‘I learned so much’: Wayne Griffiths reflects on life and career shared with his Dad, Terry
Former world champion Terry Griffiths was laid to rest on Monday with a celebratory service and nothing ‘too heavy’ – ‘Dad didn’t like fuss’
Hong Kong snooker boss Wayne Griffiths said he would not have become a coach had his late father not asked him to work at their local club together 20 years ago.
Griffiths, the head coach of billiard sports at the Hong Kong Sports Institute since 2010, had never played the sport professionally, and believed it was “a double-edged sword” to have the experience of both playing and coaching professionally.
With his father, Terry, being a world champion and also coaching a long list of star players including the likes of [Asia’s first world No 1] Ding Junhui and [former world No 5] Marco Fu Ka-chun, Wayne admitted to “being jealous” that his father had that dual experience.
But he believed there were arguments for both sides.
“[Manchester City manager] Pep Guardiola is a fantastic coach and was a fantastic player at Barcelona,” the 54-year-old Griffiths said. “Then you take Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp – they played to only a reasonable level, certainly nowhere near the level of the players they are coaching.
“I know Dad has been in the Crucible; I know he knows what that momentum going for you or against you could feel like. And I feel as a coach that’s something I can never get right and I can never use, which I feel can be a disadvantage … there were times when I felt I wanted to say something to Marco at the Crucible and I held back.”
