The Hawk reflects on his run to the final of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship which boosted him into the top 16, and pays tribute to his coach and friend Terry Griffiths...
Barry, you came so close to the title in York, losing the final 10-8 to Judd Trump. How do you look back on that week?
It was a great run but it finished with disappointment as I was close to winning a Triple Crown event for the first time. It's not easy, playing the best player in the world. I put up a good fight and tried my absolute hardest. It was a great standard, I only made a handful of mistakes. The biggest one was at 6-5 when I had a good chance for 6-6, but messed up a simple shot and ran out of position. And in the last frame I was in for 9-9 and missed the red to middle. But over the day I didn't do that much wrong and against another opponent I might have won. You can't dwell on it too much.
For much of the season you were outside the top 16, so how important was it to get back in there?
It's massive, if someone had offered me this at the start of the season I would have ripped their arm off, even though it was a tough defeat in the UK final. To be in the Masters is huge, it's such a big event and has that great atmosphere. Plus getting into Players Series, hopefully I'll be in all three though I know I still have work to do to make sure of that. I have played pretty well all season but I lost my first match in the Saudi Masters and that knocked me back because the ranking points were huge. Otherwise I have been consistent, and the run in York has turned it into a very good season so far. For me it has always been about self belief. Every player goes through that. It's hard to pick yourself up when you are not getting results, but you have to because things can turn quickly. You get a few matches under your belt and the belief comes back. I am trying to make the most of it now because it doesn't always last.
You have drawn Trump again in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Masters, how do you feel about that?
I can't wait. I've got nothing to lose and it will be a fantastic occasion. I have had had great matches with him and I've got nothing to fear. I have beaten him twice in the semi-finals of the Masters. Whoever plays best on the day will win.
What do you remember about that semi-final you won against Judd, the second one in 2022?
It was the one after the Covid year so people were happy just to be able to go to sporting events again and they were so loud! All of my friends and family were there. I was 5-4 down and came back to win 6-5 and at the end there was a massive roar. It was an unbelievable feeling, one of the best moments of my career.
The Alexandra Palace crowd is one of the biggest and loudest in snooker, what's it like to play in that arena?
It's not easy because if you are playing badly then it can all get on top of you, and you get embarrassed. The nerves are always there. But if start playing well, and play like you can in practice, there is no better feeling.
What's your plan for the Christmas break?
I'll just be spending time with family and friends and I'm really looking forward to that. The last few months have been full-on, living out of a suitcase with just a few days at home in between tournaments. I will totally switch off from snooker and put my cue away for a week, then in the new year I will get my head down for the Masters.
How is your son Harrison doing?
He's growing up fast, he will be 16 in January, he's bigger than me now! He's healthy and happy. He's in his last year of school now and looking at colleges, applying to do a computing course. Having dedicated my life to being a snooker player there are a few things I can pass on to him, I have tried to drum it into him to be motivated, to want to learn and to have discipline.
We had very sad news on the day of the UK final as Terry Griffiths passed away. How much influence did he have on you?
Terry changed my career, from someone hovering around the top 32 to a player who could win titles. I became a much better player. Without him I wouldn't have got to a world final or won a few tournaments. We worked a bit on alignment and technique. But mostly it was just about having him in my corner. He taught me how to stay confident and not beat myself up during matches when things went wrong. We had so many chats about the game and how I was feeling. It was authentic coming from him, he knew what I was going through. Whatever he said, I believed. He wasn't someone who would just fill your head with what they think or tell you what you want to hear. Not many other coaches have played at the highest level - Terry won the World Championship and had vast experience. He gave me the tools to go forward and I will always be thankful to him.