The Snooker Thread

[Ben]

Here's a not-so-fun fact. I've met Fred Davis. I didn't know it at the time because I was so young but as a kid I played billiards and our team went to watch the U16 and U19 British Championships because a lot of our lads were playing in it (the Middlesbrough area was a hotbed for boys billiards talent in the 90's and 00's). One of the old blokes there turned out to be Fred I was later told (amongst other semi-famous names from old times). He died not long after I think.

[John Arne]

Correlation does not imply causation. I'm sure your chance meeting was not the direct reason of his death, although it can't be ruled out.

[Waffdon]

Not a bad start from Si jiahui :cool:

Brecel’s play style really looks like it’ll suit him.

[niko_cee]

What, his style of being shit?

[niko_cee]

Both of these are going under the Selby bus in painful style, so let's hope Allen can do something about that.

[niko_cee]

Brecel going for that double there is absolutely head in hands stuff.

[Ben]

Both of these are going under the Selby bus in painful style, so let's hope Allen can do something about that.

Yep, Allen needs to step up here.

[Yevrah]

Brecel going for that double there is absolutely head in hands stuff.

Now Brecel isn't playing someone in Ronnie who looked like they were actively trying to lose I'm on the Brecel hate bandwagon. His game management for a 'top' player is genuinely the worst I've ever seen.

Mark Selby would absolutely ruin him without even blinking.

[Yevrah]

That psychologist will genuinely be the best of his profession ever if he can get Jimmy back to the Crucible, let alone putting him a position to win it.

[Yevrah]

And fair play to this chap for rubbishing the wellbeing/mental health nonsense.

[Waffdon]

Si Jiahui’s long potting in all of these games so far have been ludicrous

[Yevrah]

If Si plays this well should he make the final, I'd even give him a chance against Selby. But, a very long way to go yet.

[Boydy]

And fair play to this chap for rubbishing the wellbeing/mental health nonsense.

Who was it and what was he saying?

[Yevrah]

Who was it and what was he saying?

It was a psychologist who has been working with Jimmy White and the patsy interviewer started trotting how having to look after your mental health/wellbeing was paramount. He cut her down (albeit politely) citing that if you want to be an elite sportsperson your mental health will inevitably suffer from the rigours that involves and you need to be able to both accept that and deal with it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm always a bit wary of these sportspeople (seems to be a favourite of female tennis stars, but by no means only them) who seem to completely disengage with media duties and so on because of 'mental health'. Ben Stokes as well, took a year out because of it. If you want to take a year out then just take a year out. You think people who work in warehouses and coffee shops don't have mental health struggles? They don't have the luxury of not doing parts of the job whenever they feel like it. It always seems self-absorbed and disingenuous.

[niko_cee]

That escape from Si was something I'd end up trying to do [ie hit and hope].

[Yevrah]

I'm always a bit wary of these sportspeople (seems to be a favourite of female tennis stars, but by no means only them) who seem to completely disengage with media duties and so on because of 'mental health'. Ben Stokes as well, took a year out because of it. If you want to take a year out then just take a year out. You think people who work in warehouses and coffee shops don't have mental health struggles? They don't have the luxury of not doing parts of the job whenever they feel like it. It always seems self-absorbed and disingenuous.

I'm inclined to agree and I'd also say that it's preposterous to expect that performing in the top 0.00001% or whatever of people in the World at your chosen pursuit won't be very tough mentally. It's akin to working in a coal mine and expecting not to get dirty.

[niko_cee]

Got to admire Hendry's ability to put a positive spin on the fact that either of these can miss anything at any given time, and lo and behold Brecel misses an easy pink off its spot instantly.

[niko_cee]

Maybe just use the rest instead of playing with the wrong hand?

Oh for god's sake. :face:

[niko_cee]

Thank christ this is the last frame of the session, all gone to absolute shit.

[niko_cee]

:roflol:

[Gray Fox]

What in the flying fuck was that on the yellow.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, this is a shambles, but a shambles that I think will provide great entertainment as we get to the business end.

[Gray Fox]

And that pink. Hendry is going to punch someone here.

[niko_cee]

The chip shot, then that yellow, then the shot choice on the pink a real grandstand finish to that in shit-off terms. That level of lols can get a bit wearing over the best of 33 though.

[Ben]

Selby at 5/4 is looking like free money. :sick:

[niko_cee]

Just stuck £50 on in an attempt to curse him.

[Ben]

Nicknames are pretty wank all round but “The Pistol” is dreadful.

[Waffdon]

Murphy on the comms again :sick:

[Yevrah]

I never thought I'd be cheering on Mark Allen, but there we have it.

[Giggles]

He looks like he’s not well.

[Waffdon]

The blue in the 11th frame and the subsequent break :drool:

[Waffdon]

Not even two frames completed after nearly 2 hours. Let’s hope Si destroys whoever in the final.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, was about to ask, did this session start at 2? 1 frame completed. Yikes.

[Dark Soldier]

I kinda like the grind skills of Selby. Very old school while still being able to smash in centuries when they want.

10 hour sessions at 90 minutes a frame let's have it.

[Boydy]

Yeah, was about to ask, did this session start at 2? 1 frame completed. Yikes.
2:30, I think. I've just put it on and they've only played two frames? Last night ended 5-3, right?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Si is so good to watch. Hopefully turns into the new star that the sport needs.

[Dave.]

I'm loving the contrast between the two semi finals.:lol:

[Giggles]

Si is so good to watch. Hopefully turns into the new star that the sport needs.
We’ll be here in 10 years time wondering why Mark Williams has bottled it and “Ronnie” winning with a highest break of 127.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wait, the other game is 7-6 after two sessions? What the fuck have they been doing out there?

[Ben]

Allen and Selby should be kicked out and this other semi being made into the final. Pretty pathetic snooker, especially from Selby.

Si is awesome.

[Waffdon]

The amount of shots I seen Selby back out of earlier today rather than take the pot on was hilarious. Night and day to these two lads. Albeit it’s probably going to work out and he’ll grind Si to death

[Boydy]

Has the coverage on bbc2 just flicked back a frame for everyone else?

[Ben]

This is quite brilliant.

Not outright the most pure quality snooker we’ve ever seen but after the suicide-inducing bollocks earlier on, it’s about the best thing we could have wished for.

[Waffdon]

These two are so fun to watch. Pot some ridiculous stuff at times. If Brecel gets this to 14-10 come end of session I reckon he could do it.

[Ben]

Brecel is the better chance of the champion from this side of the draw. Although it would be amazing to see the Chinese boy that Murphy said should be nowhere near a pro table lift the trophy.

[Waffdon]

Si really could do with winning this last frame. 15-9 sounds a lot nicer than 14-10. I suppose this is coming at a good time for him anyway as he seems to always start new sessions well.

[niko_cee]

Wait, the other game is 7-6 after two sessions? What the fuck have they been doing out there?

I was a bit taken aback when they just went off at 6 or whatever it was. Is that a new thing or am I just a bit too part-time with my following of it?

[niko_cee]

The amount of shots I seen Selby back out of earlier today rather than take the pot on was hilarious. Night and day to these two lads. Albeit it’s probably going to work out and he’ll grind Si to death

This is clearly going to happen. He's broken Allen's mind already. I suppose the thing Si might have going for him is the exuberance of youth. He won't be backing down [as Allen has done too many times already] and Selby isn't really playing well enough in the non-grind phase to capitalise on everything.

[Ben]

I wonder if a tailor will get his hands on young Si before the final, if he makes it.

[Waffdon]

Some of these shots he’s going for. Fuck me. No respect for his opponent whatsoever :lol:

Not working out as much now though

[Ben]

He’s had a lot of luck with the white ball when he’s missed throughout. I don’t care though, I’m just enjoying this before Selby fucks us all up the arse in the final.

[Boydy]

Fuck me, that miss on the green.

[niko_cee]

Huge difference for the match, oh shit . . .

[Waffdon]

That miss on the green after the brilliant brown. Fuck me.

He’ll be thankful for the end of the session. Hopefully he finishes it off tomorrow as not a chance Brecel beats Selby.

[igor_balis]

Si selects his shots more aggressively than I used to on world snooker championship 2005 on the PS2.

[Ben]

Shite refereeing. Suits the match I guess.

[Gray Fox]

Mark Selby with Murphy on comms. NOPE.

[Waffdon]

Haha. I turned it on to check if they’d completed a frame and Selby took on a brown instead of playing safe. About fell off my chair. Absolutely nae danger I’m spending my morning listening to Murphy though

[Yevrah]

If this match goes close tonight they could genuinely end up finishing at 5am.

[Waffdon]

Think Si’s bottle may have crashed. I think that’s 7 frames in a row he’s lost. At least 3 of them he missed an easy pot or took on an outrageous shot

[Dark Soldier]

This is some bottle job, bigger than Ronnie's

[Waffdon]

He’s gonna end up losing 13 frames in a row having been up 14-5 and cruising lol. Thought starting afresh today would have seen him back on it but his safety play is just awful and he’s never not gonna attempt these risky pots.

[Yevrah]

Taking that black on was absolute insanity.

[igor_balis]

I've gone from feeling sorry for Si to just thinking what a fucking loser.

[Dark Soldier]

The blue fucking hell. He's done.

[Yevrah]

Yep. Bar Jimmy White's famous 10 frames lost in a row, you normally get a bit of ebb and flow when a player comes back from so far behind to level but Si just doesn't look like he has anything left in him to make that happen.

[igor_balis]

Ronnie sounded a bit ott in the Eurosport studio yesterday when he was saying that missed green could be career defining let alone match defining, but I do sorta see his point. Si will remember this tournament for his disintegration more than an amazing run to the semis, you'd imagine.

Brecel probably always had a much better chance in the final anyway, but coming off winning a million frames in a row might make him even more likely to beat one of the Marks, which probably makes this a better outcome

[Waffdon]

I've gone from feeling sorry for Si to just thinking what a fucking loser.

Yeah, this has been pretty pathetic. Hopefully he somehow shows us something and gets a deciding frame but not a chance

[niko_cee]

Watching his career and probably life go down in flames here to some bald dwarf from Belgium.

[Waffdon]

At least he done us a favour and donned Shaun Murphy again

[igor_balis]

calling it now - he gets a nice little 50-60 break then misses an easy frame ball

[igor_balis]

I was wrong, thank god. fair play, like.

[Yevrah]

That was very good, get in son. Final frame decider please.

[Waffdon]

He’s alive!

I think if he does squeeze a win here he might be fine in the final. Today would have been his blip you’d think rather than doing it in two consecutive matches.

[Waffdon]

Silly twat.

[Yevrah]

Mon' the 4am finish tonight it is then.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, bit mental to be going for that red when it was effectively match ball. Still took a good pot from Brecel afterwards but come on.

[Dark Soldier]

Hell of a match. He's still stupid young, that'll either break him for a few years, or spur him on to sort out the wildness. Trump/O'Sullivan etc had the same issue when younger.

He needs a mental coach really, look what it did from Ronnie. Turned him from an arrogant, lager swilling cokehead into an arrogant, vegan eating runner.

[Ben]

These pockets are massive. That black literally hit half way up the cushion.

[7om]

Does Shelby not want to win or something.

[Gray Fox]

I'm convinced Selby gains more enjoyment from dragging people down to his gritty game, than he does actually winning.

[7om]

Standard has been shocking in this frame.

[Dark Soldier]

Just downed chicken tikka and chips with a cheesy garlic bread, popped an edible, and settling down for an evening of the worst snooker ever.

Let's fucking have it.

[Yevrah]

DS :D

I'm not even sure I want Mark Allen to win now, he's been a disgrace so far this evening.

[7om]

Is Mark Allen on the take? He’s been piss poor.

[Dark Soldier]

Probably made enough to cover his takeaway and child support yearly bill, so lads not arsed.

[Yevrah]

That was a tragic mini-session from Allen.

[Gray Fox]

The Mrs turned to me at some point during this match, the shot having cut to the camera in the commentary booth and said, that guy sounds like the guy from the snooker show that was on when I was a kid.

Will not believe it is the very same John Virgo. And that's already more entertaining than anything that's happened in this match.

[7om]

Big Break? Loved that show as a kid.

[Yevrah]

I will asphyxi-wank myself to death tonight if Mark Selby loses from 16-10 up.

[Yevrah]

The referee needs to tell this twat to hurry the fuck up. Gamesmanship levels here now.

[Gray Fox]

Big Break? Loved that show as a kid.

Such a shame Jim Davidson turned out to be such a cunt.
One best not revived as modern day would likely have Alexander Armstrong hosting with everything falling flat.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They generally don't let working class comedians on TV now. No culture wars in Jim's heyday so presumably he was just another prick in the TV industry rather than a cancelled prick.

[7om]

Selby’s lost his head here.

[Waffdon]

That geezer in the front is definitely asleep

[wullie]

I used to love Big Break, doesn't seem to be repeated from what I can see though whereas the glory years of Bullseye are on a double bill every night at 11pm on Challenge. Top flight mullets and polo shirts on show or your money back

[Yevrah]

What a frame that was.

[CJay]

This is great. So much tension.

[Waffdon]

I can’t tell if that yellow was deliberate or not.

[7om]

Dark Soldier how’s the edible gone down with this top snooker mate

[Dark Soldier]

Dark Soldier how’s the edible gone down with this top snooker mate

I fell asleep for the last frame but up to that point, engrossed.

[Yevrah]

Quite looking forward to this final. If it goes the way we all fear then it'll be horrible, but if it doesn't then it'll be an absolute cracker.

[Ian]

Selby's firmware needs an update, that smile was a bit Arnie in T2.

[Yevrah]

Not content with the Triple Crown nonsense, do we now have a hall of fame?

[Yevrah]

That was such a bad safety shot from Luca. :D Bring it on.

[Ian]

Not content with the Triple Crown nonsense, do we now have a hall of fame?

Google tells me the Snooker Hall of Fame was founded in 2011, and I was pondering when I was reminded of the Premier League one recently whether we're all a bit too cynical to try and start something like from scratch in this day and age. Or whether it just feels like too American a concept for us (compared to cricket say where individual grounds have their own ways of charting memorable performances.) The NFL Hall of Fame is a thing people actually care about but it also started 60 years ago when there was possibly a bit more earnestness about the whole affair and now it's just a thing that's been there, to most people, as good as forever.

[Ian]

Well that was a pretty emphatic start.

[Yevrah]

I do believe the beautiful bald Belgian bastard has Selby a touch rattled here. :drool:

[Yevrah]

Well, this is delightful. I'm sure the depressed from Leicester will come back at some stage, but for now I'm loving it.

[Dark Soldier]

Thr molester from leicester struggling here. I wonder if he shouts 147 when he cums.

[Ben]

:lol:

[Jimmy Floyd]

There's no sight in sport like Mark Selby playing on with four snookers required.

[Yevrah]

That shot Luca Brecel just played - I've never seen anything like it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That shot Luca Brecel just played - I've never seen anything like it.

I couldn't believe it, it was like a sort of nine ball exhibition shot.

[Dark Soldier]

Selby defo dips his balls in his missus' mouth screaming 'maximum break'

[Yevrah]

Was excellent in every area while maintaining his lunatic attacking style. Astonishing performance.

[7om]

Some outrageous pots from Brecel here. His confidence must be sky high.

[Gray Fox]

And so begins the boring one grinding Brecel down.

[Ben]

Enjoying the crowd being fiercely pro-Brecel. Hopefully someone sacrifices their seat to shout some verbals and trigger a mental breakdown.

[Ben]

The front row of seats has been consistently empty through the latter stages. Are they prohibitively expensive or something? Every other seat seems full.

[Boydy]

The front row of seats has been consistently empty through the latter stages. Are they prohibitively expensive or something? Every other seat seems full.

I was wondering that too. Maybe corporate seats and no one bothers to turn up to those until the final day/session?

[Yevrah]

I had a look for tickets to the final and couldn't see much available at all, so I'm with Boyd and going for corporate types flanging out.

[Boydy]

It looks like there's people in those seats now?

[Gray Fox]

"I was in a final here a few years ago you know"

Fuck off Shaun.

[Ben]

He’s boring as fuck but this is one of the greatest 147s.

[Yevrah]

That was never in doubt from start to finish. What a final.

[Waffdon]

Fair play to the boring cunt.

[niko_cee]

Script writers have been in overdrive across the sports today.

[Gray Fox]

Great scenes.

[7om]

Shithouse Selby with the crowd pop. Amazing.

[Dark Soldier]

Went downstairs for about 20 minutes, came back to the crowd going mental .Lovely stuff.

[niko_cee]

Thought that was the last frame of the session the way Selby was hyping the crowd.

[niko_cee]

Wouldn't put it past Selby to have deliberately failed to clear up there to have nice half hour of grinding here.

[Ben]

The pockets are huge on this table. That brown would never have dropped on a club table, even the good ones.

[niko_cee]

The red down the line earlier as well.

Selby showboating with full length doubles now, whatever next?

[Yevrah]

It's Star I think, they make shitty snooker tables.

This has got Brecel coming out tomorrow, missing some outrageous attempts and getting ground to death written all over it.

[Gray Fox]

I feel like for Brecel to have played this well and only be one frame in front will get to him.

Hard to see Selby being stopped from here.

[Giggles]

BBC have no latest score or any reference to it at all on their whole sport front page.

[Ben]

BBC have no latest score or any reference to it at all on their whole sport front page.

We’ve chastised the TV schedule this year but the website is even worse. Often there was no live page and recap articles were littered with errors (wrong scores and spelling mistakes). Compare that to the WSL which gets shoved down our throats on there. So I checked viewing figures of both.

The snooker on BBC2 last weekend peaked at 1.4m viewers (before getting punted to BBC4, then iPlayer), whilst the WSL brings in a lofty 500k per live match.

[Ian]

The BBC coverage of it is poor however it's currently the main story on the sport page when I go to it.

[Giggles]

It’s appeared on the world version now, 12th.

[Ian]

Rough old shot to get started from Brecel there. Might be enough around the cushions to stop Selby putting away the frame but probably enough for him to get a healthy start here.

[Ian]

Well I'm glad that didn't go the way I feared. Very good from Brecel.

And then that fluke. :D

[Boydy]

This is some insane snooker.

[Gray Fox]

The lads on fire right now. Where has he pulled this from?

[Dark Soldier]

He probably doesn't feel pressure as Belgium is such a nothing country. What does it actually offer bar a failing national football team, overrated chocolate, mayo with fries and Poirot?

[Waffdon]

Fuel for the wife beaters of Northern England to smack their missus about.

I thought this started at 14.00. Slightly annoying.

[Yevrah]

Those first 4 frames were about as good as it gets.

[Gray Fox]

Selbys done well to make it his kind of match at the minute. Properly ground the momentum out of Brecel.

[Yevrah]

Liquid snooker. :drool:

[Waffdon]

What a clearance. What a man.

[igor_balis]

so Selby has to win 8-2 now. brecel did really well in that last mini-session to not let the jester back into it.

[Gray Fox]

It's been a long time since I've seen someone almost laugh Selby off in this manner.

[Yevrah]

Monumental effort. As long as Brecel needs more than one frame though, Selby is very much in it, but if Luca plays like that again tonight, it's done.

[Waffdon]

How has Murphy managed to bag himself a commentary spot in the final session of a final. Fuck me.

[Yevrah]

How has Murphy managed to bag himself a commentary spot in the final session of a final. Fuck me.

Unpopular opinion I know, but I quite like him.

His railing against Dennis Taylor's "a lapse in concentration" was bang on.

[Yevrah]

How has Murphy managed to bag himself a commentary spot in the final session of a final. Fuck me.

Unpopular opinion I know, but I quite like him.

His railing against Dennis Taylor's "a lapse in concentration" was bang on.

[wullie]

For the first time in possibly ever I'm rooting for Mark Selby. Still don't like him but there's fuck all else on tv tonight so let's stretch it out a while

[Boydy]

Yeah, I want Selby to grind out a few frames now but ultimately lose so it goes on a bit longer.

[Gray Fox]

I think Selby will take it. He has that experience of getting over the line. Luca needs to get 1 from victory very soon.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, if Selby wins the first after the break it gets proper nervy. He's 3.7 on Betfair at the moment too.

[Boydy]

Yeah, if Selby wins the first after the break it gets proper nervy. He's 3.7 on Betfair at the moment too.

3.85 on the exchange. Stuck a fiver on him.

[Ben]

He was 5/1 before the session. I could have easily cursed him with a tenner. Sorry to all.

[Gray Fox]

Brecel needs another interval here.

[Boydy]

Current session long pot success 33%. Eek.

[Ian]

Selby looking ominous here. Sort your shit out, Luca.

[Ben]

Might not be quite heads gone yet but it's a big wobble.

[7om]

The tide is turning. Selby about to shithouse his way to the title.

[Gray Fox]

He's got it to the type of game he loves. Brecel was potting his way out of it before but he's being kept cold.

[Waffdon]

Every round following the same pattern of someone throwing away a comfortable lead by the looks of it

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, the whole tournament's been like women's tennis. Someone gets on top and just peels off clusters of frames on the bounce as the other can't mentally deal with it, then the tide turns and it goes the other way.

[Ian]

I was just typing that Brecel needs one of Selby's break-the-pack-open shots to not leave him something on and it's happened there. He really needs to just get on the table for a bit. Sitting in your chair absolutely powerless when you had it all under control must be brutal.

[Ben]

Yep, heads gone.

[Waffdon]

Every long pot attempt is getting further and further away lol

[Jimmy Floyd]

Was there anyone in the 'good old days' as relentless as Selby in terms of patience and ability to sucker people in with his percentage containing safeties? People like Peter Ebdon were dull but I don't think anywhere near as mentally tough. Davis I guess.

[7om]

Some of the pots Luca is taking on now are daft. Surely he has to start playing a bit more controlled.

[Gray Fox]

Selby doesn't just beat you either like a Ronnie would. He takes you apart bit by bit.

[Yevrah]

If he doesn't win another frame from here, which I'd suggest is quite likely, this is Jimmy White levels of bottling.

[Boydy]

Was bugging me for a while if that was Luciana Berger in the crowd so I checked Twitter and apparently it is. John Woodcock is there too apparently. Probably a couple of the twats whose seats were empty last night.

[Ian]

Some of the pots Luca is taking on now are daft. Surely he has to start playing a bit more controlled.

In his head he's probably thinking he's never going to out-shit Selby so he has to keep going for it but I'm with you, he needs to start shitting it out a little bit if only to try and disrupt Selby's rhythm a bit because he's not wasting any openings at the moment.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Selby doesn't just beat you either like a Ronnie would. He takes you apart bit by bit.

Yeah, Ronnie machine guns you. This is like Guantanamo Bay.

[Yevrah]

Some of the pots Luca is taking on now are daft. Surely he has to start playing a bit more controlled.

He needs to keep taking them on and pot them, no chance he beats Selby from here by trying to out safety him.

[Yevrah]

Some of the pots Luca is taking on now are daft. Surely he has to start playing a bit more controlled.

He needs to keep taking them on and pot them, no chance he beats Selby from here by trying to out safety him.

[Gray Fox]

Like a shark smelling blood here. Brecel desperately needs an interval.

[7om]

Look at that long pot attempt. He hasn’t potted a ball in however many frames and he goes and gives Selby the table immediately. He’s just being stupid at this point.

[Yevrah]

We'll see what he's made of now.

[Spikey M]

At this point Selby is deliberately leaving long pots on, safe in the knowlege that Brecel is going to miss them.

[Ben]

Come on ya bald bastard.

[Ian]

This looks a bit more like it.

[Yevrah]

Look at that long pot attempt. He hasn’t potted a ball in however many frames and he goes and gives Selby the table immediately. He’s just being stupid at this point.

Missing a long pot and losing a safety battle have the same end result. At least with the former there's a chance he comes out on top, even if it's only 33%.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Virgo and Hendry's commentary is so good. Must be the best pair.

[Gray Fox]

If he doesn't get it here he won't get it at all.

[Yevrah]

Virgo and Hendry's commentary is so good. Must be the best pair.

Absolutely. Best in any sport for me. Well, of the ones I watch at least, which is admittedly only about four.

[Ben]

Virgo is beginning to lose a step but still very good. Hendry is by far the best.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Virgo might be clownish at times but he has just the right blend of passion for the sport and knowledge, he called that key safety that Selby had in this frame absolutely spot on.

[Gray Fox]

Beautiful stuff this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What I like about Brecel is his pace of play, just gets down over the shot and plays it, and he's shown that you can win that way.

[7om]

Virgo is about to have a heart attack.

[Yevrah]

Fair play to him, incredible stuff and a brilliant tournament all around.

[Waffdon]

What a bloke

[Ian]

Fair play to him, as soon as he got a proper opening he played some really good stuff again. It's always nice to see a new winner of these things as well.

[Boydy]

What's the deal with Selby's wife?

[Gray Fox]

Sounds like she's had some bad news health wise.

[igor_balis]

that was fucking quality

[Gray Fox]

If that's his Missus he's doing great off the table too.

[Yevrah]

She looks absolute filth. Coke fuck binge on the cards for him tonight.

[7om]

You just know these guys get up to all sorts with that trophy the night of winning it. I bet it’d look radioactive under a black light.

[Spikey M]

I don't like to see happy Belgians, but it's hard to not enjoy that. Got to love an underdog. Even if it is a Faux-French one

[igor_balis]

You just know these guys get up to all sorts with that trophy the night of winning it. I bet it’d look radioactive under a black light.

brad maddox likes this

[Ben]

The snooker thread will have to do for this. And sorry about a TikTok link. But fucking hell.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJCGEtJY/

[Gray Fox]

Your man sitting down does appear to look and gesture slightly in the direction the bottle comes from.

[Ben]

Apparently the player sat down was being heckled throughout and this was one of his guys getting some payback. Now the pot has been held up and there’s chaos.

[niko_cee]

The biggest disgrace in that video is the fact you can play a ball along the cushion like that and sink it.

[Waffdon]

1725265727915979195

Some form he’s in.

[Boydy]

Is the UK Championship not on any BBC channel in the evenings?

[Ben]

Seems like it's only iPlayer. Pretty poor form that they can't punt Top Gear re-runs off BBC Three at least. Also it's quite bizarre that they don't deem it worthy of any channel in the evenings when it's in its usual BBC Two slot on an afternoon.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Doris has gone to bed by 7pm.

[Manc]

Snooker really is the perfect background TV.

[niko_cee]

Feels like continually getting into winning positions to then almost, or perhaps here actually bin them off is all a bit contrived to suit the "I don't care me" narrative Ronnie is always bleating on about.

[Giggles]

He's such a fucking bore. Just retire and stop complaining then.

[Dark Soldier]

The documentary on Amazon about him is worth a watch. It gets tedious as fuck hearing him saying this every few months but after the doc I have a new understanding of why he's like that.

[Yevrah]

That's just who he is and anyone who likes snooker and wants him gone needs to give their head a wobble.

EDIT: Exactly that DS.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm very pro-Ronnie. Find him completely compelling at all times. After he's gone it'll die off.

[Dark Soldier]

Yeah there's nobody left in the game that generates the clicks he does. Game has been dying on its arse for a while. The doc is genuinely one of the best sports based ones I've seen and a real insight into the mental struggles a player has during a match

[Gray Fox]

If you watch any of Hendrys youtube channel, the amount of pros he has on who say "I grew up playing in X club, but it's gone now, so I just have my own table" is quite sad.
The rona killed the last dedicated snooker club we had in this town, with the only thing around now being a guy who took over a Rileys as they were about to tear it down.

[Dark Soldier]

We have one still local but its just full of 60+ year old men drinking two bitters all day and knocking some balls about. Massively depressing.

[Ian]

That's just who he is and anyone who likes snooker and wants him gone needs to give their head a wobble.

EDIT: Exactly that DS.

It's possible to both like watching him and then roll your eyes out the back of your head every time the cunt opens his mouth.

I'm not saying all sportsmen have to pretend they love their jobs because of PASHUN (I actually respect when they admit it's just a job) or that money immediately rids you of mental health issues but being very successful does give you more options for how to try and be happy and not just slag off folk who aren't as good as you. By all means talk about your issues but stop bleating about how hard done-by you are. I am very much one of the mid-tier (at best) snooker fans in here though so that possibly explains why I find him less fascinating.

But yeah he is basically the only big draw now I imagine.

We've discussed it in here before so I won't waffle further but if I'd had an affordable pool/snooker place even when I was young I'd have been there all the time. And would be now but, again, it's extortionate.

[Ian]

To be clear on the above: I don't think snooker would be better without him, but it wouldn't lose anything if he'd stop whining either.

[niko_cee]

Get what you mean.

I'm a big fan of him, but it just feels like the "dunno how I won that I was playing SHIT" act is a bit of, well, an act, which is now being supplemented by managing the games to look that way. I obviously know that's not the case, but there is the feel that that is what is happening.

Might give the documentary a look.

[Ian]

I am possibly a bar barometer those on top of my passing snooker fandom because I generally find a lot of people in a given sport who are "outspoken" and get the "he's calling it like he sees it!!!!" responses, even in sports I like, to just be cunts.

[Waffdon]

Judd :cool:

[igor_balis]

I am possibly a bar barometer those on top of my passing snooker fandom because I generally find a lot of people in a given sport who are "outspoken" and get the "he's calling it like he sees it!!!!" responses, even in sports I like, to just be cunts.

Yeah he's just like IBRA in that they are both genuinely astounding sportsmen, massively box office, very charismatic, but ultimately prats with very annoying fans.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Whatever one's opinion of him, it's pretty funny that at 47 he can just piss his way into major finals while apparently trying to lose half the games.

[niko_cee]

Some top quotes after the semi as well.

[Dark Soldier]

Good final this

[Gray Fox]

He's just different gravy.

[niko_cee]

Outrageous.

[Dark Soldier]

Those last three frames were incredible, Ding was bang in form.

[Dave.]

Thirty years since he first won the UK championship and he wins it again. Incredible.

[Dave.]

The youngest winner and the oldest winner of the tournament.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My favourite Ronnie fact is that in the 1992 Grand Prix qualifying rounds, at the age of 17, he played against (and beat 5-1) Fred Davis, who was 79 at the time and had competed in the 1937 World Championship.

[Yevrah]

Three favourite Ronnie moments for me, excluding the obvious.

One is this 92 clearance, which is the single best break in snooker I've ever seen:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLk71tnNxOU

His absolute destruction of Ding in the 2007 Masters final. Think he lost the first 2 frames and won 10-3.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcas2TZXLH4

And then this, which I think has to rank up there with one of the most incredible finishes in any sport, when he took the last three frames against Selby to win 17-16 in the Covid World Championship.


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

It was impressive enough when I thought he'd lost his cool when doing the hitting and hoping stuff, but when I stumbled across an interview he'd done on Stephen Hendry's Youtube channel a few months prior where he said he'd never lose to Selby by being ground down by him again and I realised it was all intentional, it took it to a whole new level.

[Dark Soldier]

I rewatch that 92 break every so often. Its probably the best moment I've seen on a snooker table. Incredible.

[Yevrah]

Likewise, I couldn't resist watching it again then when posting it either. Willie Thorne (RIP) going spastic over him continually taking the lower valued colours just makes it all the more beautiful.

[Ben]

“He’ll do well to get 20 here”

The sport is finished when he is.

[niko_cee]

Likewise, I couldn't resist watching it again then when posting it either. Willie Thorne (RIP) going spastic over him continually taking the lower valued colours just makes it all the more beautiful.

:D

"What's he going to do now?"

[Gray Fox]

I put on the Mosconi cup, first time I've watched it in maybe 10 years. Team Europe chap has just sunk a ball into the heart of the pocket, it's hit the bottom of the pocket, bounced back up and out onto the table. Could never do it again if he tried.

Any time an extension is called many members of the crowd are scream-clucking the word EXTENSION as loud as they can and we've just had a hearty rendition of Sweet Caroline between frames. This is not the Mosconi cup I remember.

[Dark Soldier]

Class 147 from Ding there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Quite an unusual one, I can't remember seeing many maxes that featured a two-ball plant midway through, and also can't remember one against O'Sullivan. I'm sure it might have happened at some point but I can't remember one.

It also struck me while watching it in the form of a heavily edited 4:40 clip that we will never see the likes of Ronnie's famous five minute one again, not necessarily because no one is capable of it (I'm sure some would be) but because the referees don't go fast enough. The ref in the famous ROS one is racing around like a man possessed.