Mark Williams was the champion at the German Masters and fair play to him for emerging victorious from a fascinating tactical duel with Mark Selby, 9-7 in Berlin this evening.
But the real winner was snooker. To see the capacity crowd at the Tempodrom standing as one to applaud the players was a wonderful sight.
Even Williams, generally an irreverent character with a deadpan sense of humour, was visibly moved by the ovation.
The German supporters were the real stars of this tournament. They turned out in huge numbers and were respectful throughout.
Yes, they have their favourite players but they are primarily fans of the game and Williams was entirely right to commend them after his victory.
What an exciting evening's snooker it was, full of twists and turns, drama and intrigue.
And it brought the curtain down on an excellent week for the sport. 2011 has started with the first all-Asian final at a major tournament, the fun of the Shootout and now this superb German event.
Clearly Germany's snooker boom was no myth. Without wishing to look backwards, it is astonishing this interest was not harnessed sooner.
Germany can sustain a couple of major events per season in the future and the interest extends across much of the rest of the continent, all of which bodes well for the game in the coming years.
The fact is this: snooker should be played where people want to watch it. Interest has declined in the UK since the boom years but there is a big world out there and continental Europe is a market yet to be properly tapped.
So thank you to the Berlin crowd for the way they proved that there is plenty of life left in this great sport.
It was dramatic, it was memorable and, in the end, it was surprisingly emotional.
After years of going nowhere the game is on the up again.
6.2.11
ON YOUR MARKS...
Who wins the German Masters scarcely matters when set against the main function of the week: to showcase the huge interest that exists in Germany and thus build on it in future years.
As it happens, though, the final could be a cracker. It pits Mark Williams v Mark Selby.
Williams is one of snooker's all time greats. An ex-world, UK and Masters champion and former world no.1, the left-hander is chasing his 18th ranking title.
Selby, though rightly regarded as a world class competitor, is appearing in only his fourth ranking final and his first since winning the 2008 Welsh Open, his only ranking title.
Williams once beat Selby 9-0 but that was many years ago and their Berlin final will surely be closer, although I'd make Williams favourite.
The Welshman has taken nonchalance to a new level this week. Watching Williams you'd think he was down the club and this very approach is one of the reasons he remains so dangerous.
A formidable potter, Williams seems to enter every frame with the same attitude, regardless of what has happened in the match.
His China Open victory last season proved he was back to something towards his best and he's been brilliant this week in Berlin, justifying his status as a returning member of the top four.
Selby's only real problem seems to be going too negative when, in fact, he's at his best when going for his shots. To win, he mustn't allow himself to get bogged down because Williams can scrap it out with the best of them.
The 2,500 capacity crowd surely deserve a classic final and these two are capable of producing one.
Let's hope they do just that.
As it happens, though, the final could be a cracker. It pits Mark Williams v Mark Selby.
Williams is one of snooker's all time greats. An ex-world, UK and Masters champion and former world no.1, the left-hander is chasing his 18th ranking title.
Selby, though rightly regarded as a world class competitor, is appearing in only his fourth ranking final and his first since winning the 2008 Welsh Open, his only ranking title.
Williams once beat Selby 9-0 but that was many years ago and their Berlin final will surely be closer, although I'd make Williams favourite.
The Welshman has taken nonchalance to a new level this week. Watching Williams you'd think he was down the club and this very approach is one of the reasons he remains so dangerous.
A formidable potter, Williams seems to enter every frame with the same attitude, regardless of what has happened in the match.
His China Open victory last season proved he was back to something towards his best and he's been brilliant this week in Berlin, justifying his status as a returning member of the top four.
Selby's only real problem seems to be going too negative when, in fact, he's at his best when going for his shots. To win, he mustn't allow himself to get bogged down because Williams can scrap it out with the best of them.
The 2,500 capacity crowd surely deserve a classic final and these two are capable of producing one.
Let's hope they do just that.
5.2.11
HITTING THE MARK
Mark Williams reached the UK Championship final a few weeks ago without really hitting the heights until the end of his semi-final against Shaun Murphy but was superb last night in beating Dominic Dale 5-2.
A huge crowd witnessed the twice world champion run through the first two frames in 20 minutes, notch up his 250th career century and eventually ease to the line.
Williams's great run towards becoming world champion in some ways began in Germany. He was runner-up to John Parrott in the 1998 German Masters in Bingen, won the Irish Open the next week, then the Welsh and Thailand titles, was runner-up at the Crucible and the following year lifted the biggest snooker crown of them all.
His game is back, his confidence is back and that makes him very difficult to beat.
Two Joes have returned to form after failing to do much of late.
Joe Swail often does this: tumbles down the rankings and then pulls out a great performance to arrest his slide.
He only won one match in a ranking event last season and was heading into the 50s on the list when the 2009 Welsh Open points were taken off - the Northern Irishman was runner-up in that tournament.
From somewhere, he has found the game to beat Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy on successive days.
His quarter-final opponent Marco Fu built on the confidence gained from his run to the Masters final to beat Mark King before his walkover against John Higgins.
Joe Perry had fallen to 32nd in the rankings but a 5-1 defeat of Ali Carter is a real confidence booster. Williams, though, presents an altogether tougher challenge.
The main televised quarter-final is Ding Junhui v Mark Selby.
For all Selby's obvious qualities he has still only won one ranking title and that was three years ago, although his two Masters victories mean that this doesn't tell the full story of his recent career.
Still, it's a statistic he will want to change and beating in-form players like Ding is the key to converting consistency into silverware.
A huge crowd witnessed the twice world champion run through the first two frames in 20 minutes, notch up his 250th career century and eventually ease to the line.
Williams's great run towards becoming world champion in some ways began in Germany. He was runner-up to John Parrott in the 1998 German Masters in Bingen, won the Irish Open the next week, then the Welsh and Thailand titles, was runner-up at the Crucible and the following year lifted the biggest snooker crown of them all.
His game is back, his confidence is back and that makes him very difficult to beat.
Two Joes have returned to form after failing to do much of late.
Joe Swail often does this: tumbles down the rankings and then pulls out a great performance to arrest his slide.
He only won one match in a ranking event last season and was heading into the 50s on the list when the 2009 Welsh Open points were taken off - the Northern Irishman was runner-up in that tournament.
From somewhere, he has found the game to beat Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy on successive days.
His quarter-final opponent Marco Fu built on the confidence gained from his run to the Masters final to beat Mark King before his walkover against John Higgins.
Joe Perry had fallen to 32nd in the rankings but a 5-1 defeat of Ali Carter is a real confidence booster. Williams, though, presents an altogether tougher challenge.
The main televised quarter-final is Ding Junhui v Mark Selby.
For all Selby's obvious qualities he has still only won one ranking title and that was three years ago, although his two Masters victories mean that this doesn't tell the full story of his recent career.
Still, it's a statistic he will want to change and beating in-form players like Ding is the key to converting consistency into silverware.
4.2.11
JOHN HIGGINS WITHDRAWS (UPDATED)
Despite winning this morning, John Higgins has withdrawn from the German Masters after learning his father's ill health worsened.
John Senior has sadly passed away today.
Family has always come first for Higgins. He walked out of the 2000 Grand Prix because of a date clash with his brother's wedding.
John Senior was too ill to travel to Telford to watch him win the UK Championship, having been told last September that his cancer was terminal.
It's worth remembering at times like these that snooker, though hugely important to many of us, is just a game.
John Senior has sadly passed away today.
Family has always come first for Higgins. He walked out of the 2000 Grand Prix because of a date clash with his brother's wedding.
John Senior was too ill to travel to Telford to watch him win the UK Championship, having been told last September that his cancer was terminal.
It's worth remembering at times like these that snooker, though hugely important to many of us, is just a game.
ROBERTSON CRASH LANDS
It'll be interesting to hear from the players but I have to say I like the open plan arena at the Tempodrom in Berlin.
It gives the audience the chance to watch every match and creates a really good atmosphere in the room.
There wasn't much evidence yesterday that the players are distracted by it...time will tell whether it's judged a success.
The crowds were certainly very good and treated to an interesting day's play that culminated in the elimination of world champion Neil Robertson.
After all the passport trouble he arrived at the venue with little time to spare and was clearly sluggish early on.
Anthony Hamilton made hay, making a series of big breaks including two centuries to lead 4-2.
Then, the Aussie produced some typically fine back-to-the-wall snooker to draw level and the stage seemed set for his eventual scraping over the line.
However, Hamilton saved his best for last, making another century to clinch a 5-4 victory.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the day, though, was Joe Swail's 5-3 defeat of his fellow Northern Irishman Mark Allen.
Swail had no form whatsoever to speak of; Allen had been a semi-finalist in the UK Championship and the Masters.
It proves that it is basically all on the day on a circuit full of talent.
John Higgins was the last player to win a major ranking event staged in Germany and starts his berlin campaign against Robert Milkins, runner-up to Nigel Bond in the Shootout at the weekend.
The last 16 of the German Masters will also be played today, with Stephen Hendry hoping to follow up his encouraging win over Judd Trump yesterday by beating Mark Selby.
It gives the audience the chance to watch every match and creates a really good atmosphere in the room.
There wasn't much evidence yesterday that the players are distracted by it...time will tell whether it's judged a success.
The crowds were certainly very good and treated to an interesting day's play that culminated in the elimination of world champion Neil Robertson.
After all the passport trouble he arrived at the venue with little time to spare and was clearly sluggish early on.
Anthony Hamilton made hay, making a series of big breaks including two centuries to lead 4-2.
Then, the Aussie produced some typically fine back-to-the-wall snooker to draw level and the stage seemed set for his eventual scraping over the line.
However, Hamilton saved his best for last, making another century to clinch a 5-4 victory.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the day, though, was Joe Swail's 5-3 defeat of his fellow Northern Irishman Mark Allen.
Swail had no form whatsoever to speak of; Allen had been a semi-finalist in the UK Championship and the Masters.
It proves that it is basically all on the day on a circuit full of talent.
John Higgins was the last player to win a major ranking event staged in Germany and starts his berlin campaign against Robert Milkins, runner-up to Nigel Bond in the Shootout at the weekend.
The last 16 of the German Masters will also be played today, with Stephen Hendry hoping to follow up his encouraging win over Judd Trump yesterday by beating Mark Selby.
3.2.11
PLANE SAILING
Neil Robertson has apparently found his passport and boarded a plane this afternoon. Let's hope it was to Berlin.
Invariably after scrapes such as this Robertson plays really well. Perhaps this is because he doesn't have time to stress about the actual match because of the pressure of actually getting there.
On the table today there was a big win for Stephen Hendry, which will go a long way towards safeguarding his top 16 place and automatic seeding through to the Crucible.
Hendry beat Judd Trump 5-2 and seemed to play pretty well. The test for him, though, is beating the players who have replaced him in the upper echelons of the ranking list.
Mark Selby is such a player and where Hendry's game is will become apparent when he plays the Leicester man in the last 16.
Invariably after scrapes such as this Robertson plays really well. Perhaps this is because he doesn't have time to stress about the actual match because of the pressure of actually getting there.
On the table today there was a big win for Stephen Hendry, which will go a long way towards safeguarding his top 16 place and automatic seeding through to the Crucible.
Hendry beat Judd Trump 5-2 and seemed to play pretty well. The test for him, though, is beating the players who have replaced him in the upper echelons of the ranking list.
Mark Selby is such a player and where Hendry's game is will become apparent when he plays the Leicester man in the last 16.
2.2.11
ROBERTSON 'LOSES PASSPORT'
Neil Robertson, the reigning world champion, has lost his passport according to an interview with Barry Hearn in the Guardian.
The Australian is due to play Anthony Hamilton in the German Masters in Berlin on Thursday night.
The news follows the withdrawal today of Ronnie O'Sullivan.
"What with Ronnie and a world champion who's lost his passport, what chance have you got?" said a clearly exasperated Hearn.
Assuming the details are correct, this is the latest in a long line of scrapes Robertson has got himself into.
Yes, these things happen but they have happened too regularly to Robertson.
I have some sympathy for Neil. He is a new father and he and his partner do not have parents living nearby to share the load.
I hope he makes it to Germany, but surely he needs to take a serious look at his preparation because eventually all this will cost not just him but the game as well.
The Australian is due to play Anthony Hamilton in the German Masters in Berlin on Thursday night.
The news follows the withdrawal today of Ronnie O'Sullivan.
"What with Ronnie and a world champion who's lost his passport, what chance have you got?" said a clearly exasperated Hearn.
Assuming the details are correct, this is the latest in a long line of scrapes Robertson has got himself into.
Yes, these things happen but they have happened too regularly to Robertson.
I have some sympathy for Neil. He is a new father and he and his partner do not have parents living nearby to share the load.
I hope he makes it to Germany, but surely he needs to take a serious look at his preparation because eventually all this will cost not just him but the game as well.
O'SULLIVAN WITHDRAWS FROM GERMAN MASTERS
Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the German Masters.
His decision not to travel to Berlin gives Dominic Dale a bye in to the last 16. It will also leave many who bought tickets specifically to see him play disappointed.
I can reveal that O'Sullivan recently told World Snooker he wanted to take a break from the game.
The sabbatical does not apparently include exhibitions. He has signed up for several nights on the Snooker Legends tour, indeed played Jimmy White in Blackburn last night.
This is almost on a par with Joe Davis in the 1950s, who retired from the World Championship but played in exhibitions.
Everyone knew he was still the best player and the fact he wasn't in the World Championship killed the tournament off, although it would be fanciful to suggest O'Sullivan's behaviour could do the same in 2011.
In exhibitions, there is little pressure. In a tournament, though, a player has his game tested. There is pressure. It is serious. Anyone who watched O'Sullivan in the UK Championship or the Masters will have observed that he was poorly motivated and unable to raise his game when he needed to.
Against White last night he contributed to an evening that included six centuries in eight frames.
Tournament snooker is perhaps boring to him now when set against the rush of a one night show - as in the Premier League - where he can pitch up, play and go home again - especially when the result doesn't really matter that much and he won't feel undue pressure.
But professional players have a responsibility to the game as well as their own whims.
O'Sullivan entered the tournament and so he should play in it unless there is a serious reason why he cannot.
The WPBSA's disciplinary arm recently instituted a series of punishments for players withdrawing from events they have entered.
The financial cost will not bother O'Sullivan. He has more than enough money to cover it.
The event will survive. German snooker fans have enthusiasm for the game, not just the top players.
But O'Sullivan is clearly at some sort of crossroads. He has threatened to retire many times and it has always been a rash, spur of the moment statement.
What is clear right now, though, is that he doesn't want to play tournament snooker.
His decision not to travel to Berlin gives Dominic Dale a bye in to the last 16. It will also leave many who bought tickets specifically to see him play disappointed.
I can reveal that O'Sullivan recently told World Snooker he wanted to take a break from the game.
The sabbatical does not apparently include exhibitions. He has signed up for several nights on the Snooker Legends tour, indeed played Jimmy White in Blackburn last night.
This is almost on a par with Joe Davis in the 1950s, who retired from the World Championship but played in exhibitions.
Everyone knew he was still the best player and the fact he wasn't in the World Championship killed the tournament off, although it would be fanciful to suggest O'Sullivan's behaviour could do the same in 2011.
In exhibitions, there is little pressure. In a tournament, though, a player has his game tested. There is pressure. It is serious. Anyone who watched O'Sullivan in the UK Championship or the Masters will have observed that he was poorly motivated and unable to raise his game when he needed to.
Against White last night he contributed to an evening that included six centuries in eight frames.
Tournament snooker is perhaps boring to him now when set against the rush of a one night show - as in the Premier League - where he can pitch up, play and go home again - especially when the result doesn't really matter that much and he won't feel undue pressure.
But professional players have a responsibility to the game as well as their own whims.
O'Sullivan entered the tournament and so he should play in it unless there is a serious reason why he cannot.
The WPBSA's disciplinary arm recently instituted a series of punishments for players withdrawing from events they have entered.
The financial cost will not bother O'Sullivan. He has more than enough money to cover it.
The event will survive. German snooker fans have enthusiasm for the game, not just the top players.
But O'Sullivan is clearly at some sort of crossroads. He has threatened to retire many times and it has always been a rash, spur of the moment statement.
What is clear right now, though, is that he doesn't want to play tournament snooker.
THE BIG INTERVIEW: ANTHONY McGILL
From the carnage of the war torn Scottish amateur scene comes a survivor.But only just. Anthony McGill, 20 this week, admits he almost quit snooker after the poisonous atmosphere at junior tournaments steadily sapped the youthful enjoyment of competition.
The ins and outs of the civil war north of the border are frankly too tedious to detail. But the long running struggle certainly did little to enhance the prospects of the next generation of Scotland’s snooker fraternity.
McGill was one of them. Like many a youngster he was entranced by snooker and just wanted to play. The arguments and petty squabbles were of no interest and, eventually, something had to give.
“There was a time when I thought it wasn’t worth carrying on,” McGill said.
“My dad was involved in it all. He was trying to sort it out, make it better, but it was taking its toll on the family and it wasn’t always a lot of fun in the house.
“Snooker is nothing compared to your family so I considered giving up. Just as I was thinking about doing that I won a PIOS event, so I knew I’d be on the main tour.
“But it was horrible turning up to those junior tournaments. Nobody seemed to like anyone and you couldn’t enjoy playing in them.
“I’m glad things seem to have been sorted out now and that the juniors today don’t have that going on. It wasn’t a nice few years.”
His apprenticeship may have been served amid much unpleasantness but McGill is now reaping the rewards of his decision not to hang up his cue.
He has enjoyed a highly productive debut season on the main tour, rising to 56th in the rankings and enjoying wins over fellow Scots Stephen Hendry, Stephen Maguire and Alan McManus in the Players Tour Championship.
“I’m delighted with the season I’ve had,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d do as well as this but I’ve beaten a few good players so I’ve exceeded my expectations.
“The PTCs were brilliant because I was playing pretty much every week, plus I was playing top players in less pressurised situations than you’d get at a main venue.
“Last season there were only six tournaments. I’d come close to qualifying but, looking at it now, I’m lucky that I didn’t.”
McGill’s first snooker memory was watching the TV, as a seven year-old, as John Higgins won his first world title in 1998.
Now he practises with the three times Crucible champion and other leading Scottish professionals, an invaluable chance to learn more about the unrelentingly difficult game of snooker.
“I usually get a game with Marcus Campbell once a week and also practise pretty regularly with John Higgins and Stephen Maguire," he said. "I’m dead lucky because they all live close by.
“It’s helped me do well on the tour because it’s such tough practice. My game has improved quite a bit over the last year.”
It was on a family holiday to Spain where McGill first took to playing: “There was a pool table in every bar and I went on one. I loved it and my parents had to decide whether to buy me a PlayStation or a small snooker table for Christmas that year. They got me the snooker table, so life could have been very different if they’d picked the PlayStation.
“I loved playing so I started going in the club every weekend and then every day after school.”
His ascent up the junior ranks was rapid and, in 2006, he appeared in the Junior Pot Black final, which was played at the Crucible during the World Championship.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “I was only 15 and I was playing at the Crucible. I’ll never forget that.”
McGill certainly has the talent to accumulate a store of Sheffield memories. The qualifiers for this year’s World Championship are just a month away.
First up, it’s the German Masters this week, his first appearance in the final stages of a ranking event. If he beats Dutch wildcard Mario Wehrmann he will face Mark Williams in front of the television cameras.
Stephen Hendry’s success ushered in a golden era for Scottish snooker. In 1987 he became the fifth Scot to play at the Crucible. Since then, 13 more have competed there but the last Scottish debutant was Maguire in 2004.
“The last young Scottish player to break through was Stephen Maguire and that was ten years ago,” McGill said. “We’ve had a few barren years but I can hopefully break the pattern.
“I’d like to get into the top 48 next, that’s my goal, and keep qualifying for tournaments.
“I’ve learned so much in my short time on the circuit. I didn’t realise how attacking I was but in the first few tournaments I played a few old heads and they didn’t take anything on. They just tie you up, so I had to develop my safety.
“But you have to take your shots on as well. It’s tough to strike a balance.
“You have to have a good temperament as well. You can’t afford to let things get to you otherwise these guys will steamroller you.”
To this end, McGill has immersed himself in several books about the mind, encompassing strategies for keeping cool.
He’ll have plenty of opportunities to apply the theory in future tournaments due to the increased number of events scheduled for next season.
McGill has already experienced the rush of a big arena at the Shootout in Blackpool last weekend and is hungry for more – much more.
“The Shootout was awesome. It was a great experience,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have turned pro when everything is all go.”
Just as wrangling administrators almost caused him to walk away from the game, so the elevation to the World Snooker chairmanship of one of UK’s sport's brightest promoters has given McGill the perfect chance to show the world what he can do.
1.2.11
BACK TO GERMANY
The German Masters is a new tournament but not the first ranking event staged in Germany. In fact, it will be the fourth.
The first German Open was staged in Frankfurt in 1995 and won by John Higgins, who also captured the title in Bingen in 1997. Ronnie O’Sullivan won in Osnabruck in 1996.
In 1998, the German Masters reverted to invitation status and was won by John Parrott.
In recent years popularity in Germany has rocketed, due mainly to television coverage of the game’s major events on Eurosport.
German Eurosport’s chief commentator Rolf Kalb – who will be the MC in Berlin – has been the country’s leading snooker evangelist for many years, introducing and explaining the game to a multitude of new viewers.
Despite the interest, the previous WPBSA board were either unable or unwilling to get an event on in Germany.
The World Series went there and the atmosphere for their event was superb.
Tickets have sold well for this new event and it should be a terrific atmosphere at the Berlin Tempodrom, where the five tables are arranged in a unique circular arena.
It’s a great field of players featuring the top 16, several established qualifiers such as Matthew Stevens, Stephen Lee, Ryan Day, Marco Fu, Dominic Dale and Anthony Hamilton as well as first season professionals Jack Lisowski, Anthony McGill [the subject of the returning Big Interview feature on this blog tomorrow] and Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.
There are also eight European wildcards, including 15 year-old Belgian wonderkid Luca Brecel and Daniel Wells, who came within a frame of qualifying for the Crucible two years ago.
The German Masters lasts only five days and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t. The only reason, say, the UK Championship is nine days long is so that the BBC can have live sport on consecutive weekends.
Years ago the Welsh Open was only five days long and it meant there was always something happening, wherever you looked.
Eurosport times vary depending on where you live. On British Eurosport coverage is wall-to-wall, starting with Wednesday evening’s session.
Germany is an important market for snooker. The popularity of the game there is apparent from the way exhibitions and small tournaments have been supported for the last few years.
But what German snooker fans want is a big tournament, and now they have one.
The first German Open was staged in Frankfurt in 1995 and won by John Higgins, who also captured the title in Bingen in 1997. Ronnie O’Sullivan won in Osnabruck in 1996.
In 1998, the German Masters reverted to invitation status and was won by John Parrott.
In recent years popularity in Germany has rocketed, due mainly to television coverage of the game’s major events on Eurosport.
German Eurosport’s chief commentator Rolf Kalb – who will be the MC in Berlin – has been the country’s leading snooker evangelist for many years, introducing and explaining the game to a multitude of new viewers.
Despite the interest, the previous WPBSA board were either unable or unwilling to get an event on in Germany.
The World Series went there and the atmosphere for their event was superb.
Tickets have sold well for this new event and it should be a terrific atmosphere at the Berlin Tempodrom, where the five tables are arranged in a unique circular arena.
It’s a great field of players featuring the top 16, several established qualifiers such as Matthew Stevens, Stephen Lee, Ryan Day, Marco Fu, Dominic Dale and Anthony Hamilton as well as first season professionals Jack Lisowski, Anthony McGill [the subject of the returning Big Interview feature on this blog tomorrow] and Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.
There are also eight European wildcards, including 15 year-old Belgian wonderkid Luca Brecel and Daniel Wells, who came within a frame of qualifying for the Crucible two years ago.
The German Masters lasts only five days and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t. The only reason, say, the UK Championship is nine days long is so that the BBC can have live sport on consecutive weekends.
Years ago the Welsh Open was only five days long and it meant there was always something happening, wherever you looked.
Eurosport times vary depending on where you live. On British Eurosport coverage is wall-to-wall, starting with Wednesday evening’s session.
Germany is an important market for snooker. The popularity of the game there is apparent from the way exhibitions and small tournaments have been supported for the last few years.
But what German snooker fans want is a big tournament, and now they have one.
31.1.11
VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE
World Snooker has listened to reason and will stage the Betfred.com World Championship qualifiers in the Badminton Hall of the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
They will therefore be open to the ticket buying public.
Originally, the qualifiers were due to be played in the academy situated in the same building, which does not have room for spectators.
This was because it costs a considerable sum of money to hire the Badminton Hall. As it is, World Snooker will lose money staging the qualifiers there but they have done the right thing.
They received many emails from disgruntled snooker fans and the odd word of caution from a few experienced hands about the backlash that was coming their way.
It’s refreshing that they have listened to what fans want, even if it will leave them out of pocket.
I can understand the governing body not providing seating for qualifying in general. Crowds are usually small and it doesn’t make economic sense.
But the World Championship is different. As anyone who has attended will know, it’s a hugely dramatic few days as players battle to reach the Crucible.
The drama of it all makes it one of the highlights of the year, though for the players it’s more of an ordeal to be endured.
While on the subject, I’ve had a few snooker fans contact me to complain there is no streaming of the qualifiers.
The reason for this is that the deal the previous board signed with 110sporttv is binding for three years – even if the qualifiers are not actually streamed by them.
To me, this is a ridiculous situation. It would be like selling the rights of the FA Cup to ITV and them not showing a single match.
Barry Hearn has much to untangle, and I’m sure he will.
Fans want to watch snooker and should be given as much opportunity to do so as possible.
Playing the world qualifiers in front of the public is the right decision: and I would recommend to anyone going along to watch.
Note: the final round of qualifying will now be on March 12 and 13.
They will therefore be open to the ticket buying public.
Originally, the qualifiers were due to be played in the academy situated in the same building, which does not have room for spectators.
This was because it costs a considerable sum of money to hire the Badminton Hall. As it is, World Snooker will lose money staging the qualifiers there but they have done the right thing.
They received many emails from disgruntled snooker fans and the odd word of caution from a few experienced hands about the backlash that was coming their way.
It’s refreshing that they have listened to what fans want, even if it will leave them out of pocket.
I can understand the governing body not providing seating for qualifying in general. Crowds are usually small and it doesn’t make economic sense.
But the World Championship is different. As anyone who has attended will know, it’s a hugely dramatic few days as players battle to reach the Crucible.
The drama of it all makes it one of the highlights of the year, though for the players it’s more of an ordeal to be endured.
While on the subject, I’ve had a few snooker fans contact me to complain there is no streaming of the qualifiers.
The reason for this is that the deal the previous board signed with 110sporttv is binding for three years – even if the qualifiers are not actually streamed by them.
To me, this is a ridiculous situation. It would be like selling the rights of the FA Cup to ITV and them not showing a single match.
Barry Hearn has much to untangle, and I’m sure he will.
Fans want to watch snooker and should be given as much opportunity to do so as possible.
Playing the world qualifiers in front of the public is the right decision: and I would recommend to anyone going along to watch.
Note: the final round of qualifying will now be on March 12 and 13.
30.1.11
NIGEL BOND: SHOOTOUT CHAMPION
Nigel Bond has had a long, varied career, more successful than most but at 45 knows that he is down to the colours.
It was therefore gratifying to see this genuinely nice man win the inaugural Caesarscasino.com World Snooker Shootout in Blackpool.
Bond made an immediate breakthrough on turning professional, reaching the semi-finals of his first ranking event, the 1989 International.
A year later he reached the Grand Prix final and soon became established as a regular face on TV in the era of Stephen Hendry, the player who most stopped him going on to be more successful.
It was Hendry who beat him in that Grand Prix final and for four successive years at the Crucible from 1993, including in the final in 1995.
In 1996, Bond got a snooker in the decider against John Higgins and ended up beating him 9-8 on the final black to win the British Open.
He also won the 1997 Scottish Masters and reached a career high ranking of fifth but his career was undoubtedly affected by the off-table pressure of having a son, Daniel, born with a heart defect.
A family man, Nigel would have given away every trophy in the world to make his son well again.
His form deteriorated and he eventually dropped out of the top 32.
There have still been highpoints in recent times. In 2006, he beat Hendry 10-9 on a re-spotted black in the first round of the World Championship.
A couple of years ago he won the gold medal in the World Games.
But his Shootout win marks a return to the big time and proves that a good snooker brain, born from experience, is useful for such a format.
Who won this new event barely mattered. This was all about showcasing snooker as a sport that can provide entertainment.
The players, to their credit, embraced it and most fans seem to have been won over.
It will return, of that I’ve no doubt, and hopefully a few of those who watched it believing snooker to be boring will tune into the German Masters this week.
It was therefore gratifying to see this genuinely nice man win the inaugural Caesarscasino.com World Snooker Shootout in Blackpool.
Bond made an immediate breakthrough on turning professional, reaching the semi-finals of his first ranking event, the 1989 International.
A year later he reached the Grand Prix final and soon became established as a regular face on TV in the era of Stephen Hendry, the player who most stopped him going on to be more successful.
It was Hendry who beat him in that Grand Prix final and for four successive years at the Crucible from 1993, including in the final in 1995.
In 1996, Bond got a snooker in the decider against John Higgins and ended up beating him 9-8 on the final black to win the British Open.
He also won the 1997 Scottish Masters and reached a career high ranking of fifth but his career was undoubtedly affected by the off-table pressure of having a son, Daniel, born with a heart defect.
A family man, Nigel would have given away every trophy in the world to make his son well again.
His form deteriorated and he eventually dropped out of the top 32.
There have still been highpoints in recent times. In 2006, he beat Hendry 10-9 on a re-spotted black in the first round of the World Championship.
A couple of years ago he won the gold medal in the World Games.
But his Shootout win marks a return to the big time and proves that a good snooker brain, born from experience, is useful for such a format.
Who won this new event barely mattered. This was all about showcasing snooker as a sport that can provide entertainment.
The players, to their credit, embraced it and most fans seem to have been won over.
It will return, of that I’ve no doubt, and hopefully a few of those who watched it believing snooker to be boring will tune into the German Masters this week.
29.1.11
FAST, FURIOUS AND FUN: THE SHOOTOUT REVIEWED
“Better than Power Snooker” was my view of the new Caesarscasino.com Shootout after Friday’s evening session – not exactly the biggest compliment you could pay.
By this afternoon my opinion had been upgraded to “better than expected” but tonight’s session won me over. There was some genuine drama at a rocking Tower Circus in Blackpool.
Mike Dunn displayed a steely nerve to see off Alfie Burden on the black. Rory McLeod outrageously fluked the black to beat Tony Drago in the dying seconds. And then Neil Robertson, with one second to spare, struck the cue ball to pot the black and beat Alan McManus.
What we’ve also seen is how good these players are. I thought the super-fast shot clock may result in farce but, in fact, the players have adapted.
I’d argue it’s done the slow players a favour: there is no time to look for what can go wrong.
Ball in hand has cut out rolling up behind colours but it also puts pressure on the player who receives it: it’s up to them to make the most of it and not all have.
The Shootout has not replaced a tournament. It is a new addition to the circuit, designed to give Sky a distinct event.
Once upon a time they bid tens of millions for the World Championship but were turned down (the fact that the then WPBSA board included several BBC commentators was surely a coincidence).
Sky doesn’t want the scraps of the circuit and so it’s entirely understandable that if they are to show anything then they desire something out of leftfield, which Barry Hearn has dreamt up.
Sky’s first rate production values and varied commentary team have done a great job of bringing across the atmosphere.
And the venue is superb. It’s a bear-pit similar to Goffs, the long time venue of the Irish Masters and would make an ideal home for a tournament like the Masters.
There are elements of the Shootout I don’t like. By and large, the crowd add to the atmosphere but there are inevitably a few ‘comedians’ who, emboldened by drink, shout out all manner of boorish witticisms that add nothing whatsoever to the viewing experience. Hats off to referee Michaela Tabb for asking for a bit of decorum tonight.
I could quite cheerfully never hear that American voiceover guy again and the whole thing probably went on too long.
So I’ve enjoyed the Shootout on the whole but the one thing I hope is that there isn’t a kneejerk reaction from people within the game – particularly players – that this format should be flogged to death or even introduced for ranking events.
It works as a one off, a piece of entertainment to enjoy once a year, but that’s as far as it goes.
Naturally it’s not for everyone, although a number of those who took against the Shootout have nevertheless kept watching it, presumably so that they can be mortally offended all weekend.
There is a new ranking event starting on Wednesday and two new ones next season, so those lamenting the death of the game are well wide of the mark.
Opinions will differ, but Hearn looks like he’s unearthed another winner.
As Ali Carter put it: “It’s a bit of fun, that’s how the players are treating it.”
Bearing in mind what else is going on in the world, what is really wrong with that?
By this afternoon my opinion had been upgraded to “better than expected” but tonight’s session won me over. There was some genuine drama at a rocking Tower Circus in Blackpool.
Mike Dunn displayed a steely nerve to see off Alfie Burden on the black. Rory McLeod outrageously fluked the black to beat Tony Drago in the dying seconds. And then Neil Robertson, with one second to spare, struck the cue ball to pot the black and beat Alan McManus.
What we’ve also seen is how good these players are. I thought the super-fast shot clock may result in farce but, in fact, the players have adapted.
I’d argue it’s done the slow players a favour: there is no time to look for what can go wrong.
Ball in hand has cut out rolling up behind colours but it also puts pressure on the player who receives it: it’s up to them to make the most of it and not all have.
The Shootout has not replaced a tournament. It is a new addition to the circuit, designed to give Sky a distinct event.
Once upon a time they bid tens of millions for the World Championship but were turned down (the fact that the then WPBSA board included several BBC commentators was surely a coincidence).
Sky doesn’t want the scraps of the circuit and so it’s entirely understandable that if they are to show anything then they desire something out of leftfield, which Barry Hearn has dreamt up.
Sky’s first rate production values and varied commentary team have done a great job of bringing across the atmosphere.
And the venue is superb. It’s a bear-pit similar to Goffs, the long time venue of the Irish Masters and would make an ideal home for a tournament like the Masters.
There are elements of the Shootout I don’t like. By and large, the crowd add to the atmosphere but there are inevitably a few ‘comedians’ who, emboldened by drink, shout out all manner of boorish witticisms that add nothing whatsoever to the viewing experience. Hats off to referee Michaela Tabb for asking for a bit of decorum tonight.
I could quite cheerfully never hear that American voiceover guy again and the whole thing probably went on too long.
So I’ve enjoyed the Shootout on the whole but the one thing I hope is that there isn’t a kneejerk reaction from people within the game – particularly players – that this format should be flogged to death or even introduced for ranking events.
It works as a one off, a piece of entertainment to enjoy once a year, but that’s as far as it goes.
Naturally it’s not for everyone, although a number of those who took against the Shootout have nevertheless kept watching it, presumably so that they can be mortally offended all weekend.
There is a new ranking event starting on Wednesday and two new ones next season, so those lamenting the death of the game are well wide of the mark.
Opinions will differ, but Hearn looks like he’s unearthed another winner.
As Ali Carter put it: “It’s a bit of fun, that’s how the players are treating it.”
Bearing in mind what else is going on in the world, what is really wrong with that?
WPBSA INVESTIGATE MICHIE MATCH
The WPBSA's new integrity unit has launched an investigation into the Marcus Campbell v Jimmy Michie match at the Caesarcasino.com Shootout in Blackpool last night after "an unusually high number of bets" were placed on Campbell to win. The Scot won the frame 32-21.
A WPBSA statement read:
The WPBSA has been made aware, by bookmakers, of suspicious betting patterns on the match between Jimmy Michie and Marcus Campbell at the Caesarscasino.com Snooker Shoot-Out on Friday evening.
The match in the one-frame knockout tournament in Blackpool was won by Campbell, 32 points to 21.
An unusually high number of bets had been placed on Campbell to win the match.The matter has been passed on to David Douglas, head of the WPBSA's Integrity Unit, for a thorough and immediate investigation.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We take the threat of corrupt activity very seriously and we are treating this matter with the utmost urgency. Having set up the Integrity Unit last year, we have the mechanisms in place to make a full investigation."
A WPBSA statement read:
The WPBSA has been made aware, by bookmakers, of suspicious betting patterns on the match between Jimmy Michie and Marcus Campbell at the Caesarscasino.com Snooker Shoot-Out on Friday evening.
The match in the one-frame knockout tournament in Blackpool was won by Campbell, 32 points to 21.
An unusually high number of bets had been placed on Campbell to win the match.The matter has been passed on to David Douglas, head of the WPBSA's Integrity Unit, for a thorough and immediate investigation.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We take the threat of corrupt activity very seriously and we are treating this matter with the utmost urgency. Having set up the Integrity Unit last year, we have the mechanisms in place to make a full investigation."
27.1.11
SHARP SHOOTING?
The new Caesarcasino.com Shootout in Blackpool is intended not to be a serious test but a bit of fun.
It may well be, but the format runs the risk of it turning into a farce.
Each match will be stopped after just ten minutes. There is a 20 second shot limit for the first five minutes and one of just 15 seconds for the next five.
This means there will not be time to play certain shots, such as ones needing the extended rest. Amid the panic, players may well end up just whacking the balls about.
Players will hopefully be fully appraised of the rules before they start, although these were still being refined yesterday after it became clear they were somewhat ambiguous.
In short, the players lag – or string – to see who breaks. The frame then continues as normal but players have to hit a cushion with either cue ball or object ball or pot a ball on every shot.
The rules state the opposing player will then have the cue ball ‘in hand’ after a foul. In the official rules of snooker, this means the cue ball in the D but, in the Shootout, it means the player can place it anywhere on the table. Hopefully this important distinction will be made clear.
If points are level at the end of the ten minutes, players will take part in a blue-ball shootout.
The whole of the top 64 is involved. Prize money starts at £500 in the first round and the winner will receive a cheque for £32,000.
One question I’d be interested in having answered is this: what happens if there is, say, ten seconds left in the match when a player comes to the table? Will he have to play his shot in this time or have the full 15 seconds?
I guess we’ll find out tomorrow night.
Despite a few reservations, I’m all for new innovations such as the Shootout which, unlike Power Snooker, is at least snooker in a recognisable form.
This is not the World Championship. It is supposed to be entertainment and I’m sure the players and fans will enjoy something a bit different.
The danger, though, with events such as this is that it gives those who enjoy sticking the knife into snooker the chance to claim it has dumbed down, sold its soul and generally become desperate.
Such people don’t mention the new German Masters, the two new ranking events next season or the general way in which the sport is going forward under Barry Hearn’s stewardship.
No doubt the Shootout will bring about great debate, which is actually one of its functions.
There is an option, though, for those who take against it: switch off.
It may well be, but the format runs the risk of it turning into a farce.
Each match will be stopped after just ten minutes. There is a 20 second shot limit for the first five minutes and one of just 15 seconds for the next five.
This means there will not be time to play certain shots, such as ones needing the extended rest. Amid the panic, players may well end up just whacking the balls about.
Players will hopefully be fully appraised of the rules before they start, although these were still being refined yesterday after it became clear they were somewhat ambiguous.
In short, the players lag – or string – to see who breaks. The frame then continues as normal but players have to hit a cushion with either cue ball or object ball or pot a ball on every shot.
The rules state the opposing player will then have the cue ball ‘in hand’ after a foul. In the official rules of snooker, this means the cue ball in the D but, in the Shootout, it means the player can place it anywhere on the table. Hopefully this important distinction will be made clear.
If points are level at the end of the ten minutes, players will take part in a blue-ball shootout.
The whole of the top 64 is involved. Prize money starts at £500 in the first round and the winner will receive a cheque for £32,000.
One question I’d be interested in having answered is this: what happens if there is, say, ten seconds left in the match when a player comes to the table? Will he have to play his shot in this time or have the full 15 seconds?
I guess we’ll find out tomorrow night.
Despite a few reservations, I’m all for new innovations such as the Shootout which, unlike Power Snooker, is at least snooker in a recognisable form.
This is not the World Championship. It is supposed to be entertainment and I’m sure the players and fans will enjoy something a bit different.
The danger, though, with events such as this is that it gives those who enjoy sticking the knife into snooker the chance to claim it has dumbed down, sold its soul and generally become desperate.
Such people don’t mention the new German Masters, the two new ranking events next season or the general way in which the sport is going forward under Barry Hearn’s stewardship.
No doubt the Shootout will bring about great debate, which is actually one of its functions.
There is an option, though, for those who take against it: switch off.
26.1.11
MURPHY'S STELLAR PERFORMANCE
A word on Shaun Murphy, the third qualifier for the winners' group of the Championship League last night.
Murphy trailed Mark King 2-0 but produced back-to-back total clearances of 139 and 137 to draw level.
King was in on 41 in the decider but was very unlucky to knock a red in while potting the black and going into the pack. From this, Murphy made 80 for victory.
There was no crowd and no ranking points on offer but the fact remains that snooker is an exceptionally difficult game to play and Murphy made it look ridiculously easy.
I see a lot of snooker during the season and probably get a little complacent about how good these players are.
And afterwards, Murphy and King conducted their own sporting post mortem in the tournament office, Murphy telling King how unlucky he had been, King admitting that he could have gone out of the tournament earlier that day and congratulating Murphy on his performance.
Murphy returns in the winners' group with Mark Selby, Mark Williams and the winners of the next four groups.
Stephen Hendry, Mark Allen and Matthew Stevens enter group 4 at Crondon Park today.
Murphy trailed Mark King 2-0 but produced back-to-back total clearances of 139 and 137 to draw level.
King was in on 41 in the decider but was very unlucky to knock a red in while potting the black and going into the pack. From this, Murphy made 80 for victory.
There was no crowd and no ranking points on offer but the fact remains that snooker is an exceptionally difficult game to play and Murphy made it look ridiculously easy.
I see a lot of snooker during the season and probably get a little complacent about how good these players are.
And afterwards, Murphy and King conducted their own sporting post mortem in the tournament office, Murphy telling King how unlucky he had been, King admitting that he could have gone out of the tournament earlier that day and congratulating Murphy on his performance.
Murphy returns in the winners' group with Mark Selby, Mark Williams and the winners of the next four groups.
Stephen Hendry, Mark Allen and Matthew Stevens enter group 4 at Crondon Park today.
23.1.11
MUSICAL CHAIRS IN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE
Ronnie O’Sullivan has withdrawn from the Championship League and will be replaced in group 3 this week by Stuart Bingham.
O’Sullivan finished runner-up to Mark Williams in group 2 but presumably has other commitments.
Group 3 thus features John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter, Bingham, Marco Fu, Peter Ebdon and Mark King.
King had been due to come into the event in group 4 but replaces Mark Allen, who was unavailable to play in group 3 but will play in group 4 alongside Stephen Hendry and Matthew Stevens.
Clear?
You can follow the results on the official site or on Matchroom Sport’s twitter feed here.
I shall also tweet in between commentaries.
For betting tips and general hilarity there is also Snookerbacker’s blog.
O’Sullivan finished runner-up to Mark Williams in group 2 but presumably has other commitments.
Group 3 thus features John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter, Bingham, Marco Fu, Peter Ebdon and Mark King.
King had been due to come into the event in group 4 but replaces Mark Allen, who was unavailable to play in group 3 but will play in group 4 alongside Stephen Hendry and Matthew Stevens.
Clear?
You can follow the results on the official site or on Matchroom Sport’s twitter feed here.
I shall also tweet in between commentaries.
For betting tips and general hilarity there is also Snookerbacker’s blog.
21.1.11
BACK TO BLACK(POOL)
The new Caesarscasino.com Shootout begins a week today.
I shall look at the merits – or otherwise – of this new event next week but regardless of the format, the tournament heralds a return to Blackpool, which for many professionals will bring back memories good and bad.
For a number of years Blackpool represented a dream factory for players and often ended in nightmares.
The Norbreck Castle Hotel became established as the venue for qualifiers shortly after the game was thrown open. Its huge main hall could accommodate up to 20 tables and, wherever you looked, cueists were potting balls, missing balls, winning, losing and, in some cases, imploding.
If it was Tuesday you were trying to qualify for the Dubai Classic. Thursday was the UK Championship. It barely mattered what the tournament was: as long as you were still there you had a chance to qualify for something.
The class of 1992 included three players who would become among the finest ever to have played the game.
Ronnie O’Sullivan breezed through his first 38 matches, eventually losing to Sean Storey, and won 74 out of 76 matches in total.
John Higgins and Mark Williams didn’t quite enjoy this success but did well enough to claw their way through to the odd final stage and provide enough evidence that they could also do great things in the game.
The snooker was non-stop and intensive. In 1992, the qualifiers for that season’s World Championship were played in September – closer to the previous Crucible event than the one they were trying to qualify for.
Blackpool in the winter, with the wind off the sea buffeting the front of the Norbreck, could be a forbidding place.
There was one occasion where the car of a referee ended up being blown onto that of another official.
It was at the nearby Marriner’s pub, a focal point for those celebrating victory, consoling themselves in defeat or merely marking time, where Alex Higgins emerged 6-3 down after the first session to Tony Knowles in the final qualifying round of the 1994 World Championship.
Higgins, who rarely favoured a soft drink, fell returning to the venue and cut his arm. Blood seeped on the table as he gamely battled back to win 10-9, a vignette symbolic of his chaotic life and steadfast will to win.
It was also at the Norbreck where the Hurricane told a referee to move because “you’re standing in my line of thought.”
When he made his highest ever break in the World Championship against Tai Pichit of Thailand, he unaccountably began to cry as he set about clearing the colours.
One day he turned up with a gun, carrying it as if it were merely a cue extension.
This bizarre behaviour may have been typical Alex Higgins but it was not out of place in Blackpool, where even the sanest of snooker players went a little bit mad over the many weeks of snooker.
Stories abound. There was the player reputed to have got ten snookers to win a frame.
One player won a match, went to their room because they were feeling ill and passed away.
The officials entertained themselves by emptying furniture out of one another’s rooms and, in one case, shaving an eyebrow off a member of the WPBSA team.
I heard one referee asked a player mid-match for a piece of chocolate because his energy levels were running low.
Some players, who turned professional purely because they had the money to do so, were so bad that they drew crowds of people who wanted a good laugh.
It was a tough system but fair: the survival of the fittest. Some found they weren’t as good as they thought, others fell by the wayside because they were too fond of the social aspect
Blackpool still hosted the qualifiers until eight or so years ago when the tropical environs of Prestatyn were favoured.
I dare say those players old enough to remember the Norbreck days will be thinking of these formative years when they return to Blackpool next week.
I shall look at the merits – or otherwise – of this new event next week but regardless of the format, the tournament heralds a return to Blackpool, which for many professionals will bring back memories good and bad.
For a number of years Blackpool represented a dream factory for players and often ended in nightmares.
The Norbreck Castle Hotel became established as the venue for qualifiers shortly after the game was thrown open. Its huge main hall could accommodate up to 20 tables and, wherever you looked, cueists were potting balls, missing balls, winning, losing and, in some cases, imploding.
If it was Tuesday you were trying to qualify for the Dubai Classic. Thursday was the UK Championship. It barely mattered what the tournament was: as long as you were still there you had a chance to qualify for something.
The class of 1992 included three players who would become among the finest ever to have played the game.
Ronnie O’Sullivan breezed through his first 38 matches, eventually losing to Sean Storey, and won 74 out of 76 matches in total.
John Higgins and Mark Williams didn’t quite enjoy this success but did well enough to claw their way through to the odd final stage and provide enough evidence that they could also do great things in the game.
The snooker was non-stop and intensive. In 1992, the qualifiers for that season’s World Championship were played in September – closer to the previous Crucible event than the one they were trying to qualify for.
Blackpool in the winter, with the wind off the sea buffeting the front of the Norbreck, could be a forbidding place.
There was one occasion where the car of a referee ended up being blown onto that of another official.
It was at the nearby Marriner’s pub, a focal point for those celebrating victory, consoling themselves in defeat or merely marking time, where Alex Higgins emerged 6-3 down after the first session to Tony Knowles in the final qualifying round of the 1994 World Championship.
Higgins, who rarely favoured a soft drink, fell returning to the venue and cut his arm. Blood seeped on the table as he gamely battled back to win 10-9, a vignette symbolic of his chaotic life and steadfast will to win.
It was also at the Norbreck where the Hurricane told a referee to move because “you’re standing in my line of thought.”
When he made his highest ever break in the World Championship against Tai Pichit of Thailand, he unaccountably began to cry as he set about clearing the colours.
One day he turned up with a gun, carrying it as if it were merely a cue extension.
This bizarre behaviour may have been typical Alex Higgins but it was not out of place in Blackpool, where even the sanest of snooker players went a little bit mad over the many weeks of snooker.
Stories abound. There was the player reputed to have got ten snookers to win a frame.
One player won a match, went to their room because they were feeling ill and passed away.
The officials entertained themselves by emptying furniture out of one another’s rooms and, in one case, shaving an eyebrow off a member of the WPBSA team.
I heard one referee asked a player mid-match for a piece of chocolate because his energy levels were running low.
Some players, who turned professional purely because they had the money to do so, were so bad that they drew crowds of people who wanted a good laugh.
It was a tough system but fair: the survival of the fittest. Some found they weren’t as good as they thought, others fell by the wayside because they were too fond of the social aspect
Blackpool still hosted the qualifiers until eight or so years ago when the tropical environs of Prestatyn were favoured.
I dare say those players old enough to remember the Norbreck days will be thinking of these formative years when they return to Blackpool next week.
19.1.11
PASSING IT ON
The death this week of Malcolm Thorne brought into sharp focus the fact that, though snooker players are engaged in an intensely individual sport, they nevertheless need some help along the way.Malcolm organised countless junior tournaments and also guided Mark Selby when he first turned professional.
Many snooker players have benefited from having inspirational mentors.
Steve Davis first had his father, Bill, a student of the game who helped him with the playing side and then Barry Hearn, his manager who helped make him a millionaire off the table.
Stephen Hendry had Ian Doyle, another no-nonsense manager who instilled in his young charge the importance of hard work and all out commitment.
Hendry’s own game also evolved after he took part in an exhibition tour with Davis early in his career. Heavily beaten, Hendry realised that, though he was good, he wasn’t yet good enough for the level he aspired to.
Subsequently, Stephen Maguire practised with Hendry while a teenager and through the endless beatings not only learned first hand how to play top level tournament snooker but also developed a resolve to try and one day get to that standard.
John Higgins admits he was nothing particularly special until he met Alan McManus, who mentored him in Glasgow. Higgins would also later practise with Hendry.
Shaun Murphy was tutored by his father, Tony, and Ding Junhui was taken across China by his father to work with the best coaches the country had to offer.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s prime mentor was also his father, who gave him every advantage he could in terms of practice facilities, opponents and an inner confidence.
When he was sent to jail, O’Sullivan’s sense of certainty was shaken and he was lucky to have Derek Hill in his corner. Hill was, indeed still is, a cheery, relentlessly upbeat character skilled in having his charges look at life as if the glass were half full and not half empty.
Now O’Sullivan is doing his bit for Riley’s Futurestars, now in its second year.
In 2010, Joel Walker, a 16 year-old from Sheffield, was chosen to be mentored by O’Sullivan from the 1,000+ youngsters who entered.
Riley’s are privately very pleased with the effort O’Sullivan has made for this scheme, which carries a £5,000 prize for career development and coaching with O’Sullivan.
Regional competitions held at Rileys clubs will find 120 winners who then go head-to-head until eight players are left standing.
The final eight will compete in Sheffield during the World Championship where they must compete in skills tasks designed by O’Sullivan to test their cue technique and ball control.
It is a worthy scheme, not least because it gives a top player the chance to help someone coming up.
There are few better candidates to pass on advice to new, young professionals than older players who have been there, seen it, done it, and had the t-shirt sponsored.
However, new pros receive no formal advice from anyone and never have. They just pitch up and play and have to navigate the treacherous waters of professional sport without much of an idea what it entails.
This is probably why so many have been ripped off by dodgy managers or allowed success, when it has come, to go to their heads.
Players such as Davis, Hendry and Ken Doherty are obvious examples of wise old heads and should perhaps be used in a formal capacity to counsel new players.
Just because snooker is not obviously a team sport, it doesn’t mean a player has to do it all alone.
18.1.11
Q SCHOOL TAKING SHAPE
The latest way of joining the professional circuit is Q School, World Snooker’s new qualifying competition that will take place just after the World Championship.
It features three tournaments and the semi-finalists in each will qualify for the 2011/12 pro tour.
Entries are trickling in already and are so far proving popular with players based outside the UK.
The first entry came from Jamie Clarke of Llanelli followed by Belgians Hans Blanckaert and Luca Brecel and Lasse Munstermann of Germany.
World Snooker has also received an entry from Dr. Mohammed Raoof of Hyderabad, India.
The governing body expects a flood of entries as the closing date, March 1, approaches. I know a couple of well known faces considering giving it a go.
There have, of course, been various ways of turning professional over the years. In the 1970s, in almost the definition of a ‘closed shop’, you had to be invited.
Later there was a Pro Ticket Series before the game was thrown open in 1991, where if you paid your money you could play in the qualifiers.
Eventually this became so unwieldy and time consuming that the circuit was cut down once more, but with a Challenge Tour, which evolved into the Pontin’s International Open Series.
Now it’s a case of pay your £1,000, take your chance and if you aren’t good enough, do something else, although with the PTCs there is still plenty of snooker for amateurs to play in.
The drawback with Q School is that it is so self-contained that, for instance, illness could wreck a player’s chances.
Harsh as it sounds, this is just tough. There are plusses and minuses in any system. At least Q School is a level playing field and everyone will know where they stand by early June.
The EASB, Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds and South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester have all set up Q School preparation events in readiness for May.
Mark Williams is among those who believes the new system is fair. Williams, like Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, was among those who spent weeks at a time in Blackpool in the early 1990s attempting to swim through the glue of endless qualifying rounds.
“You had to win ten or 12 matches just to qualify for a tournament,” Williams said.
“It seemed like you were in Blackpool forever. The way of doing it now with the Q School is much better and easier. The players will only have to be in Sheffield for three weeks and if they are good enough they will get on to the circuit.”
It features three tournaments and the semi-finalists in each will qualify for the 2011/12 pro tour.
Entries are trickling in already and are so far proving popular with players based outside the UK.
The first entry came from Jamie Clarke of Llanelli followed by Belgians Hans Blanckaert and Luca Brecel and Lasse Munstermann of Germany.
World Snooker has also received an entry from Dr. Mohammed Raoof of Hyderabad, India.
The governing body expects a flood of entries as the closing date, March 1, approaches. I know a couple of well known faces considering giving it a go.
There have, of course, been various ways of turning professional over the years. In the 1970s, in almost the definition of a ‘closed shop’, you had to be invited.
Later there was a Pro Ticket Series before the game was thrown open in 1991, where if you paid your money you could play in the qualifiers.
Eventually this became so unwieldy and time consuming that the circuit was cut down once more, but with a Challenge Tour, which evolved into the Pontin’s International Open Series.
Now it’s a case of pay your £1,000, take your chance and if you aren’t good enough, do something else, although with the PTCs there is still plenty of snooker for amateurs to play in.
The drawback with Q School is that it is so self-contained that, for instance, illness could wreck a player’s chances.
Harsh as it sounds, this is just tough. There are plusses and minuses in any system. At least Q School is a level playing field and everyone will know where they stand by early June.
The EASB, Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds and South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester have all set up Q School preparation events in readiness for May.
Mark Williams is among those who believes the new system is fair. Williams, like Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, was among those who spent weeks at a time in Blackpool in the early 1990s attempting to swim through the glue of endless qualifying rounds.
“You had to win ten or 12 matches just to qualify for a tournament,” Williams said.
“It seemed like you were in Blackpool forever. The way of doing it now with the Q School is much better and easier. The players will only have to be in Sheffield for three weeks and if they are good enough they will get on to the circuit.”
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