User:DanielBSchwartz/Michael Tandy

Michael Tandy ...

Born 8 March 1942 in Worcestershire UK

'''Snooker Player

Snooker Promoter  Of  Professional Exhibitions.'''

'''Highest Break  120. In competitive play new  milton Hampshire.'''

Mike Tandy Started playing at 14 with the support of his much older brother Reg at the Express Inn Malvern, and would also play where ever he could find a table to practice seriously, one such table was at the lower wych institute Malvern where he soon became a friend of the key holder who supported him by letting him in to practice, whenever he had enough petrol in his motor bike to get there, however later on in life Mike decided the best option if he was to make a success at the game would be to own a table, and from a tip off from his solicitor friend he purchased his first full size table for only fifty pounds for his large home formally Hillside School now called Radbrook Lodge, where Mike was soon playing Semi Professional, No Win No Fee challenge matches against social clubs also private teams of eight in England and Wales on his journey in wanting to eventually turn professional, and was granted membership to the snooker association in 1979.

Knowing it would not be an easy way to make a living Mike decided to continue producing his freelance sculptured art work along side playing snooker, and for five years he devoted 50 percent of his working week to both snooker and art, something with three young children he knew he must do, realizing he would not be in a position to earn enough money from snooker alone without being a player of any stature thus far, however this did not dampen his enthusiasm for snooker and he was still keen as ever, at what was the end of what had been a sharp decline in the game. However, snooker had started to gain popularity thanks to programs such as Pot Black, which had also stirred Mike on to do his bit for the game he loved so much, as he endeavoured to raise the profile of the professional game in his area by promoting professional exhibitions, some large events along side of some smaller ones from his Malvern home, Mike took a gamble on there success or failure as he personally had outlaid for things such as hire of hotel space, table hire and tiered seating, not forgetting players fees.

Photo No 1 Here with Mike promoting Willie Thorn and Alex Higgins. With wording As follows. ……… Alex Hurricane Higgins  V   Willie Thorn. With Professional Promoter and Player Mike Tandy at The Bank House Bransford Nr Worcester.

One such Exhibition Mike promoted was between Doug Mountjoy and Bill Werbeniuk in which he reflected being out of pocket a little over six hundred pounds, Mike put the loss down to experience and possibly a mismatch regarding players. Unperturbed he moved on promoting further exhibitions such as Alex Higgins V Willie Thorn, and as before he went on to promote many more from his home which by now had one of the best steel block cushion tables in the area.

Photo No 2 showing Mike about to play Fred Davis OBE. Wording from photo.

The Exhibitions included such players as, Graham Miles, Patsy Fagan, Dennis Taylor(Twice), Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Doug Mountjoy, Willie Thorn, and Fred Davis O B E.

A Sad Chapter in Mike Tandy’s life in more ways than one was now unfolding, as a recession was making it difficult to remain at his home Radbrook Lodge, this left only one option, that was to put the family home up for sale, in doing so leaving behind five years of happy memories along with Mike's favorite table to date, the third of which he had purchased for the lodge. Moving on he designed, and had built two further full size snooker rooms when moving house for a second and third time during the 80s and 90s. Owning five full size tables in total. The Sad Chapter had still to run, for like many he was now going through the painful procedure of a divorce from his wife Sandra whom he had known from the age of sixteen, and soon the heartache of the separation along with having to live alone after so many married years soon took its toll, as his life spiraled down the slippery slope into bouts of depression and eventually some time later by a nervous breakdown. This inevitably led to his art manufacturing company's eventual closure, and this now led him into acts of foolish self-destruction, that caused so much pain to family members and others. Thankfully over a two year period his strong determined state of mind was restored, that helped him make it through what had been the darkest self-inflicted period of his life, and he was later quoted saying, “One's Failings in Life never leave you, and Sadly Wisdom is something you don’t get until just after you need it, I felt at times i was condemned to live with someone I did not like that much, Myself".

Photo No 3. Wording as follows… Mike Tandy and Thai snooker player Tee. Receiving his winner’s trophy for best student of recent coaching lessons 2009.

During this black period in his life he made a promise to himself, that for his failings he would try and give something back to some of life’s less fortunate, so made a lasting wish to raise money for disabled and blind children’s homes, to date he has raised over twenty thousand pounds from the sale of his Ceramic, Resin, and Bronze wild life sculptures in England and Wales, and it is his wish to also do the same in Thailand where he now lives with his partner Joy, offering snooker coaching free to local Thai players who are keen to improve their game, alongside of the coaching, Mike arranges knock out events putting up the winners money along with trophies.

All in all Mike Tandy has done more than his bit to quote him, in trying to raise the professional game throughout the late 70s, 80s, and 90s, and he is still trying to do the same here in Pattaya City Thailand albeit in a smaller way. Hats off to A True Professional, and devoted selfless lover of the game.