Professional snooker player Ian Burns has been confined to bed for two weeks after a back injury sustained on a fairground ride, forcing him to withdraw from three qualifying events and jeopardising his tour survival. The world number 74, who had impressed early in the season by topping his Championship League group with three wins from three, suffered the injury during a family trip to a local carnival in his village.
Injury on The Sizzler
The 41-year-old from Preston told Metro that the incident occurred on a ride called The Sizzler. 'It's been a tough one,' he said. 'I've had back injuries before but this has been the worst. I went on a fairground ride and the carriage just jolted and I felt something in the bottom of my back.'
Burns, who has previously dealt with slipped and bulging discs, aggravated the problem further while watching England play Argentina in the World Cup at a beer garden. 'I was sat on a wooden bench and my back just didn't feel very good at all. The day after all the muscles had clamped around my spine, and I literally couldn't walk. Any movement was excruciating pain.'
Two Weeks in Bed
After seeing a physio, Burns was ordered to stay in bed, a directive he has followed for the past fortnight. 'It's been two weeks today that I've just been in bed. It's been a nightmare. Honestly, I wouldn't wish it on anyone,' he said. 'That first week, I literally couldn't even sit up. I was just constantly lying down for a week.'
The physical pain is compounded by the mental anguish of missing out on ranking points and prize money. Burns has been forced to withdraw from the Shenzhen Open, British Open, and English Open qualifiers, a significant blow given the new block format of the professional calendar.
Frustration Over Block Qualifiers
'It's frustrating missing three qualifiers. Every pound, every point counts on the rankings. It's going to make a massive difference towards the end of the season,' Burns said, as he fights to retain his professional status. 'Maybe I'm only saying this because of what has happened this week, but you can't have block qualifiers. You can't. If they're not in a block, then I've probably only missed one event, then you can stomach it. But I've now missed the new China event, the British Open and English Open.'
Burns, who also works as a coach, has had to cancel numerous coaching sessions, adding to his frustration. 'I've had to cancel so much coaching. I've no idea when I'm going to be available. So that's been another frustrating thing.'
Online Store and Global Reach
On a positive note, Burns has built a successful online presence through his YouTube channel and Instagram, which has expanded his coaching business and led to an online snooker store. 'I've sent cues and cases all around the world. You can't believe where people have bought things from. I've sent cues to somebody in Fiji and in the Bahamas,' he said.
He also conducts online coaching sessions with clients as far afield as Mauritius, though these have been paused due to his current condition. 'I'm doing online coaching sessions with a chap who lives in Mauritius. He has a table in his house. But obviously I've not been able to get on to him recently just because of this issue, it's all taken a backseat. The whole thing has just been so frustrating.'
Recovery and Return
Burns is slowly improving, managing 15 minutes on his feet each day, and hopes to be fit for the next block of qualifiers in mid-September, including the Northern Ireland Open, International Championship, and Scottish Open. 'I'm slowly getting better every day. I've been downstairs this morning, so I've had 15 minutes on my feet, and then it starts aching again, so I'm laying on the bed again,' he said.
