29.10.09

LEGENDS PREPARE FOR BATTLE

The eight players who comprise the field for the upcoming 110sport Legends event have between them won 180 professional titles.

These range from the World Championship all the way down to the one frame Pot Black, with all manner of weird and wonderful events in between, the vast majority no longer still going.

Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, Cliff Thorburn, Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, Tony Knowles, Nigel Bond and Tony Drago have between them appeared in 286 finals.

Of course, there are two types of player in this event: those who are still playing professionally and those returning to the limelight after a few years under the radar.

Thorburn still plays exhibitions and coaches in his native Canada. You can bet the ‘Grinder’ will be fully prepared for this weekend’s action.

Higgins also plays on the exhibition circuit, usually with White, and will be hoping to do better than in his last competitive outing in the Irish Professional Championship two years when he was beaten 5-0 by Fergal O’Brien.

Knowles plays in the World Championship qualifiers every year and last season won a couple of matches.

The action will be available to view on 110sport.tv next week.

Don’t think this is just an exercise in nostalgia. Although form deteriorates with age, pride of performance does not.

For those who got into snooker through the TV boom of the 1980s, this will be like going back in time.

When Thorburn played Higgins in the 1980 final you could have described the internet to someone and they would have assumed you were either mad or drunk or possibly both. This was in an age in which there were only three British television channels.

Some of the faces may be a little weathered now but the names remain legendary.

Seniors snooker has been talked of for many years but it is now finally here and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the players who built the game as we know it now doing battle once again.

18 comments:

RichP said...

Are you commentating on this Dave? you seem to be plugging it quite a bit. Shame sponsors werem't more interested in this event.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave, why no Steve Davis? Alpha

jamie brannon said...

Off topic, but just been watching a video on the BBC Sport website talking about snooker's future. Steve Davis talks about the UK players dominating has perhaps been to the game's detriment. I agree that more countries with players on the main tour would be beneficial in terms of getting more people watching worldwide as Ding did that in China and Wattana in Thailand. However, for people who are into snooker already would it make much difference as we are getting top class snooker and does it matter if a lot of the world's best are from the UK? Or do you think a situation where there are just two or three UK hopeful's in a World Championship as then we will get more fanatical in our support for a player like when people support Andy Murray at Wimbledon?

Anonymous said...

Is this free to view on 110 sport?

Anonymous said...

3:27

the idea is to comment on the blog posted and not just randomly wherever you can be bothered.

Anonymous said...

Could't they persuade the likes of Thorne or Virgo, or perhaps Neal Foulds and Dennis Taylor, rather than Hendry, Doherty and Bond, players who are still very much in the public eye?

Also, bring back Kirk Stevens!

Anonymous said...

Jamie why not do your own blog?
Dave does a blog and guess whose on the case with a 1000 word essay give it a rest yoof ;)

Anonymous said...

4:45

Perhaps there should be a Q&A post for all things like that then

Anonymous said...

6:59

i am sure dave would appreciate appropriate contact with suggestions to improve his blog instead of random posts in here, but i suspect you already knew this when you posted it and guess what, you got the reaction. well done.

Anonymous said...

we have www.thesnookerforum.com for this, you know.

Anonymous said...

we?

i dont like that website.

i like reading daves blogs.
he is a good commentator
his blogs are usually well thought out

i occasionally like to post on topic about particular blogs

i hate checking regularly only to find folk asking dave what time it is in a blog about ali carter, or something equally as stupid.

thanks for your suggestion though.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know what Dennis Taylor was supposed to have said which has caused the BBC to look at?

Anonymous said...

Are you going to keep the event "spoiler free" until it has been shown on 110sport.tv?

Anonymous said...

I think what you are refering to is something John Virgo said during the final of the grand prix. He said that Ding had a "chink in his armour" an unfortune phase but surely not racism.

Anonymous said...

Here is the link http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/john-virgo-in-new-bbc-race-gaffe-over-chinese-player-with-chink-in-his-armour-1911663.html

Anonymous said...

5:45PM Dennis said hes had enough....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhPxDI9Fjg&videos=ABcviBvAc6o&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1

Dana said...

snooker is no more sport for people - there are plenty of events now without broadcasts, without streams, even without live scorings - stupid, nothing from Snooker Legends,nothing from One for 7, nothing from ProAm, nothing from ProChallenge. Do they think snooker doesn't need viewers. then don't be surprised that snooker is dying - it's really stupid idea that any sport don't need viewers

Dave H said...

All these things cost money, they don't just happen by magic