Alife Burden heads to the ‘bloodbath’ of Q School this week as World Seniors champion, proud of his achievement but having to avoid criticism that has come his way.
The 48-year-old beat Aaron Canavan 8-4 to win the Seniors title earlier this month at the Crucible and has quickly had to turn his attention to Q School, where he will try and regain professional status.
‘I’m getting a bit old you know, 20 years ago I would have probably been out for three days,’ Burden told Metro of short-lived celebrations. ‘I’ve got a club now, so there’s commitments to running that, and I’ve had to prepare for Q School.’
Burden first turned pro in 1994 and has been on the tour for the vast majority of the time since then, but never been beyond a ranking quarter-final.
A day in the Sheffield sun was a proud moment in a career which he accepts could have been better if he had dedicated himself more.
‘It meant a lot to me and to my family,’ he said. ‘For my children to be there, they’ve suffered with me through my career. I haven’t achieved what I know I could have achieved and I put that in my lap really, I haven’t been dedicated enough, I’ve not lived correctly.
‘We are where we are, you can’t live in regret, I’ve had a decent enough career without it being brilliant but I’m proud of it. My kids were proud of me, my family were proud of it and it’s something that I’ll always remember.
‘I’m not stupid enough to think I’m the best over 45 player in the world. Everyone knows that there’s players over 45 that still dominate the game. But in the field that was in front of me I was the best player. I’m always one to sort of knock myself and maybe I should take a bit of credit rather than try and downplay it.’
Burden lost in the final of the Seniors to Jimmy White in 2023, feeling like his attitude let him down in defeat to his old pal, the Whirlwind.
He is glad to gain some redemption by winning this year, but has been hit with social media abuse, which he feels comes from a place of ignorance.
‘In 2023 I let myself down in different ways in the final,’ he said. ‘I always have that regret but I felt I put a few wrongs right this year and I’m proud that.
‘I take a lot of a stick on social media. In the middle of the tournament I started flicking on a few of the World Senior feeds and I see I was getting a lot of abuse. People who don’t know me just saying nasty stuff, so I stopped looking at that because I’m thinking there’s no value.
‘What I did take from it is that in the flesh people do enjoy watching me play. I think I play a nice brand of snooker and the crowd really enjoyed it and only had good things to say.
‘People shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I’m a bit loud and brash at times but that’s just me, anyone who knows knows me knows what I’m all about. You read some of this stuff online and it’s not pleasant.
‘I’ve chosen to stop reading that sort of stuff, I think that’s the right thing to do.’
Burden now heads to Leicester looking to come through Q School for a third time and fulfil an ambition of being a pro at 50 years old.
‘I thought that would have been a good good feat, being on tour at 50,’ he said. ‘I’m still able to reach that goal by getting through Q School.
‘But it is a real bloodbath up there. Listen, I’m not saying everyone can get through because they can’t, most of them ain’t good enough and that’s the brutal truth, but there’s probably 30 players that you know have got a good chance of getting through and only eight of them will.
‘I’m not one to really give it the big one, but getting through twice is very impressive because I challenge anyone, no matter who you are, to go there and get through. It’s not an easy format and anyone can beat you in a best of seven.
‘I’m definitely hitting the ball well, there’s no doubt about that and obviously I’m going there full of confidence there’s no one no one I won’t fancy beating.’