to nan sport's astir celebrated shape this twelvemonth could beryllium considered overdue.

The Woollastons person 2 sons, and their eldest, 12-year-old Edward, joined Tatiana successful nan Crucible crowd to spot Ben crawl complete nan statement astatine nan extremity of 2 gruelling sessions against Selby.

"It's astonishing for Edward. I don't cognize really he did it - to watch 5 hours 1 nighttime and 5 hours nan adjacent night," said Ben Woollaston.

"He didn't miss 1 changeable [and] stayed successful location during nan interval. It's astonishing that he did it."

Ben's triumph mightiness person costs Edward immoderate prize pouch money, however, arsenic he had drawn Selby successful a World Championship sweepstake astatine their snooker nine pinch a £100 prize up for grabs.

"He thought he had a bully chance," Woollaston said.

Tatiana besides useful astatine nan caput agency of apparel retailer Next, pinch snooker a part-time occupation, but is 1 of nan astir respected refs around.

She refereed nan UK Championship last betwixt Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins astatine nan York Barbican successful December. That was her first last of a Triple Crown event, a imaginable measurement towards a Crucible title lucifer for nan 38-year-old, who hails from Belarus.

World Snooker Tour says this is confidential and would not connection immoderate guidance.

For some, though, it is simply a full-time domiciled and involves extended world travel.

As good arsenic matches connected nan regular tour, officials mightiness apical up their net by moving nan norm complete accumulation matches.

This has been a lucrative sideline since nan sport's roar years successful nan 1980s, erstwhile nan likes of Len Ganley were almost arsenic celebrated arsenic nan apical players.

As Mike Ganley - World Snooker Tour tourney head and Len's boy - has said: "Len made bully money from nan exhibitions because for immoderate logic he did person a profile, and an ego and a characteristic that went pinch it."

That helps. It is understood that a referee's basal salary is mostly alternatively modest, surely compared to nan apical players.

We tin confidently opportunity that Ben Woollaston's World Championship net this twelvemonth will apical immoderate referee's income from nan 17 days.

Reaching nan 2nd information intends he is assured of astatine slightest £30,000. The champion collects £500,000.

Ben's scheme for Friday was to slumber arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable truthful that he feels caller to spell again erstwhile he plays China's Si Jiahui successful information two, successful a lucifer that originates connected Saturday.

He was seen pinch Tatiana and Edward heading backmost to their edifice astatine astir 01:00 BST, and while Ben and Edward perchance had a lie-in, location was nary specified comfortableness for Tatiana.

She was consecutive backmost to work, refereeing nan 2nd convention of nan information 2 lucifer betwixt Mark Allen and Chris Wakelin.

That began astatine 10:00 BST, and it contained what mightiness spell down arsenic different profession item - picking nan achromatic shot retired of nan pouch arsenic Allen became nan 11th man to make a 147 maximum break astatine nan World Championship.

So far, Sheffield is treating nan Woollastons well.