A former tiler who won £2.4m on the National Lottery and bought a pool table has won gold for England at the WPA Pool World Championships. Neil Jones, 62, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, won the Grandmasters Team (over 60s) event on Wednesday, October 28, in London.
A Life-Changing Win
Jones, known as 'White van man', won the money with his partner Julie in December 2010 when he had just £13 in his pocket and was worrying about how he could afford Christmas. After celebrating his win at his local pool, he retired from work, bought a professional-grade pool table, and started practising the sport he loves.
In 2023, he won a bronze medal for England at the European Blackball Championships in Malta, captaining the B1 team in the over-50s Masters category. His debut at the week-long WPA Pool World Championships was a double celebration, as he also picked up a bronze medal in the doubles.
World Champion Triumph
Jones told the Express: "When it came down to the black, I just told myself to keep my head down and trust my cue. When it dropped, the lads jumped on me, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’m a World Champion. I still have to keep saying it to believe it!"
He added: "If it wasn’t for the Lotto win, none of this would have happened. I may well still be tiling someone’s bathroom! The win gave me the time to practise, and that pool table has taken me all the way to a world title."
Jones was working as a tiler when he and his partner, Julie Kirkham, won £2.4M on Lotto in December 2010. Having played snooker as a junior, one of his first purchases as a millionaire was a pool table.
Rising Through the Ranks
With more free time after retiring, and the COVID lockdowns giving him the chance to hone his skills, Jones rose through the ranks to become a regular county player before his first England trial in 2021. After narrowly missing out, the 'Potter from the Potteries' kept practising until he was invited to trial again in early 2023. This time he was successful, going on to captain his country to bronze at the European Championships in Malta.
Jones said: "I'd like to thank my partner Julie for putting up with me practising morning, noon and night; my England teammates, who are a really special bunch and all the lads at The Plaza in Fenton who’ve supported me every step of the way. I know my Dad would have been watching every shot. This medal is also very much for him; he'd be so proud."
Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: "Congratulations to Neil, a true World Champion. His story shows that a National Lottery win can open the door to so much more than a new house or a holiday. In his case, it gave him the time to follow his passion and hone his skills, and he’s taken it all the way to the top of the world. We’re incredibly proud of him."
