2024 World Championship Qualifiers

[vmax]

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.

Where does one start to play ? certainly not at an academy and those who have a house big enough for a snooker room won't bother simply on the whim of their child who might just give up after a couple of weeks of missing everything and go back to their smartphone and X box.
Snooker is a working class game, always has been despite the efforts of Joe Davis to keep the riff raff like Ray Reardon out, and cost is a major factor and seeing as old snooker tables are being given away these days a club can be started with little cost for equipment, and with emptying high streets properties are plentiful, the main bugbear is business rates, salaries for staff and actually getting people interested to play regularly enough to keep the club viable.
Small clubs with less than six tables are the way forward to my mind, separate bar with dart boards and pool tables, plenty of empty shops big enough for that but if people don't come then they'll fold in a week.

[neuronic]

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.

That was mostly tongue in cheek...

But on the other hand the way Rob was raving about how everybody thinks Jack is the best thing in snooker since sliced bread, he definitely, if as unequivocally great as Rob painted him there, should be able to beat anybody in a finale, Trump, Robertson or Selby.

Yet in reality...

[Nifty50]

That’s interesting. Sunny Akani made Maguire’s cue.

[Cue crafty]

Shame for Heathcote and Kendrick, bet they're gutted after all the effort expended. It's a tough tough school getting through these qualifiers.

[neuronic]

I really hope Dom's gonna make it...

[trains]

I really hope Dom's gonna make it...

You got your wish, the old pantomime goodie with paint in his hair who pretended he didnt understand the rankings is through.

[neuronic]

You got your wish, the old pantomime goodie with paint in his hair who pretended he didnt understand the rankings is through.

Yeah, hooray for Dom! I'm gonna salute to him with a dram or two of my very quaffable Glenfiddich XX... slàinte mhath!

[PatBlock]

You got your wish, the old pantomime goodie with paint in his hair who pretended he didnt understand the rankings is through.

I knew you'd be chuffed mate, one of your faves'n'all.

-

[Nifty50]

I really hope Dom's gonna make it...

I’m pleased for him as well. Anyone who loves their cues and snooker history is ok with me.

[Cue crafty]

Yes well done to Dom, quite an achievement in its own smaller way, 10 years apart in Crucible appearances and qualifying aged 52. I love his zany personality, he just puts a smile on my face, he's brimming with "isms" but all nice ones imo.

Good luck Spaceman!!

[snookerfollower]

So experienced pretty roundly trumped youth last night - all 8 players who've gone through had been to the crucible before. The four trying to get there for the first time lost.

So it's up to Joe O'Connor and Jiang Jun for their to be any debutants.

[yeboah83]

hello im new here, but how the hell do i post a new topic ? can anyone help me out lol

[snookerfollower]

hello im new here, but how the hell do i post a new topic ? can anyone help me out lol

Click into the forum you want to create it in and click the New Topic button at the top of the page on the left.

[yeboah83]

Click into the forum you want to create it in and click the New Topic button at the top of the page on the left.

ok thanks, which one would you say is best to find out information about a cue ?

[fkhan]

https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/april/1...snooker-tour-/

Another sponsor for the world's this year.