Emily Frazer on Matchroom, Nine-ball pool, and supporting Crystal Palace

Emily Frazer at the World Pool Championships (Image Credit: Matchroom Pool)

In September of last year, Netflix released ‘Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’, which followed father-son duo Barry and Eddie Hearn in the running of their multi-million sports promotion company.

Matchroom was a product of the snooker boom in the 80s, with Barry Hearn starting the company in 1982, managing some of the world’s top snooker players. Matchroom has since grown exponentially over the years, branching out to other top sports such as boxing and darts.

The documentary also gave an insight into the other people behind the scenes at the company, one of which is Emily Frazer, the Matchroom Multi Sport CEO and Director for Matchroom Sport. Multi Sport focuses on promoting less popular sports such as pool, fishing and poker. Frazer is at the helm, with a particular passion for Nine-ball pool.

Frazer was also raised a Crystal Palace fan, regularly going to games with her dad. We spoke at length about her rise to the top of Matchroom and what Palace means to her.

I’d want some kind of collaboration because I love Palace and I love the pool. If those two things can come together, then absolutely, and I’m sure I’ll do everything in my power to do so.

Beginning at Matchroom

Coming up to her sixteenth year at the company, Frazer started out working on the poker scene which Matchroom Multi Sport are still involved with.

“I started working on the Matchroom poker scene as a runner, and then as floor manager when the main floor manager would call in sick. I would make sure the floor was quiet, get the presenters in a certain place, and deal with the players.

“I was asked to work two weeks as a floor manager, so I had to quit my old job to go and do it. After the two weeks, Eddie [Hearn] asked me to work for his sister Katie in the production department. So, my first four years at Matchroom was in the television department.”

Getting involved with Nine-ball pool

Frazer’s work as floor manager led her to discover Nine-ball pool at an event in the Philippines for the World Cup of Pool. This discipline of pool would grow to become Frazer’s main passion project at Matchroom.

“I walked into this shopping mall, this would be thirteen years ago now, looking around there was televisions, camera crews and spectators around this one table. I spoke to the referee about the rules of the game. I was totally mesmerised by the game.

“I sat down with Katie in one of my appraisals and I explained I don’t enjoy the producing side, I really want to run events. Katie put me forward to Barry [Hearn], who took a big punt on me.

“We started asking how are we going to progress this sport? As we started noticing more numbers, the digital media numbers were good, and we started to think we’ve got something here.

“I don’t have kids, but I do think of it as my little kid”.

Frazer has grown Nine-ball pool to become the leading cue sport in many different countries, with a first ranking event in Indonesia starting up.

“Someone said to me recently you don’t have to be the front runner everywhere, but I said no, no, no, that’s not how I operate. It helps that we have access to other sports where we can learn from and try to grow, but they have 20 odd years on us, but we’re not far

behind”.

How did you find the experience of filming the Netflix documentary?

“The initial interest was in Eddie, then it branched out to Matchroom. It was quite invasive, but you look at it and the exposure that multisport got was great for us and great for the World Nine-ball Tour.

“We all found our jobs quite normal, but the team at Box to Box told us was that what you do is quite unique and people want to see that, so it was an interesting one for sure”.

Crystal Palace birthday parties

Born in Croydon, Frazer was introduced to Palace through her father, who took her to games as a child.

“I’ll be so real he dragged me to so many games. I had the full-kit, and about three back-to-back birthday parties at Palace. I don’t know if it was an easy birthday that my dad wanted, but I definitely didn’t ask to have my birthday's at Palace!

“But I stopped going to the football, I didn’t really follow it as much. I hated when the boys talked about it in the office, to be honest with you. I think this job when you’re living and breathing live sport 24-7, sometimes the last thing you want to look at when you come home is live sports.”

It was while filming the Netflix documentary that Frazer would start going to Palace games again and find the love for supporting Palace.

“I realised that I wasn’t spending enough time with my family. I think filming the Netflix documentary made me realise that. My dad said these are the dates I’m going to Palace, would you like to come? We started going and I thought, yeah, I get this now. We scored and I would get it, if we were playing awful, I would get it. 

“Win or lose, I was enjoying a great couple of hours spending time with my dad. One key moment from last year when we got through to the semis, I arranged for us to watch Palace play at Wembley, then we had a car booked which went straight to the Eubank vs Benn fight. My dad at the end of the night just went that’s probably one of the best days of my life.

“We were on holiday [for the final] but we had it on the TV with a bottle of champagne on ice. Two minutes to kick-off, me and my dad opened the champagne, with that feeling that we’re going to get this today. It’s up there with one of my top memories”.

Thoughts on this season so far?

“My dad said to me, we’re probably the only club to make history in winning the FA Cup and then getting knocked out how we did. Win or lose I go and love the day out with my dad. It keeps us on our toes, keeps us hungry for more.

“It would be boring otherwise, wouldn’t it? If Palace need us and supporters like me and my

dad, it’s now!”

Could we see a crossover between Multi Sport and Palace?

“Football is the leading sport here and pretty much everywhere. I would be silly not to want to collaborate multi sport with it. I find people know about British Pool, but not many people know about Nine-ball. But then people come to our arenas and realise you don’t have to be quiet. You can chat to your mates. Then they realise it’s a night I can come to with my friends, and you’re hooked.

“So obviously I’d want some kind of collaboration because I love Palace and I love the pool. If those two things can come together, then absolutely, and I’m sure I’ll do everything in my power to do so”.

Frazer continues to find new ways to build audiences for the plethora of sports in Multi Sport’s control. Battles with broadcasting, prize funds and creating new ideas are some of the daily challenges Frazer and her team face.

Away from the hectic work schedule, Palace games give both the Frazer's something to have in the calendar to look forward to and enjoy together, whatever the result .