PROFESSIONAL player Mark Davis paid tribute to the temperaments of Cuestars' youngsters when he was guest-of-honour at the U21 finals day in Swindon.

And, as news came through that Championship Tour winner Billy Castle had just triumphed at Q School, the world number 37 declared there has never been a better time to turn pro.

As well as presenting all the trophies, Davis made three centuries in his 17 frames against the youngsters and was beaten only once, by 12-year-old Gold Tour player Aidan Murphy.

Talking during a break in the busy afternoon at Jesters Snooker Club, the 44-year-old explained how impressed he was with his young opponents and with the other games he watched.

“Their temperaments seem very good, which I noticed straight away,” he said. “I’m a bit old school. I don’t like all the banging the cues and the moaning, which a lot of the youngsters do these days.

“I saw some outrageous bits of bad luck going on and they still just got on with it. It’s good to see. It’s a very important part of the game. The earlier you learn that the better.”

Davis praised organisations like Cuestars that are helping to find and develop tomorrow’s stars.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “The way the game is in the UK at the moment, it’s nice to have a place like this with loads of youngsters playing.

“You speak to some of the guys in Scotland and Wales, and the junior (structure) is pretty poor. When I retire, I want to see some UK kids on the TV when I turn it on.”