Snooker Players

Spaceman Dale Soars To Shoot Out Victory

Dominic 'The Spaceman' Dale has won a first pro snooker title in nearly four years, beating Stuart Bingham in the final of the 888Casino Snooker Shoot Out at the Tower Circus Arena, Blackpool.

Photos courtesy of Tai Chengzhe/World Snooker. All the results from the 888Casino Snooker Shoot Out can be found here.

Dominic Dale has pulled of a remarkable achievement this weekend at Blackpool's Tower Circus Arena, by winning the 2014 staging of the Snooker Shoot Out it means he has won televised titles in every decade since becoming Grand Prix Champion in 1997.

42-year-old Dale, also known as the 'Spaceman' due to his extravagent personality, sported the same bleached blonde hairstyle that saw him well during his 2007 Shanghai Masters triumph, and was looking in imperious form throughout this one-frame format tournament.

Stuart Bingham Dominic Dale Snooker Shoot Out 2014 Final Trophy

Snooker Shoot Out Finalists; Stuart 'Ballrun' Bingham and Dominic 'Spaceman' Dale

After seeing off tough opposition in the form of Fergal O'Brien, Barry Hawkins, Mark Allen, Andrew Higginson and Ryan Day, the Welshman faced a determined Stuart Bingham in the final who was looking to make amends for his poor performance against John Higgins in the Masters a few weeks prior.

Dale, who also won PTC6 in 2010, got a chance early in the final after Bingham missed a long red. He followed it up with a fantastic long blue to keep the break going in it's early stages, and made a run of 61 to ultimately seal the frame and give him another trophy in his long, established career.

To the delight of the packed audience at the Tower Circus Arena, after receiving the trophy Dale gave a quick rendition of Frank Sinatra's 'My Way', the same song he performed at his post-match press conference after winning the title in Shanghai. Watch the final frame and Dale's performance here.

At his age, many won't expect Dale to win another full ranking event. But the way he played throughout the weekend at Blackpool he showed that he is still up for the one-table televised matches and that he can remain cool under pressure. Let's hope it's not the last we see of the Spaceman in the latter stages of an event!

Next up on the pro tour is a personal favourite of mine, the German Masters ranking event in Berlin. The fans at the Tempodrom always come out in numbers to watch the players so no doubt it will be another successful staging of continental Europe's biggest snooker tournament. Check out the draw here.

Dominic Dale Snooker Shoot Out Champion 2014 Trophy Blonde