Snooker
Probably many of you don’t like snooker, so you won’t be tuning in to one of the most exciting world finals in many years. I have been into snooker – as I am into most sports – since I can remember, and this seems a good opportunity to spread my enthusiasm. The final will spread over today and tomorrow (Monday), so you have quite a bit of time to get on board. Here are some reasons why you might enjoy snooker, if you’ve never paid it any attention before.
1. The final this year is between a seasoned player who’s had problems (John Higgins, who was banned for a bit for allegedly agreeing to cheat, though he totally denies it) and a young wunderkind called Judd Trump who is only 21 and seems to be one of the most naturally gifted players ever to emerge. And is from Bristol. Trump is a fearless youth who believes he’s invincible. Higgins is an old campaigner with something to prove. It’s set up a bit like some sort of film. You don’t need to be a snooker or even sports fan to enjoy that.
2. There’s quite a lot of maths involved. Ideal for those who like to combine sport with calculations.
3. It’s a colourful spectacle. Each coloured ball has a different points value. Even if you don’t understand what’s going on, this automatically makes it nicer to look at than, say, chess.
4. If you don’t like the aggression of most sports crowds, this is an ideal antidote: you can be thrown out even for rustling a bag and will get a nasty look for so much as coughing. Crowds sit respectfully and clap from time to time. You might get a whoop for something truly spectacular.
5. Although it seems a pub game, snooker is incredibly skilful. Much harder than pool. If you ever get the chance to play, you’ll see it is quite an achievement even to pot a single ball. To get to the ability level shown by the top players is almost inconceivably difficult. Got to respect that.
6. A match goes on for ages. You can go for a cup of tea, pick up kids from school,.lapse into brief coma etc without missing too much. At the same time, it’s quicker than – say – cricket.
7. Indoors. No worries with cold and so on.
8. The world’s premier competition takes place in Sheffield. You won’t find too many things reaching a global peak in Sheffield.
9. As well as being easy on the eye, it sounds soothing. The clicks and clacks of balls colliding. The solemn intonations of the referees. It has something of the therapeutic atmosphere of the library or station waiting room in the old days.
10. I like it. And I’m always right. Admit it.
Posted by Amy on May 4, 2011
Converted. Never watched it before in my life. Cracking final.
Posted by issey on May 3, 2011
It still sounds pretty dull to watch. Sorry
Posted by Tom Beasley on May 3, 2011
I think I’m the only 16 year old boy in the world who gives a flying fuck about snooker. xD
Posted by amycool on May 3, 2011
I missed most of the snooker this year because of moving house but saw the last hour of the final last night. It’s lovely to see John Higgins back on top after everything he has been through.
Posted by Suzy on May 2, 2011
I don’t often watch snooker but this was definitely worth watching – really exciting final. I was hoping so much for Judd Trump to win – as a fellow Bristolian and as an apparent underdog he did brilliantly. Shame he didn’t win but it was very close – he’s got a great future ahead of him! Another famous Bristolian I should think
Posted by Misha on May 2, 2011
Catch Up Comment #2 I quite like snooker, it’s soothing to watch. Like the F1.
Posted by sarahthemonkey2 on May 2, 2011
I prefer snooker to a lot if not all sports. I’ve never played but can understand a lot of dedication like all sports goes into prepartion. Personally I do find it funny in our house that we’re shouting things like “Go on Trump!”. The problem is the windows are open onto a street and I don’t know what the neighbours think of us.
Hopefully Trump will win today but looking forwards to the Snooker Legends tour which we only got tickets to keep our mum company. It’s going to be a strange experience, watching live professional snooker for the first time not on tv
Posted by Rachael on May 2, 2011
Point one almost made me want to watch it but then point 2 cancelled that out. If they do make into a film I might watch that though!
Posted by Beau Brummel on May 1, 2011
No – sorry, Mark – you can convince me that Gordon Brown was our greatest Prime Minister, you can convince me that God made the world in 6 days and then had a bit of a rest. But you’ll never convince me that snooker is interesting.
Not even with a ‘Bristolian Young Pretender’ duelling against an Old Master Who Wants to Make a Comeback. To me, it’s all just balls. Pretty coloured balls – but balls all the same. 5 minutes of that and I’ve lapsed back into that PVS (persistent vegetative state) I’ve tried so hard to get out of.
Posted by Rick Procter on May 1, 2011
Indeedio. Great to see a few other commenters up for a bit of snooker. It’s a gently-paced game and the excitement is produced more subtly, but the semi-final between Trump and Ding was really edge-of-seat stuff – truly one of the best matches I’ve ever seen.
I can still remember watching a couple of world championship finals thrillingly decided in the very last frame – such as when Peter Ebdon beat Stephen Hendry 18-17, maybe 9 or 10 years ago. I was watching with headphones on, and at one key moment, I jumped out of my chair so eagerly that they fell off my head.
So, it really can be very exciting – and hey, as can be seen from his tweets, Stephen Fry also really likes it. Fingers crossed this year’s final will also go right to the nail-biting wire.
Posted by Suzanne aka Senior Watsonian on May 1, 2011
This final is just brilliant … not only for the exciting play from young Mr Trump (actually they’re all young to me … darn it!!!) but also for the comments from their fellow players.
Refreshing to hear such intelligent observations and opinions from past champs …
Adam, couldn’t agree more re a match between Judd and Ronnie … fireworks or what???!!! Brilliant … and still on the cards at some tournament or other … can’t wait!!!
RIP Tedd Lowe … lovely man … and also our wonderful ‘enry Cooper
Posted by Adam Dempsey on May 1, 2011
Cracking final, watching it now.
I want to see a game between Ronnie and Judd, now I think that would be an interesting watch!
Posted by a lot of rachels on May 1, 2011
I like snooker, although I only ever watch the finals and get into them with the last few frames to go.
Posted by MusicalLottie on May 1, 2011
@lisan66 the scoring is quite simple: the balls are worth different numbers of points – red 1, yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6, black 7.
This final is shaping up to be a cracker! *rubs hands in glee*
(P.S. Sorry for spamming the comments, just for once I actually know what I’m on about … )
Posted by Anji on May 1, 2011
I think I’ve only ever put snooker on when there was nothing else to watch but wanted something in the background.
From your points tho I would almost put it on again, and will tomorrow if I remember! (should we be worried the power Mark has over us?!)
Posted by lisan66 on May 1, 2011
I don’t really understand the scoring, but after dinner with my grandma on Thursday we talked about it for ages, before lapsing into a darts conversation (which I also don’t understand). It is definitely a sport that reminds me of my grandma and granda though. I watched a bit of it today as well. I will watch it more often if Judd Trump is on the tv more, because he’s kinda almost hot, and definitely hotter than other snooker players.
Posted by Lizzy on May 1, 2011
To be fair, that was actually quite a compelling case for snooker, right there. But then I suppose I’ve gotten into sports like curling and darts before… for some of the same reasons you’ve listed for snooker. But I’ve never got into snooker. I think it’s because it does seem to take longer than the other two.. and I don’t really have the patience. There’s a lot of sighing; hands on hips, if only metaphorically.
I want to watch curling now. It was brilliant at the winter Olympics with the Scottish team vs. Sweden or summat (I guess I wasn’t paying THAT much attention.) But still. Their enthusiasm was sort of… captivating. I have seen that with snooker actually sometimes, in passing, when the crowd actually have started whooping and stuff – as you say, frowned upon, which makes it all the more exciting. :]
Posted by MusicalLottie on May 1, 2011
Oh, I’ve just seen that Ted Lowe died this morning aged 90
[Sorry to put a dampener on things.]
Posted by Margaretl on May 1, 2011
Of course you’re right, Mark. I was saying the exact same thing about you to my husband only this morning, telling him that your “big old wedding” overview was spot on. I was also suggesting that he should read Eleven, which I’ve just finished and throroughly enjoyed, reading it cover to cover through the midnight hours.
I’ve now got Bullet Points ready and waiting!
Posted by MusicalLottie on May 1, 2011
YES!!!!!! Hoorah for snooker!
My only gripe is that Joe Swail seems to have disappeared for a while
But I thoroughly agree with you on every point you’ve made; I love snooker although recently I’ve not had the time to follow it as closely as I used to when I was at school. My nickname for a while was actually ‘Snooker Girl’ – !
Your point about the colour reminded me of ‘Whispering’ Ted Lowe’s famous quote, when colour television hadn’t long been invented: “for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green”
Posted by Kathryn on May 1, 2011
Of all the sports I am forced to watch when at home (i.e. all of them) snooker is quite relaxing and not particularly objectionable (compared to, for example, Americal football, which is just horrid). I hear this tournament has been rather dramatic already.
Mark is always right. I have not been indoctrinated and brainwashed…