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2019 World Snooker Championship


shaun.lawson

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1 minute ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

The game was finished before Hearn took over. Dead. It died throughout the 2000s. 

 

But what you say about it just not being the same any more must be shared by many millions of Brits. For whom the big characters - Higgins, White, Taylor, Thorne, Griffiths, Davis, Thorburn, Knowles, Johnson, Mountjoy, etc etc - were what made the sport so unmissable throughout the eighties.

 

Back then, when he was the manager of Davis and others, Barry Hearn referred to snooker as "Coronation Street with balls". The only sport which people would tune in in their droves to watch and even hope for mistakes. Lots of them. In that sense, Hendry taking things to a whole new level - suddenly, nothing on the table was safe any longer - was actually the beginning of the end.

 

As others have said though, the sport's future is in Asia. Snooker clubs across the UK have closed down since the smoking ban came in; and it's probably only a matter of time until the circuit is based over there. That's where the big money and interest is now.

A shame.

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shaun.lawson
4 minutes ago, ri Alban said:

A shame.

 

I feel exactly the same as you about darts btw. Gimme Eric, John, Jocky, Keith, Cliff and Bob over the current lot any day of the week. But we're probably just both showing our age really.

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5 hours ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

I feel exactly the same as you about darts btw. Gimme Eric, John, Jocky, Keith, Cliff and Bob over the current lot any day of the week. But we're probably just both showing our age really.

Same here but when you watch re runs of the 80's matches the scoring is shite compared to today's players.

Edited by benny
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5 hours ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

I feel exactly the same as you about darts btw. Gimme Eric, John, Jocky, Keith, Cliff and Bob over the current lot any day of the week. But we're probably just both showing our age really.

What happened to Cliver Everton, Shaun; never read his book. Always liked him as a commentator along with Jack Karnham. Of the current crop, Hendry is pretty decent and as much as McManus is very knowledgeable and can provide an insight that sometimes the viewer won't see, he can't half talk. Sometimes it's more pleasant for  the viewer to let the pictures do the talking.

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Maroon Sailor
2 hours ago, JWL said:

Sometimes it's more pleasant for  the viewer to let the pictures do the talking.

 

I agree with that

 

John where's the cue ball going Virgo does my nut in with his constant blabbering of pish

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2 hours ago, JWL said:

What happened to Cliver Everton, Shaun; never read his book. Always liked him as a commentator along with Jack Karnham. Of the current crop, Hendry is pretty decent and as much as McManus is very knowledgeable and can provide an insight that sometimes the viewer won't see, he can't half talk. Sometimes it's more pleasant for  the viewer to let the pictures do the talking.

 

Everton was deemed too old, apparently.

 

Wikipedia reports:

 

At the start of the 2009/10 season, Everton's role at the BBC was reduced still further. He only commentated on two matches during the Grand Prix tournament, and was not heard at all during the Masters. He commentated on days one to four of the 2010 World Snooker Championship and was heard again on day six, but that was to be his final commentary work of the tournament, and is likely to be the last work he does for the BBC. He does, however, continue to be heard frequently on Sky Sports' coverage of the Premier League, and, in October 2009, joined Eurosport as a commentator for their World Series events (which ended after 2009), as well as covering three-cushion billiards tournaments. He was previously heard on Eurosport and Screensport in the 1990s on occasions. He also commentates on the Championship League, which is streamed to a number of betting websites, and is also screened in betting shops around the country. In October 2010, he joined ITV's commentary team for Power Snooker. During the final of the 2011 UK Championship, John Virgo referred to Everton as "our ex-colleague".

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Samuel Camazzola

Remember the year Prince Naseem turned up to watch/support Hendry and Alain Robideux (sp) claimed he was put off because Nas was staring at him! ? 

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7 minutes ago, Samuel Camazzola said:

Remember the year Prince Naseem turned up to watch/support Hendry and Alain Robideux (sp) claimed he was put off because Nas was staring at him! ? 

 

Was Darren Morgan who said that, IIRC...

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On 20/04/2019 at 19:53, Gorgiewave said:

 

Did anything in particular happen to Thorne, or just snubbed? I agree that Virgo isn't great. I find Taylor a pleasant chap to listen to.

 

McManus the best of those I've heard recently but I've barely seen any Eurosport coverage.

 

He gains some credit for his memorable description of a Dennis Taylor-Terry Griffiths match in the nineties as "a dour, dour struggle." :thumbsup:

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Samuel Camazzola
5 minutes ago, Thaw said:

 

Was Darren Morgan who said that, IIRC...

Cheers. I remember Robideux getting upset around the same era because O'Sullivan played left handed and won. 

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Just now, Samuel Camazzola said:

Cheers. I remember Robideux getting upset around the same era because O'Sullivan played left handed and won. 

 

Apparently, after claiming that he played better with his left hand than Robidoux did with his right, O'Sullivan was made to play a shortened match entirely left-handed against a retired professional and won all three frames, thus avoiding a verdict of bringing the game into disrepute.

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Cahill 5-4 up on Ronnie in a scrappy match.     That Cahill lad has a lot of self confidence but he looks like he might be a bit too cocky.     Ronnie has been very poor.    It would have been interesting to see the score had they both played well but they were both wasteful.     First couple of frames tomorrow could be vital.

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shaun.lawson
3 hours ago, Thaw said:

 

Was Darren Morgan who said that, IIRC...

 

It was. A year I remember vividly. With Hendry having won it five times in a row, I was in a blind panic at the thought of him continuing to win the title ad infinitum. Then he had an incredible season - so incredible that he was shattered heading into the Crucible, and lost an unthinkable 9-2 to a young, raw, nowhere near the finished article Mark Williams in the British Open final.

 

And his draw in Sheffield looked like a nightmare. Hicks ---> Williams ---> O'Sullivan just to make the semis - but he reigned supreme in one table settings, so I felt he had to go out before the last four if he wasn't to win it yet again. And then, Morgan played the snooker of his life to beat Ronnie in the last 16. And I was :seething:.

 

Morgan played very well against Hendry, but it wasn't enough. But in the semis, Stephen showed real signs of fatigue as Wattana pushed him far closer than expected. And in the press conference afterwards, I think Hendry knew what was coming. Doherty had cruised through, winning two matches with a session to spare... which made all the difference in the end. And as soon as Stephen lost the title, that prick Hamed abandoned him anyway. :laugh: 

 

 

3 hours ago, Thaw said:

 

He gains some credit for his memorable description of a Dennis Taylor-Terry Griffiths match in the nineties as "a dour, dour struggle." :thumbsup:

 

Another match I remember vividly. Taylor was my favourite player. He beat Tony Drago 10-9 to cling on to a top 16 place for one final year... then that Griffiths match - boy oh boy! I doubted he'd ever win another match at the Crucible, so was desperate for him to make the quarters one last time. Which after blowing a 10-4 lead, and courtesy of an outrageous fluke on the final blue, he did. At 1.40am on a Sunday morning!

 

I was watching avidly, but have always regretted not having put a video in the recorder. It is the ultimate sign of what a total sadsack I am that it's not only the snooker match, but the sporting event, period, I'd love to have for posterity. Still the longest 25 frame match ever played, I believe.

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shaun.lawson
6 hours ago, Mikey1874 said:

Selby in trouble, 5-1 down. 

 

Not a major surprise. He's been struggling all season. It's a bit odd, given how dominant he was a couple of years back. Pulling it back to 3-5 gives him a chance though.

 

1 hour ago, Victorian said:

Cahill 5-4 up on Ronnie in a scrappy match.     That Cahill lad has a lot of self confidence but he looks like he might be a bit too cocky.     Ronnie has been very poor.    It would have been interesting to see the score had they both played well but they were both wasteful.     First couple of frames tomorrow could be vital.

 

This is a surprise though. For an amateur to beat O'Sullivan at the Crucible would be the biggest shock in snooker history IMO. I assume it won't happen - but if it does, my tipping Ronnie for the title will no doubt have played its part. 

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shaun.lawson
1 minute ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

Not a major surprise. He's been struggling all season. It's a bit odd, given how dominant he was a couple of years back. Pulling it back to 3-5 gives him a chance though.

 

And now it's 5-5. Really ought to be plain sailing from here?

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I P Knightley
7 hours ago, Gorgiewave said:

 

Everton was deemed too old, apparently.

 

Wikipedia reports:

 

At the start of the 2009/10 season, Everton's role at the BBC was reduced still further. He only commentated on two matches during the Grand Prix tournament, and was not heard at all during the Masters. He commentated on days one to four of the 2010 World Snooker Championship and was heard again on day six, but that was to be his final commentary work of the tournament, and is likely to be the last work he does for the BBC. He does, however, continue to be heard frequently on Sky Sports' coverage of the Premier League, and, in October 2009, joined Eurosport as a commentator for their World Series events (which ended after 2009), as well as covering three-cushion billiards tournaments. He was previously heard on Eurosport and Screensport in the 1990s on occasions. He also commentates on the Championship League, which is streamed to a number of betting websites, and is also screened in betting shops around the country. In October 2010, he joined ITV's commentary team for Power Snooker. During the final of the 2011 UK Championship, John Virgo referred to Everton as "our ex-colleague".

Everton was too old but they still wheel out Peter Alliss...

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10 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

Everton was too old but they still wheel out Peter Alliss...

 

And David Dimbleby and David Attenborough, if age is the question.

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On 21/04/2019 at 00:48, Placid Casual said:

Peak Hendry v Peak O’Sullivan, who do you think?

 

I could not see past Stephen Hendry. He was relentless. O’Sullivan would blink first, imho.

 

I recognise of course, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s extreme natural talent, but Hendry’s mentality—in addition to his monumental talent—was so strong.

over shorter matches i would say ronnie but over longer matches hendry. at his peak in the WC it seemed like hendry felt his way into the tournaments and peaked when the longer matches started with him seemingly having more mental stamina to keep going.

 

Also add to his unwillingness to concede when behind i think hendry would win most of the time

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1 hour ago, shaun.lawson said:

 

Not a major surprise. He's been struggling all season. It's a bit odd, given how dominant he was a couple of years back. Pulling it back to 3-5 gives him a chance though.

 

 

This is a surprise though. For an amateur to beat O'Sullivan at the Crucible would be the biggest shock in snooker history IMO. I assume it won't happen - but if it does, my tipping Ronnie for the title will no doubt have played its part. 

i have been quite impressed with cahill. Having the confidence to play a couple of shots left handed. He does not seem to be overawed at playing at the crucible against the favourite who was expected to come close to whitewashing him. He was put a better show than the chinese player who scored the lowest number of points in a match at the crucible ever when getting whitewashed by murphy

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shaun.lawson
7 hours ago, Gorgiewave said:

A blast of Everton:

 

 

 

Thanks so much for posting that. He's such a legend.

 

I don't think there's ever been a sporting magazine to compare with Snooker Scene. Rigorously accurate, detailed, factual; analytical, empathetic and humane in the way it reports matches, big turnarounds, big shocks; and snooker's answer to Private Eye in its brilliant, coruscating criticism of the powers that weren't.

 

I also enjoyed its regular pot shots at its rival, Pot Black: whose editor, Terry Smith, was the ultimate see no evil, hear no evil establishment man, and who would splash 'exclusives' like "Alan McManus' wedding photos! Nigel Bond gets engaged! Mandy Hendry has a baby!" If Snooker Scene was Private Eye, Pot Black was Hello. 

 

At one point, the appalling WPBSA tried to get Everton banned from all its tournaments. The BBC defended him against that - then treated him outrageously badly when they got rid of him. And the politics Everton discusses in that video didn't just wreck the sport throughout the 2000s. They definitely impacted on Higgins, Williams and others. I'm sure both those two, Williams especially, would've won more world titles had it not been for all the nonsense going on. Nonsense which, to his eternal shame, Peter Ebdon, another establishment man and blatant Tory, defended. 

 

Black Farce and Cue Ball Wizards is, for my money, one of the three best books about snooker ever written. The other two are Masters of the Baize by Luke Williams and Paul Gadsby; and the timeless, hilarious Pocket Money by Gordon Burn. All highly recommended.

Edited by shaun.lawson
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Lawson's very civilised these days. If he wants to attribute that to living in a social democratic utopia - let him.

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17 hours ago, Victorian said:

Cahill 5-4 up on Ronnie in a scrappy match.     That Cahill lad has a lot of self confidence but he looks like he might be a bit too cocky.     Ronnie has been very poor.    It would have been interesting to see the score had they both played well but they were both wasteful.     First couple of frames tomorrow could be vital.

 

Continuing the same way. Ronnie very poor though has had chances. 8-5 down now. 

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4 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

Continuing the same way. Ronnie very poor though has had chances. 8-5 down now. 

 

Difficult for him now but not impossible.    Cahill looks a good but slighly naive player.     A harder matchplayer will pick him off.     

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Cahill's not a rank newcomer.   His amateur status is a bit misleading because he used to be a pro player.    He's even played at and won a match in the UK Championships.     This would not be all that huge a shock.

Edited by Victorian
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shaun.lawson
5 minutes ago, Victorian said:

Cahill's not a rank newcomer.   His amateur status is a bit misleading because he used to be a pro player.    He's even played at and won a match in the UK Championships.     This would not be all that huge a shock.

 

LOL, oh yes it would! There's a Grand Canyon of difference between winning one match at the UK Championship and knocking out one of the two greatest players of all time, still in his prime, on his Crucible debut.

 

I think it'd be the biggest shock in snooker history. Bigger than Davis 1 Knowles 10 in 1982. And that missed red may be the first sign that the utter enormity of what Cahill's doing may be starting to affect him.

Edited by shaun.lawson
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3 minutes ago, Victorian said:

Cahill's not a rank newcomer.   His amateur status is a bit misleading because he used to be a pro player.    He's even played at and won a match in the UK Championships.     This would not be all that huge a shock.

 

 

Of course it would. We're talking about the 5 times champion, 2nd best player ever going out in the first round.  Ronnie has also probably been the form player this season.

 

Even if Cahill was in the top 16 it would be regarded as a huge shock.

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A definite surprise but not that huge a shock for a decent player to beat an out of sorts O'Sullivan.    O'Sullivan doesn't play hard matchplay snooker to tough out a win.    Playing badly he coughs up tons of chances.

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1 minute ago, Victorian said:

6-8 now.  Ton by Ronnie.   He could still win.

 

Tbh I can see him winning and this being his scare, then strolling to the title. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

The players are so inconsistent just now that there's only a couple you can see beating Ronnie.

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shaun.lawson
2 minutes ago, Victorian said:

A definite surprise but not that huge a shock for a decent player to beat an out of sorts O'Sullivan.    O'Sullivan doesn't play hard matchplay snooker to tough out a win.    Playing badly he coughs up tons of chances.

 

To be fair, what you say here is essentially why I don't regard him as the GOAT. In the first round at the Crucible, David Gray and Marco Fu have both beaten him. But this would be another planet completely.

 

Just a suspicion this match might be turning... depending on whether Cahill takes this chance. If he doesn't, I'd expect O'Sullivan to get much stronger; if he does, the unthinkable would loom.

 

 

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On 19/04/2019 at 19:41, Cruyff Turn said:

Ronnie O’Sullivan for me. If he’s feeling in the mood he’ll win it. 

 

On 20/04/2019 at 12:22, AlimOzturk said:

Ronnie O'Sullivan to continue his domination over snooker. 

 

On 19/04/2019 at 17:53, Maroon Sailor said:

The Lawson school of kiss of death predictions

 

I said Ronnie  too

 

New predictions required

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shaun.lawson
On 18/04/2019 at 22:59, shaun.lawson said:

 

World Champion

 

Ronnie O'Sullivan

 

 

Never ever has the kiss of death worked with such lethal precision. 

:leveinnaturalorder:

 

I've also never seen Ronnie look so old all of a sudden. Weird. But a privilege to watch the end of that. Amazing, amazing sport.

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Just now, neilnunb said:

Tbh I think it's what the tournament needed. It is now anyone's to win.

 

Has Ronnie said he'll retire yet? ?

 

 

World number 1 after just playing a handful of tournaments suggests not.

 

Though it's always possible. 

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On 19/04/2019 at 02:59, shaun.lawson said:

scarcely anyone at all tipped any of Stuart Bingham in 2015

:greggy:

 

 

Screenshot_20190423_130748.jpg

 

:greggy:

Edited by Chester™
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