New 2023 Interview: Mandy Fisher…

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You can’t beat a boat on the Norfolk Broads.

That’s what Mandy Fisher, the World Women’s Snooker Tour Founder, President, Director, and Tournament Director of World Women’s Snooker has to say when revealing where she likes to spend her holidays – despite jetsetting around the world on the revamped Women’s tour.

Fisher, now 61, from Cambridgeshire and loves tending to her collection of pet aviary birds, on the side, but her biggest passion has been growing the World Women’s Snooker into full blossom with events in Thailand, Australia, America, and all over.

The last year has seen some real gems come out of the tour with TV appearances, World ranking title wins and a talented global network of players inspiring the next generations to pick up a cue and play.

With the Chinese contingent growing, World Women’s snooker continues to make strides.

Like many kids, Fisher became hooked on the games of pool and snooker by her dad and she won the local pool leagues before being taken to a local snooker promoter and being treated to a snooker cue.

She told SnookerZone: “I won an Under-18s World Women’s Snooker Championship and I realised if I worked hard enough I could become one of the best women players in the world.”

Fisher first started playing on the Tour in 1979/80, just when snooker was entering into its boom years, and Alex Higgins was going to be an icon and win his second World title in 1982.

She won the World Women’s Championship in 1984.

Adding: “It was unique in that it was run over five events with the overall points. Winner became Champion.”

She won £15,000 first prize and putting her twelfth in the money earners list behind John Spencer.

She added: “National Express Coaches sponsored £60,000, plus added another 60K for admin/staging.

Of course, there are many talents in the game rising, but Fisher can view talent at every event and when SnookerZone asked who might be a future winner from the younger crop of players, she simply said: Zoe Killington.”

She added naturally: The tour is in the best place it has ever been. Thanks to the WPBSA, especially Jason Ferguson and Matt Huart et al.”

Interestingly, the important thing about growing the game and inspiring more women to pick up a cue is to change mindsets in smaller social club style venues. That is slowly happening in some parts of the country.

Fisher believes having more role models in the game and her favourite male player is Mark Selby.

”Just by having clubs welcoming women and making practice more accessible.”

A question that SnookerZone frequently asks to people is if you’d change anything about snooker, what would it be?

Fisher responded: “I feel that players should not be able to roll directly up behind balls to place snookers, or deliberately miss from being in a snooker. That is the negative side of the game.”

She hails the growing side of coaching namely those of Rebecca Kenna and newly qualified Tessa Davidson who has been featured also on this website.

However, SnookerZone put one question that we are looking to be answered.

What is an activator in snooker?

Fisher didn’t know and had to google it.

Does anyone know what it is?

We thank Mandy Fisher for her time and we hope the new season of the tour goes well and that the player numbers continue to rise.