WITH A NAME LIKE CURNOW YOU HAVE PROBABLY GUESSED BY NOW THAT HE IS A CORNISH BOY AND WAS BORN IN MARAZION DURING JULY 1946. 

STARTED PLAYING SNOOKER AT THE AGE OF 14 AT MARAZION CODE INSTITUTE AND WON THE CORNISH YOUTH TITLE IN 1962. 

MOVED TO BRISTOL IN 1963 TO SERVE AN APPRENTICESHIP WITH BRISTOL SIDDELEY ENGINES NOW ROLLS ROYCE. 

STARTED PLAYING FOR THE SAVOY CLUB IN THE BRISTOL LEAGUE DURING 1968 AND WON THE BRISTOL INDIVIDUAL TITLE BEATING ALAN MILLARD 4-1 IN THE FINAL STAGED AT HANHAM FOLK CLUB IN 1970.  

SADLY THE SAVOY CLUB CLOSED BUT DEREK WAS FORTUNATE TO JOIN FORCES WITH A GROUP OF GOOD PLAYERS INCLUDING BRIAN DAVEY, BERNARD VAUGHAN, MIKE BURKE, BOB CHANDLER AND FRED PINCOTT AND THIS TEAM WON THE BRISTOL 1^ST DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN FIRSTLY PLAYING AT NEVIL ROAD CLUB AND THEN SOMMERVILE CLUB. 

DEREK THEN SUFFERRED THE DREADED STUTTER IN HIS CUE ACTION IN THE EARLY 70’S AND STOPPED PLAYING THE GAME FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD BEFORE RETURNING IN THE LATE 70’S AND GOT INVOLVED WITH ADMINISTRATION, COACHING AND REFEREEING. 

QUALIFIED AS A COACH UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF JACK KARNHAM WITH THE B&SCC AND ALSO DURING THIS TIME ACTED AS TOURNAMENT ORGANISER FOR THE B&SCC IN THE SOUTH WEST. 

KEYNSHAM SNOOKER CENTRE OPENED IN 1982 AND DEREK ACCEPTED THE INVITATION TO BECOME MANAGER THERE.  EVENTUALLY THE CLUB OWNERS PETER PEBBLES AND CHAS SELBY RETIRED IN THE EARLY 90’S AND DEREK TOOK OVER THE REINS WITH A PARTNER, HE EVENTUALLY TOOK 100% CONTROL OF THE CLUB IN 2001 WHEN HIS PARTNER DECIDED TO RETIRE. 

DURING HIS TIME AT KEYNSHAM DEREK HAS ACHIEVED A GOOD REPUTATION AS A TOURNAMENT ORGANISER AND HAS HELPED MANY PLAYERS ON THE WAY WITH HIS COACHING EXPERTISE.   

HE WORKED FOR SOMETIME WITH SHANE HAINES, A FINE PLAYER, BUT WHO SADLY NO LONGER PLAYS THE GAME. 

HE COACHED ANDREW NORMAN FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME DURING WHICH ANDREW WON THE NATIONAL UNDER 17 TITLE AND FOLLOWED WITH THE UNDER 21 CHAMPIONSHIP.  ANDREW THEN ACHIEVED THE ULTIMATE IN HIS CAREER BY QUALIFYING FOR THE MAIN PRO TOUR.   

DEREK NOW SPONSORS, ADVISES AND GUIDES JUDD TRUMP WHO AT THE AGE OF 16 IS ARGUEABLY ONE OF THE BEST YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. 

THE KEYNSHAM CLUB HAS NOW BEEN IN BUSINESS 24 YEARS AND RUNNING THE PLACE IT’S TRUE TO SAY BRINGS IT’S FAIR SHARE OF HEADACHES BUT BEING YOUR OWN BOSS AND A ONE MAN COMMITTEE MEANS YOU STAND OR FALL BY YOUR OWN DECISIONS. 

DEREK STILL GETS ONE HELL OF A BUZZ FROM THE INVOLVEMENT AND IS WORKING HARD AT THE MOMENT TO BRING NEW KIDS INTO THE GAME WITH THE SATURDAY ACADEMY GETTING STRONGER ALL THE TIME. 

MARK CURNOW, DEREK’S SON IS EFFECTIVELY HIS RIGHT HAND MAN AND HAS BEEN WITH THE BUSINESS FOR 15 YEARS SINCE LEAVING SCHOOL. 

IN ADDITION TO BEING A FIRST CLASS COACH MARK IS ALSO BRILLIANT WITH CUSTOMER RELATIONS, A SITUATION WHICH IS A BIG BONUS FOR THE CLUB. 

Copyright © 2006 Keynsham Snooker Centre 
Last modified: 08-12-2007