Allison Fisher and Johnny Archer are Honored as the 2009 Inductees into the BCA Hall of Fame

Written by NYC Grind Contributor, Geoff Conway & Photos by Alison M. Fischer

What a thrill it was to be in attendance at the BCA Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on the evening of Thursday, October 22, at the Marriot Hotel in Chesapeake, VA, for the induction ceremony for Allison Fisher and Johnny Archer.

Both Allison and Johnny are worthy recipients of this award, having won many championships and world titles between them, and more importantly, have been fantastic representatives for the sport of pool.

The banquet hall af the Marriott was packed to the gills with friends, family, and colleagues of these two legendary champions gathered to celebrate their accomplishments, and both received wonderful tributes from their friends.  Additionally, Matchroom Sports founder, Barry Hearn was “virtually present” as he honored both players in a recorded video, which gave the ceremony a truly international feel.

Click Here to view the photo gallery from the BCA Hall of Fame Induction Banquet.

Also presenting a video at the ceremony was a close friend of Allison’s, Dr. Louis Pannullo, a New York-based periodontist and pool aficionado.  Dr. Pannullo collaborated with NYC Grind’s Jerry T and Wei Chao of Cuetable.com to create this video, which was dedicated to Allison’s achievements and her life-long commitment to excellence.

Allison‘s tribute came from Deno Andrews, who spoke highly of her pool and business ethics, as well as her career achievements, which are so numerous that we would have been there all night if he had mentioned them all. Allison then spoke about her switch from her days as a snooker player, a career in which she won eleven World Championships.

She then spoke of her transition from snooker to American pool back in 1995, and how she remembers sitting on the plane with a one way ticket in her hand, and bringing with her just one suitcase and a pool cue.  Well, anyone who loves pool, should be glad that Allison made that adventurous trip, as we have all been very lucky to have witnessed all of the achievements that she has rung up over the years since her arrival.  Allison, is a pleasure to watch at the table, and she has set a great example for what is good in the world of pool.

Allison also spoke of the love and encouragement that she received from her parents and family, and became emotional when she spoke about her mother, who just recently received open heart surgery. Allison also introduced her brother to the audience, who had flown over especially for the ceremony. She recognized him for his support over the years, particularly when she first began her career as a pro.

She also  recalled the important role her father played in her life how her father accompanying her to snooker tournaments when she was just in her early teens. She said that she felt the presence of her father in the auditorium, and said that she knows that he would have loved to have seen her receive this prestigious award.

Speaking in tribute to Johnny Archer was another legend of pool, Kim Davenport, who co-owns Marietta Billiard Club with Johnny, and has been a close friend of his for many years. Kim recalled some of the old times when they were on the road together at the start of Johnny’s career. One of the funny anecdotes he told us. was that he had always wondered why Johnny always had a more upright stance when breaking. He demonstrated that it allowed Johnny to be able to more easily pick up particles from the table.

Johnny’s achievements in pool, like Allison’s, are too numerous to mention.  Some of the highlights include winning the 1999 US Open 9-ball Championships, winning the WPA World 9-ball Championships in both ‘92 and ‘97, being named “Player of the Year” seven times since 1992, and to cap it off, he was named “Player of the Decade of 90’s”

Johnny also became emotional when he took the mic, and made it clear that he could not have achieved his successes without the support and strength of his family. He also stressed that he will endeavor to give back to pool, and that he would do everything possible to help the pool industry to grow bigger and get pool the recognition that it duly deserves.

This new location for the BCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is quite a coup, and allowed the recipients to receive their awards in a fitting, personalized manner. To all those that brought about this great ceremony, take a bow, and keep up the good work.

From all of us at NYCgrind.com, we congratulate both Allison and Johnny on being inducted into this legendary group of pool Champions.

Make sure to stay on the NYC Grind for more updates here from the The 34th Annual US Open 9-ball Championships, which is sponsored by Diamond Billiards, The Delta-13 Rack, Iwan Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, and Accu-Stats Video Production, along with Q-Master Billiards. You can watch matches from the US Open on the web by visiting www.accu-stats.com. Check out www.usopen9ballchampionship.com to learn more about this event.

NYC Grind’s 360º coverage of the 2009 US Open is sponsored by Simonis Cloth and CSI - Cue Sports International.

CueSports International (CSI) is the parent company of the BCA Pool Leagues, The NCS (National Championship Series and produces the U.S. Bar Table Championships and the Jay Swanson Memorial. CSI’s goal is to create and improve opportunities for all pool players. For more information about the BCA Pool League or CueSports International call 702-719-7665 or visit www.playbca.com

Geoff Conway – Pool Junkie