Q school

[trains]

Wow would have thought there would be a good choice down London

Martin Gould 2003 and Sean O Sullivan 2012, i think they're the only London based players to have became pros in the millennium, might be one or two more but kind of says it all i think.

[trains]

Martin Gould 2003 and Sean O Sullivan 2012, i think they're the only London based players to have became pros in the millennium, might be one or two more but kind of says it all i think.

And Peter Devlin.

[GeordieDS]

And Peter Devlin.

Unreal that, it doesn't bode well for the future

[Cue crafty]

Wow would have thought there would be a good choice down London

It's terrible Geordie, when I was a kid I used to go to the Romford Lucania where Davis & Meo practised on the match table. The tables in the main hall were all old and worn back then and precious little has changed in 40 years since, so basically it's 40 years worse than when I used to go...

I think Kings cross Hurricane rooms is the same from what Trains has mentioned. There are a couple of decent clubs with a Star table and some other heated tables around the outskirts of London, but they are few and far between.

JP' s in Harlow is one of the better clubs and holds decent Pro Am events. Totally agree with Trains here though, if you're a regular ton maker on club tables and you only play & practice on them, when you step onto a heated table with superfine cloth your basically at sea for a few frames which generally means you lose. Obviously the good players will adapt and play well on these conditions IF they could practice on them full time, but that's where the problem lies...

I find it sad, that Barry Earn, or Ronnie or Hendry etc never decided to help their old grass roots clubs where they prospered from, they all seem happy to let them die on their arze.

[GeordieDS]

Yeah that's sad, up here a local working mens club put a Star table in so Sam Craigie could practice on them, I don't think there is any competition for him so he's probably going through the motions as he has the talent to do much better than he does

[vmax]

I find it sad, that Barry Earn, or Ronnie or Hendry etc never decided to help their old grass roots clubs where they prospered from, they all seem happy to let them die on their arze.

Apart from sending out a press gang and dragging the unconscious kids into the snooker hall, what are they supposed to do with such apathy to the game from the youth of today ? Kids are more than happy with a video game on a smartphone rather than doing something physical that takes years to learn, instant gratification is the norm these days.

The difference in tables is purely down to the aramith balls and their inability to work well in normal club conditions, this has to be recognised by world snooker and appropriate action taken, either a tender for a new ball supplier or invoke a rule that snooker cloths will be napless for everyone.

[Cue crafty]

Apart from sending out a press gang and dragging the unconscious kids into the snooker hall, what are they supposed to do with such apathy to the game from the youth of today ? Kids are more than happy with a video game on a smartphone rather than doing something physical that takes years to learn, instant gratification is the norm these days.

The difference in tables is purely down to the aramith balls and their inability to work well in normal club conditions, this has to be recognised by world snooker and appropriate action taken, either a tender for a new ball supplier or invoke a rule that snooker cloths will be napless for everyone.

I note your point but the likes of Stan Moody , Robbie McGuigan , Liam Pullen etc etc have all come from somewhere. So yes they are fewer but I think the numbers would rise if the facilities were better.

The “Swipe up” generation will get bored eventually and some may turn to cue sports for some real games. If it’s so big in China the country that is the technology king then that must mean some of their generations are getting bored with it and finding better use of their time.

I will hope so anyway.

[Cue crafty]

Yeah that's sad, up here a local working mens club put a Star table in so Sam Craigie could practice on them, I don't think there is any competition for him so he's probably going through the motions as he has the talent to do much better than he does

Yeh very impressed with Sam’s game. But as you say he needs to be getting match practice with good tour standard players otherwise his bench mark is being set too low.

[itsnoteasy]

Yeah that's sad, up here a local working mens club put a Star table in so Sam Craigie could practice on them, I don't think there is any competition for him so he's probably going through the motions as he has the talent to do much better than he does

A couple of three years ago I really thought Sam Cragie was going to kick on but it hasn't quite happened for him yet.
He shouldn't have far to travel for decent practice, the place in Darlington where some pros are along with Paul Rinaldis spot with Gary and Elliot also Gateshead Snooker club I think John Astley and David Lilley play out of there.

[itsnoteasy]

Apart from sending out a press gang and dragging the unconscious kids into the snooker hall, what are they supposed to do with such apathy to the game from the youth of today ? Kids are more than happy with a video game on a smartphone rather than doing something physical that takes years to learn, instant gratification is the norm these days.

The difference in tables is purely down to the aramith balls and their inability to work well in normal club conditions, this has to be recognised by world snooker and appropriate action taken, either a tender for a new ball supplier or invoke a rule that snooker cloths will be napless for everyone.

There is lots of enthusiasm for cue sports, unfortunately it's eight ball pool. Up here it's never been more popular, the tables are always full. It's pool (and darts, the littler effect)that keeps the club open.
Kids don't have the attention span or the grit to learn to play Snooker, they need quick games with instant gratification.
You can be half decent at pool within weeks, anyone can clear a pool table within a short time span of picking a cue up, so why would you spend years trying to be even average at Snooker.

[trains]

There is lots of enthusiasm for cue sports, unfortunately it's eight ball pool. Up here it's never been more popular, the tables are always full. It's pool (and darts, the littler effect)that keeps the club open.
Kids don't have the attention span or the grit to learn to play Snooker, they need quick games with instant gratification.
You can be half decent at pool within weeks, anyone can clear a pool table within a short time span of picking a cue up, so why would you spend years trying to be even average at Snooker.

I’d put a ton more of the blame on World Snooker itself, if they just opened up the game there’d be more familiarity and more eagerness of getting to the level required.

Why the heck should someone go to Sweden to play in a Q Tour tournament ? thats even if theyre good enough and experienced enough to be eligible in the first place ?

The bar isn’t worth chasing.

[vmax]

I’d put a ton more of the blame on World Snooker itself, if they just opened up the game there’d be more familiarity and more eagerness of getting to the level required.

Why the heck should someone go to Sweden to play in a Q Tour tournament ? thats even if theyre good enough and experienced enough to be eligible in the first place ?

The bar isn’t worth chasing.

The chinese players have to come here don't they, but they are subsidised by their government, there's the difference. Sport shouldn't be a private enterprise open to the whims of speculation, the british cycling has come on leaps and bounds in recent decades due to lottery money investment but there's no indoor cycling track in the whole of the south west of england, any near you ?
I see a few cyclists out about when I'm on my motorbike but I can't say there's a movement anywhere near where I live, state of the roads might have something to do with that, yet the UK wins olympic medals at it, priority given to some at the expense of others purely for national pride on the world stage.
Maybe if there's a complete takeover of snooker by the chinese the UK government might get its finger out but seeing as english football has been sold off as a private enterprise and national team completely failed since 1966 I very much doubt it.

Like INE says, UK 8 ball is the cue game now, if you're a 50 breaker at snooker you can be an 8 ball home town superstar Team in my club are the south west champions and hardly touch the snooker tables as they find them out very quickly.

[vmax]

The “Swipe up” generation will get bored eventually and some may turn to cue sports for some real games. If it’s so big in China the country that is the technology king then that must mean some of their generations are getting bored with it and finding better use of their time.

It's an addiction mate but they don't realise it as they start so young it's normal behaviour.

China has a billion and half people so numbers wise they'll get more interest in minority sports and therefore more chinese cream will rise to the top at world level.

[GeordieDS]

A couple of three years ago I really thought Sam Cragie was going to kick on but it hasn't quite happened for him yet.
He shouldn't have far to travel for decent practice, the place in Darlington where some pros are along with Paul Rinaldis spot with Gary and Elliot also Gateshead Snooker club I think John Astley and David Lilley play out of there.

He was practicing at Paul's club but something must have happened as I seen them celebrating him getting beat online, the Buffs put that table in for him so it looks bad if he doesn't use it,Lilley plays out of the North East Snooker Centre along with Gary and Elliot

[Cue crafty]

He was practicing at Paul's club but something must have happened as I seen them celebrating him getting beat online, the Buffs put that table in for him so it looks bad if he doesn't use it,Lilley plays out of the North East Snooker Centre along with Gary and Elliot

There's so many other elements to success ain't there, when I saw him beat Mark Williams from 3 nil down I think this year I was wowed by his talent, seen him play well before but that was lights out snooker he played there. Trouble is temperament is crucial in snooker and if he's upsetting people in clubs where they're trying to help him? Etc that don't bode well for his future.

Like Moses Itauma , big talent but Moses will hopefully do well due to his temperament, nice lad, gets on well with people and listens etc, but it's all business in the ring! It's absolutely rule #1 in snooker.