‘Didn’t do a Cantona’ – World Snooker star breaks silence on cue-chucking episode as he reveals 6am Tesco trip
ROBERT MILKINS justified a cue-chucking episode in his sorry Crucible exit saying: At least I didn’t do an Eric Cantona-style kung-fu kick!
The Milk Man played with a painful lower neck muscle as he was booted out of the second round 13-4 by David Gilbert.
Milkins, 48, was not happy with his display and THREW his equipment to the floor in disgust in the Friday morning session.
In his opinion, even though it was a petulant act, he did not jump into the crowd two-footed like ex-Manchester United French striker did at Crystal Palace in January 1995.
He said: “I lost a couple of frames, I shouldn’t have lost. Dave played well.
“I woke up in a lot of pain. I was outside Tesco at 6am trying to get some ibuprofen. I have done something to the top of my back.
“Normally it goes away after three or four hours with tablets. But it has lasted all day.
“Maybe it’s tension that was brought on from the first match.
“Throwing my cue was frustration of not being able to have a good crack at it.
“I don’t want to make excuses. But I‘m just sick. I didn’t feel comfortable on any shot. The pain didn’t ease off.
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“He punched the table two frames before, but people pick up on me chucking my cue.
“I have no problem with that. It’s all emotions, we are all passionate, we all want to do well.
“I shouldn’t have done it. It’s no big time. I didn’t javelin it. I didn’t do an Eric Cantona-style kick.
“The tip didn’t come off. There is a certain way to chuck your cue.”
Gilbert is the first man into the Crucible quarter-finals – and now has three days off.
The Angry Farmer took 17 minutes in the evening session to claim the one frame he needed to progress.
Gilbert, who banks £50,000, potted 421 points unanswered across the final five frames.
The high mark is 485 points set by John Higgins in a 2000 second-round tie against Anthony Hamilton.
The Tamworth cueist – who next plays either Stephen Maguire or Shaun Murphy – had moaned about being drawn to face Luca Brecel at 10am on the opening day.
But the quirk of the draw means he does not have to appear in the last eight until Tuesday morning.
Qualifier Gilbert, 42, said: “I was confident going into this. I’ve found something.
“I felt like my game can fire at any point. I have battled well. I was pleased to win a lot of those frames. I found a gear to breakaway.
“I could tell Robert was struggling. I had nothing to feel bad about.
“I have put a lot of work in behind the scenes.
“I was edgy going into the qualifiers. I hadn’t played a match for a long time.
“I had thought about putting the cue away and never playing again.
“But once I got there, you either sink or swim. And I am swimming.
“When you don’t play, you lose your touch and rhythm. When the balls are there, just get on with it.”