Snooker Loopy

Probably the most iconic television programme in snooker was Pot Black. The shoe ran on the BBC from 1969 until 1986 With a short format, players would play one frame in each programme and progress until the ultimate winner won the title. Pot Black was special because it was trialled to test the first use of colour on television. Commissioned by David Attenborough, then Controller of BBC television, it acted as a visual testcard for viewers, allowing them to preview snooker in a new, realistic light instead of the dull, grainy images of black and white pictures. This was the first time that snooker fans got to see their heroes play in the green baize with the likes of Eddie Charlton, Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon, John Spencer and Ray Reardon gracing the stage and battling to make it to the next stage. With a catchy theme tune, using the ragtime music, “Black and White Rag”, presenters such as Keith Macklin, Alan Weeks and David Vine, filled in the viewers at the start and end of the pro

Women’s sport has spectacularly grown in recent years, spurred on by the success of England Ladies in football. I have always been a passionate supporter of the female game and have been frustrated by the slow progress that has occurred in all sports to invest and give the players, the same working conditions and pay parity as men in sport. Some of this environment has improved but it still falls way short of equality. Sportswomen are grossly underpaid and in sports such snooker, where the players rely on tournament winnings to earn, there is still a massive chasm between the two sexes. As I have written in a previous blog, the women’s tour still remains out of the limelight. Players such as Reanne Evans have won multiple titles but until recently she didn’t even have anywhere to practice. The tour and the female game itself are not well published and unless you going looking for coverage on their website or social media, little exists on the television or newspapers. However with

Let’s  rewind the clock a few years and go back to the golden era of snooker when the clothes were loud and the music even louder. The sport was in a fabulous place and audience figures were high. One such player at this time was the lad from the north, Steve James. James was a memorable figure and one that appeared on my television screen when I first started watching snooker. His distinctive hair, best described as a mullet and distinctive accent, masked a true genius on the baize. James was an attacking player and high break builder. The former postman,didn’t really win any titles in his career apart the Open in 1990, when he beat Warren King 10-8 in the final. I was in awe when I first saw Steve play. His cue action was amazing and whizzed around the table like a clockwork toy, rarely missing  in his suit and half mast tie. The former number seven player was at the crest of a snooker wave when Davis was at his peak and Higgins on his decline. He played them all and win a few matc

“I have now said to myself, this is your time and you have to take your chance “. Snooker maybe a global sport but when you think of countries where it is played, Iran doesn’t come to the forefront of your mind. However for the Iranian player, Hossein Vafaei, the dream has come true and he now competes against other professional players on the main tour. The 23 year old has had to fight every step of the way to play the game that he loves and has been largely responsible for an “Iranian Revolution” in the country, rejuvenating the sport that was last played by British BP workers in the days of the Shah. Snooker was banned in the country for twenty years by the Islamist government for being to having string links to gambling. As a result, snooker clubs fell into rack and ruin. Hossein, who was born in Abadan, an oil-rich part of the country, was dubbed by his parents as the “miracle kid” by his family at an early age after his father recovered from a coma after initially being prono

When one thinks of snooker players, the stereotype is an able bodied person. However this is not now the case as World Snooker and the WPBSA have been working tirelessly in recent years to give people with disabilities, the same access to snooker and other cue sports With various open days held across the country, potential players are able to attend open days and worked with trained coaches to improve their game. Disability does of course occur in various forms and so these organisations try to adapt and work with the various challenges that a player has when playing snooker. The main change from able bodied snooker is that the tables are lowered to wheelchair height so that players can freely cue without the inability due to height. With this table adaption, tournaments have been able to be arraigned and played just as they would in a club. The added advantage is that people with disabilities feel inclusive rather than excluded due their physical or psychological restrictions. Havi

After several weeks of speculation, media reports coming from sources close to Jimmy White appear to show that this legend has managed to secure a tour place via World Snooker thanks to a wildcard. This is brilliant news for someone like myself, who has been a fan for many years and has supported him through his career highs and lows. Jimmy may not win anything on the main tour anymore but he  has had success on the Seniors tour, proving that this 57 year old, still has the X Factor. White, along with Alex Higgins, have been trailblazers for the sport, piloting “naughty snooker “ on the green baize. His attacking style of play, text book use of the rest and ambidextrous play, have meant that snooker fans have been treated to years of memorable matches. White’s dispatch by Ali Carter in the World Championship qualifiers was a shock but not really a surprise. Although Jimmy now manages to win a first round, he can’t now seem to progress deeper into any tournament. That is not because h

Thr Crucible never fails to disappoint and yesterday was better than any rollercoaster ride. The much anticipated draw between Ronnie O’Sullivan and James Cahill looked like on paper, a Ronnie win with bookmakers giving odds prior to the match of a Cahill victory at 500-1. However when push came to shove, Ronnie turned up yesterday morning like someone who hadn’t slept after a night out. His demeanour was dejected and kept yawning between shots. Cahill, who entered this match with nothing to lose, played like a top 8 player and never lost his nerve, even when he missed the odd shot. James, a nephew of the former champion, Stephen Hendry, fell off the tour as a professional and has had to fight his way to the Crucible through the recent World Championship qualifiers. People outside snooker probably wouldn’t have heard of him up to this point and more importantly would view him as another Ronnie casualty. My belief of why Cahill managed to beat O’Sullivan is two fold. James managed t

If you were watching Crucible play yesterday, one would be forgiven for mistaking the day for St George’s Day. Former champions had to literally slay their opponents to remain in the race for the title. Shaun Murphy was first up in morning’s play and  only needed one frame to inflict a 10-0 drubbing on Luo. Murphy didn’t need long to warm up and managed to work his magic in the first frame, leaving Luo thinking he was another Eddie Charlton, painful to watch but a good learning curve for the young, Chinese rookie. The much anticipated match between James Cahill and Ronnie O’Sullivan, didn’t fail to disappoint. Cahill, a nephew of Stephen Hendry and now an amateur on the tour after previously falling off it, took to the game like a duck to water. Ronnie, probably thought he had this session in the bag but James wasn’t having any of it. Ronnie looked dejected and rattled, only playing well in patches and if it hadn’t been for a few errors on Cahill’s part, Ronnie would have been furthe

So after a thrilling second day at the Crucible, several more players found out their fates. For some it was a feeling of exhilaration and for the rest, disappointment. Michael Georgiou put a brave face on his potential whitewash and mustered up the courage to take the first frame of the final session but his light breeze was too weak to conquer the Thunder from Down under, who cruised to victory in the next frame with a 10-1 win. Georgiou should be proud that he won three qualifiers to be at the Crucible and made history by being the first player from Cyprus to take part in the World Championship. Elsewhere, Gary Wilson had a almighty tussle with Luca Brecel, which took the match to a late night decider. After a gruelling tactical battle that resembled a chess match, Wilson managed to climb over the line. Brecel must be kicking himself this morning over his continental breakfast because he clearly had his chances but in my opinion his attacking game ultimately became a thorn in his

So the battle for the Crucible title began in earnest yesterday and play didn’t fail to disappoint. After a shaky start, Mark Williams kicked into gear and saw off the Pinner Potter, Martin Gould over two sessions. Gould played well in spats with a slight fight back towards the end of the match and finally succumbed to last year’s champion, losing 10-6. As the match concluded, so the drama continued and Williams blasted World Snooker in his post match interview for poor treatment over the last twelve months as World Champion, being left off the cover of the new snooker console game and the various vinyls at the. Crucible. Topping this off, his son wasn’t even allowed to give him a high five in his dressing room as World Snooker only issues two back stage passes to players. Aside from the Welsh saga, the other man in form was Neil Robertson. Taking on the former Shootout Champion, Michael Georgiou, Robertson Player as if he was practicing in his local club with balls not touching the

With the World Championship qualifiers out the way and the draw for the tournament held yesterday, snooker fans are in line for a special treat at the Crucible. Beginning tomorrow, the draw has revealed some sizzling matches and the qualifiers have allowed a player from Cyprus, Michael Georgiou and an amateur, James Cahill to compete here for the first time.Such players may br overwhelmed and underachieve or they they may surprise us and shine in this very special environment. With so many great players in the World Championship this year, this is really snooker’s answer to the Grand National. Any player could potentially win the Worlds and there maybe a Terry Griffiths or Joe Johnson in the mix that is able to become the victor. Mouth watering match prospects such as Trump v Un-Nooh, Robertson/ Georgiou, Brecel v Wilson and O’Sullivan against the rookie, James Cahill. Since snooker was first brought by Mike Watterson to the Crucible in 1977, this venue has been a snooker player’s

Yesterday, dubbed as “Judgement Day”, marked the final qualifying day for a place at the World Championship. Probably the cruelest week in the sport, familiar faces would either triumph or crash and burn. With the earlier dispatching of Jimmy White, more casualties had to follow.The likes of Yan Bintao,Kurt Maflin, Robert Mullins,Matthew Stevens, Liang Wenbo and Ben Woolaston, all fell by the wayside, unable to recapture their previous form in the earlier rounds. On the flip side, the likes of Ali Carter, Mark Davis, Graeme Dott, Li Hang, Anthony McGill and Martin Gould, must be very proud of their efforts, clearing the final furlong for their chance to compete for Crucible glory. One such player who deserves a great deal of credit for reaching the Crucible is Mark Davis. Davis, now 46, has never failed to qualify and is one of the players that has defied the age of time to continue to compete at a professional level. Unlike a lot of players who lose their sight and concentration, Da

With Jimmy White losing to Ali Carter in the World Championship qualifiers, some sports journalists and snooker bloggers have begun to contemplate the end of White’s professional career. On paper, it is obvious that Jimmy can’t continue on the tour without the aid of another wildcard or qualifying through the Q School. This is in my opinion are his only options but to write him off , you would have to be a fool. I have been a White fan for many years and have supported him through his career highs and lows. When I attend tournaments, he is always there in the Player’s Lounge. I have never really spoken to him but you can always feel his presence when he walks into a room because for me he is probably one of the best players in snooker history. As a fan, Jimmy’s snooker career has been a frustrating one because I know the calibre of player he is. His rest play and long ball potting skills are immaculate but his attacking play does let him down when in the balls. White will always be h

Watching a live snooker match is an amazing experience but have you ever wondered what goes into making this event possible? World Snooker employs a large team to travel with the tour whose responsibilities include constructing the seating, the stage and building the table or tables for the venue. Rather like an Ikea flat pack, workers have to start from scratch. The venue, most of which are  long established as hosting tournaments, chosen for practicalities, are used for other purposes. It may be a theatre or sports hall and so the team have to set up many days in advance to create the snooker environment required for a match. Teams of staff are used to build the stage on which a seating plan is created, a feat that is not that easy as it has to be constructed safely and able to hold the weight and movement of the audience. As the stage is created so the central table area can be made. Carpet is laid on the floor and electricians and riggers, then create a lighting frame along with

Revered by players in our sport, Paul Hunter was one of the best players that snooker has ever seen but whose life was sadly cut short by cancer. Paul was instantly recognisable for his good looks and flamboyant style, being the only player I have known to play who has managed to play with a hair band and pull it off successfully. Dubbed “ the Beckham of the Baize”, Hunter represented the flair and youth of sportsmen of the time and brought a refreshing sense of fashion to the table. Best known for his three Masters’ titles, Paul made Wembley his home, taking every victory to the wire by winning the deciding frame and managed in his short career to compile 114 centuries and amass £1,535,730 in career prize money. He also managed to pull off a 146 break in the 2004 Premier League. Hunter started his early career as a junior player, winning titles, most importantly the English Doubles Championship, being described as an “outstanding junior talent “.Taken under the wing of Joe Johnson

With only a week now to the start of the World Championship in Sheffield, some of the players on the tour are battling to reach round one of the tournament. Although perhaps not so well known, this stage provides players who are performing less well on the tour or on the brink of crashing out of the 128, the opportunity to prove their skill set and compete over multiple rounds for a chance to play at the Crucible. Gone are the days when these snooker warriors had to travel to Blackpool or Prestatyn and play in booths over several weeks just to get to Sheffield but the danger will always remain that anyone of them could fall at this crucial stumbling block. Round one has been going for several days now and some of the well known faces have been playing well. Ken Doherty, Alan Mcmanus and Jimmy White have all managed to step up to the plate with convincing wins with Ali Carter, Ryan Day and Mark King also joining the winners’ enclosure.Aside from the famous faces, a few lesser known on

One of the biggest things that annoys me when I go to a snooker match is the the lack of self control by some in the audience. The first being the need to get up and leave the room when play is in progress or more importantly when the player is down on the shot. Having just returned from the Crucible, I was amazed how many times this happened during the two sessions. People were openly getting up and clambering across people in the same row to either go to the toilet or the bar. Either these people don’t know the golden rules of watching snooker or they don’t care. They make so much noise and only seem to be interested in achieving their goal I have been attending snooker tournaments for several years now and have recently expanded my travels to places like Cardiff, Berlin and most recently Sheffield. Snooker organisers rarely change the set of the stage and always reinforce house rules before any match starts. The most important rule is to turn your mobile phone off or have it at le

Having never traveled past Wales, my excitement for going to Sheffield began when my I left home. The joy of  being able to experience the atmosphere of the Crucible Theatre is something I can’t describe but to an avid snooker fan, this probably matches the joy of Christmas Day. Arriving in Sheffield I took a taxi to Kenwood Hall, long established as the residence of snooker players when taking part at the Crucible. After checking into my room, which had a four poster bed and a panoramic view. I then decided to explore the grounds that had a lake and an indoor swimming pool. Returning to the foyer, I passed Dennis Taylor and said hello before going out of the front of the hotel, where I witnessed Stephen Hendry, Cliff Thorburn, Joe Johnson and Barry Pinches, jumping into a taxi with their cues. I poked my head in and said. a quick “hello to my friend Joe Johnson before the taxi drove off to the short trip down the hill to the Crucible. Having spruced myself up, I made my way to the

With the World Championship just around the corner, it only seems right to begin to assess the contenders for this prestigious title. With 19 tournaments having been played and Ronnie in his ascendency, O’Sullivan would seem the obvious choice and high likely to be the bookmaker’s favourite to clinch this 17 day marathon title. He has, sadly, outclassed all the other players on the tour when he has entered the 10 tournaments he has played and like a vintage wine has only got better with age. His capability to play different gears, has meant he has been able to outplay the top 16 and even Neil Robertson was unable to shake him off. Ronnie is a snooker machine and is in my opinion better than Reardon, Davis and Hendry in their pomp. This is largely due to being able to conquer age decline and maintain his overall game. A feat that not even the great Joe Davis was able to do. Having mentioned Neil Robertson, it is only right to give him praise for his 11-4 final win in the China Open to

After a recent Facebook post on Cliff Wilson, I was touched by your personal experiences of meeting the great man. So for all those who knew Cliff and those who may have not heard of this great, Welsh player, I am dedicating this blog to his memory and the rightful place he deserves in snooker history. Wilson was a friend and rival of Ray Reardon and grew up in an age of snooker where the sport was classed as a game and was confined to working men’s clubs, seen as a pastime after a hard day’s work by the working class. Cliff who was born and grew up in Tredegar in South Wales His rise in the game came through the amateur circuit, winning the Under 19 tournament in 1952 and the Welsh Amateur Championship in 1956. Unlike other players, Cliff took an unusual path into professional snooker, largely losing interest in the game until the late 1970s. From somewhere that spark was relit and Cliff decided to enter the 1978, IBSF, World Amateur Championship which he subsequently won. This ac

With the China Open drawing to a close, Robertson’s dominance has shone through this competition and he has rarely dropped a frame. At the time of writing this blog, he leads Lisowski 8-1 in the final. Neil seems to have lost that confidence issue with Ronnie off the scene and flourished, showing the form and style of play that we admire him for. In contrast Lisowski looks a shadow of his former self and has up to this point, failed to combat Robertson’s ruthless play. When Jack is allowed in, his play is flat and he is unable to capitalise on Robertson’s occasional errors. Unfortunately when your game is an attacking style of play, you are more susceptible to making mistakes. It is a shame that Lisowski currently plays this way because I am a great fan of his. Like a car running out of petrol, he always falls short of the winning line and uses up his best play before the final. I would definitely say he has a confidence issue because no matter who he plays in the final, his winnin

When you think of the country Iceland, you wouldn’t instantly associate it with snooker. However one of my Icelandic readers alerted me yesterday that the sport was very popular in the country in the 1980s. Reykjavik still has still two snooker clubs but the sport is largely now watched as an armchair fan on Eurosport. He also pointed out to me that Iceland has a very good snooker player who was briefly on the professional tour. His name is Kristján Helgason. Despite having over thirty years knowledge of the game, this is not a player I have ever heard of. So to write this blog, I had to do some research to find out more about Kristján. Now 44 years old, Helgason turned professional in 1995 and had two brief periods on the main tour between 1995-7 and 19998-2004. His highest break is 130 and he has made 25 career centuries with a highest ranking of 66, making £87,070 in career earnings. Kristján’s winning streak has been on the amateur circuit with multiple wins in the Icela

One of the greatest spats that occurred in snooker history was between my friend Alain Robidoux and Ronnie O’Sullivan. It occurred in 1996 at the World Championship. Ronnie, a then young whipper snapper at 19, trounced Alain in the match, winning 10-3. However beyond the win, a spat occurred when Ronnie decided to take a number of shots left handed. Robidoux criticised O’Sullivan after the match for being “disrespectful”. Ronnie hit back at Alain saying “if he wants to act like a baby that’s up to him” adding “ the crowd enjoyed it, that’s the main thing”. This was probably the first time that a player had dared to take multiple shots left handed and led to players attempting the same feat. Perhaps this wouldn’t have been become a regular occurrence if this hadn’t of happened. This snooker bust up led to Alain refusing to shake Ronnie’s hand at the end of the match. Robidoux later explained his actions saying “Ronnie was being disrespectful to his fellow professionals and should sa

With snooker becoming a major force in the world of sport, it is only right that I dedicate a blog to snooker globally. Much is known about snooker in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland but what about the sport outside our shores? If we travel across the English Channel, France doesn’t seem interested in snooker and hasn’t hosted any tournaments since the heady days of the 1980s. Moving to its neighbour Germany, I have said in a previous blog that it has a massive fan base, one of the best tournaments on the calendar, the German Open and few snooker clubs within and outside Berlin. Ex Communist states as Latvia and Bulgaria also appreciate the game but have lost their televised events due to the pressures of increasing the snooker calendar and with Norway producing Anita and Kurt Maflin, there is little play of the sport anywhere else in Central Europe barring Malta that hasn’t produced a major player since Tony Drago. Moving to the Middle East, snooker hasn’t been big