2024 World Championship Qualifiers

[Cue crafty]

Quote not working, Vmax post #69

I could go into the crappy Hurricane clubs in Kings Cross, East Acton and Colindale and see plenty of keen kids trying to improve on tables on top of each other, dead cushions not learning any aspects of safety just heaving balls into dead jawed pockets learning nothing.
Generation upon generation of this has occured since we saw O Sullivan in 93, I don't really have a qualm with the top players not doing much to develop the game the problem is much more with World Snooker itself.

As you made a funny comment on here a while ago about Swedish names ? in a Q Tour event in Sweden a while ago, what the ,,,, is that about ? a Q Tour event in Sweden for elevated players on the Q School order of merit when theres hardly ever been any Swedes who've ever played at the Q School and none in any decent position on the order of merit ?

I asked a WST referee on another form what development has there been in a country that held a PTC a few years ago, he mysteriously went awol.

Its layer upon layer of bull,,,, but the interest is there in clubs but its similar to soccer in the EPL, you're probably more likely to play for Arsenal if you're brought up in Ghana than brought up in North London, its been going on for years as well, why is a carthorse like David O Leary shipped over from Ireland when there's loads of lads who'd love to play that position in England who'd be at least as good ?

I'm currently watching Chris Wakelin from Nuneaton on a Bet365 stream, he practices with Selby, Gilbert etc all those players from that area, sorry but nothing remotely special about him at all he's just in the right place thats all just as are the Chinese, i'm not contesting anythinig you're saying but there are loads of kids and teenagers who'd love to be in Wakelin's position in development it just isn't realistic for them.

If you build it, they will come.... Quote from a film Field of Dreams springs to mind here! If there were newer clubs with up to date facilities I'm sure grass roots snooker would find a way back. Clubs called the 900 or the Shoot out lounge etc with decent deals would pull people in. We all know a Star table doesn't really cost £10k and if WST gave a toss, they could create a few clubs with these facilities using older tournament tables etc blah blah.

Can't expect youth to want to venture into dusty old clubs with vampire crypt decor and play on 100+ year old tables, of course there will be a few but there could be so many more interested if this existed.

[trains]

Super Si , a nice catchy nickname for Hazel Irvine if Si Juahui makes it, what an 18th frame.

[trains]

there could be so many more interested if this existed.

Yep and a somewhat less anaemic looking English representation

[Nifty50]

Ben Martens 9-9 with Si. Can’t beat a final frame decider.
PS Who is the ref? Is that Luise Kraatz with a new short haircut?

[trains]

Superb from Juahui, commiserations to Mertens but glad the more complete player progresses.

Wu Yize next for Super Si, Yize had a good win beating Pengfei so that should be a good match.

[vmax]

Tremendous match between Si and Ben Mertons, great 18th frame with Si winning it needing a snooker but Mertons had a chance at a green for the match at 9 - 7 but decided to roll up behind it instead, bad choice in the end that cost him.

[vmax]

If you build it, they will come.... Quote from a film Field of Dreams springs to mind here! If there were newer clubs with up to date facilities I'm sure grass roots snooker would find a way back. Clubs called the 900 or the Shoot out lounge etc with decent deals would pull people in. We all know a Star table doesn't really cost £10k and if WST gave a toss, they could create a few clubs with these facilities using older tournament tables etc blah blah.

Can't expect youth to want to venture into dusty old clubs with vampire crypt decor and play on 100+ year old tables, of course there will be a few but there could be so many more interested if this existed.

I was playing last night and a couple of pool players from a visiting team had a peek inside the door and watched me and my mate playing, one said to the other, 'We'd have no chance playing on something that size' and they left shaking their heads.
It'll take more than just decor to get them interested I think, cost of living crisis, jeez what a bloody slogan that I'm truly fed up with but if working people don't have enough spare cash to have a go at something they have no confidence in then they won't come even it is built and shiny and new and brightly coloured.
The money needs to be shared around better than it is now, revolution is needed and I don't say that lightly, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

[itsnoteasy]

I was playing last night and a couple of pool players from a visiting team had a peek inside the door and watched me and my mate playing, one said to the other, 'We'd have no chance playing on something that size' and they left shaking their heads.
It'll take more than just decor to get them interested I think, cost of living crisis, jeez what a bloody slogan that I'm truly fed up with but if working people don't have enough spare cash to have a go at something they have no confidence in then they won't come even it is built and shiny and new and brightly coloured.
The money needs to be shared around better than it is now, revolution is needed and I don't say that lightly, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

My old club is 12pounds an hour, how the hell can anyone go in and practice two or three hours a day three or four times a week at those prices.

[snookerfollower]

I find the discussion around the prices in clubs a bit disingenuous as regard to the professional game. Professional snooker players of the future are going to come through the academy system rather than clubs, the club scene is dead and has been for many many years. It's kids whose families are wealthy enough they can get them a table as a kid in their own home and then get them fast-tracked through the academy system when they start showing ''natural talent' which in reality is their better than their peers whose parents can only afford 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon at £7 an hour (my club, which is actually fairly reasonable, but I'm more a pool player) or whatever snooker tables cost these days elsewhere. The day's of working class snooker stars are over and have been for a long time. Ray Reardon turned pro at 35, that's not going to happen in this day and age.

[neuronic]

I'd say "This is England"... very much from an outsider perspective, of course (that's a perspective of someone who grew up in central Europe and for whom nowadays' England is pretty much a social experiment of financial elites maxing out privatization for personal profits. No offense, you keep voting for them).

My club charges €15 for 24h of play for non members (a club member must be present) or €50 for a 24/7 membership (you get a key to the club).
No profit, all earnings are getting re-invested into the club. "Socialism!", they scream. Works quite well, though.

[neuronic]

Ben Martens 9-9 with Si. Can’t beat a final frame decider.
PS Who is the ref? Is that Luise Kraatz with a new short haircut?

Yeah, that's Luise... I guess being a busy mum and a pro snooker ref she's pragmatically sporting the tomboy look now

[Nifty50]

Yeah, that's Luise... I guess being a busy mum and a pro snooker ref she's pragmatically sporting the tomboy look now

Thanks mate.

[Cue crafty]

I was playing last night and a couple of pool players from a visiting team had a peek inside the door and watched me and my mate playing, one said to the other, 'We'd have no chance playing on something that size' and they left shaking their heads.
It'll take more than just decor to get them interested I think, cost of living crisis, jeez what a bloody slogan that I'm truly fed up with but if working people don't have enough spare cash to have a go at something they have no confidence in then they won't come even it is built and shiny and new and brightly coloured.
The money needs to be shared around better than it is now, revolution is needed and I don't say that lightly, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

For me it's not about being shiny and new but relevant to what is seen on TV. I watched the film Bank of Dave the other day, more of that please.

[neuronic]

You gotta love how Rob Walker is making fanboy excuses for Jack Lisowski losing six finals to fail to win his first title... according to Rob, that was only because Jack's opponents "were greats of the sport"... it was bad luck, so to speak. You couldn't make it up.

[snookerfollower]

You gotta love how Rob Walker is making fanboy excuses for Jack Lisowski losing six finals to fail to win his first title... according to Rob, that was only because Jack's opponents "were greats of the sport"... it was bad luck, so to speak. You couldn't make it up.

To be fair to Jack he's had pretty tough opposition in his finals with who he's faced - Trump, Robertson and Selby. Compare that to someone like Gary Wilson whose won three ranking titles against Joe O'Connor, Noppon Saengkham and Martin O'Donnell and it's fair to say Jack hasn't exactly had luck on his side in who he's faced, whereas you could argue Gary has. I don't think it's 'fanboy' to acknowledge that.