FROM TESCO TO LIVING THE DREAM
Jones hoping for O’Sullivan date
JAMIE JONES is emerging from a nightmare and admits he often dreamed of playing Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible during his suspension.
The 33-year-old from Neath was banned for a year when found guilty in 2019 of failing to report a corrupt approach over a match between fellow Welshman David John and Graeme Dott in 2016.
Former world champion Dott was not involved but John was banned for more than five years for match-fixing.
Jones was cleared of fixing and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
That led to a spiral of depression as he fell off the tour and went to cut grass for the council.
Jones also stacked shelves in his local Tesco but got back on the tour via Q School last August and has already banked £90,000 this season.
The world No.69, the first shock winner at the Crucible this year having beaten Stephen Maguire in round one, could yet face defending champion O’Sullivan in the last eight.
Jones said: “I was having dreams that I was playing at the Crucible when I was out – it was always against Ronnie. I woke up in the morning and was absolutely gutted because I realised I wasn’t on the tour. Now I am pinching myself and asking, ‘Am I dreaming again?’
“Last year I resigned myself to never playing again. The road back just seemed so long, getting through Q School alone is very tough.
“I was stacking shelves at Tesco in Neath, on the night shifts at about £9 an hour. Life goes on, I had to earn some money.
“I had a couple of strange, ‘Why is he here?,’ looks. I said, ‘I’m not a millionaire.’
“Then I gave myself two months to be ready for Q School. I was getting hammered but learning quickly.”
Ask Jones if he is ready to talk to youngsters about avoiding compromising situations and some of the residual bitterness about his sentence emerges.
“If I was a match-fixer, then yes, but I never did that,” he said. “It was an absolute joke what happened.
“But about seeing the danger signs and walking away, absolutely, 100 per cent. If I am ever in that situation again I will be grassing the person up.”
I stacked shelves at £9 an hour