You were the first woman to ever referee in a Snooker World Championship how did that feel?

It felt amazing that first time especially when I was down at the   Crucible, because I made history with my first match there in 2003 and that was one of the best experiences of my life. And then I was honoured to the referee in the final in 2009; which is six years was quite an achievement as well, that was huge.  To be fair I have had, so many special moments but the Crucible is up there with a huge number of them. 

 How did you first become a female referee?

 I started pool refereeing in 1997 and the pool I do is recorded and  broadcast on Sky TV all over the world. And what happened was the  people at World Snooker obviously saw there was a female out there  doing professional refereeing, which they didn’t have in the world of snooker. There were other females out there but I was the first female at ranking level, so they got in touch and asked if I would be interested and I said yes, I’ll see how it goes and that was in 2001 and here I am.  

 How did you get into snooker and pool rumour has it you were influenced by a boyfriend?

 I started playing pool through a boyfriend, which was about 1991 I  think, we had just started going out and he used to go to the local pub which had two pool tables in it and everybody in this pub played pool. So it very quickly became, if you didn’t put you’re money on the table and challenge the winner you would be sitting on your own. So I started playing in 1991ish and by 1992 I was playing for Scotland, which is how I met my husband, as he is a professional pool player. He was invited to play in a televised event and suggested I could be a good referee for the event, that’s how it all started at the very beginning.

 So it’s all your husband’s fault?

 Yes absolutely and the thing is when he starts moaning me now for not being home enough. I’m like Ross it’s all your fault.

 Snooker is known as a man’s sport how do you feel about that?

 I think its tradition, that’s made it that way there are a lot of woman involved in the game, behind the scenes in the offices and helping out.  There are also a lot of woman refs now which is really good. But if you go back to when snooker started over a hundred years ago, it was a men’s game. Women were never in the billiards room because they were in the parlour rooms having tea or coffee, while the men retired to the smoking rooms or the billiards room; all it is, is that the game is steeped in so much history that it has taken a while for that to change and for snooker halls to come up. Of course then woman couldn’t get in them, it’s just been a slow progression and I am so honoured to be a large part of that. In the last ten years because that showed that woman could be involved at the forefront of the game visibly and now what’s happened is loads of female referee’s from all over the world are coming through.  They have seen what I have achieved and that’s massive for me. Not just because I enjoy what I do but to actually see the impact I have had on the game as well.

 Do you feel you are an inspiration to all women out there, wanting to get into snooker or to be a referee and actually compete and such?

 For the competing side they have a very strong ladies game, but money is tight so they don’t get the same sort of broadcasting or sponsorship the men do. They could take a tip from the American’s for that side of it with 9 ball. The American ladies 9 ball is phenomenal, they get a lot of sponsorhip and coverage but our ladies snooker is behind that.  With regards to refereeing undoubtedly it’s fantastic to see numbers rise. I am on Face book a lot and people who get in touch and ask questions and people who become my friends who are female refs. There was someone who had on their status that she was the first woman, to ref the Polish Championship final or something like that and she was honoured as she was the first to do that.  Sot it’s like it’s been a catalyst to start a difference. It shouldn’t all be about the men, I know the men like having women around as they do, with a little bit of banter and what not; so I think it’s been good for the game overall.

 Do you think it’s changing for women to get into more manly sports?

 I think so, in many different areas now woman are coming through. More noticeable on television is the sports shows, they always used to be just guys not for every guy sitting there, there is a woman beside him; that’s on pretty much all the sports channels.  Then we had the first woman to ref a football match, so obviously there’s a progression going through and all it is is a change in the times. Take us back to the Victorian times and women didn’t do anything but cook and have children. Now you see were we are at a hundred years down the line, god it won’t be long before there is a female president of America. It’s all change woman are making a mark in the world not just in sport.