Wonderful gesture from Mark Selby as he surprises junior players with UK Championship trophy visit

Selby claimed the tenth Triple Crown event title of his illustrious career earlier this month when he ousted then defending champion, and world number one Judd Trump 10-8 in the final at the Barbican Centre in York.

The victory completed a hat-trick of UK crowns for Selby who also won professional snooker’s second-most prestigious ranking event in 2012 and 2016.

The triumph also represented back-to-back successes for Selby on the professional circuit having won the Champion of Champions invitational only a few weeks before on home soil in Leicester.

Next up for the world number six is this week’s Scottish Open where he will aim for three-in-a-row; he begins his campaign to regain the title he won in 2019 and 2020 against Northern Irish youngster Robbie McGuigan on Tuesday afternoon at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh.

But before Selby made the trip up north, he paid a very special visit to the Atack Snooker Club in Nuneaton - his main practice base other than his table set-up at home - to surprise several budding players who were attending their weekly junior academy session at the impressive venue.

The four-time world champion spent time chatting with the green baize students and posed for photographs beside them along with the UK Championship silverware.

It’s not the first time that Selby - who was an English under-15 national champion - has popped into the academy to give words of advice and encouragement to the young players.

Established in February 2024 and run by Sian, Ian, and Alfie, the Atack Snooker Club Junior Academy has grown into a thriving programme, with 14 regulars attending weekly sessions.

The academy provides structured coaching focused on developing etiquette and strong foundations, progressing through cue action, positional play, and ultimately into break-building techniques. Each session incorporates a variety of drills designed to support individual improvement at every stage of development, and at the end there are various competitions for the juniors to play in.

Promoting inclusivity and encouraging greater participation of girls in snooker is of great importance to the academy organisers with several female players regularly featuring at the sessions.

The Atack Snooker Club itself - which currently houses 13 full-sized snooker tables and three pool tables - was initially opened in 1980 by Dave Atack. Since 2004 it has been owned and run by Ian and Sonia.

As well as Selby, several professional players have been regulars there down the years, including former Masters and UK Champion Matthew Stevens, who still visits.

Beyond coaching, the club is committed to promoting and keeping snooker thriving across the local area. This includes hosting regular tournaments, such as two annual memorial events, and a Summer Series which continues to grow in popularity and participation each year with a guaranteed £5,000 payout each season.

Through its academy, events, and community focus, the venue remains dedicated to nurturing talent and inspiring the next generation.

Many thanks to Sian from the Atack Snooker Club for talking to us at Totally Snookered about the venue and its junior academy. The Facebook page for the Club is here.