Molly keeps Tabbs on Michaela

A SNOOKER-loving Derby schoolgirl will referee Jimmy White in exhibition on November 13. But this is not a gimmick by the organisers in Chesterfield; this is just one more step by a very determined Molly Newbold towards emulating her hero Michaela Tabb.

Molly Newbold

“It will be both a very exciting and nervous experience, as refereeing snooker is a dream for me,” said the 15-year-old. “But I am still learning and gaining experience within this career.”

Molly, who passed the EASB Grade 3 exams, aged 14, has officiated on TV and on the WLBSA circuit.

“I saw Michaela and wanted to follow in her footsteps,” said Molly. “She’s a nice lady as well.

“My teacher Miss Carnell heard about my ambitions from another teacher and she wanted to help. She helps a lot of people in sports. She’s a PE teacher and she asked me to get a load of information about the people she could contact so we could get the ball rolling.

“Neil Robertson was the one who got me in touch with Michaela Tabb. We met up with him one day. He was very kind and we had a chat. We sent him a letter and he passed it on to Michaela and he made sure she got it.”

Molly’s first match on the women’s circuit was the 2006/07 British Open semi-final between Katie Henrick and June Banks. Mike Ganley invited her to referee Junior Pot Black and she appeared on TV with Michaela and Patricia Murphy.

She helped Michaela score in a televised match between Peter Ebdon and John Higgins at York in the 2006 UK Championships.

“It was exciting but it was nervous at the same time,” explained Molly. “You can hear the commentators above you talking. You can hear them when they mention your name. It was a weird experience but a good one.”

Dad Paul, 42, a logistics manager for a lighting company, said: “I’m very, very proud. I get more nervous than she does.

Molly attends Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College and has her own website: www.molly@newbold.com.

She thanked EASB examiner Dave Joyce, top referees Jan Verhaas and Johan ‘Jo Jo’ Oomen, Colin Selby, John Rhodes, Roger and Sandra Stephenson Revil, Mark Jones, Willie Thorne’s brother Malcolm, pros Ben Woollaston and Mark Allen, and women’s world number one Reanne Evans.

Picture: Kevin Legg