My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives some of sport’s most influential people to greatness. This week, we spoke to Barry Hearn, the man who helped reinvent snooker, darts, boxing and more as the founder of Matchroom Sport.
I was a money mad kid
I was just money-mad early doors. All I wanted to do was make a good living.
I realised that I wasn’t an academic. My Mum used to say to me, ‘You’re never going to be the brightest candle in a room, so all you can try to do is burn longer than anyone else.’
I developed a work ethic built around my Mum’s words. I’m unbeatable, really, in a nice way. I don’t show off about it, but for people to beat me at anything, they’ve got to pay a hell of a price.
I’ll never leave Britain
I was born in Dagenham, and I’m here in Essex to the bitter end despite all the problems in the world.
I was born in England. I’m a proud Brit. I am determined to do my bit while I’m here, the country has treated me very well, and I shall repay that compliment by living here till the day I die.
I still play cricket at 77 – but wish I could run marathons again
Most bones don’t work, I’m still struggling to play cricket for Essex Over-70s, trying to do things to stay young, but I’m afraid my running days are definitely gone. I’m green with envy of anyone who can do it now. Three hours, 21 minutes was my best marathon, in London. One hour, 31 minutes was my time in the Brentwood Half Marathon many years ago.
And now we’re sponsoring the Brentwood Half Marathon this weekend because we’ve been a success in our own business over the last few years.
I had the pleasure of living here for 20 years, and I now have had the pleasure of having my head office here for 20 years, and it’s nice to put something back.
I’m proud that darts is Sky’s No 2 sport
The job we’ve done on darts is absolutely unbelievable. We’re not short term players at Matchroom. It was 20-odd years of investment, time and struggle, battering down doors of snobbish behavior, of people who look down their nose and said ‘Darts? That’s for fat blokes who smoke and drink.’ And yeah, probably.
But look at the opportunity it’s now given to the young people around the world. Look at the fact that darts is now the No 2 behind Premier League football on Sky and on other broadcasters around the world.
We’ve changed the perception of a sport, as well as changing the opportunity by putting up prize money from half a million to in excess of £25m. We’ve given opportunity to people to change their lives – and it’s been good business for us as well.
My kids are a chip off the old block
Eddie has done alright, I wish I was him!
Every parent, no matter where they come from or who they are, want the best for their kids, and that’s our job as parents.
You can instil some rules, some ethics, some levels of integrity and honesty, and actually, the endeavour of just working hard is just plain common sense. Not everyone’s born a genius, but we’re all born with 24 hours a day to use. It’s up to us how we use it.
Looking at the work ethic of my son and my daughter, they have followed in my footsteps, they’re both capable of putting in a really decent shift, and that’s all I can ask. Just give it 100 per cent and if that’s your 100 per cent, no one can give more.
Steve Davis is still my best friend
He turned up at a snooker club in Romford, long hair, jeans, a hole in his jumper, and a love and a passion for playing the sport of snooker. You could not find two personalities more different than Steve and I, but we gelled. I became effectively like an older brother to him.
I know my life changed in 1981 when he won the World Snooker Championship. I never forget who I owe, and I owe him big time, and I’m still proud to say he’s definitely one of my best friends.
It was an adventure. We were two council house boys that found each other and made a way in our life and did the best we can do in everything we tried.
We used to talk every day. Now we probably talk once a month, but that’s okay. We have different lives, but I know where he is if I need him, and vice versa.
I don’t fear death – and I won’t waste time worrying about it
I have a compartment in my brain for bad ideas, bad solutions, bad habits, and that compartment is locked up and never revisited. When I make a mistake, I file it away. I hope I’ve learned from it, but I never ever refer to it, because that involves looking backwards in life, and I never ever do that. My life is about looking forwards. So I don’t regret anything I’ve done, because it’s happened and I can’t change it.
When I can’t change something, I don’t give it any attention. When I can change something, I’m totally committed, like probably no one else on this planet.
It’s like death. I have no fear of death whatsoever. When my time is right, I will go and that’s the nature of man, but I’m certainly not going to waste an hour of the time I have by worrying about anything that I can’t change.
The matchroom.brentwood half marathon, in association with Bakers, takes place on Sunday 22 March at 10am. For more information and find out more about next year’s event, click here.
