2024 Snooker Shootout

[Nifty50]

The good thing about this tournament is there’s no chance of a midnight finish so I’ll probably watch the semis and final. Yes it’s a bit of a lottery but you don’t win 50k ranking points on the lottery.

[itsnoteasy]

Come on Liam!
unlucky, that clip into the bottom bag was the whole game, he wins if he pots that.

[Nifty50]

Well done Tom. Unlucky Liam so nearly won it.

[fatfreddy]

Well, that was simultaneously ok and hellish. Some fun snooker and boy got to meet a load of players, which is the bit he really likes. Most tournament's the players just bugger off as soon as it's done but Saturday they (mostly) were more than happy to hang around and have a chat with him. Wu Yize, Tom Ford and Zhang Anda were particularly good with him. The only disappointment was Si Jiahui, boy rushed down and got there first but was then shoved aside by a load of ******** adults and when Si had finished with them he simply walked off and ignored the kids. Boy not happy as Si is (or at least was) his favourite.

As expected the crowd got worse and worse throughout the day as they necked the lagers. What started as pretty light hearted ribbing over slow play, bad shots etc turned very personal as the day wore on and the players stared to get dog's abuse. I've always thought of Martin O'Donnell and Dave Gilbert as pretty inoffensive but some of the abuse they got was totally unwarranted IMO, really personal stuff and I think both did well not to jump into the crowd and give some back. Not sure I could have stopped myself. Ali Carter was another who got slaughtered but I guess he expects that these days. He and a couple of the others who desperately need the ranking points visibly stropped off when they got beat and no stopping for selfies etc.

The facilities at the event were shocking IMO. One stall selling £5 sausage rolls and sweets and another selling lager pitchers. £20 for two sausage rolls, a water and a bag of sweets. Robbers. Cuezone was pants although boy did get a medal for clearing colours off their spots and the chap running it was very good to him.

Overall though, not the best experience and wouldn't go again even though boy desperate to. Hopefully he'll have grown out of it by next year.

[fatfreddy]

cuezone.jpg

Cuezone. The single sausage roll stall at the back.

[DeanH]

Glad you boy had a good time and the good memories will outweigh the bad.

After Judd T had a go at a recent US Pool tournament he came back with concerns about the lack of facilities and "entertainment" outside the main arena; it was always the same (no CueZone) at Newport/Cardiff Welsh Open but luckily as being in the town centre options where not that far away.
I stopped going to the Welsh when they moved it to that golf place in the middle of nowhere, and no in north Wales it is no longer easy to get to for me.