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Matthew Burton (b. 19th January 1991) is a Chemistry student and amateur snooker player at the University of Southampton.

Burton shot to fame in February 2011 owing to his distinctive style of play, which culminated in his epic performance in the Midland's Cup Junior Individual Championships, ultimately earning a silver medal for his magnificent runners-up spot. He earned adulation and affection from his many fans and supporters at the Oxford Services on the M40 - with perhaps as many as 14 people turning in wonder when it was announced he was present.

Knowing that restricting his cue-sporting ability to just the one game would limit him, Burton decided a foray into the world of 8-ball pool was necessary. The smaller cue ball allowed everyone to admire his cue action, and the plethora of technical fouls not available in standard snooker enabled him to cite 2-shot penalties to his heart's content. It was not all plain sailing, though. An informant (who does not wish to be named), recalls of the BUCS 8-ball Championships: "When Burton realised that deliberate fouls existed in 8-ball pool, you could see the inner turmoil in his eyes. To him, calling a 2-shot foul might be the single greatest moment - the perfect moment. But what happens when the foul is intentional? That his opponent is actually seeking an advantage from this moment? Burton was clearly conflicted in that precious instant when calling the foul seemed like a hollow victory. I'm not sure he's really recovered to this day."

Never afraid to offer his team mates support and opinion, Burton has developed a gentle, quiet, almost whisper-like voice as he gives a detailed analysis of his game and shot selection to his opponents. Lauren Hill, the noted artist from the Fugees, once mentioned that the song "Killing Him Softly With His Song" was dedicated to Burton when she overheard him describe his attempted snooker on Table 4 from South Orange, New Jersey. "His voice bounced along with a thousand intonations, every syllable another step into his soul", she recalled. "The moment he almost sang the words 'FOUL AND A MISS', I knew I just had to re-record Killing Him Softly. I've never heard a voice quite like his." Controversy struck, however, when it transpired that she had managed to hear Burton from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. "I could have sworn he was in the next room. In a choice between a softly-spoken man 20 feet away next door, and a man with no whisper bellowing 3,000 miles away, who'd have thought it would be the latter?". When reporters asked Hill why she thought someone next door might have even uttered those words, she replied, "when I heard those words, in that moment... I kinda felt it must be a spiritual act, perhaps even sexual. You never enter the studio next door when the recording light is on. I've never heard someone be so happy in a single moment - you would never want to intrude. So I never knocked."

Burton's popularity has soared throughout 2011. Noted professional snooker play Ding Junhui was so desperate to be seen with Burton that he ensured a Premier League Snooker match was staged in The Guildhall, Southampton, just to get his attention. Ding's wildest dreams were realised when Burton reluctantly agreed to give him 15 seconds for a photograph. This was an excerpt from a subsequent interview: