Is Snooker Dying as a sport ? and speed fitters is the job upto it ?

[philip in china]

Maybe this deserves a new thread but if snooker is dying as a sport what are we prepared to do about it? How about a thread where everybody tries to take somebody new along to their club to show the newcomer the game? They could then post a brief account of hat happened and whether it was a success.

[pottingpinks]

Theres a club in our area which has pool and snooker tables side by side and after asking the owners the vast numbers are playing pool rather than snooker according to them. Hence they are probably investing more on the pool facilities than the snooker, for instance all the pool tables have top notch lighting for the county events while only one snooker table has that privilege, the others are rather dimly lit in comparison. So it does seem to imply it is the relative ease of the game that gets people playing pool of the two, although to anyone who is pretty useful at snooker I can't see that it would tickle their tastebuds quite so much.

[Chris Bedford]

Is Snooker Dying as a sport ? and speed fitters is the job upto it ?

I think computers Xbox and play stations have quite a lot to do with the fact that it's a dying sport. When I was younger ok 26 years ago I was 16 the snooker clubs were full of teenagers especially sat mornings. Now most of the clubs I knew have shut down, ask a teenager snooker or Xbox?

[pottingpinks]

Even some 20 and 30-somethings are on the x-boxes I think having read some comments on facebook from the odd player or two in our snooker league, unfortunately then the lack of table time means worse results and often they then drop out soon after, a vicious circle.
Almost bought a computer snooker game myself once, then thought to myself why do so when I can go and play the real thing, and never regretted it for a minute since!

[Chris Bedford]

Is Snooker Dying as a sport ? and speed fitters is the job upto it ?

Yep although people have mentioned tables, pocket sizes etc etc I think it's really simple. When I was younger we used to play out side we had no mobile phones or laptops x boxes or playstations. Finish school I was in the club, sat mornings in the club then when I left school played in leagues etc in the evenings. Don't get me wrong I was into my computers big time but there wasn't the online community you have now. The internet wasn't born. Now the 20 something's have been bought up with all the above so the chances that they would play snooker over playing several guys all around the world helping to defeat a dinosaur appeals more. Not that there's anything wrong with that because I've dabbled in it myself but by then I'd reached a standard I knew I could play well if I practiced. I don't think young people give it that much dedication. Most of the snooker tables and clubs are in dissaray because they don't get enough people through the doors and I don't think there's an easy fix for that.

[throtts]

Agree, Chris,

Before I had my table I use to play at North Harrow but that closed 6-7 month back. Towards the end of its open doors it was dead and on a Saturday morning there was just me and my mate playing, we would start at 10 when it opened and still be the only ones in there at 2pm. Absolutely no earner at all for the clubs and as many have said,,,, the smoking ban was the final nail in the coffin I think, although I agreed with it..

Even when I drive past my old children's park where I played football is totally dead and it's the summer holidays, very sad to see..

[Inoffthered]

Yep although people have mentioned tables, pocket sizes etc etc I think it's really simple. When I was younger we used to play out side we had no mobile phones or laptops x boxes or playstations. Finish school I was in the club, sat mornings in the club then when I left school played in leagues etc in the evenings. Don't get me wrong I was into my computers big time but there wasn't the online community you have now. The internet wasn't born. Now the 20 something's have been bought up with all the above so the chances that they would play snooker over playing several guys all around the world helping to defeat a dinosaur appeals more. Not that there's anything wrong with that because I've dabbled in it myself but by then I'd reached a standard I knew I could play well if I practiced. I don't think young people give it that much dedication. Most of the snooker tables and clubs are in dissaray because they don't get enough people through the doors and I don't think there's an easy fix for that.

This is SO true. Chris has it bang on. There is so much more for kids to do, that snooker comes last.

[vmax4steve]

This is SO true. Chris has it bang on. There is so much more for kids to do, that snooker comes last.

Instant gratification when pressing a button rather than having to put in dedicated practise to become good at anything physical. Also when you lose on a computer game alone in your bedroom no one sees you cry.

[Gerry Armstrong]

It's not a time/dedication thing as some players are dedicated to the games they play and put in loads and loads of time and effort to get good at the computer games they play.

But at the end of the day, it's just pushing buttons, not a real sport and therefore it's much easier to get good at it.

[Chris Bedford]

Is Snooker Dying as a sport ? and speed fitters is the job upto it ?

Yeah that's what I'm saying they may try snooker but don't become dedicated to it because there are other things they want to do and are good at in the Xbox etc ;-) need to appeal to kids somehow. Not sure how. I used to go into my local club on a Saturday and it was rammed with kids mainly because it was under 16 comps etc. now my local club there is one under 16 that is hooked that's it. Just one lol