Donnie Gola

JUNIOR snooker stars Donnie Gola and Dylan Denieffe will get a taste of what it’s like at the top table tomorrow night (Friday) when they take on one of the best players in the world.

The potting pair, who both practise at Gone2Pot children’s snooker club in King’s Cross, will test their cueing action in an unforgettable battle on the green baize against former Masters and UK Championship winner Mark “The Pistol” Allen.

With a frame against the current world No 10 costing a hefty £140, Denieffe’s chance to take on The Pistol was gifted to him by his family as a Christmas present, while Gola won his shot in a special Gone2Pot raffle.

The showcase is the perfect warm-up ahead of the 2026 edition of the Masters, which gets underway at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.

Dylan Denieffe

Allen will face three-time world champion Mark Williams in his opening match, but first The Pistol will go up against Denieffe.

The talented 14-year-old was recently crowned Gone2Pot’s best player after winning six of the club’s 10 competitions in 2025, taking the title off previous winner Gola.
Clubmate Rayan El Qmache, 12, pushed Denieffe all the way to take the runners-up spot, while Frankie Pizzuto, 13, also enjoyed a solid season, finishing third in the Gone2Pot rankings.

Rayan El Qmache with John Woods

Among the other top players recognised at the end-of-year ceremony were 11-year-olds Buddy Dean, who received the Sportsmanship Award, and Jacob Seyfarth-Withey, who collected the Most Improved Player Award.

Looking ahead to the big showdown against Allen at the Hurricane Room, Gone2Pot founder and head coach John Woods said it was going to be “a special moment” for two of his top young talents.

He added: “It’s going to be a great experience for them, a chance to see what it would be like to be a professional in the sport. Dylan and Donnie are going to get the chance to play in front of a crowd against one of the best players in the world. As their coach, it’s going to be very nerve-racking because I really want to see them both do well.”

Buddy Dean with John Woods

While Denieffe and Gola get a brief glimpse of what the coming years could look like if they continue to put the hours in at the practice table, Woods is also thinking about the future.

He originally set up Gone2Pot in 2010 as a place where local talent could discover and share his love of snooker.

The club has since garnered a formidable reputation and now attracts children from all over the capital. In recent years, it has even had young visitors from overseas stopping by to join in the fun, including players from the Czech Republic and Kuwait.

Frankie Pizzuto with John Woods

Wanting to send out a reminder to the stars of tomorrow that Gone2Pot is on their doorstep, Woods said: “As we have built more of a name for ourselves over the years, we have attracted more young players from all over London who come and practise at the club every Saturday, which is great.

“But as someone who grew up and still lives in Islington, it would be great to also get the kids on our own doorstep – from around Camden, Westminster and Islington – playing and enjoying more snooker.

Jacob Seyfarth-Withey with John Woods

“It sometimes feels like the local community doesn’t know that we are here, but we are – every Saturday morning at the Hurricane Room in King’s Cross between 10am and 1pm. The sessions cost just £5, and any children who come along for their first visit must be accompanied by an adult.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Gone2Pot sessions can call John Woods on 07511 916 346.