Snooker.

Used to always be in the snooker hall above Burton's in my local high St, in my teens and 20's
I was OK, 60 maximum break, but Andy Townsend used to make the occasional ton, and could regularly give me a 35 start.
Don't know if he still plays

Anyway, there was a player who made 100 breaks everyday and we put him up against the worst player in the club, who would struggle to make 8.
To even it up, and allow everyone to have a bet on the outcome, the better player was handicapped by not using his cue, but instead having to use a broom handle with a fruit pastille stuck on the end for a tip...
I kid you not... The game took ages but he still won...

Fair enough, no interest in Snooker how about NHF races.
  Just caught my eye that Ben Jones who has gone to Uttox for 3 rides, now has only 1 in the NHF race at 5.00. Ben has a SR of 18% in these races but hasn't ridden a winner in one at Uttox, but only ridden in one race. Also never ridden a winner of any sort for Tom Weston so doubt he went just to ride this horse Realco. Probably thought may have had a better chance on Rebecca Curtis withdrawn horses, funnily enough though was already booked to ride this horse in its other engagement at Carlisle tmr, a long trip from Somerset.
   Ben hasn't had a winner for 20 days but last 6 rides have ran 332222 so is definitely due a winner, the Trainer has never had a NHF winner and hasn't had a winner since June last year. However his horses have started to run into a bit of form with a 2nd, 3 3rds and a 4th from 9 runners in March/April. Both jockey and trainer are due a change of luck and this stoutly bred horse who has had a run when 3rd of 4 last month should relish these conditions today and i really expect Realco to win this and at least place, Skybet are currently 6/1 1/5th 1st 3 or 7/1 1/4 1st 2 with others.
  Now any thoughts on Snooker?

Sorry Reg was typing when you posted, yes the best players play a different game to us, there's a fella at our club is brilliant and regularly gets 100 breaks, even played Willie Thorn a few years ago at Willies house and beat him.

It tells me something that when you hear a player has knocked in a 147 there's no urgency to watch it back , nothing more tedious tbh than watching large breaks when the frame is won.

As for what can be done i'd say the answer is nothing , they've tried using the clock and that looked hideous so not sure there's anything left so it is what it is.

Just looks very similar to horse racing to me in that the older brigade still watch it with nostalgic memories of Davis , Hendry etc but like racing there's not many new recruits to sport that interested , i never plan to watch it but spot it when channel hopping on Eurosport and only retain interest if there's a competitive frame in-play or needing a snooker etc.

Many will disagree but looks a declining sport to me with the younger generation not turned on by the monotony of potting balls and plenty would liken it to watching horses run around in circles.

Viewing figures and/or club subscription figures may prove me wrong as i'm guessing all the above , if so i'll stand corrected if wrong but it's just how i see the sport.


Good luck today all   

there were 6 pubs within a mile or so of each other in the North Liverpool suburb I was brought up in from late 60's - late 70's. 4 of them had snooker tables ; 2 of them had 2 tables. Another 3 church social  clubs had 2 tables each. By about mid-90's, every one had gone. A lot of the popularity of the Davies/Hendry/Higgins etc era was because people like my Dad had played the game in clubs and pubs for 40  or 50 years.  There were loads of blokes like him and every church/working club/pub had several snooker teams in leagues. Hardly anyone does that now. It is a niche sport now.

I have been involved in snooker for the last 32 years, selling cues etc. I am not a fan of watching it but I will say that the cliubs have never been so busy regarding people playing the game. I was worried after covid and then  with the current rising costs of everything that the game would struggle but the opposite has happened. I don't know why but long may it continue, well till I retire in a couple of years in any case.

Good info that thanks Mac , i'd never have thought it tbh but great news all the same   

World Snooker Championship qualifiers coming up - nervous players - hour long frames - late night finishes - all rather different than Judd/Ronald and a few others playing one chance frames.

I personally think that narrowing the pockets for the pros would make watching the game more interesting, O'Sullivan would still be the best but a few near misses would make it more interesting. What about more points for a snooker say 7, would be as good as potting a black.

I don’t watch snooker all that much anymore. I’ve always preferred the tight tactical play, the pinpoint accuracy of sending the white around the table and nestling up behind the only ball they could possibly get a snooker from.

I was watching the darts on Thursday night. Gerwen Price hit another nine darter. There’s that many nowadays it’s losing the magic of that perfect leg.

The great players are getting better and better at these games/sports.

Take away the extensions and gadgets that help out of position cue ball play.
So many breaks are continued with the aid of these implements.
Poor positional play should not be rewarded. It would add a touch more drama to the game
Get the half butt back.
Makes a massive difference.

the pockets are massive buckets these days & bar a few exceptions the top players are nowhere near as good as they make them out to be

with the slick cloths too many slide in off the jaws & even the cushions remarkably
like 9 ball pool but with 15 reds

I get the impression that potting into the middle pockets is much easier than it appeared to be when Davis/Hendry were dominant.

Wish i'd had more on with 356 where i still get bog, took wrong price with Sky, but what an easy winner!

wd stewarts, followed you in, got 17.65 average odds!

Blimey you did a lot better than me Bertie, was that IR odds?

no, backed it 3mins before off on here, also got 6.4 first two, thanks

Great shout stew , this is becoming a habit   

sorry 6.04 f 2

Should be a cracking final with Williams in great form against Allen yesterday, hope Williams can get some tactical games against O' Sullivan, looking forward to it.