DRESSED FOR SUCCESS?

Here’s a hardy perennial: should snooker’s dress code change?

This argument comes up every so often and most people have an opinion, even though it seems, on the surface, to be an entirely pointless debate.

Why?

Because does anyone really think snooker’s fortunes would pick up if we ditched the waistcoats?

And does anyone really think millions of TV viewers would turn off if players wore T-shirts instead of bowties?

I suppose I’m a traditionalist of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ school of thought.

Waistcoats and bowties have been around forever, since the age of Joe Davis and are the identifiable dress of professional snooker players.

Young kids in junior tournaments wear them to emulate their heroes.

Changing the dress code may look like a desperate bit of cosmetic tinkering when there are bigger problems to face.

However, this doesn’t not mean it should not be considered.

All sports evolve in all sorts of ways. In cricket Test matches, whites are still worn but in one day and 20/20 all manner of colours are favoured.

I was in something of a minority in approving of World Snooker’s experiment at the 2002 British Open where they had one player wearing a red shirt and one a blue shirt.

It gave the event some identity but nobody could accuse them of trampling over snooker’s traditions.

However, the later decision to dispense with bowties was a mistake. Because players still wore waistcoats and shirts it merely made most of them look scruffy.

In the Premier League, players have in the past worn T-shirts and it helped give this unique event its own identity.

But do we really want to see a player holding the World Championship trophy aloft at the Crucible in a T-shirt?

The current Premier League and new Championship League may have it about right if you are looking for a compromise. Here, players wear smart shirts and trousers. No waistcoats, no bowties.

Of course, it is a fact of life that some people look good in just about any attire and some do not. There are very few ugly models and this is obviously no accident.

Could a change in clothing freshen up snooker’s appeal?

Possibly. But at the end of the day, the sport’s success rests on the game itself.

Snooker fans ultimately care only for what happens on the table. Ensuring there is plenty of this for them to watch should be the main priority.