For a time the idea was successful. Television sports programmes started to show an interest and private promoters introduced weekend contests at places like holiday camps which provided low priced accommodation for pool players and their families. Gradually some players started to enjoy reasonably good livings from the game. Their expertise as players attracted sponsors among people like manufacturers of pool tables and allied products such as pool cues as well as some leading operators. A number of televised competitions were introduced which helped to popularise the sport in general even if they did little to help the table operators at "grass roots" level.

Players like Big Dave Dolman, Keith Brewer, Maltese Joe Barbara, Pat O'Kane, Steve Sanders, Roger Blank, Andy Appleton and the late Leo "The Hat" McMackin became names in the various households of pool. A Scottish sports promoter, Jim Eadie, introduced two players from north of the border, Ross McInnes and Mick McGoldrick , men of different temperants who became very popular  wherever they appeared in England. McInnes continues to serve pool well not only as a top player but also as vice-chairman of the European Blackball Association. Dave Dolman, widely regarded by many as the number one pool professional because of his impeccable pool table manners and high degree of skill and sportsmanship, regrettably retired as a professional player when his sponsor ceased business. Keith Brewer still appears at some trade exhibitions with his trick shot entertainment and Pat O'Kane became a popular and hardworking chairman of the PPPO for a number of years.

So what went wrong? It's rather a matter of opinion. Many believe that when the UK Pool Federation, as it was orginally called, had breweries' machine managers among its members some of those managers wanted the pros to support a regional and national tournament which would initially have had little finance to offer but which could have caused the brewery directors to release more of the money that accrued from pool. Unfortunately some of the pros at the top were not prepared to support the idea and, ultimately, the E & UKPF became a players' organisation rather than a federation of all interested pool parties.

There is little sign of any improvement for the professionals  at the present time. Liam Barrett has confirmed that the annual BAPTO competition will remain a "grass roots competition" with a limiitation on the number of county players permitted in each team. He said:  "We think that the money required for professional tournaments or to provide exhibitions would be better spent on the players who, after all, support the sport"

Simply Pool's Stan McKenna recalled the days when the professionals were very much part of the pool scene. He said: "I am not too sure what is happening to the professionals these days but I think all sports should have a professional underpinning. The professionals always had characters and in those days they contributed a lot to pool's success".

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