Fife pool ace Euan Waddell helps Scotland A become world team champions


Managed by Robert Edmend and captained by Scott Gillespie, the Scots team – also including Mark McAllister, Stuart McCulloch, Morgan McInnes (Scotland’s number one player, of Dunfermline) and Marc Fleming – had previously won all 15 of their group games before a 13-11 semi-final success over Wales in the tournament running from November 2 to 10.
"It means a great deal to me to have been part of that Scotland squad,” said 33-year-old electrician Waddell, now rated as the first ever world champion to play in the East of Fife Pool League. “It is unbelievable and still hasn’t actually sunk in.
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Hide Ad“Winning surpassed expectations because Scotland hadn’t won that tournament since 2010. Scott Gillespie was also in that original team 14 years ago and he’s done everything in pool, he’s a phenomenal player.


"Teams like England were the favourites because every one of their players is a professional and we only had three professionals (Gillespie, McInnes and Fleming). Wales and Malta have professionals as well.
"So there was massive pressure. We knew we had a strong team and we were up there with the favourites, but to win it undefeated was quite an achievement.
"From 7-7 in the final, we never missed a pot. It was just one-minute stuff from there on in and Malta never really got a look in after that.
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Hide Ad"We were on Cloud Nine after winning and we had a few drinks to celebrate to say the least. It was fantastic.
"A big shout out goes to Robert Edmend because that was his first time managing Scotland A.
"To me he’s Scotland’s best manager. Even when boys are struggling he’ll get them back on their feet, he knows what he’s doing.”
Ex-Leslie Primary School and Glenwood High School pupil Waddell, who contests league pool for Kennoway Legion, first played pool aged 21 but he has only taken it seriously since 2020.
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Hide AdMaking his third Scotland appearance in Malta, Waddell won 60% of the matches he played.
The Fifer, whose goal is to turn professional one day, added: “The first day of the event was possibly the worst I’ve ever played.
"I was rubbing shoulders with professionals so I had a lot of nerves.
“But that's why, to me, Robert is the best manager. He was able to calm me down and convince me I was good enough to be there and I just had to go and do it.
"After that I started to actually perform.
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Hide Ad"I was always told that if you go away with Scotland and come back with a winning record of 50% or more, it’s a good amount.”
Along with former World and European Singles champion Gillespie, Waddell also reached the World Doubles Championship semi-finals in Malta before going down to Scotland team-mates McCulloch and McAllister, who lost to Wales in the final.
Waddell and his Scotland A mates have the aim of also winning the Nations Cup and European team titles next year.
Meanwhile, Kevin MacLeod from Glenrothes and Freuchie's Alan Saunders were team-mates in the Scotland over-40s A team.
They reached the final but lost 13-8 against England.
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Hide AdIn the over-60s Grandmasters event, Thornton's Brian Patrick and Lochgelly's Jimmy Gibson were in the Scotland A side which reached the final before losing 13-9 to England.
Patrick and Gibson also reached the World over-60s doubles semi-finals before losing 5-4 to the eventual winners. In the World over-60s singles, Gibson also made the last four.
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