Gilbert is pick of the crop as he reaches last eight
DAvID GILBErT has dedicated his best Crucible run to the memory of a great friend who turned his life and career around.
The 37- year- old from Tamworth, who knocked defending champion Mark Williams out over the weekend, is no overnight snooker sensation.
There were tough, near penniless times after he fell off the tour in 2004 — and a partying lifestyle that stopped him from fulfilling a great talent.
The ‘Angry Farmer’ nickname came from a suspect temperament and harvesting potatoes and driving tractors for his father’s company. But pal Neal Cleaver took him in and even brokered a first date with Gilbert’s now wife Abi, before dying tragically early from cancer.
World No 16 Gilbert, who has lost two big finals this season and is into a first quarter-final in Sheffield, said: ‘I remember when I had just a big bag of clothes and nowhere to go. Neal is no longer with us but he helped me out and took me in. he was also having a rough time and we were like the Tv show Men
Behaving Badly for a couple of years. When I wasn’t in a great place he straightened me out.
‘Then he got cancer and 12 months later he was gone. I think it was him who told me to take Abi out for the first time. Most of my good decisions, he was behind.’
Gary Wilson, who beat three-time world champion Mark Selby, is also relishing being in the last eight for the first time.
The 33-year-old Geordie is another who has fought back after falling off tour for seven years — working as a barman, then in a frozen food factory and as a Tyneside cabbie.
‘I am lucky to be doing this,’ said Wilson. ‘I would love to parade the trophy at Newcastle United if I could win a world title.’
Barry hawkins knocked in a record- equalling four tons in a session against Kyren Wilson yesterday and leads 9-7, the same scoreline that Ding Junhui is up on Judd Trump and Zhou Yuelong leads Ali Carter. John higgins and Stuart Bingham are level at 8-8.