2023 British Open

[itsnoteasy]

I know its quite tangible or palpable isn't it.
Just looked through the English Open qualifiers on snooker.org, where the heck were any Q School top up players ?
It seems like old players are getting too much sway within snooker, a repercussion of that player vote year's ago when Rodney Walker left and Hearn took over ? It hasn't done the game any favours at all.

Did you see what world snooker did to Lulien Boiko.
When Ronnie pulled out they got in touch with him at ten in the morning and told him he had to be there for one o'clock that same day. They knew he was in Poland so it was physically impossible for him to get there. He explained that to them so they moved on to someone else.
Then someone else pulled out and he could have had three days notice but they ignored him and got someone else, when he asked why he wasn't contacted they said it was because he refused to attend when offered the last time. Three hours notice from Poland and they call that a refusal, it gets worse, when asked what he's meant to do as he can't predict when people will pull out he was told its on him to be at every event incase someone pulls out, so in other words an amateur has to pay to follow the tour around (with no financial help) on the off chance they get a game, it's ridiculous.

[trains]

Did you see what world snooker did to Lulien Boiko.
When Ronnie pulled out they got in touch with him at ten in the morning and told him he had to be there for one o'clock that same day. They knew he was in Poland so it was physically impossible for him to get there. He explained that to them so they moved on to someone else.
Then someone else pulled out and he could have had three days notice but they ignored him and got someone else, when he asked why he wasn't contacted they said it was because he refused to attend when offered the last time. Three hours notice from Poland and they call that a refusal, it gets worse, when asked what he's meant to do as he can't predict when people will pull out he was told its on him to be at every event incase someone pulls out, so in other words an amateur has to pay to follow the tour around (with no financial help) on the off chance they get a game, it's ridiculous.

^^Bet this has or never will get any mention by Hendon,Foulds,McManus,Hendry et al, those nice homely broadcasters protecting their little niche.

[DeanH]

I had not heard the details but heard Iulian had a run-in with WST.
If true, this is poor from WST and I do hope the commentators do bring the subject up!

[Cue crafty]

They used to talk about a "closed shop" environment back in Patsy Houlihan's day during the Joe Davis era. Is it really any different? The story re Boiko, WST might as well of just said we don't want you....maybe that would've been too honest for them.

[itsnoteasy]

I had not heard the details but heard Iulian had a run-in with WST.
If true, this is poor from WST and I do hope the commentators do bring the subject up!

That was pretty much word for word the statement Iulian put out. Of course that's his side of the story and I don't have anything from WS but it's pretty poor if it's correct.

[trains]

Yes I asked Paul Collier at a Q School a few years ago why they don't have more ptc's or pro - ams, he said there was a sponsorship problem, I walked away being not sure about that.
Also the current Q Tour has just had an event in Stockholm Sweden, not sure if a Swede has ever played in the Q School, I mean who is running this ?

[itsnoteasy]

Yes I asked Paul Collier at a Q School a few years ago why they don't have more ptc's or pro - ams, he said there was a sponsorship problem, I walked away being not sure about that.
Also the current Q Tour has just had an event in Stockholm Sweden, not sure if a Swede has ever played in the Q School, I mean who is running this ?

Next ones in Germany I think, but it's very expensive to be a top amateur these days.
We went to the first one at Paul Rinaldis club, it was brilliant, the standard was really high, Liam Davies beat Craig Steadman in a good quality final. Liam knocked out Ryan Davies in the semi, Ryan missing a pretty straight forward match ball pink in the decider and Liam potting the last red and clearing to pinch it on the black, again a very high standard from two future stars, fingers crossed. The winner got three grand which isn't bad but again a problem occurred. We were talking to an Indian lad(really sorry if he's on here I can't remember his name) and he couldn't play in the Sweden one because he couldn't get a visa so he had to fly back to India and apply for one for the German one, they don't make it easy do they.

[DeanH]

not sure if a Swede has ever played in the Q School,

there have been a few, just a couple here:

2015 Q School - Event 1 - Arpat Pulat
2018 Q School - Event 1 - Belan Sharif

[vmax]

there have been a few, just a couple here:

2015 Q School - Event 1 - Arpat Pulat
2018 Q School - Event 1 - Belan Sharif

They don't read as being particularly scandinavian

[DeanH]

they don't read as being particularly scandinavian

lol! :d
.....

[MrRottweiler]

A lot of empty seats last night. Will that have been from people who bought tickets for the final but decided not to go? Seems a waste of a lot of seats.