Snooker Loopy

For sometime now I have been campaigning for World Snooker to bring back a Doubles tournament. In the 1980s the World Doubles Championship or Hoffmeister World Doubles was played between 1982-1986 and the Fosters World Doubles in 1987. Players such as Jimmy White and Alex Higgins, Steve Davis and Tony Meo, used to play in Doubles teams and this non ranking event was very popular at the time. Recently I spoke to Barry Hearn and asked him if he could bring this great event back but as I have learnt about my friend, you always get an honest response. He replied, “ there is no money in it and no one will watch it”. Not the response I wanted to hear but Barry never minces his words and I do admire that about him. However, this will not stop my resolve to bring back this great tournament to the tour and even make it a ranking event like the Shootout. It could be played over a weekend and use a great venue such as Goffs to play it in. Failing that, the Watford Colosseum could literally “d

The snooker tour has now left Watford and moves to the warmer climbs of Kochi in India. Ironically India is the birthplace of snooker where the first ball was struck in a small hill station club in Ooti by a British soldier in the late 1800s. Unfortunately snooker is not widely played in India with people preferring to play billiards. The main tour has seen two Indian players, Pankaj Advani and Adita Mehta, both originally billiards players but neither seemed to do very well on the tour. The Indian Ooen had to be cancelled several years ago due to flooding in the area and has never really got the media attention it deserves, being shown on Asian channels and streaming instead of mainstream, Eurosport coverage. There is definitely a strong, potential market for snooker in India but the game needs to be widely publicised with what could be a massive audience due to the dense population of the country. China has already achieved this, hosting five tournaments in the season and snooker

It seems so long ago that Thailand produced a quality player, James Watanna was the last, reaching number three in the rankings in the early 1990s. Last night in the Shootout we saw Thepchaiya Un-Nooh make not only the highest break in the tournament’s history but also the title. The Thai has been knocking on the silverware door for sometime but has always ended up being a nearly man, memorably missing the crucial black for a 147. Thepchaiya is a quick player and a fantastic potter and so was well suited for this event but has always lacked the all round game to play conventional snooker. His attacking play has sadly become his Achilles’ heel. This type of play works when you can maintain the break but if you miss and let your opponent in, the world becomes their oyster, leaving them plum in the balls. Despite this critique of the Thai, Michael Georgiou’s win last year showed that this tournament can be the first stepping stone in improving a lower rank player’s form, ranking point

With the superb win by Lukas Kleckers in the Shootout last night, Germany stands on the brink of having its first snooker champion. For years this country has been able to produce the dedicated fans but not the players. Kleckers is the best player in Germany, one of only two on the main tour and isn’t known as a household name. His win last night against Ken Doherty proves that this man does have the capability to lift silverware but is the moment or will he just sink back into obscurity? The great success of the German Masters has overshadowed what is less than a thriving sport in Germany. Few snooker clubs exist and the Paul Hunter Classic is no longer a televised event. Kleckers from Essen in Germany is only 22 and has the best chance of creating a German champion. By winning the Shootout, he will be able to compete in the Champion of  Champion, vastly increase his £7,500 career winnings with a cheque for £32,000 and earn valuable ranking points. Kleckers does one title under h

I have always had a passion for snooker but recently found out that I have a talent for creative writing. My first taste for this when I wrote a blog on the UK Championship several years ago and I was able to combine my own knowledge of the game with drawing on my snooker contacts to contribute to the piece. The response was very positive from readers and people said I had a flair for writing. However, following a rebuff from Riley’s for future blogs, I put down my creative pen and shut it in a drawer for a while as dejection set in. It wasn’t until several months ago that I started again, writing small blogs on my Facebook page for my followers. Again the reaction was positive and I then dabbled with vlogging on Instagram with video pieces. However I didn’t feel comfortable with this medium and so returned to the written blog. Having become recently single, has given me the freedom to travel and watch live snooker events in places I never dreamt of visiting. My recent trip to Berl

Snooker is probably one of the hardest games to learn how to play and even more difficult to play well. Like it’s closest comparison golf, snooker involves so many interactions even before the cue ball is struck. Your stance has to be correct, head remains still on the shot, the cue timed so that when the cue ball is struck your arm follows the shot through in a straight line. If not done correctly, the player will either miscue or not achieve the desired shot. Secondly, when the cue ball is struck, the tip of the of the cue has to strike the right part of the ball, the centre for a straight shot, top or bottom, left of right for the correct type of spin. Only then will you will start to master the shot and take the cue ball to where you need to have it for your secondary shot. I have been playing snooker for over twenty years but have never been able to play to a high standard. There are aspects of my game which are good, such as my break off, long ball potting and safety game but

Snooker is at the moment definitely in a good place. Unlike the dark cloud that was over the sport a few years ago when only a handful of tournaments existed, the sport has grown its coverage with a 20 tournament, season and expanded the game to the likes of Bulgaria, Brazil,  China, Gibraltar and India. Thanks to a great management structure under the leadership of Barry Hearn and Jason Ferguson, they have been able to tap into their past experience of the game and format/ develop events and locations for snooker to be played but at the same time attracting investors and sponsors to inject financial capital into the sport. However like anything in life there is always room for improvement. On average it costs a player £20,000 just to play on the tour per season. This jaw dropping amount is made up of entry fees and travel fees. For example, a lower ranking player could travel to China and complete in one of the five competitions that exist there and be beaten in the first round. T

Recently, I have been able to start following my passion for snooker by attending tournaments I have only been able to watch on television. Having been a fan for over 35 years, I first came across snooker when I flicked to BBC2 in 1984 and saw a UK Championship match. I didn’t understand what was going on or how the game was played but became engrossed from seeing that first shot played. At that time, snooker coverage was only on the BBC and ITV, two of the four channels that existed at that time and you had to buy the Radio and TV Times to find out when it was on or search for news of it on Ceefax or Teletext. I got to see players that have long since retired and the epics battles of Jimmy White in his final Crucible clashes that caused me angst and heart palpitations. I first watched snooker live when I went to see some Sky Premier League events in Guildford. The atmosphere is very different to watching it on television. A Master of Ceremonies tells you when to applaud the walk o

The tour now moves to Watford with the start of the Shootout on the 19/02. This hybrid of snooker has a mixed reaction in the sport, attracting an audience that largely go for the beer rather than the baize. Personally, I believe there are good and bad aspects to this event. It is good that it involves every player on the tour, 128 in total, that with a one frame format and the suspense of the shot clock, any player can win a match on the day and the fact that players can gain ranking points and be entered into the Champion of Champions tournament the next season. However on the downside, this tournament lacks the finesse of snooker.The bar brawl atmosphere is best kept to a darts venue.The use of walk on girls and loud music cheapen the event and the audience are largely not snooker fans. Like Power Snooker before it, this format may work for some but not for others. Frankly I love anything that promotes the sport but like Marmite, you either love or hate the Shootout. Miracles can

So as the Welsh Open draws to a close and I trundle home to Stevenage, my mind reflects on the last few days. After a week of shock defeats and the emergence of new talent, the Welsh Open has been a great success. Unlike my previous visit to Berlin, this venue is compact with a far smaller audience. However the majority of the seats were filled even on final day when some interest had wavered because the eye catching names had been knocked out of the competition. The only slight moan I would have is that a few members of the audience decided to leave the area at the wrong moment, exiting via the creaking stage when the player was down on his shot, especially on the final night when someone just got up and decided to leave as Bingham was taking a crucial pot attempt. In the few days I have been in Cardiff, I have fallen in love with this city. It makes me very proud to be part Welsh and to feel my heart strings tugged every time I come back to my beloved Wales. Behi

One of the greatest players to ever grace the green baize is the Canadian Kirk Stevens. At the time of his success Kirk was one of three Canadian players on the tour, the others being Cliff Thorburn and Bill Werbeniuk. Stevens first started playing snooker at an early age and achieved his first century break at the age of 12. He turned professional at the age of 20 and reached the sem-final of the World Championship, aged just 21. Stevens is most famously known for his 147 televised break against Jimmy White in 1984 where due to having little money at the time, asked a tailor to make him a suit, the cheapest option being in white. Thanks to the tailor, this suit became Kirk’s trademark. Kirk Stevens is an exciting player because he has always been attacking in his shot choices. Like Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, Tony Drago, Stevens is never phased by the difficult attempted pot of shot and produces magical snooker when in form. Sadly Kirk got involved with the world of drugs and dri

One of the most talented snooker players to come onto the scene in recent years is Duane Jones. Duane, first started playing aged 12 after being inspired watching Jimmy White playing and how easy he made the game look. Nicknamed “Taffy”, Jones became Welsh under-16 captain and the youngest player to win the singles in the Aberdare Valley Snooker League.   Earning his place on the tour by qualifying through Q School,Duane broke out onto the circuit in 2015 and has beaten the likes of Xintong and Delu as early career scalps. Jones then fell off the radar for a few years but in the current season has performed very well, reaching the semi-final of the German Masters and has just knocked out the Grand Prix winner, Judd Trump in the Welsh Open.   This is a player who I would highly tip as he has the potential for the all round game. He is fearless when in the balls and is a fantastic long ball potter. Jones is not phased by who he plays and despite being ranked 72, he has the

On Saturday, I will be travelling to Wales to watch the Welsh Open in Cardiff. This will be a homecoming for me as the last time I was there was I lived in Carmarthen in 1992. My Grandfather was from Ebbw Vale and I am very proud of my Welsh heritage.Many of my maternal relatives worked in the Ebbw Vale steel works and I avidly support this country in rugby and football at international level. When I lived in Carmarthen, Terry Griffiths owned a snooker club in the town centre and I played there and in another club. Wales has always produced some of the best players, Darren Morgan, Ray Reardon, Doug Mountjoy, Cliff Wilson, Ryan Day, Mark Williams, Matthew Stevens, to name but a few. The key to its success is probably due to the continuation of snooker at local club level. Players are able to be nurtured at a young age to learn this difficult game. However in today’s world and technological trends, it has become more difficult for clubs to tap into the youth culture. Children and tee

Few may know outside the world of snooker that Willie Thorne has been dropped from the BBC commentary team. He no longer works on the UK Championship not the World Championship and  only commentates for BBC Wales in the currently showing Welsh Open. The BBC’s response to this decision was that fresh blood was needed on the team but lacks any real credibility. I personally feel that this was an ageist decision. Wille has been a friend of mine for several years and knows the game inside out. A former professional player who was renound for knocking in maximums on the practice table, his analysis and knowledge is critical for any televised event. As a result of his and his late brother, Malcolm’s efforts, Mark Selby was discovered and developed as a player. Unfortunately the BBC hasn’t learnt from its previous mistake of sacking Clive Everton and replacing him with a younger Stephen Hendry and is now in the process of dropping John Virgo from BBC events. It is true that Everton now wo

Judd Trump claimed his third title this season by claiming the silver claret jug at the Grand Prix in Cheltenham last night. His victory over Ali Carter with a 10-6 win proved his emense talent in this sport. With the help of his brother, his coach Jango, his parents and ditching his girlfriend, Judd has shown that perseverance does work when a player is searching for titles. Ali Carter showed flickers of form but couldn’t adjust to the final atmosphere, having been out of the limelight for sometime. He was unable to match Judd’s safety play and long ball potting.His constant miss of easy pots meant that his opponent was able to pounce on his weaknesses. Carter tried to reduce his deficit but Judd was able to use his game to change gears and amass a sizeable lead, a mountain that Ali couldn’t climb even with his potting boots on. So with Cheltenham done and dusted, World Snooker now moves to Wales with the start of the Welsh Ipen in Cardiff. Judd will join Ronnie and others to comp

With play suspended today until 1320 due to a leak at the venue, we should eventually find out the final line for the semi-finals. Mark Selby will play Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson plays Barry Hawkins. Wilson seems favourite in this tournament with a recent win in Berlin. The man of the moment has little competition in the remaining players with only Trump as the other potential thorn in his side. Trump however blows hot and cold and should have capitalised on his win at the Masters to take the Berlin crown but fell short with lacklustre play in the closing stages. Similarly number one Mark Selby fails to complete the inroads into the final roun and loses his focus and form when it matters. He could beat Trump today but is very vulnerable in the final. Barry Hawkins is a much better player than his form sheet shows and doesn’t play well when it matters, squandering his “A”game in the early rounds. With Sijuin, Saengkham and Gilbert dispatched from the competition yesterday, Gudodo

Another day of drama occurred at Cheltenham yesterday as play never failed to disappoint. Marco Fu, the early conqueror of Ronnie, wasn’t able to show up on the day and gave a poor performance, losing 4-1 to Barry Hawkins. Meanwhile the Chinese prodigy, Yuan Sijan, took out Stephen Maguire, 4-2, showing that this young player is fearless and can beat any top 16 player on the day. As his game improves through match play so does his confidence and with both of these competencies in tow, no player is safe. Mark Davis also fell to the sword and wasn’t able to keep up with far stronger player, Xiao Guodong. The nearly man, Gudodong, deserves a final place but has shown elements of his cuemanship with this 4-1 win. The highlight and drama of the night was a black ball finish, Matthew Stevens and Kyren Wilson took the frame to a decider and black ball finish. Stevens had the frame in hands but jawed the black, leaving Kyren an easy pot and an easy victory. Trump and Selby also cruised t

After the dramatic exit of Ronnie O’Sullivan on day one of the Grand Prix, so the domino effect continued yesterday with swift exits of Williams and Robertson. Form was shown in the early part of the match by Judd Trump where he led Stuart Carrington 3-0 but he squandered his early win chances and instead limped over the line with a 4-3 victory. Similarly Neil Robertson failed to compete largely due to a heavy cold virus picked up in Berlin. Mark Williams made school boy errors and let the 18 year old wonder Yuan Sijun steak the show with heavy potting and scoring. Ding, Carter, Maguire and company, all managed to inflict impressive wins and prove that elements of the top 16 are still alive and battling in this competition. Let’s see what happens today in Cheltenham?

Kyren Wilson picked up his first German Masters title last night, achieving the “ Deutschland Double”, having won the Paul Hunter Classic  previously. A fantastic 9-7 win against David Gilbert, saw Wilson claw the the match back from his opponent, leaving Gilbert as the “nearly man” once more. Kyren has now proved his worth in snooker and shown how a player has fully develop and master their all round game in a short space of time. His shot selection, long potting and safety play are amazing and really show his skill as a player. So congratulations to Kyren Wilson and the next stop for the tour is Cheltenham, the World Grand Prix where the top 16 players slug it out for the esteemed ,silver, claret jug.

Yesterday at the Tempodrom, similarity reigned . Both matches had a 6-1 score tag on them. First up was Duane Jones against David Gilbert. Unfortunately the Berlin arena was too much for Jones who was unable to recapture his earlier form. struggling with the capacity crowd and single table set up.Gilbert pounced on this weakness in his opponent and dominated the match, leaving Duane on the ropes with nowhere to go. In the other semi-final, Kyren Wilson was drawn against Stephen Maguire. Billed as a big clash, Maguire never managed to get going, primarily because Kyren was on his A+ game. Wilson showed in this match what a talented player he is and one that I have been tipping for great success ever since I first saw him play in a Player’s Tour match. Wilson has is exceptional and has every aspect of the game mastered. My prediction for today is that Kyren Wilson will raise the title and the Tempodrom roof but don’t be fooled Gilbert will make it a close match than expected. Gilb

Friday night certainly wasn’t a night that Trump, Robertson and Williams wanted to remember. Bookmakers everywhere must be ducking under their counters due to such an unpredictable night at the Tempodrom. Only Wilson survived the barrage of breaks. Duane Jones, a player who I have tipping for a while, showed such courage against Ding and is ranked 82 places lower than him. What a victory! Maximum man Gilbert, also showed true courage by coming back from 3-1 down to Robertson to reel off a terrific win. Mark Williams may have wished he had stayed in his hotel room, his form didn’t turn up and Kyren punished his mistakes with a whitewash. So I will stick my neck out now and predict the final two, Wilson v Maguire but don’t be surprised if Duane Jones knocks out one of these two. Last night’s results  Wilson v Williams   5-0 Robertson v Gilbert 5-3 Jones v Ding 5-3 Trump v Maguire 5-2

Another great day of snooker yesterday as Higgins lost his race and Trump, Robertson, Wilson, Maguire, Bingham  and a few others made it across the winning line. Berlin is the best venue I have been to and fails to disappoint. The only criticism I have is that fans walk about when players take their shot which causes unexpected misses. Unlike Alexandra Palace, the event is open door, so the audience are able to come and go as play takes place. Staff are friendly and helpful and there is plenty of merchandise in the entrance hall. The Tempodrom was originally a circus and has the remains of a railway station in front of it. The big too construction has great acoustics and wherever you sit you get a clear view of any table. I would say that I have the best ticket with players almost touching distance from my seat. You are able to take clear photographs and filming is not blurry. This is my last full day in Berlin and I will be sad to leave tomorrow but I will come b