Snooker: Swail meets again with Crucible fans

FANS' favourite Joe Swail can't wait to get back on centre stage again at the Embassy world snooker championship which started in Sheffield yesterday.

But the partially deaf Irishman cannot understand why, at the age of 30, the fans have taken such a liking to him at the Crucible.

"It didn't happen before and why it should have done last year is a bit of a mystery to me. But I loved every minute of it. I'll love going back there and at the ripe old age of 30 have the crowd behind me," said Swail whose opening match against Sean Storey is played from start to finish on Wednesday.

Swail, a year ago, defeated Paul Hunter, John Parrott and Dominic Dale on his way to the semi-finals and it was left to Welshman Matthew Stevens to end what would have been a fairy-tale success story.

Belfast-born Swail, whose hearing capacity is only 40 per cent of what it should be, wasn't only a hit with Crucible crowds.

He also endeared himself to the media when he was questioned about his deafness. One wordsmith asked him: "Is it true Joe that you have a problem with your hearing?"

Swail smiled and then replied, "I beg your pardon."

A professional since 1991, Swail has yet to win a ranking event but he has reached the semi-final stages seven times. "I had a terrible start to this season but I've worked hard at my game and that has enabled me to turn the corner," he says.

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