The Snooker Thread

[Ian]

Regardless of how entertaining he can be to watch he remains an enormous arsehole and all the 'Ah well the game needs characters' you hear in response to him being an arsehole can do one.

[Don]

This set-up did seem a bit open this time around, I don't know if it was always like this or what but there's no screens inbetween and the tables are right close to eachother with a stampede every 30 mins as the masses go for their beers and lines.

[igor_balis]

Brecel with one of the best sporting performances i've ever seen, astonishing stuff.

[Yevrah]

Zhao was pretty good too just now.

Could be a cracking final.

[igor_balis]

Zhao was pretty good too just now.

Could be a cracking final.

yep, flawless from him except the safety in the 5th frame

[CJay]

No comments here on the atrocious scoreboard the BBC graphics department have come up with? It never disappears from view, either. My eyes were bleeding watching that Brecel match this afternoon.

[igor_balis]

Dunno if it's the same one, but I watch Eurosport, much prefer the commentary, especially without hearing the BBC twats trying to crack the audience up in their headsets with their shit jokes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Enjoying this final so far - two positive, in-form players and not the same tired old faces for a change.

[Gray Fox]

Turned the BBC on to see Shaun Murphy. Nope.

I'm going to sound like a grumpy old man, but that young man just shouldn't be in the studio.

[Yevrah]

Zhao is probably the first player I've seen since Trump who has rocked up and looked the real deal. 24's not particularly young, so he's wasted a few years, but he could be properly good.

[John Arne]

The Guardian take on this is very weird. "China now holds 2 of the 3 big titles"... the invasion is here!! Run!! Run!! Run!!

[Giggles]

Would probably put me off watching a bit if I’m honest. May as well be an underage or women’s tournament if I don’t know anyone playing.

[Giggles]

What does Mosconi Cup D2 mean?

[Giggles]

Ah, day 2. I thought it was some low level competition thing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Day 2, presumably.

[Giggles]

Isn’t this the lad that kicked the shite out of Judd Trump in the US Open?

[Gray Fox]

Jayson Shaw did, if that was him?

Crowds are usually a bit partisan for this, but there's some specials in tonight.

[Giggles]

That’s the lad alright.

The crowd have done my head in enough that I’ve turned it off. What’s that shit about for every extension?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just put it on, who on earth are these retards in the crowd? Are they encouraging it?

[Giggles]

It’s like they did a round up of passing imbeciles.

[Yevrah]

O'Sullivan vs Bingham in the semi of the World Open starting on ITV4 now.

[Yevrah]

Ronnie level with Robertson at 4-4 going into tonight's final session. The former played like a complete twat, bar when he needed snookers in the last frame which he got in excellent fashion. Should be a cracking finale tonight.

[Giggles]

This masters stuff is dogshit.

[John Arne]

1480104932913131521

[Boydy]

:D

Ahahaha

[Don]

:D

lll

[John Arne]

https://gyazo.com/d415cffab6cad08f508cc29d6f912c8a.jpeg

[Spikey M]

Jesus. That was brutal. :D

[Don]

Trump-Allen was tasty yesterday and Ronnie-Robertson is heating up nicely now.

[Boydy]

Cracking finish in the Robertson - Williams match there.

[igor_balis]

fucking incredible scenes

[Ian]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/snooker/60008693

That's just a stupid shot. Perfect.

[CJay]

I can’t believe Williams blew that match. He played so well but lost his composure on a couple of vital and not-that-difficult shots.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The shootout on Eurosport is decent fun, if you can bear the stupid crowd noise. The Persian Prince currently bidding for a semi-final berth.

[igor_balis]

Robertson playing some lovely stuff this session

[Giggles]

First year I can ever recall that I’ve no channel to watch on. If I can last 2 weeks I’ll never get the bbc again.

[Baz]

Ronnie to win it all

[igor_balis]

Mark Allen must be reaching Stephen Lee levels now

[Ben]

Weight or cheating?

[igor_balis]

Former, but the latter absolutely wouldn't surprise me, he gives me very bad vibes.

[Ben]

Ronnie sounding like a CCP spokesperson on Eurosport. :cab:

[Don]

Get the Ronnie-Vafaei matchup after the terrorist's comments :drool:

[igor_balis]

Ronnie sounding like a CCP spokesperson on Eurosport. :cab:

:D I enjoyed that whole section a lot. What do you think, Jimmy? "..."

[Yevrah]

Selby vs. Yan is shaping up to be a classic. The latter 10-7 ahead and they play to a finish tonight. First to 13.

[niko_cee]

Bingtao getting some serious run of the balls, which I don't mind too much against the pesterer from leicesterer.

[Yevrah]

As much as I dislike him, one has to admit the last 3 frames from Selby (and some of the safety in this) have been magnificent.

[Gray Fox]

Is there anyone better than Selby when it comes to digging in to try and save a match?

[Yevrah]

Is there anyone better than Selby when it comes to digging in to try and save a match?

Nope. He's the best ever at it.

[Giggles]

Never ended up getting bbc sorted for this. How long is left?

[Yevrah]

10-11 now to Yan. Could be another hour or two yet.

[Gray Fox]

I think Selbys got him right where he wants him now. Drawn Yan of his rhythm and into his game. He's hanging with Selby well, but how long can he keep it up?

[Yevrah]

Bingtao's turn to get a bad run of the ball.

[Yevrah]

What a frame. :D

EDIT: And I believe it's close to breaking the record for the longest one ever.

[niko_cee]

Jesus, what a miss on the blue.

[Yevrah]

Fuck me. This lad is going to be something special.

[Gray Fox]

What a frame to win for Yan. He’s have broken had that black miss at the death cost him.

Did feel Selby played that far too hard.

[Yevrah]

I don't know how that black stayed out.

[Dark Soldier]

One of the best frames I've ever seen. So so good.

[Gray Fox]

This kid could be great.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, there's been a fair few youngsters promise much, so who knows for sure, but that was something else.

[Manc sean]

I have a pair for the afternoon session (2:30) table 2 if anyone is interested in them. Person I was going with can't go. Message here if interested, email tickets.

[Manc sean]

One of them is going spare so if anyone's local and wants it they can have it.

[Yevrah]

Cheers for offering them out Manc, if I was more local I'd have bitten your arm off.

[Yevrah]

Robertson vs. Lisowski (7-9) to a finish tonight should be half decent.

[Giggles]

What general times of evening does this tend to be on BBC?

[Ben]

7pm until it finishes.

[Yevrah]

Lovely stuff.

[Boydy]

Is Neil Robertson into Warhammer? :D

[CJay]

Is Neil Robertson into Warhammer? :D

In a very big way. Gaming in general.

[-james-]

World of Warcraft too iirc.

He's a regular at a vegan restaurant that my mate works at when he's in Glasgow.

[Ben]

This is a magnificent match.

[wullie]

I like Robertson but I miss his lockdown afro.

[Yevrah]

This is a magnificent match.

It is. Reckon we could see some immense semi's and final, there are more players in good nick going into the final stages than I can remember for years.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The excitement level of any Crucible fortnight is determined by when Barry Hawkins gets knocked out. If the Hawk's still there past the first weekend it's time to make other plans. This year we are more fortunate.

[igor_balis]

I've dipped in and out of the tournament, some great stuff. Big frame for Lisowski there.

[Ben]

He’s so good, just got a head full of cartoons.

[Yevrah]

There's another 147 on here...

[Jimmy Floyd]

That green was a proper arse twitch.

I hate it when both tables are rocking like this. Always feel like there's a cooler party you should be at when the other side of the auditorium cheers.

[Yevrah]

Jesus, I was nervous for Lisowski there. What a cracker.

"Missions", whatever the fuck that is, can fuck right off.

[CJay]

This is fantastic stuff.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't think I've ever seen that kind of fluke.

[wullie]

All the mobile phones and commotion from the other side is distracting enough, but I can't take my eyes off the beardy Finn in the front row.

[igor_balis]

All the mobile phones and commotion from the other side is distracting enough, but I can't take my eyes off the beardy Finn in the front row.

he's been there all week, he looks like fucking surreal comedian TONY LAW

https://www.thecomedycow.co.uk/uploaded/images/org/5182-aviary-photo_131774523287772083.png

maybe it is tony law

[Pleb]

This tournament worth following?

[Yevrah]

I'd say so. A cracking quarter-final line-up and all the grinding shitters gone.

[Ben]

This is certainly the best one for a while. Thoroughly enjoying it.

[Yevrah]

I'd say the only player left who is playing badly is Stephen Maguire (which I hope doesn't jinx Ronnie) and some of them are playing superb stuff. Mark Williams has 10 centuries already, ten. In two matches. The record is only 16.

[wullie]

I'm all in on John Higgins again. Snooker should be won by the old and the big, these slender youngsters can all fuck off.

[igor_balis]

Did Yan neck a few pints in the mid session interval or some shit

[Ian]

The weirdos mugging for the camera behind Steve Davis in those chat bits look happier that they might briefly be on TV than I think I've ever been about anything.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I never get those people. I'd be doing anything to stay off the TV.

[Manc sean]

Got tickets for the 1st session of the final so hoping for o'sullivan v lisowski. Not checked if the route to the final is mapped out or not so may not even be possible.

[Yevrah]

Not possible, they'll meet in the semi's.

The quarters have been gash so far.

[Ben]

That's a possible semi I think.

[igor_balis]

Was gonna say it's hard to see beyond O'Sullivan looking at the brackets, but Higgins has a really good recent head-to-head record against him, a very low-stress early couple of rounds and definitely has the experience to cope with the long, long matches. As much as I don't like him, as long as he gets past Lisowski (and ideally without it going the distance), I reckon he might do him. Bingtao to beat the Scottish cheat in the final.

[igor_balis]

i know williams will deffo win this last frame now i've said this, but i got on bingtao £5e/w for the whole thing at 16/1 about an hour ago. and he's now sitting at 6/1 :cool:

[Ben]

No way is Yan only 22. The kid plays like a veteran.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I can't look at Yan Bingtao without thinking back to his nonplussed face as Rob Walker invasively opened his fridge/peered under his sofa.

[John Arne]

I can't look at Yan Bingtao without thinking back to his nonplussed face as Rob Walker invasively opened his fridge/peered under his sofa.

Still one of the greatest VT's in television, let alone snooker.

[John Arne]

https://gyazo.com/d415cffab6cad08f508cc29d6f912c8a.jpeg

:D

[Ian]

What was he doing under there???

[Yevrah]

Ronnie through with the two frames he needed in about 18 minutes.

[John Arne]

What was he doing under there???

Just being a bit weird and nosey :)

1480095305743937536

[Yevrah]

This second session in the Trump vs. Bingham match has been genuine club standard.

[igor_balis]

This second session in the Trump vs. Bingham match has been genuine club standard.

:D was gonna say, is that the worst anyone has ever played at the crucible while still winning 5 frames on the bounce?

[Ian]

Yeah there have been some absolutely rotten shots.

[igor_balis]

Bingham's miss on the black was terrific.

[Yevrah]

In Yan we trust (to stop the shitshow continuing).

[Ben]

Yan :cool:

[Ian]

These two now having a go at shots that wouldn't be out of place in one of my games.

[Ian]

The weirdos mugging for the camera behind Steve Davis in those chat bits look happier that they might briefly be on TV than I think I've ever been about anything.

Today's winner: the middle aged bloke who clearly thought he was a bit of a legend for pretending to scratch his nose so he could give the finger.

[Ian]

Just being a bit weird and nosey :)

1480095305743937536

Just watched this. :D

There's so much going on here. Ah, you like fish and chips! Gimme some elbow, brother. Yan looking perplexed as he just digs through his fridge. Rob not taking no for an answer on trying to get his signature dish. "The coat is SO SOFT!" "This carpet is absolutely phenomenal!" The cat having zero interest in coming out from under the sofa.

[wullie]

I like that a snooker prodigy has the same rubbish back garden that I did, but with added perv fence.

[niko_cee]

Simple cut to the corner leading to white into the middle is the bane of every [average] pub pool player in the land. Good to see it gets the pros too.

[Gray Fox]

Mega clear up from Williams here. Yan has gone to bits a bit.

[igor_balis]

Just remembered why I stopped betting on sport 8 years ago

[Gray Fox]

Great post match interview from Williams too.
Do hope he wins it.

[igor_balis]

Great post match interview from Williams too.
Do hope he wins it.

I bloody love him. I genuinely think he's the main reason I haven't deleted the Twitter app on my phone.

[Ian]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/snooker/61241722

I missed this earlier.

[igor_balis]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/snooker/61241722

I missed this earlier.

Yeah I've not been a massive fan of ol' male pattern baldness, but I got a good giggle out of that. Maybe I have to like the cunt now.

[Ian]

Nah, I think you're safe. One joke doesn't make him not a total bore.

[John Arne]

Average age of the semi-finalist is 42.75 :D

If Bingham had of beaten Judd, we would have a 45yr old, 2 46yr olds and a 47yr old.

I wonder if anyone at the top of the game is noticing this.

[Ben]

What's the issue? Three generational players all came through together so naturally they're going to skew the picture while they're around.

Nout wrong with being old I say. :panda:

[Jimmy Floyd]

All three won the title pre 9/11, which is daft when you think about it.

[Yevrah]

On the one hand it's quite cool, but on the other it's the sign of a moribund sport, of which snooker has so many and the BBC have been highlighting them all fortnight - Stephen Maguire being a 'magnificent player' (he hasn't been for fifteen years), Jack Lisowski 'coming of age' (he's thirty years old ffs) are among my favourites.

The sport is crying out for someone actually young to come along and be an indisputable number one, moving things on as Davis and Hendry did. Problem is no one in the UK can play it anymore since the smoking ban and while it's clearly very popular in China, their players will take time to come through and they also have the obstacle of being over 6,500 miles from home when they do, in a land where everything smells of milk (although I see they're now embracing that more these days, might be part of the plan).

[wullie]

Now I'm older than some football managers I'm delighted to see snooker dominated by the mid-40s, it means I've still got time if I put the practice in. Watched the quarters last night and Higgins was absolutely sleepwalking his way out until Lisowski made it 12-11 which woke him up suddenly. It's odd watching on the red button as they don't cut to studio between frames so you're just watching the two players sitting side by side trying to to acknowledge each other accompanied by the ambient sound of crisp packets being rustled.

[Ian]

Does the smoking ban actually matter to young people seeing as they've known nothing different? Feels like a 'old man yells at cloud' reason to fall back on for the decline in quality of snooker players.

The problem is more likely one of exposure and accessibility. In the case of exposure, as has been said, it's a lot of middle aged men so if a young person does see it what's gonna draw them in and think "Man I wanna be like that round bloke."

And then as we've discussed before, just the fact that it's fucking expensive and I'm not sure when I last saw a snooker table outside of a snooker hall so you need to actively seek it out.

I'd be interested to know what the snooker scene looks like for young people in China. Is it as simple as them being aware that it's a way to hey out of the country if they just put the hours in and have some ability for it?

[Ben]

Stephen Lee, despite being a complete crook, is/was making a small fortune out there coaching.

[niko_cee]

Isn't it more that the smoking ban effectively killed snooker clubs, and, as there are now far fewer clubs/tables/places you can play [snooker tables take up a huge amount of space better allocated to craft dining or, you know, housing] nobody really gets exposed to the game unless they really hunt it out? Young people not taking up cue sports is definitely a thing*. In our local pool league we were the young, carefree drinking team when we started out. 15 years later we remain the 'youngest' team, but have had to water down some of the other aspects.

*this is also probably linked to young people, in general, not going to the pub anymore.

[Ben]

I definitely concur with that. I was in the same boat re: pool, being the young team that tore up the league and as we progressed in age, no one younger came through. Most of us stopped playing completely, and the couple that kept it up are now on the IPA or Ultimate Pool circuits now.

I also played in a billiards league which was the same, only ten times worse for that problem and it doesn't even exist now. I was only ever a casual snooker player so don't know about the league situation but the club always had a decent amount of players, even if getting a table was never really an issue.

[Ian]

The use of space is a good shout actually, why have even a pool table (let alone a snooker table) maybe bringing you in a couple of quid an hour if it's younger people who aren't drinking much if you could have another table for drinks / food.

I've said this before so I won't bang on but I'd spend a lot more time even just by myself playing some snooker or pool in my free time if it didn't cost something like eight quid an hour in my local places before you've even had a drink or whatever.

[wullie]

This is a perfect time to point out that I played for a pub team in the local league once and won the game, so have retained a 100% record for 20 years. Like Sam Allardyce's England career but with fewer pints of wine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I played sometimes as a teenager. There was a club off the main road out of town, hardly in prime real estate. A good schlep to get there if you didn't have a car, but people made the journey. You'd go upstairs in what seemed to be an abandoned building and there was a bar, a small pool room, and a large snooker hall with 10-12 tables populated entirely by working class men of all ages (and me, I guess). There would be quite a lot of teenagers at the weekend but we had no money, obviously, so the money to run the place came from the grown men buying drinks and these men wanted to smoke inside.

You stop them smoking in 2006 (I was 18), the place closes within months. The teenagers in the area now can't and don't play snooker. Now it's luxury flats.

[Ben]

The sight of smoke smouldering from a Regal King Size under the table lights is a very vivid memory of my youth.

[Ian]

Are those men not still going to pubs though? I mean, if you've got to go outside to smoke when you're having a pint does that not come into the same thing?

I dunno, it's a weird one. I dunno how you get young people playing it without trying to herd them into snooker / pool halls. The ones near me are busy enough and with younger people BUT that's on the pool tables, of which there are many more. When I play snooker I don't see many people younger than me doing it but then I walk back to the bar through all the pool tables and there are loads of them.

[Ian]

I'd be interested to know whether pubs which still cling on to a "50p for a game" pool table see many young people playing there as it's a much cheaper option and you can just do a few games for a couple of quid.

And also whether student unions still have their pool tables. The ones I went to in Glasgow used to but that may be another thing that's fallen by the wayside. Pool is the obvious gateway drug to snooker, right?

[wullie]

At school one of my friends lived in a pub so he had the key to the pool table and we'd play for free as it was the olden days when pubs closed in the afternoon and reopened later, the only step away from perfection was that he couldn't get the Spiderman arcade game to play for free as well. He was actually a dickhead but free pool, come on now

[Ian]

:D

I'd love even to have the space / money for a pool table. I'd never be bored again.

[Boydy]

The sight of smoke smouldering from a Regal King Size under the table lights is a very vivid memory of my youth.
Smoking over the table? :nono:

[Yevrah]

Does the smoking ban actually matter to young people seeing as they've known nothing different? Feels like a 'old man yells at cloud' reason to fall back on for the decline in quality of snooker players.

The problem is more likely one of exposure and accessibility. In the case of exposure, as has been said, it's a lot of middle aged men so if a young person does see it what's gonna draw them in and think "Man I wanna be like that round bloke."

And then as we've discussed before, just the fact that it's fucking expensive and I'm not sure when I last saw a snooker table outside of a snooker hall so you need to actively seek it out.

I'd be interested to know what the snooker scene looks like for young people in China. Is it as simple as them being aware that it's a way to hey out of the country if they just put the hours in and have some ability for it?

It's been covered, but the smoking ban closed a load of establishments where one would play it as it's almost impossible to make money from them now.

[Ian]

Yeah, that's fair enough.

Have the relevant snooker authorities in the UK had any bright ideas of what they might do about this in the intervening 15 years? I don't think Judd Trump wearing trendy trainers in the studio will cut it.

[-james-]

Are Higgins, Williams, O'Sullivan of 2022 worse than the players who were reaching the semi-finals in 2002 (the younger versions of themselves)? Because if the overall quality of snooker isn't dropping off, there isn't an issue, is there?

Is total tournament centuries a good measure? Because there's a positive trend there.

https://i.imgur.com/zpIu0Oa.png

[Yevrah]

I'd say all three collectively are as good as they were then, but individually they've all been better than they are now. The quality of snooker is fine at the moment and as good if not better than it's ever been, but the problem comes when the established names do start to decline (age surely has to see to that at some point) and there's no one to take their place, which is absolutely what we're looking at happening.

The youngsters coming through (from the UK at least) are genuinely tragic - Jimmy White, as an example to back that up, has only just dropped out of the top 100 and given how bad he is and has been for years, he shouldn't be anywhere near it.

[-james-]

I'm not sure the quality of the player ranked 100 matters very much, in the late 90s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker_world_rankings_1999/2000) you still had the likes of Dennis Taylor and Willie Thorne higher than White is now.

I think it's a case of the top 50 generally being much better than it's ever been. You're right in that for a while there's been a lack of real generational talent coming through. Maybe we were just spoiled by Hendry, Williams, O'Sullivan & Higgins all appearing at the same time?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is there any other sport/game/discipline where there is 1 person under 30 in the world's top ten?

I've just checked darts actually and that's also 1/10 (Belgian, the snooker one is Chinese). The decline of British pubs theory is the one.

[Ian]

Get the public schools to put up some snooker tables. Everybody else will be too busy choosing between food and warmth for snooker to be an option so get the poshos involved.

[CJay]

Glad to see Williams on the board. How can the table not settling into the carpet for the one-table setup not be considered?

Trump looks on it.

[Ian]

There's always a chance when you try to bash one in but Williams got seriously unlucky with that shot there where the red rolled past the cue ball into perfect position for Trump.

[Ben]

Don’t know why he hit it that hard though.

[igor_balis]

How are people so bad at turning off their cunting phones lol

[Ian]

That shot though. :drool:


How are people so bad at turning off their cunting phones lol

I dunno, but also it's a fucking pub game you mugs stop being so arsey. Not quite at rugby levels of "please be quiet for the kicker while he pouts at the ball really hard" but still.

[igor_balis]

Don’t know why he hit it that hard though.

I literally said out loud "why did he hit it so hard?!", which got a proper "I wish my son wasn't such a weirdo" look from my momz

[Ben]

What a legend though. Come on.

[igor_balis]

I fucking love Mark Williams

[Yevrah]

That yellow was a thing of beauty.

[Ben]

O’Sullivan vs Williams in the final would be tremendous.

[Gray Fox]

Ronnie v Williams would be a lovely final if possible.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Crowd are properly behind Williams here.

Trump's popularity really suffers from being a dolt I think.

[Ben]

And spending the week running up to the tournament slagging off the sport because he wasn’t playing well. Ball bag.

[Yevrah]

The constant channel hopping the BBC do with this is an absolute fucking disgrace.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Get on Eurosport (if you have it), Joe Johnson talking you through each break is a soothing experience, and Jimmy White stumbling through his sentences in the studio equally so.

[Yevrah]

I can't cope with Eurosport for those very reasons.

And I wouldn't mind them switching channels so much if they did it in a sensible way, but they don't. Killing the end of that 22nd frame just now, for example.

[igor_balis]

Get on Eurosport (if you have it), Joe Johnson talking you through each break is a soothing experience, and Jimmy White stumbling through his sentences in the studio equally so.

This * 10000, the BBC coverage is truly hateful stuff. The bad dad jokes in the earpieces making the spectators giggle is up there with my least favourite things in sport. At least you don't have to hear the jokes on Eurosport.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The snooker crowd laughing is up there with the Wimbledon crowd laughing in the pantheon of worst sporting mirth.

[Ben]

BBC fucking off a snooker World semi final mid frame for Gardener’s World is a new low.

[igor_balis]

Red button, Eurosport, online, I don't think it really matters these days.

[niko_cee]

It is also still on an actual BBC channel as well no? [BBC4?]

[igor_balis]

Tbf if it was 1996 it would be well annoying, gardener's world is well rubbish.

[Ben]

I just can’t fathom how Gardener’s World warrants bumping off the semi final of the Snooker World Championship.

Regardless, what a tremendous session.

[Kikó]

Williams 😎

[Ian]

It'd be nice if the Eurosport coverage didn't have the sort of resolution that makes it look like an 80s rerun.

[Boydy]

It is also still on an actual BBC channel as well no? [BBC4?]

Yeah, BBC4.

[Boydy]

Am I the only one who likes the BBC commentators?

[Yevrah]

Am I the only one who likes the BBC commentators?

Nope, I do too. John Virgo is immense.

[igor_balis]

Am I the only one who likes the BBC commentators?

Thought you were more of a tennis guy, bro.

[Yevrah]

Proper dick Ronnie for the first hour, but that break was ludicrously good.

[Kikó]

It takes two to tango to be fair to Ronnie.

[Gray Fox]

I do like the blunt honest of Hendry.

[Yevrah]

It takes two to tango to be fair to Ronnie.

:D

[Yevrah]

I wonder if that female snooker player who doesn't have too much time to practice as she runs her own business realises how bitter she's coming across every time she mentions it?

[Yevrah]

Huge last frame for Higgins this.

[Gray Fox]

Immediately stuffed the break off as well. Though that pot is exquisite from Ronnie.

Ronnies "my tip is wrong" is about the same as Lewis Hamiltons "my tyres are bad" at this point.

[Yevrah]

Back on Eurosport vs traditional broadcasters, you don't get this on the BBC.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bnZCDcSu5A

[igor_balis]

These two frames have been pretty gutting. could easily be 13-13 but looking like 15-11. Boo.

[igor_balis]

Shut my damn mouth, what a couple of pots. Williams :wub:

[Yevrah]

Keep the faith Igor!

Massive frame that.

[Gray Fox]

Oh no :(

[Gray Fox]

Oh yes :D

[Kikó]

Trump's head has gone.

[Yevrah]

Astonishing stuff this.

[Kikó]

Williams has just been amazing every session I've watched so far.

[igor_balis]

Keep the faith Igor!

Massive frame that.

I believe. Holy shit.

[Giggles]

First bit I’ve seen as I’m visiting the folks. Have they been in the shoebox all fortnight on the BBC?

[Boydy]

Lisowski looked like he was gonna cry there cause his bezzie lost that frame.

[-james-]

Shaun Murphy is such a prick.

[Gray Fox]

Shaun Murphy is such a prick.

Absolutely. Can't stand the man.

This one has got very tense. Trump should have had this 4 times over.

[Ian]

This has been great stuff.

That shot from Williams when he just smashed them all apart. :D

[Gray Fox]

Trump seems to have recovered his long potting at just the right time.

[niko_cee]

Absolute madness.

[niko_cee]

Some fabulous attempts by Williams, but snooker players are just too good at getting out of snookers.

As I say that, imagine leaving a gap there. :face:

[niko_cee]

Also, this is a bit of a sad way for this to end.

[Boydy]

Shite.

[Gray Fox]

Unfortunately with no threat on anything other than the escape, you'll struggle to get anything in on a top player like this.

Trump just needs to keep rolling them up to the pocket.

[Baz]

Ronnie to win it all

When’s this done so I can collect my winnings?

[niko_cee]

Monday [night].

[Ian]

No idea who I want to to win now. O'Sullivan has "being a dickhead" where his personality should be but Trump barely has one at all.

[Gray Fox]

Ronnie for the record for me. Trump isn't offensive, but he just isn't anything really.

[Ben]

Trump spent the week running up to the tournament slagging off the sport, mainly because his own form was poor. I’ve got no time for excuse makers like that. Come on Ronnie.

[Ian]

Not like O'Sullivan doesn't have form for mouthing off about the sport, the venues he's in, people who aren't as good at snooker as he is, etc.

Just bin them both out for being turbofannies and bring back... I dunno, Williams and Robertson*.

* Specifically the mad hair version of Robertson though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know why really, but in recent years I've begun to really like Ronnie. Maybe it's because I know there will never be anyone like him ever again.

[Ben]

Ronnie mouths off all the time. The Trump interview was a toys out of the pram moment because he was asked why his form dipped this season. At least Ronnie is consistent with his bitching, not just when he’s having a bad run. I’d much have preferred Williams over either mind.

[Spikey M]

I don't know why really, but in recent years I've begun to really like Ronnie. Maybe it's because I know there will never be anyone like him ever again.

Grumpy cunts frow the West Midlands were a thriving race last time I checked.

[Ian]

Oi.

[Gray Fox]

I live there and can confirm.

[Ian]

Thrilling stuff this, O'Sullivan insisting the ball he moved a further 2mm for him to do a nothing shot.

I hope this hooks all the kids watching

[Ian]

Hope he misses again.

[Gray Fox]

Incredible stuff this.

What was being said about Ronnie being a dick?

[igor_balis]

Thrilling stuff this, O'Sullivan insisting the ball he moved a further 2mm for him to do a nothing shot.

I hope this hooks all the kids watching

I'm quick to berate O'Sullivan for...well, being O'Sullivan, but I thought he had a bit of a point there. My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, but it looked like he could see the red before the first foul, then he couldn't until after all the pissing around.

Trump losing that after having him at snookers required feels big, even in a match as long as this. My predictions are always terrible, but I could easily see O'Sullivan winning the next "mini session" 3-1 or 4-0 and already having an ominous lead.

[Gray Fox]

I bet it also must be quite unnerving the sheer speed at which Ronnie can take a frame away from you.

Being 2 behind is not too bad in a first to 18, but then you make it 3 or 4 and suddenly it starts to get away from you.

[Ian]

I'm quick to berate O'Sullivan for...well, being O'Sullivan, but I thought he had a bit of a point there. My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, but it looked like he could see the red before the first foul, then he couldn't until after all the pissing around.

I think he had a view of it again at the point he was adamant he didn't but it doesn't really matter much, I just thought it was a lot of palaver over a shot with not that much to gain from it. But then not being an obsessive psycho bell-end is probably why I'm a lazy slob and not a top sporting pro.

[Ian]

"A match we might still be talking about decades from now."

Don't undersell it Rob.

Also what was it O'Sullivan got a warning for? A "gesture" did they say? I missed the end of the first session.

[Ben]

I've never understood why there's not a miss called if the fouling player is far enough ahead that his opponent needs snookers.

[Ben]

Two more phones going off in the first half hour. Eject them.

[Ben]

Big fan of these early re-rack calls.

[Spikey M]

This is amateur hour stuff at the moment.

[Ben]

My wife, who knows very little, just branded them both shite.

[Jimmy Floyd]

"A match we might still be talking about decades from now."

At this rate they might still be playing it decades from now.

[Ian]

I reckon this ref might murder them before it comes to that.

[Spikey M]

Ffs :D

[igor_balis]

I've never understood why there's not a miss called if the fouling player is far enough ahead that his opponent needs snookers.

It would be a fucking horrible rule, the miss rule only exists to stop people deliberately fouling/not trying to hit the object ball. It would be ridiculous if someone like Selby was 90 points down and was able to lay a monster snooker then win the frame. If anything, there's an argument for not calling misses when people get close but don't hit it.

[niko_cee]

That's more the point isn't it, that it's a harsh rule when someone is genuinely in a tough snooker, but the reality is, as often showed, that a pro player can basically always hit a ball if it is even theoretically possible if all they are worried about is hitting it.

Would prefer if Ronnie didn't just run away with this.

[Ben]

It would be a fucking horrible rule, the miss rule only exists to stop people deliberately fouling/not trying to hit the object ball. It would be ridiculous if someone like Selby was 90 points down and was able to lay a monster snooker then win the frame. If anything, there's an argument for not calling misses when people get close but don't hit it.

I get your point but if it was the other way round in that situation (ie. the fouling player being behind) then a miss would be called.

[niko_cee]

Every shot looks a bit of a struggle for Trump at the moment.

[Spikey M]

Trump in a slump getting humped.

[Gray Fox]

Must be tough when you're not quite in the groove and you know the crowd is massively in favour of your opponent.

[igor_balis]

annoying cus you'd be pretty sure williams would be doing a lot better if he got past trump

[Gray Fox]

In a strange way I think Ronnie would also be more reserved. I think he'd respect Williams more than he would Trump.

[igor_balis]

Yeah absolutely. To be honest, the fact he's dragged himself to a world championship final despite being out of form all season is testament to how trump has evolved from the #naughtysnooker carefree potter to a more seasoned matchplayer, but it's probably ruined the final as a spectacle. I guess it's Williams' fault for being so shit earlier in the semi.

[niko_cee]

I don't mind Ronnie, but I detest the Ronnie Crowd.

Heads have gone with that miss on the cut.

[igor_balis]

I don't mind Ronnie, but I detest the Ronnie Crowd.

Heads have gone with that miss on the cut.

Yeah I went to the UK championship in York just before covid, and the O'Sullivan fans were loud and annoying enough to do my head in, despite him playing about two tables away from the Marco Fu masterclass me and my mate were watching.

[Gray Fox]

The crowd have been a shambles all the way through this weekend. All of this phone/shouting out nonsense should see them chucked out and their ticket resold.

[Ben]

The crowd have been a shambles all the way through this weekend. All of this phone/shouting out nonsense should see them chucked out and their ticket resold.

Exactly. A capacity of 1,000 means there'll be plenty of takers so there's no need to placate this behaviour.

[-james-]

Yeah this looks over.

[Ben]

Heads gone completely here.

[Ian]

I wonder if Judd Trump stays friends with Jack Lisowaki so he looks like the fun, zany one.

[Gray Fox]

Shaun Murphy and his enormous forehead criticizing his cue action at this point is a bit lol.

He's in the final of the World Championship, which he's won before mate. I don't think that's his problem.

[Ben]

That twat who shouted "double it" should be out on his arse by now.

[Boydy]

Probably won't even get an evening session tomorrow at this rate.

[igor_balis]

Me accurately calling Shaun Murphy a wanker years ago is probably my only TTH e-victory.:evictory:

[Ian]

It'll just be delaying the inevitable if Trump manages to drag it out that long. O'Sullivan isn't collapsing for long enough to lose this.