John Higgins the snooker player!!! Bye bye son. Your careers dead
- Thread starter Greedo
- Start date
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figbat
Former slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
I don’t mind any of them except Murphy, who I can’t take to at all. No question he’s a great player (they all are) but there’s just something about his demeanour that irks me. I’m OK with Higgins too.
I recall when he (to me) burst on to the scene in 2005 (21 years ago!!!) and to paraphrase the commentators (Virgo, Thorne or Taylor probably), was potting balls of the light shades.
Loved his powerful potting from up on the cushion, if my memory is correct, he blew everyone off the table.
I was hoping and expecting more titles from him, so although he has (I'm positive) earned a very tidy living from it, I thought he would end up being a world champion multiple times.
Carter is another I never warmed to.
Not seen enough of Brecel (Spelling?) to know if he is my cup of coffee or not.
Loved his powerful potting from up on the cushion, if my memory is correct, he blew everyone off the table.
I was hoping and expecting more titles from him, so although he has (I'm positive) earned a very tidy living from it, I thought he would end up being a world champion multiple times.
Carter is another I never warmed to.
Not seen enough of Brecel (Spelling?) to know if he is my cup of coffee or not.
Vapin' Joe
Formerly known as Smokin Joe
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Mark Allen is a player I find difficult to watch. Every game he's involved in seems to be a boring slog.
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
There are only a few players I didn't like. Peter Ebdon was one of them, not because of his style of playing, but I just sensed he had an arrogant smug grin on his face the whole time. Lee was ok to watch, had a very strong arm which made for some exciting shots, but obviously his cheating put pay to his career. Dominic Dale and other "slow" players don't really bother me at all, I just like watching the game.
I'd echo the above in saying that I do fear for the sport in the UK. I've just looked it up and there are apprently 4 clubs in Plymouth, none of which I've ever seen or heard of. The one I used to pass has closed a couple years ago. It's certainly not the type of sport that you hear any young kids playing anymore; maybe American pool in an arcade, but most are playing football or playstation
I'd echo the above in saying that I do fear for the sport in the UK. I've just looked it up and there are apprently 4 clubs in Plymouth, none of which I've ever seen or heard of. The one I used to pass has closed a couple years ago. It's certainly not the type of sport that you hear any young kids playing anymore; maybe American pool in an arcade, but most are playing football or playstation
I would say Ebdon was a fairly average player who used slow play as a deliberate tactic to annoy opponents who were far more talented than him. Gamesmanship is one thing but he took it to 10 X and I'd rather watch steam rise from a dog turd than see him play snooker.
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Animo
Senior Member
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Pinno718
Über Member
- Location
- Way out West
What prompted this thread resurrection?
Ebdon played with such a high level of concentration that he was never a great spectacle. In order to keep everything together, he had to play at a really high level of focus and intensity. That's what the shouting was about at the end of a frame or match he won - it was a release.
A very good classical pianist and a very articulate individual away from the table.
So from a snooker players perspective, Ebdon was a lesson in hard work, focus and determination as opposed to raw talent.
Long post - sorry.
Anyhoo, top of the WPBSA for a long time and 51% ownership of 'Matchroom sport' is Barry Hearn.
Hearn is like a boxing promoter. I cannot stand him. Never did. He was Steve Davis' manager and has built up his position from Davis and a team of notable players of the time.
Hearn has been instrumental in promoting snooker, that there is no doubt and Hearn was instrumental in modernising the old system where if you wanted to be a pro, you had to win one of the major 'Open' events - the UK, the Irish, the Welsh or the WC.
But what replaced this system was chaos, a free for all and the treadmill that replaced it where gaining ranking points is difficult; there are tournaments all over Europe and the far East, means that if you are out of the top 16 and automatic qualification, you will be playing many qualifying rounds and travelling to Belgium or Holland or Germany or even China to generate ranking points. This makes it very difficult for young players in the UK (or anywhere bar China) to be a professional player. Plus, like cricket, there is less and less terrestrial coverage of the game in the world of competing broadcasters where promotion of any sport requires massive funding. The structure to support talent in the UK is severely lacking. There is no realistic structure or plan in situ. Where do you watch the masters or the UK championship? BBC? ITV?
Hearn said only recently (see Stephen Hendry's YT channel 'Cue tips') when Hendry said that he didn't see much potential new world class talent coming through in the UK "...oh there will always be some player that will come along...". The comment is telling: Leaving the future of snooker in the UK to chance is at best naïve and Hearn is not naïve; he's made his money and doesn't care.
I personally do not see any cessation of the demise of Snooker in the UK. They are even talking about holding the WC's in China 'one year'. I wonder when the momentum of TV coverage and money shifts the epicentre of snooker to the far East permanently in the same way China successfully monopolised table tennis in a very short period of time (after Jan Ove Waldner stopped dominating and Europe remained stuck in old systems pf promotion).
In fact, many many top Chinese TT players rarely play abroad unless the WC's are held outside of China (or the Olympics).
As you can tell, I am not optimistic. If you look at the rankings https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=31 you can see the Chinese players rising to the top but there would be more if many of those players travelled to Europe more regularly. Many players don't need to; there's enough competitions in China to keep the average pro earning:
The World Open
The Wuhan Open
The Shanghai Masters
Xi'an Grand Prix
World masters of snooker and
The international championship
All governed by the CBSA (Chinese Billiards & Snooker Association) who have their own 'CBSA tour' and their own ranking system both professional and amateur.
Ebdon played with such a high level of concentration that he was never a great spectacle. In order to keep everything together, he had to play at a really high level of focus and intensity. That's what the shouting was about at the end of a frame or match he won - it was a release.
A very good classical pianist and a very articulate individual away from the table.
So from a snooker players perspective, Ebdon was a lesson in hard work, focus and determination as opposed to raw talent.
Long post - sorry.
Anyhoo, top of the WPBSA for a long time and 51% ownership of 'Matchroom sport' is Barry Hearn.
Hearn is like a boxing promoter. I cannot stand him. Never did. He was Steve Davis' manager and has built up his position from Davis and a team of notable players of the time.
Hearn has been instrumental in promoting snooker, that there is no doubt and Hearn was instrumental in modernising the old system where if you wanted to be a pro, you had to win one of the major 'Open' events - the UK, the Irish, the Welsh or the WC.
But what replaced this system was chaos, a free for all and the treadmill that replaced it where gaining ranking points is difficult; there are tournaments all over Europe and the far East, means that if you are out of the top 16 and automatic qualification, you will be playing many qualifying rounds and travelling to Belgium or Holland or Germany or even China to generate ranking points. This makes it very difficult for young players in the UK (or anywhere bar China) to be a professional player. Plus, like cricket, there is less and less terrestrial coverage of the game in the world of competing broadcasters where promotion of any sport requires massive funding. The structure to support talent in the UK is severely lacking. There is no realistic structure or plan in situ. Where do you watch the masters or the UK championship? BBC? ITV?
Hearn said only recently (see Stephen Hendry's YT channel 'Cue tips') when Hendry said that he didn't see much potential new world class talent coming through in the UK "...oh there will always be some player that will come along...". The comment is telling: Leaving the future of snooker in the UK to chance is at best naïve and Hearn is not naïve; he's made his money and doesn't care.
I personally do not see any cessation of the demise of Snooker in the UK. They are even talking about holding the WC's in China 'one year'. I wonder when the momentum of TV coverage and money shifts the epicentre of snooker to the far East permanently in the same way China successfully monopolised table tennis in a very short period of time (after Jan Ove Waldner stopped dominating and Europe remained stuck in old systems pf promotion).
In fact, many many top Chinese TT players rarely play abroad unless the WC's are held outside of China (or the Olympics).
As you can tell, I am not optimistic. If you look at the rankings https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=31 you can see the Chinese players rising to the top but there would be more if many of those players travelled to Europe more regularly. Many players don't need to; there's enough competitions in China to keep the average pro earning:
The World Open
The Wuhan Open
The Shanghai Masters
Xi'an Grand Prix
World masters of snooker and
The international championship
All governed by the CBSA (Chinese Billiards & Snooker Association) who have their own 'CBSA tour' and their own ranking system both professional and amateur.
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