6.2.09

POOR SCORES

I'm not in Prestatyn today for the Welsh Open qualifiers but am very interested in the matches, not least Jimmy White v Ken Doherty.

As I've said many times before, this should be on a webcam. The best way to promote snooker is to have people watch it, not pointless PR schemes that cost fortunes.

However, not only is the match not being streamed, we can't even follow worldsnooker.com's live scoring because, farcically, it doesn't work.

This is not the fault of the tournament staff, who work hard at Pontin's to run the qualifiers.

The governing body has been told countless times by them that the whole system needs to be overhauled and invested in to prevent this happening at every tournament.

Snooker's public image is low at the moment, indeed lower than it's been for some time. This is not the result of one big thing but a 100 small things, of which this is one.

I can honestly say that I get more emails from frustrated snooker fans about the failure of live scoring than anything else.

Thank goodness for Global Snooker Centre.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Correct! Why on earth they made a new homepage of Worldsnooker anyway-old page was working far better and was with logical buildup.

Anonymous said...

We have a first stage proposal with World Snooker about the potential of streaming the qualifiers. It is an untapped market as you rightly state.

Dave H said...

That's interesting, Pete. Good luck with it.

Anonymous said...

Wow...imagine watching Jimmy and Ken right now. I'd gladly pay. And putting up a camera is dirt cheap. Why oh why...

Anonymous said...

Ther eis a webcam hanging over table 1, which GSC utilises on other events, as we do a lot of broadcasting from Pontin's, together with our own cameras.

However due to copyright issues/ownership, eg bbc. we are not allowed to broadcast out any of the wsa qualifying matches.

We did once capture a 130 break by Jimmy White which we put on GSC for the fans to see. But that was followed by a call from World Snooker asking us to remove it.

Anonymous said...

Well Done Rodney!

Anonymous said...

David;

This is always going to be a point of discussion amongst dis-gruntled fans.

I have just been watching the semi-final action online from the Welsh International Open Bowls via 247.tv.

They provide coverage of all the major world ranking events on the World Bowls Tour for a minimal fee plus, the option to purchase downloads and DVD's.

With the serious lack of covearge bowls on TV these days, this has been a fantastic service for fans to follow the major championships and one that World Snooker should carefully consider ahead of the 2009/2010 qualifiers.

Especially in the words of the BBC's Hazel Irivine recently, the qualifiers itself is like a mini World Championship.

Ryan

Anonymous said...

if all the folk that emailed you emailed world snooker and also got others on snooker websites to do so then that would be a more direct form of complaining.

i wouldnt email John Virgo about live scoring, or The Suns snooker person, id email WS, not you. each to their own i guess..

Dave H said...

Well actually since my earlier post they are now manually updating scores on their homepage, so it may have had an effect

Anonymous said...

i doubt it. they are always a disaster and its far from the first time theyve been highlighted on here or elsewhere, though i do support you complaining if you do, or voicing other folks complaints....still think folk should actually complain to those getting it wrong and not you (unless they speciafically do both). just my opinion. nothing against you or the jobs you do which are on a whole much better than average imo

Anonymous said...

To be fair to WS they are at least trying to do livescoring and it works most of the time.
GSC are good for putting frame scores, but livescoring is much better when it works.

Also, I don't understand why the BBC are bothered about the use of live streaming in the qualifiers. Surely anything that makes snooker more accommodating is good for them. If people get to see the players in the qualifiers, they get to know them and be more interested when the reach tv stages.

Anonymous said...

to be fair to WS they have been trying and not doing very well at it for far too long! (and that is being polite!)

that is a general opinion held by the high majority of users on various snooker website forums ive been a member of for years

Anonymous said...

Then the question is: Would you prefer a malfunctioning livescoring or no livescoring at all?

I'd prefer the former. I just hope one day it becomes reliable... and WS definitely need to do something if they are to be taken more seriously.

Anonymous said...

Supaselby

I think you'll find that world bowls tour are in to this kind of thing because they are a seperate body, the professional branch (although unconnected) of world bowls. So they are showing a bit of innovation.

Anonymous said...

Then the question is: Would you prefer a malfunctioning livescoring or no livescoring at all?
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the answer is neither!

id prefer for them to actaully make work the scoring theyve been trying to make work for "years" which other people in other sports websites can do easily

Anonymous said...

Then the question is: Would you prefer a malfunctioning livescoring or no livescoring at all?
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the answer is neither!

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I think you missed the point of my question.

Anonymous said...

think what you like. i never. thats why i answered it correctly and honestly.

i told you given that choice id rather have neither. that is correct, honest and my truthful opinion, so, as i said, i never.