Steve Cowie ESM

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Steve Cowie ESM(Credit: WPBSA photo – Steve Cowie ESM)

Overview

  • Location:
  • Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
  • Profession:
  • Retired Shift Operations Manager in the Power Station at BlueScope steelworks, Port Kembla, where he worked for 40 years
  • Referee Grade:
  • Class 2
  • Highest Break Refereed:
  • 693 by Peter Gilchrist in Christchuch, New Zealand
  • Biggest Honour:
  • Being appointed as Tournament Director at the World Championship for the first time

Achievement(s):

  • Steve has been the Tournament Director at three World Billiards Championships to-date (2020) – two in Leeds, England, and one in Melbourne, Australia.
  • Steve has officiated in nine countries to-date, including New Zealand, New Guinea, India, Canada, England, Scotland, Singapore and Thailand. Some of these countries he has visited more than once.
  • He has visited New Zealand 23 times for tournaments as of 2020.

Biography/Information:

  • Steve was born in Scotland in 1956 and in 1962 his family emigrated to Australia. His father was a good Snooker player who played in the local league. The weekly episode of ‘Pot Black’ on TV on a Friday evening was never missed at home. This led to a connection to the game at a young age and although he couldn’t persuade his father to install a table at home, he practiced at the local Snooker hall until he was old enough to play in the local leagues.
  • After retiring from a 20 year volunteer career with the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (during which he received the Emergency Services Medal on Australia Day in 2004) he achieved his dream of having his own Billiard table at home, which he purchased off the late Joe Saliba.
  • It was this association with Joe that led to Steve becoming a referee in 2007, when he achieved his Class 3 certificate in Billiards and Snooker.
  • After gaining a lot of experience refereeing at local and state tournaments, Steve was invited to referee at the World Billiards Championship in Bangalore, India. He was later invited to New Zealand to referee at their National Snooker and Billiards Championships and Open Championships. At these events, Steve started to learn the role of Tournament Director, working with Dan O’Sullivan. Steve has gone on to work as a Tournament Director in nine countries.
  • Steve is appreciative of the support from the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council, the New Zealand Association, the Scottish Referees’ Association, the New South Wales Association, the WVEBL (Winnipeg Veterans English Billiards League) and World Billiards for giving him the opportunity to officiate and meet people in so many countries.

Contacting Steve:

You can contact Steve via email here.