ONE is hoping to stay on cue for success at the Barbican this week, while one is currently taking a break from sporting action in York, but snooker and football's Steve Davis namesakes met in the city yesterday afternoon.

Davis, the snooker version, prepared for today's last 16 Travis Perkins UK Championship meeting against Stephen Maguire by giving York City's injured club captain a quick lesson and afterwards joked: "When I meet somebody with the same name as me I feel a bit guilty and apologise for any grief they have had but Steve has been successful in sport in his own right.

"I've not met many other people with my name. It has happened occasionally and you get the odd one who says they are but they have an "E" in their surname and that doesn't count. We are a different breed."

Davis, the football version who has a highest break in the 40s, revealed yesterday's meeting was not the first between the two Steves, saying: "We met when I was 12 when Steve was playing an exhibition game with Alex Higgins just after he won the World Championship against Doug Mountjoy.

"He signed a poster 'To Steve Davis, from Steve Davis' for me."

Updated: 09:46 Tuesday, November 23, 2004