Top 10 moments of 2022/23 snooker season: No. 7 – Mark Allen sheds stones to pile on pounds with UK Championship glory

After the conclusion of another extraordinary snooker season, we pick 10 memorable moments from the 2022/23 campaign as captured by the Eurosport cameras. You can vote for your personal favourite when we reveal our final list of contenders later this month.

No. 7 – Rejuvenated Allen discovers appetite for title success

Mark Allen is the snooker player who shed stones to pile on the pounds.

The most productive campaign of his undulating 18-year professional career ended with the Northern Irishman earning three major trophies, a whopping £683,250 in prize money and reaching a career-high of world No. 3.

Six-and-a-half stones disappeared during a memorable 2022/23 campaign that saw the rejuvenated lightweight from Antrim weigh in with some heavyweight performances having reached a debilitating, shot-restricting 19 stones without a waistcoat.

A bit like his compatriot Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins had famously managed with a 16-15 win over Steve Davis in the 1983 UK final at Preston’s Guild Hall having trailed 7-0.

With only his cue case to carry, it was also a weight off Allen’s mind.

“I did it for my life, not my snooker,” he said. “I had conversations with my partner Aideen and just said that I wasn’t feeling good in myself. I felt heavy, not healthy when I was playing snooker.

“One of my friends said he worried about me getting too big, too unhealthy, and said if you keep going the way you are going, then you’re not going to be able to walk your daughter down the aisle.

“It was harsh, but exactly what I needed to hear. Literally two days later, I started eating better and instantly changing everything.

“The first six to eight weeks were really hard as it involved a total change when it came to eating.

“There were times last year when given my size I was uncomfortable on some of my shots, I couldn’t reach certain shots and, because I play at a fast pace, I could feel it on my breathing. It should help my game.”

Allen still enjoyed a nice slice of the cake with a voracious appetite for success.

A narrow 10-7 defeat to Ryan Day in the British Open final in October hinted at greater riches which came to fruition with his successful defence of the Northern Ireland Open title courtesy of a 9-4 win over Zhou Yuelong from 4-1 behind a month later.

A 6-2 defeat to Luca Brecel in the English Open semi-finals continued his consistent streak of form before he held off Trump with a 10-9 win at the World Grand Prix in January that saw the duo luxuriate in three centuries and 11 breaks over 50.

The world No. 1 spot seemed a likely destination for the former Masters champion, but a narrow 17-15 loss to Mark Selby in the World Championship last four – his best run at the Crucible Theatre since 2009 – denied him a place at the summit.

It could not detract from a rousing few months in which Allen supported his scoring with some no-nonsense tactical know-how.

In the final analysis, an admirable inner strength to shred the timber was probably greater than any monetary gains.

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