Larkhall pool star Scott Gillespie on top of the world after Scotland glory at Blackball Championships

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Larkhall pool champion Scott Gillespie this week spoke of his pride after leading Scotland to the World Blackball Championships in Malta earlier this month.Scotland beat Wales 13-11 in the semi-final and Malta 13-7 in the final to take the trophy home for the first time since 2010, and Gillespie was delighted.Ultimate Pool star Gillespie - who is sponsored by Airdrieonians Football Club - captained a side comprising of Euan Waddell, Marc Fleming, Mark McAllister, Morgan McInnes and Stuart McCulloch.But having also been part of the last trophy-winning team, Gillespie says Scotland shouldn’t have gone for so long without it.Gillespie, 39, said: “The last time Team Scotland won it was in 2010 in France, so it has been quite a while, and I was actually part of that team.“For how good Scotland is, we should have won it before then – we’re one of the strongest nations.“People are busy, and pool’s not at the stage where you can make a good living from it, so sometimes top-end players don’t always support their nations.“But I’ve always been a believer that playing for your country is something you want to do.“It’s pride, that’s what it comes down to for me, and there’s nothing better than walking out with your national top on, hearing the national anthem, so getting to walk out as captain and winning the event made it more special.“It’s a new manager this year, Robert Edment, and that was his first crack at it, but I’m really close friends with him.“When you’re captain you have a bit of say about it, and even though there is a manager, I have my input and bounce ideas off of him, so it’s a big honour.”The World Championships comprised of 16 teams, in a round-robin, with each playing every nation once, and in teams of five