Snooker match interrupted by ice cream van as Stephen Maguire pays the price

 The cuesmith was left rueing the untimely interuption

Stephen Maguire was interrupted by the ice cream van

Despite it being the hottest day of the year, Stephen Maguire was left feeling frustrated at the sound of the ice cream van during a Championship League clash in Leicester. The former UK Championship winner went on to beat James Cahill 3-1 at the Mattioli Arena, but ‘On Fire’ was denied the chance second century of the match when an ice cream van appeared to put him off his stride.

As he was lining up a shot at red with a break of 64 already in the bank, the dulcet tones of the ice cream van began to play. Maguire fired the red ball against the jaws, but much to his dismay, it bounced back and trickled away from the pocket.

Reacting to the unfortunate timing, commentator Phil Yates said on air: "A very ill-timed ice cream van outside. "Not that it matters. He will take a lot of confidence from that, because he played nicely to get over the line.”

It came on the opening day of action in Leicester, where Maguire booked his spot in the next round as a section winner. The Scot also recorded two 3-0 victories over Liam Graham and Michael Holt, with the latter finishing second in the group, five points behind Maguire.

Stephen Maguire kicks off @BetVictor #ChampionshipLeagueSnooker with a 3-1 win over James Cahill

Even if the Ice Cream Van put him off 😅🍦 pic.twitter.com/nAiWwbhnbh

— BetVictor Championship League Snooker (@CLSnooker) June 30, 2025

 The Championship League runs until mid-July, with 32 groups of four producing 32 winners, who are later split into eight groups of four. The final two groups of four will decide who will contest the final, which is set to be played on July 23. A prize of £33,000 is on offer for the winner, who will also book a spot at the Champion of Champions event in Leicester in November.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is among several big-name absentees from the tournament, with the Rocket’s last appearance that wasn’t the World Championship having come at the Championship League in January. O’Sullivan made headlines when he smashed the cue against the table, before withdrawing from the competition early.

O’Sullivan’s crucible appearance in April was the only time he’s played since then, with the Englishman having taken time away from the sport. During his hiatus, O’Sullivan recently tied the knot with his long-term partner Laila Rouass. The pair started dating in 2012, but had reportedly split at the backend of 2024, before reconciling and getting married last month.