From lottery winner to national pool player
From roofer to millionaire - and successful pool player: thanks to a big lottery win, Neil Jones will soon be representing England in an international competition. The man from the central English city of Stoke-on-Trent was the first to buy a pool table from his 2.4 million pound (currently 2.75 million euros) winnings, as the British news agency PA reported on Monday.
Because he also had enough money to retire early and therefore had plenty of time to practice, the now 59-year-old steadily fought his way up through the amateur leagues.
The lucky man only had a few pounds left at the end of 2010 when he bought his lottery ticket. Shortly after hitting the jackpot, Jones, who had played snooker in his youth, met up with a friend. "I picked up a cue, played a round - and when I got home I measured up our dining room so I could buy a decent pool table," Jones told PA.
"If I hadn't won, I wouldn't have been able to buy the table and I wouldn't have had the time," Jones continued. "I'd still be crawling around on my knees covering roofs." He will now captain the England B1 team to the European Pool Championships in Malta in November.
Source: www.dpa.com
