STILL longing for a worthy opponent, the undisputed champion of winner-stays-on pool has died at the table after 30 years of victories.
Wayne Hayes began his winning streak during a post-work trip to his local pub in 1993 and has since played back‑to‑back frames against thousands of challengers.
Landlord Roy Hobbs said: “For three decades, this hero survived on pints of Tetley’s bitter and bags of scampi fries.
“His wife was desperate to have him home and conducted a nationwide search to find someone capable of defeating him. But even professional pool players could not beat Wayne on his home baize.
“There was a glimmer of hope in 2011 when he missed a difficult kiss shot into the middle pocket and sunk the cue ball. He came back from the foul to clear, but you could tell he was actually gutted as he’d caught a glimpse of freedom.
“Still, the rules are the rules, and Wayne would happily have taken a pool cue to the head of anyone who tried to kick him off before he had lost. God rest his soul.”
The pub has asked a local couple who placed a 20p coin on the edge of the table in 1993 to please come forward as it is their turn, but warned them that, due to inflation, a game now costs a pound.
