Snooker Loopy

Snooker has been living in the wilderness since the start of the Corona virus pandemic. However after  a lengthy darkness, the sun is at last rising on televised snooker. With the government announcement that non contact sport can resume, The World Snooker Tour has made a bold step by dipping its toe in the water and holding The Championship League. Moving the venue to Milton Keynes, this tournament is a perfect way to kickstart the sport and bring some form of normality back to the green baize. This is a strange situation for snooker fans who haven’t heard the clink of snooker balls stop since the war years and the Gibraltar Open has shown that snooker can be successful even if an audience isn’t present behind closed doors. Stringent measures have of course had to be put in place to even get snooker out of a locked cupboard and this includes a self isolating bubble for players, mass testing for all involved and have to stay for the course of the event and in one hotel. Even the comm

“The melting pot of ideas” Introduction Nestled in the middle of the bustling city of Sheffield, lies the Crucible Theatre. A building that has become a bastion of Yorkshire culture, the building has inhabited the main square since 1971. Often referred to as “The Crucible “, the building has hosted many plays and musicals and some sports including snooker’s World Championship since Mike Watterson’s wife went to a play at the theatre and told her husband that it would be a great place to hold future tournaments and the rest is history! Situated just off Norfolk Street, the building is instantly recognisable with its rectangular structure, bright facade and bold signage. When you arrive at The Crucible, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and leaves you with a lasting memory. The Early Years The Crucible Theatre was built by M J Gleeson, a building company that specialises in urban regeneration. Constructed to replace the Playhouse Repertory Theatre in neighbouri

Cliff Thorburn is one of the most recognised faces in snooker, a man who started as a hustler in Canadian pool halls, Cliff made the courageous decision to find fame and fortune in the United Kingdom. Travelling with Kirk Stevens and Bill Werbeniuk, the “Grinder” as he affectionately became known, went on to win the 1980 World Championship, beating Alex Higgins, 18-16 and achieved a memorable 147 and the Crucible in 1983. He also won the Masters three times.This Canadian trailblazer has over time been able to adapt to the changing game and has gone to be part of the Legends and now World Seniors snooker tour. Memorably, Thorburn was the last person to play Alex Higgins before his untimely demise. Recently Cliff has branched out onto social media, creating his own Facebook page. Thorburn was born in the same year as my Mother, 1948 and so this must have been daunting for a 72 year old but I have been very impressed with how he has adapted to using the phenomenon of social interaction