Sir Rodney Walker will not now be taking part in the BBC Radio 5 Live 'State of Snooker' discussion programme next Tuesday.
Apparently he has to attend a dinner instead.
I think this probably says more about the state of snooker than anything he would have said on the programme.
Be sure to put the boot in while he's not there to defend himself then Dave. He's asked for it well and truely!
ReplyDeleteIf the Chairman of World Snooker isn't available to take part in a national radio feature on snooker with a weeks notice then he shouldn't be in the job. This has made me angry! Get him sacked and the sooner the better.
The BBC say they'd booked him. World Snooker say he knew nothing about it.
ReplyDeleteEither way, how many times a year does snooker get 45 minutes of prime time radio devoted to it?
Answer - never.
Walker should put down his knife and fork and appear on the programme.
I won't be appearing if he doesn't.
Why not? Like me you are clearly frustrated but you have the airwaves at your mercy to publically air your grievances and if you don't appear then it's an opportunity missed to put the boot in and who knows if they'll ever reschedule?
ReplyDeleteThat's how I see things anyway. If a dinner is more important than doing your job at the head of an organization and appearing on a national medium like radio then you don't deserve to be in the job.
Is he running scared of people like you Dave do you think?
I don't have any grievances. I have questions I would like to ask the chairman but this will be impossible now unless I get a last minute invite to his dinner.
ReplyDeleteHowever fear not - Clive is going on the show.
this is shamefull and ill be writing to the WSA Asking for the resignation of this pathetic man.
ReplyDeleteyou eat every day you can get many invertations to dinner every week.
this was 1 dinner he should give a miss.
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteRadio5 Live do a rather good job with the FA now when England are playing, by inviting Adrian Beverington, head of press at the FA, to come on preview shows and talk with national football journalists. It works rather well.
Is this not the opportunity then to get a chief press officer at the WSA to stand in for Walker? Surely, they're all singing from the same hymn sheet aren't they or, have they laid all the staff off in Bristol?
Thanks, Joe
I wonder if I'll get to go???
ReplyDeleteWell, that is pathetic ONCE AGAIN from World Snooker. I'm glad Clive will be there, and I hope Dave, as one of the best snooker journalists today, I hope you'll be there to Dave. I would have looked forward to listening to the question and answers between Rodney and others, it's so poor what he has done. Who cares about dinner. In other words, chicken and chips is more important than the sport he is in charge of, WORLDWIDE.
ReplyDeleteSir Rodders will send his lap dog instead, a Scotch poodle if I'm not mistaken
ReplyDeletedisapointing that he cant be bothered to try and justify his policies and achievemants infront of quite possibly a bit of hostilities..
ReplyDeleteGutless is what Rodney Walker is.
I'm told the guests will now be:
ReplyDeleteLee Doyle (WPBSA board member)
Steve Davis
Mark Selby
Matthew Syed
Clive Everton
I'm sure it will still be an interesting discussion but not as interesting as it would have been had the man running snooker been on the programme
Anon at 5:59. You're right, he can't be bothered. EXACTLY.
ReplyDeleteWith 'Sir' Rodney not there, myself, Sammy, 'Anon at 5:59' and Donald Duck might as well go.
What about you Dave?
ReplyDeleteNo I'm not going anywhere near it, but I'm sure Clive will make many of the points I would have done.
ReplyDeleteThat is a shame Dave. Why don't you take part, may I ask?
ReplyDeleteI agreed to participate based on the assumption I could question the WPBSA chairman and this is no longer possible.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think I might invite Sir Rodney to take part in a podcast.
I will try and arrange it for a time at which he is not eating.
Great news, I hope he does a podcast!
ReplyDeleteLOL@'WHEN HE IS NOT EATING', PURE CLASS!!!:D
from what i know of Lee Doyle although a board member he doesent exactly sing from the same hymne book as Rodney.
ReplyDeleteits good to have a current player involved in Mark Selby ...at least the BBC gave him a invite hahaha
but youre right i wanted to here what Rodney got to say in response to questions. very disapointing.
dave
ReplyDeletemake sure he hasent got a full mouth of food when you interview him on podcast...
hearing him chew will be good for nothing lol
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteWell, since the line-up has now be confirmed, I really hope that this 'chat' doesn't turn into a boring farce, where everyone agrees about everything, or so they so, but can't be bothered to have an argument.
No offence to Mr Doyle, but most people know his father more so than him. Couldn't they have got Ebdon on (or is he still having problems?)
I know Davis will probably chat about the impending position he is about to take as head of the new players association, but where is Mooney/Hearn to talk about the world series/matchroom events, which are sure to brought to the table?
I really hope some good points come out of this and not what we already know. Snooker's hierachy have turned the game into the equivalent of the MCC - don't let it get worse...
Thanks, Joe
Rodney, you plonker.
ReplyDelete"No offence to Mr Doyle, but most people know his father more so than him. Couldn't they have got Ebdon on (or is he still having problems?)"
ReplyDeletemate its a where does snooker go from here debate not spot the celebrity or the well known faces in the crowd compatition.
it doesent matter if the face of the teletubies are on the panel aslong as they know what theire talking about and talk sense.
rodney is going to dinner at DAVE HENDONS house, hence why they are both now not appearing.
ReplyDelete;)
also, this has now made dave ever so close to 1000.....
ReplyDeleteThis story by Dave was his 999th blog post!
ReplyDeleteC'MON DAVE!!!!! :D WOOOOO!!!!!
Post 1000 should be about Snooker on the Internet I think.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with the Sport Betting thing on the side?
well done chris. i already "said as much"
ReplyDelete@Sammy
ReplyDeleteThe sports betting ad must be for the Scottish snooker fraternity.
What an utter joke! It's little surprise that snooker is f***in struggling when the top-bod shies away from an open discussion.
ReplyDeleteThe sport is as good as dead. If the BBC pull out [which they will] then it's back to snorting chalk dust in basement billiard halls.
I feel sorry for all the young talent that's coming through.
Where is Sir Rodney eating?
ReplyDeleteA good kebab isn't to be refused....regardless who's picking up the tab (extra red onion on mine).
The Golden Chopsticks. Romford.
ReplyDeletemate The BBC Need Snooker for viewing figures as much as Snooker needs the BBC.
ReplyDeletethey wont and cant afford to pull out if only for thoes 2 weeks in april early may.
Bank Holiday monday of the final alone is worth them sticking wirh Snooker.
Matt Syed eh?
ReplyDeleteNobody can dispute that he was a fine table tennis player.
Well I'd be interested to hear what Lee Doyble has to say.
ReplyDeleteI've know Lee for more years than I care to remember, and he doesn't mince his words.
He's sharp and he's straight.
I think he'd find it hard to "dodge" round questions and would be more likely to meet them head on.
Although how he can defend the indefensible is another matter!
yes Lee Doyle is like that.
ReplyDeletehowever id have loved to have Lee and Walker there because it would show the contrast that is actually withing the WSA.
i think Lee is a important cog in the WSA because i believe without him it would be even more shambolic than it is at the moment.
Walker should be on there, it's his job to promote the game and it's incompetence if he can't take the opportunity to appear, even if it's by telephone from his dinner engagement I don't see why he can't do that.
ReplyDeleteDave, where's this podcast with Clive you keep talking about?
The man is an imbacile. I hope he gets Delhi belly following his important dinner date. He doesn't look like he dodges many dinners to me.
ReplyDeletewhatever the rights or wrong of his decision i still dont think daves blog is the place to come on and slagging the man for being overweight.
ReplyDeleteJanie says:
ReplyDelete"Well I'd be interested to hear what Lee Doyble has to say.
I've know Lee for more years than I care to remember, and he doesn't mince his words.
He's sharp and he's straight.
I think he'd find it hard to "dodge" round questions and would be more likely to meet them head on.
Although how he can defend the indefensible is another matter!"
... and you were once on his payroll and you are probably supportive of him because of your relationship with world snooker.
sharp and straight are two words many snooker players would not associate with 'son of' (who some reckons is a cog, while others would replace the 'g' with 'ck')
the little carve up going on regarding internet access between different parties might make you see things differently in the near future
or maybe not
whatever the rights or wrong of his decision i still dont think daves blog is the place to come on and slagging the man for being overweight.
ReplyDelete10:37 AM
I'm simply pointing out that he isn't quite as perfect as he obviously believes himself to be.
Matthew Syed loves the sound of his own voice. Add to that his personal animosity towards a former board member (Peter Ebdon) and you hardly have an independent viewpoint, notwithstanding his lack of understanding of the game. Being British no.1 at ping pong does not make you an authority on snooker.
ReplyDelete11:29
ReplyDeletei dont think you have any right to say he believes himself to be perfect, or close to, and i dont think that mentioning him being overweight in an "attacking" comment has to do with him thinking he is perfect, if indeed he thinks he is or thinks he is close to.
again, deflecting the issue.
you dont need to call him overweight when dissing him is what i was saying.
i know he is far from perfect, WRT WS issues, but that doesnt make it correct to slag off him being larger than average IMHO, especially on Daves blog.
i think that sort of comment is more appropriate in downmarket snooker forums.
Obviously Sir Rodney's waistline is not the issue
ReplyDelete... but Sir Rodney's waste is an issue
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't think that anybody who likes his dinners more than his snooker should be in charge of the game.
ReplyDeletepersonally i am not judging, as for all i know its a very very special personal family occasion which he has agreed to long ago only to be double booked afterwards for the radio.
ReplyDeleteif i was at a special family dinner and my work, no matter how important my role was, was called upon, id put my family commitments, if i arranged them beforehand, first.
I'd like to think my family would let me go and do the interview because it's pretty big. Just out of interest Dave do you know what dinner he's attending, i'm presuming it's not family.
ReplyDeleteAnd great to see they have Mr Personality on the show in Mark Selby. Thought the beeb might have learnt from his interview on Radio 2 a while back that he's not gifted in the media dept.
nobody is saying "family" would not let anyone go, be it me or him or anyone.
ReplyDeletei would put my family before my work, especially if id made arrangements with them beforehand.
i am glad Selby is there and not someone only picked because they are good with the media.
ReplyDeleteLatest update: the BBC aren't going to use Clive after all, presumably because he might actually say something of interest (in other words it might upset World Snooker)
ReplyDeleteid still rather have you there Dave than clive so i dont see that as any loss really (though i am sure loads reading here may disagree).
ReplyDeleteta for the update
So the current line-up for the discussion will be:
ReplyDeleteLee Doyle (WPBSA board member)
Steve Davis
Mark Selby
Matthew Syed
What is the point? None of the top 3 snooker journalists are appearing, and the most significant person from the WPBSA is otherwise engaged. Absolutely nothing of interest will emerge - yet another wasted opportunity!
the point is "discussion", obviously.
ReplyDeletei didnt know it was only worthwhile if top journalists were present.
ok its diluted due to rods engagement, but i dont see it doing any harm. if it does no good, then so be it, but its a decent "start point" IMHO
I think they should bring in Alex Higgins for his thoughts on the matter, that would get the listeners in. Maybe he could finish it by having a punch up with Steve.
ReplyDeleteAlex Higgins would make superb listening. He has opinions and his input would be invaluable. There are just no characters in the game any more.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there are no journalists other than those who write for snooker scene
ReplyDelete