Why is snooker so popular in GB

[tupelo]

Hi all,
I am from the Czech rep. and I have to write a short essey on the topic "Why is snooker so popular in GB?". Can you give me some advice (web links) where can I find answer for this question?

or these.....
How many tables are in GB?
How many players are in GB?
Information about tournaments......

Or you can write for me your opinion (why is snooker so popular).....

I will be very very thankful.....

[cueman]

I wish you luck with your essay and its nice to see Snooker is popular in other countries such as yours.
I would like to be able to answer your questions but they really are impossible to answer. I wouldn't know how to go about finding out how many tables there are and the amount of players in GB. Are you talking on the professional level or just anyone that plays the game?

You can find info about tournaments on the Globalsnookercentre website and I'm sure if you asked Janie who runs that site, she will be more than pleased to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can.

[tupelo]

Ok, thank you for your opinion.... I talked about proffesionals players or players who play some competition at any level..... I'll try to check website you wrote me

[..KiD DyNaMiTe..]

Snookers not very popular here, it has it's fair share of viewers/players but it's not exactly popular. Compared to other countrys yes I guess it is.

[Robert602]

As a very rough estimate, I'd say there are about 15,000 tables in the UK. That's simply based on the fact that there is about 1 table to every 4000 people where I live, and just scaling it up.

As for players, it's really very hard to even guess. There are a few club owners on the board and maybe they could offer some insights? I would say that of people around my age (20), there's about one serious (ie, plays once a week or more) snooker player in every 50. Very rough again and based solely on my own observations.

The world snooker final on TV typically gets around 8 million UK viewers, and peaked in 1985, at the time this broke the channel's post-midnight ratings record with something like 18 million viewers.

As for tournaments, as cueman says the best place to get comprehensive information is globalsnookercentre. Worldsnooker.com has a list of the major (main tour professional) tournaments also.

Of the 234 professional players I have records on, 124 are english, 21 Welsh, 22 Scottish and 10 Northern Irish, leaving 57 from outside the UK. That list includes all players that have ever been in the top 20 (1976 onwards), as well as much lower ranked professional players from 1990 onwards. The Statman also has a list of nationalities that have appeared at the crucible (world championships) here (http://www.thesnookerforum.com/showthread-t_1235.html), with broadly similar figures.

[tupelo]

oh. thank you very much again for your comments....it is very useful for me

[missneworleans]

I thought snooker appeared in UK, isn't it??:confused:

[bjornlorange]

Hello!

I live in Norway, where snooker still has quite a way to go in order to earn the definition "popular". Of course there are some individuals, my self included, who consider this sport very interesting. Maybe the main tour re-entry of former englishman Kurt Maflin, now representing the vikings, will have an impact on the sport's reputation.

Well, we were supposed to talk about Britain, weren't we? -I have learned that in the early days of colour television, BBC wanted to send programmes that paid the new technology full respect. Hence, a game which was based upon different colours was ideel. The broadcasts from Pot Black soon earned substantial ratings, and other tournaments were soon on the tv-listings. The (near-?) monopoly of BBC those days also ment a lot to the game, and the recruiting of devoted fans.

So, I guess timing is a key to snookers position in Britain. The sport was there, at the right place (BBC) at the right time (before the explotion of media competition). Of course, other factors also contributes to the popularity of the sport, but I believe that native Englishmen, Scots, Welsh etc. are far more competent to commente on those.

Good luck on your essay!

[PaulTheSoave]

I think it quite has a potential. When i mention to my collegues, friends, in the pub or even at the hairdressers I am off for a weekend to york for the snooker, I am surprised the response i get, they watch it themselves on the bbc. Even followed with comments like, "I want O'sullivan to win" or Could Hendry be back at his best? I have not met anyone yet who does not know the game over here. Likewise in darts, if just one player would make it to The Crucible and go to the quarters, it will be massive over here. No doubt about it.

[chasmmi]

I am always amazed how many people otherseas watch or like snooker as I always assume its a UK maybe commonwealth only thing when it comes to people liking it.

Yet here there are people for god knows how many countries. I just wander if snooker took the risk and really globalized the tour would it work? Or are the Ukranians, Latvians, Romanians etc here literally the only people in their countries who care about snooker?

[tupelo]

Hi all, thank you very much for your replies. Well I made up some qestions for you....maybe it will be very intersting to make a short international poll... if you have couple of minutes, you can write your answers.

There are questions and my answers

1. How much costs snooker in your country? (2,5 Euro/hour)
2. How many tables are in your city? (In Prague we have only 6 tabels)
3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation? (Although we have only 6 tables, there is no problem with playing. Snooker is not so famous in the Czech rep., Czechs prefer other cue games)
4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV? (No, czech channels don't broadcast snooker)
5. How often do you play snooker? (well, I usually play twice in a month)
6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home? (I don't think so, I don't know anybody who has it)

If you make up your question, write it....Thx all

[dannyd0g]

1. How much costs snooker in your country? (2,5 Euro/hour)
£5-6 an hour average. But working mens clubs and community centres are MUCH cheaper if you are lucky enough to have access to one of those.

2. How many tables are in your city? (In Prague we have only 6 tabels)
Manchester UK must have i would guess around 200 full size snooker tables for public use

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
not usually - although sometimes during school holidays and around the time the world championships are on tv it can be best to book - as the clubs get very busy then

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV? (No, czech channels don't broadcast snooker)
yes - for example only bbc wales show the welsh open tournament

5. How often do you play snooker? (well, I usually play twice in a month)
used to play 2 hours a night - now maybe 5-10 times a year !

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?
Not full size tables no - you would need a very large room to put it in. I think generally only the very rich, or snooker proffessionals, or snooker mad people would have these.

However, I think its fairly common for people to have smaller tables or pool tables though. In my class at school, which had about 20 boys, about 5 of us had small tables at home - so 25% maybe.

[PaulTheSoave]

1. How much costs snooker in your country? (2,5 Euro/hour)

€ 10.00 per hour

2. How many tables are in your city? (In Prague we have only 6 tabels)

Amsterdam, I guess 50

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?

Yes, where i play its fully booked (except when there is football on the tele)

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV? (No, czech channels don't broadcast snooker)

NO.

5. How often do you play snooker? (well, I usually play twice in a month)

Every 4 weeks.

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?

NO, not over here.

[April madness]

1. How much costs snooker in your country?
about 5 euro per hour

2. How many tables are in your city?
in Riga - not very sure, but at least 30 tables I think.

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
depends. the clube where I am going to play, the tables are always full, so there are problems to find a table. some others - quite easy. Not very common to make reservations though

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?

No. I personally only a couple of times have heard about snooker on local sports news - when it was European u-19 championship ir Riga this year and also Baltic cup.

5. How often do you play snooker?

Haven't played for a while, but I was playing/practising twice a week

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?

No.

[hegeland]

1. How much costs snooker in your country?

From £1,8 per person per hour

2. How many tables are in your city?

Seven. About 56 public tables in total in Sweden.

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?

No, only during and some days after the World Championship.

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?

Only Swedish Eurosport

5. How often do you play snooker?

Pool twice a week, snooker once every forthnight.

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?

No.

[missneworleans]

1. How much costs snooker in your country?

Nearly 15$



2. How many tables are in your city?
In Kyiv theres maybe 5???



3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
No, not amny people play


4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?
No, never

5. How often do you play snooker?
one time for month

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?
No

[Robert602]

I don't know whether you want some UK answers to these questions but here it goes anyway:

1. How much costs snooker in your country?
Varies quite a bit from around £2/h to around £6/h. £5/h at my current local. (Although social clubs that typically only have one or two tables can be much cheaper). (£1 is about 1.5 euros)

2. How many tables are in your city?
About 40

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
Very occasionally the club is full, or more often busy holding a tournament or something, but if so I just walk to a different club. Never had to make a reservation

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?
Yes

5. How often do you play snooker?
2 or 3 times per week at the moment

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?
No - Not too uncommon for people to have pool tables but I've only ever met two people with their own snooker table.

Hope that helps

[Sarmu]

1. How much costs snooker in your country?
Paid tables are usually ~$10 / hour, about 6 Euros I think, but usually clubs are free.

2. How many tables are in your city?
In Sydney, I'm not too sure, as far as I know, there are few table in most of the RSL clubs here, so my guess would be 150-200?

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
Quite eazy to find a table here in clubs, but usually have to wait for your turn

4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?
Sometimes they show recorded match on paid sports channel

5. How often do you play snooker?
Used to play couple times a week, but now once every few weeks

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?
Don't think so, I know 1 person has a pool table and thats all

[The Statman]

A very interesting thread, Sir!

Here are my answers:

1. How much costs snooker in your country?
It varies considerably. In a snooker club it could be anything from £3 to £6 per hour for the table, but literally hundreds of political clubs, social clubs, working men's clubs etc. have tables that might cost £0:50 for half an hour.

2. How many tables are in your city?
I live in Bournemouth, population about 300,000 including surrounding towns, and I would say there are easily 100 tables in a proper snooker club, plus, as I said earlier, many, many social clubs with one or two tables – so we're looking at easily 150 tables available to the general public (they would have to become members of the relevant club, of course).

3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation? Not usually. My cloub has 13 tables and there is usually one available.

5. How often do you play snooker?
Three or four times a week

6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?
It is not 'common' as not many people have a room 20 feet by 15 feet, which would be the minimum workable dimensions. However, those who have a room that size can probably afford one! Smaller tables are fairly likely to be found in someone's games room, though.

Following on from Robert602's comments above, the World final always reaches a 7-digit viewing figure. Even a million watching this year's final at 12:45 in the morning. Snooker has consistently been, after football, the most popular sport in the UK in terms of both tv audience and participation over the last 25 years.

Snooker has the obvious advantage (less so than pub sports) that it can be something you do WHILE socialising with friends, more so than, say, tennis or football.

[tupelo]

Well, thank you very much for your answers. It is really very interesting to read it. May I ask someone from Scotland and Ireland who will be willing to answer my questions?

If you have any question about snooker in my country....please ask me (:-D)

[tupelo]

Oh, I have some more qustion for all, I will be very happy if you find couple of minutes and answer me

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?
8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?
9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?
10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.

Old questions:
1. How much costs snooker in your country?
2. How many tables are in your city?
3. Is it hard to find table for play? Do you have to make reservation?
4. Is it possible to see snooker in local TV?
5. How often do you play snooker?
6. Is it common that someone have his/her own table at home?

Thank you very much...:)

[hegeland]

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?

Only very minor competition

8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?

I don't, I play more straight pool than snooker.

9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?

Zero.

10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.
A bit of both.

[April madness]

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?

I was just learning snooker in the snooker school here in Riga - for fun, of course, and the school has regular competitions for the "students"

8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?

I fell in love with snooker while watching it, and find it more interesting to play. and more challenging too.

9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?

None.

10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.

My friends don't play snooker, so... it must be snooker! :)

[missneworleans]

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?

No, just for fun:p
8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?

Because it has a lot more interesting rules
9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?

I think 0:p :p :p
10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.

No, of course just because I 'm playing snooker!! Actually I hate beer,and don't go play snooker always with friends

[tupelo]

Thank you very much for your answers. It was interesting to read about snooker in your countries. :cool:

[Robert602]

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?
Snooker I play just for fun, although I do play pool competitively.

8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?
I've dished off the break loads of times in pool and can pot pretty much anything on the table, but I've never had a 50 break in a snooker match. I think because the game is intrinsically more difficult, the satisfaction is much greater when you can acheive something in it. It's always a brilliant feeling to beat your personal best break.

9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?
150 maybe?

10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.
Bit of both. If I'm at the club anyway I'll probably have a few frames of snooker on my own, but it's also good fun with a few friends even if they don't really play. I'd say I generally prefer a testing opponent and a semi-serious game to a casual game with a friend though.

[Watford]

Oh, I have some more qustion for all, I will be very happy if you find couple of minutes and answer me

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?
I play snooker for fun and practice. I play pool competitively like Rob602!

8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?

Again it is more challanging toplay well.

9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?

I'd say 200!

10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc

Again both!
Potting practice is my main reason for playing at the mo!

[PaulTheSoave]

[QUOTE=tupelo]Oh, I have some more qustion for all, I will be very happy if you find couple of minutes and answer me

7. Do you play snooker only for fun or do you take a part in any competition or league?

just fun, but with my mate its dead or alive! I was just pondering yesterday to take part in a competition, just to get more playtime to improve my game. After York i will obtain information at some snookerclubs over here.

8. Why do you prefer snooker in comparison with other pool games?

Snooker is more intriguing, variety. Once all snooker tables were occupied and we headed for a game of pool. After 2 games we quit and went to the bar. Boring!

9. How many professional players has your country (in top 250)?

1,5?

10. Is the reason for playing snooker itself? Or do you play snooker because of friends, talking, beers.... etc.

I played continental billiards from 14 going and developed interest in snooker. Friends and beers during and after is a big bonus!