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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Ben Parsons

Welsh snooker star Mark Williams baffled by BBC flag gaffe at UK Championship

Proud Welshman Mark Williams was shocked to find an English flag next to his name on BBC 's coverage of the UK Championship.

Three-time world champion Williams crashed out in the last 32 in York after he was defeated by Welsh compatriot Jamie Clarke. In a tournament of upsets, in-form Northern Irishman Mark Allen will now face three-time winner Ding Junhui in Sunday's showpiece final at the Barbican Centre.

But the event's broadcasters had a howler during Saturday's semi-final coverage as they appeared to label Williams as English. The top 16 players in the world at the end of the UK Championship qualify for The Masters in January at the Alexandra Palace.

And when showing the 'Race to The Masters' leaderboard for snooker's premier invitational event, fans noticed seventh-placed Williams was listed besides the English St George's cross, rather than the Welsh dragon.

The BBC's gaffe was quickly picked up by Williams, who tweeted the blunder out on his active Twitter account. The 47-year-old, who hails from Cwm in Blaenau Gwent, South Wales, was clearly unimpressed by the error.

"Excuse me. Where's the dragon," Williams bluntly stated, supported by a number of equally baffled replies from Welsh fans.

Australian star Neil Robertson, who tops the leaderboard, poked fun at Williams over the blunder. "What’s wrong? You’ve got a perfect English accent," Robertson joked with a series of laughing emojis.

Williams' UK Championship exit came after he struggled with a persistent stomach problem in York. In his match against qualifier Clarke, he made a quick dash to the toilet after just five minutes, later claiming that he must have food poisoning.

"I went out there with a pair of boxers on, by frame three they were gone, that’s all I can say really," Williams graphically revealed. "If it wasn’t the UK Championships I’m not sure I’d have come back out after the interval, to be honest.

"It’s a bit disappointing for myself because I’ve been practicing hard while I’m up here and hitting the ball really well. But when you go out there and you’re shaking like a leaf all over your body, you’ve got no chance. I tried, but just no chance. I’ve got to go and find my boxers in the bin somewhere now."

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