Shooting from the Hip
The Snooker Shootout has become a regular event on the snooker tour calendar with past winners including Nigel Bond, Michael Georgiou and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. The Watford based tournament is fast and frenetic as all 128 players are pitched against each other in a hybrid form of snooker and pool that attracts a noisy audience and produces an unexpected winner at the end of the few days played. The creation of this tournament has attracted praise and criticism, especially with the recent addition of it being classed as a ranking event with valuable points attached to the winner. Born out of the Pot Black and Power Snooker formats, the Shootout has managed to survive and has prevented the other two from making a comeback. As excitement builds for this competition next week, I would like to argue the case for this fixture and why it should remain part of the calendar.
Having been a snooker fan for over thirty years, I have seen many changes in snooker with players and tournaments crash and burn. The Shootout is in my opinion is vital because it provides all of the players on the tour the opportunity to showcase their skills and if they win it, they receive probably their biggest pay cheque and the opportunity to play in the Champion of Champions. unlike other events on the tour, you don't have to go through the arduous task of having to qualify to play in the Shootout and it definitely provides a welcoming break, no pun intended!, to the traditional form of snooker played throughout the year. With added quirks of a shot clock, the task of becoming the overall winner is no mean feat with a player having to win seven matches to win the tittle and lift the trophy.
I also like the fact that this event has incorporated the ladies into the competition with the audience being able to see the likes of Reanne Evans and Emma Parker for the first time. An addition that is vital for making snooker an inclusive sport. The women's receives very little media coverage and despite lobbying by myself, their tour is still not televised. When pressed on why this was the was the case, I received the paltry response "that no one would watch it", a comment that that I not only deplore but that is contradiction to the successful part that women have played in the Snooker Shootout. Added to this is the chance for the winner of the Seniors at the Crucible, to also take part with Jimmy White being the first player. This of course hasn't had much impact on this occasion as Jimmy still plays on the main tour but could be very beneficial to future winners with the likes of Tony Drago, Michael Judge or even Stephen Hendry having the chance to play in front of the television cameras again.
The Shootout has surged since its creation in 2011 and has now reached a larger European audience with its transfer from ITV4 to Eurosport. I believe Eurosport does command the voice of snooker now and the Shootout is in good hands as it progresses forward in future years. My campaign to bring back Pot Black fell on deaf ears but the Shootout does retain a small piece of this bygone snooker challenge. Perhaps not my intended event at first, this fast and furious has grown on slowly but I must admit, I do find it hard to concentrate with the baying darts' style audience that attend the matches with the volume definitely increasing as the final approaches.
The Shootout has now been incorporated into the BetVictor series with this being the third event of the series and comes with an attractive £150,000 bonus available for the player who tops the ranking list which runs across these four events. This has meant that more top players have decided to take part in this event with Ronnie O'Sullivan confirming that he will take place this year. This will top attraction name will be definitely put a smile on the event organiser's face as ticket sales are to be sure to surge as the general public clamber to get a chance to see their favourite player live. A new app created by the World Snooker Tour will also be vital for the avid snooker fan who may be unable to watch one of these matches and now can get all the latest scores, match clips and news from the Shootout and other snooker tournaments on the tour on your mobile phone.
Perhaps this may not be snooker as we know it as it definitely lends its ear to a pantomime style but for some reason it is infectious and rather like an episode of Love Island, you can't stop watching it. The main thing to say about the Snooker Shootout is that it is light hearted and fun and it promotes a message that everyone gets a chance and any player can win, providing you take part. This may not be an atmosphere that suits all players and some may be left literally standing as their opponent dominates the baize. This may be a two second appearance for one player and their longest run for another. Opportunity engulfs the Watford Coliseum and for past winners such as Georgiou and Un-Nooh, this has been vital in boosting their stature and potential earnings in the sport.
Having been a snooker fan for over thirty years, I have seen many changes in snooker with players and tournaments crash and burn. The Shootout is in my opinion is vital because it provides all of the players on the tour the opportunity to showcase their skills and if they win it, they receive probably their biggest pay cheque and the opportunity to play in the Champion of Champions. unlike other events on the tour, you don't have to go through the arduous task of having to qualify to play in the Shootout and it definitely provides a welcoming break, no pun intended!, to the traditional form of snooker played throughout the year. With added quirks of a shot clock, the task of becoming the overall winner is no mean feat with a player having to win seven matches to win the tittle and lift the trophy.
I also like the fact that this event has incorporated the ladies into the competition with the audience being able to see the likes of Reanne Evans and Emma Parker for the first time. An addition that is vital for making snooker an inclusive sport. The women's receives very little media coverage and despite lobbying by myself, their tour is still not televised. When pressed on why this was the was the case, I received the paltry response "that no one would watch it", a comment that that I not only deplore but that is contradiction to the successful part that women have played in the Snooker Shootout. Added to this is the chance for the winner of the Seniors at the Crucible, to also take part with Jimmy White being the first player. This of course hasn't had much impact on this occasion as Jimmy still plays on the main tour but could be very beneficial to future winners with the likes of Tony Drago, Michael Judge or even Stephen Hendry having the chance to play in front of the television cameras again.
The Shootout has surged since its creation in 2011 and has now reached a larger European audience with its transfer from ITV4 to Eurosport. I believe Eurosport does command the voice of snooker now and the Shootout is in good hands as it progresses forward in future years. My campaign to bring back Pot Black fell on deaf ears but the Shootout does retain a small piece of this bygone snooker challenge. Perhaps not my intended event at first, this fast and furious has grown on slowly but I must admit, I do find it hard to concentrate with the baying darts' style audience that attend the matches with the volume definitely increasing as the final approaches.
The Shootout has now been incorporated into the BetVictor series with this being the third event of the series and comes with an attractive £150,000 bonus available for the player who tops the ranking list which runs across these four events. This has meant that more top players have decided to take part in this event with Ronnie O'Sullivan confirming that he will take place this year. This will top attraction name will be definitely put a smile on the event organiser's face as ticket sales are to be sure to surge as the general public clamber to get a chance to see their favourite player live. A new app created by the World Snooker Tour will also be vital for the avid snooker fan who may be unable to watch one of these matches and now can get all the latest scores, match clips and news from the Shootout and other snooker tournaments on the tour on your mobile phone.
Perhaps this may not be snooker as we know it as it definitely lends its ear to a pantomime style but for some reason it is infectious and rather like an episode of Love Island, you can't stop watching it. The main thing to say about the Snooker Shootout is that it is light hearted and fun and it promotes a message that everyone gets a chance and any player can win, providing you take part. This may not be an atmosphere that suits all players and some may be left literally standing as their opponent dominates the baize. This may be a two second appearance for one player and their longest run for another. Opportunity engulfs the Watford Coliseum and for past winners such as Georgiou and Un-Nooh, this has been vital in boosting their stature and potential earnings in the sport.
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