Snooker ace who took swing at official on boozy night and battled £30k debt continues amazing comeback from ‘the gutter’
CRUCIBLE star Robert Milkins was once rushed to hospital after taking a swing at a snooker chief on a boozy night out.
And he also battled debts of £30,000 before securing a famous win two years ago.
Milkins, 48, is looking to book his place in the second round of the World Championships against Pang Junxu.
They conclude their first-round match tonight, with Junxu currently leading 5-4.
But Milkins will be able to handle the pressure after going through several tough situations.
Starting his pro career in 1995, the ‘Milkman’ is currently ranked 16th in the world and previously reached a high of 12th in June 2023.
In 2013, he landed a big victory over Neil Robertson in the Worlds.
But afterwards, Milkins revealed he was £30k in debt.
He said: “It doesn’t get much better than that. I’m ecstatic, chuffed to bits. I’m just happy with life.
“I’ve got two great kids, a great missus, a great coach and a great manager. I don’t need anything else in life.
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“I was £30,000 in debt, going to the pub every day and I was just going down in the gutter a few years ago, so to be here now is amazing.
“I lost my mum, my dad. And I got divorced. It blew me apart. I didn’t get any help at the time.”
Things then took a wild turn almost a decade later.
In March 2022, Milkins ended up have a stinker at the inaugural Turkish Masters.
He had been celebrating his birthday with a marathon drinking session before getting into an altercation with guests at a VIP party.
Milkins was so drunk he fell and split his chin in the toilets before allegedly aiming a swing at snooker chief Jason Ferguson.
He was then rushed to hospital before having his stomach pumped, and then crashed out of the Turkish Masters with a dismal showing.
Milkins was later fined £7,000 for “extreme drunken behaviour.”
He said afterwards: “I drank far too much, and something happened. I genuinely don’t know exactly what and cannot remember details – I was in a state where I didn’t know where I was.
“It was my birthday and I had been drinking for a long time but that is no excuse and I know that. I don’t know why, I did all this when I was in my 20s.
“I don’t remember what happened with the hotel guests or Jason Ferguson – none of it.
“I can only apologise to any guests I offended that night. I wouldn’t have known who it was.
“And I have apologised to the organisers and the hotel. It is the first time snooker has come to Turkey and my behaviour was totally out of order.
“When I got to the toilet I lost my legs and think I hit my chin on the sink or the ground, cutting it open. I was almost knocked out, and I’m pretty sure I have broken ribs.
“If I had my stomach pumped I don’t remember that either. And Jimmy Robertson, who I was sharing with, brought me back.”
Milkins did end up turning things around a few months later though.
He stunned fans by becoming the oldest first-time winner of a ranking event by beating Kyren Wilson to the 2022 Gilbraltar Open.
A year later, Milkins scooped the Welsh Open after victory against Shaun Murphy.
And he will be confident about his chances of launching a comeback in the Worlds against Pang Junxu.