From swimming pool to Blackpool: Super sub Burden explains dramatic late call-up which led to Shoot Out glory

Burden defeated Stuart Bingham in the final on Saturday night - the day before his 49th birthday - at the Blackpool Tower Circus to win the 2025 Snooker Shoot Out and claim his maiden ranking crown.

Having first turned professional in 1994, Burden was relegated from the top flight earlier this year after losing to Ian Burns in World Championship qualifying.

Only a few weeks later, though, he was at the Crucible Theatre to take part in the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship, an event he reached the final of two years before. Burden was the final player to qualify for the main draw, televised stages after coming through a golden ticket event to complete the line-up in Sheffield.

In the famous arena he defeated Jimmy White, Tony Drago, Hassan Kerde, and then former winner Aaron Canavan 8-4 to claim the title.

Less than two weeks later Burden went to the Mattioli Arena in Leicester to compete at the Q School in a bid to earn back his professional tour card, but after losses in the last 64 and last 32, he was resigned to being of amateur status for the upcoming season.

Over the past few months Burden has featured on the Q Tour - snooker's secondary tier circuit open to all amateurs - in another attempt to get back into the big time. The Londoner has travelled to Sweden, Austria and Albania for events on the Tour, and only last weekend he was in Bulgaria where he reached the semi-finals before being ousted by eventual title winner Jamie Clarke, 4-3.

Last month, after controversy over his initial non-selection for the prestigious invitational, Burden made his maiden Champion of Champions appearance courtesy of his world seniors triumph. However, his participation was short as he was eliminated by then defending champion Mark Williams 4-0 in the opening round.

It is common for top players to skip the annual Snooker Shoot Out - a unique tournament featuring a shot-clock and one-frame matches which last no longer than 10 minutes - therefore amateur cueists are invited and selected through that year's Q School order of merit list to fill up the 128-player quota.

Due to his results at Q School back in May, though, Burden didn't feature highly on that particular ranking list and didn't make the initial cut for this year's Shoot Out. However, after Alex Clenshaw - who himself had replaced Ali Carter in the draw - withdrew just hours before the competition was due to start in Blackpool - Burden was in line to receive a very late call-up for the event.

The world seniors champion nearly missed this opportunity, though, as he was about to go into his local swimming pool and missed the call from the World Snooker Tour office before ringing them back.

Having found out about the situation, Burden accepted but had to make his way from London to Blackpool in time for his opening round match with David Lilley that afternoon. He managed to get there, defeated Lilley, and moved into Friday’s last 64.

Speaking to the World Snooker Tour after his memorable triumph by the seaside, super substitute Burden described what happened on that dramatic Wednesday morning and how he got in the draw.

"On Wednesday morning I went for a swim and I only had my phone with me because I have lost my locker key at the gym. I was walking out to the swimming pool and I looked at my phone and saw I had a missed call. I rang back and found out I had a place in the Shoot Out. I got changed, dashed to the snooker club to get my cue, dashed home to get my trousers and shoes, then I was on the M1."

After his opening round victory Burden went on to defeat Ishpreet Singh Chadha, Gary Wilson, Liam Highfield, Zachary Richardson and Noppon Saengkham before denying fellow former world amateur champion Bingham in the final to claim his first ranking crown and mounting the table in celebration.

The £50,000 top prize Burden collects is nearly quadruple his previous single highest payday from the professional tour. He becomes only the second amateur player in professional snooker history to win a full ranking event after Zhao Xintong's success at the World Championship earlier this year.

It will almost surely mean that Burden will win back his professional tour card for next season via the one-year list which normally allocates four places. Last season, the fourth and final spot was taken by Liam Graham who had £41,100 - Burden currently has £56,000 on his seasonal total.

A jubilant Burden thanked his family, friends, and mentor Patsy Fagan - who won the inaugural UK Championship at this same venue in 1977: "I was a pro for a long time, I first joined the tour when I was 17. I still have a lot to offer snooker, I am hungry, I love the game and I have people who believe in me. I have a great family and friends, a great mentor in Patsy Fagan. It has been a difficult career, I am not going to lie. Snooker is a very tough sport mentally. There have been a lot more downs than ups, but this is a moment I will cherish. I can't wait to see my children tomorrow, they have always supported me - this is for them."