2016 UK Championship

[jw147]

LOL!
Just caught the interview.
If the standard is so poor, how come ROS doesn't smash 'em all?
Going back to how snooker was will kill its development instantly as fewer people will be watching.
Sure snooker could make a killing in China, but for how long?
Places like Canada, S America need developing as there seems to be a genuine interest in cue sports there. :snooker:

any link for the interview? i cant find it

[DeanH]

LOL!
Just caught the interview.
If the standard is so poor, how come ROS doesn't smash 'em all?
Going back to how snooker was will kill its development instantly as fewer people will be watching.
Sure snooker could make a killing in China, but for how long?
Places like Canada, S America need developing as there seems to be a genuine interest in cue sports there. :snooker:

any link for the interview? i cant find it

Maybe UK only
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38160821

[vjmehra]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38160821

[VillaGuy]

I suspect it may be different outside the South East, but especially in and around London I'd wager people expect to be able to get the tube to a club, if you have to drive, you can't have a drink afterwards, you have to go home from work before you can go out and so on...its just a less attractive prospect, so out of town snooker halls probably only make sense in locations where everyone drives (i.e. not in major cities where the problem is).

You mention bowling alleys and the fate of tenpin bowling is something you absolutely wouldn't wish on snooker in this country. So many alleys have closed down, prices per game have skyrocketed and its no longer possible to find a 'proper' bowling alley. Yes there are of course a few about, but they are the equivalent of an argos foldaway snooker table (sort of tricky to come up with a good analogy, but essentially they aren't maintained properly etc.) so no good to any serious bowler. In essence the UK tenpin bowling scene is all but dead, partly at least because all the city centre bowling alleys had to close down and the out of town ones cater to social occasions only. Snooker may well go down a similar route unless something changes.

Personally I think snooker is popular enough to survive far more than tenpin bowling, so I don't think that will happen...I'm just saying it could!

Yeah, my experience I have to admit doesn't contain big cities, so I'm not one to think of all the reasons for the closures. I imagine lots of people don't even bother driving or owning a car to get them there. In the rural areas people have a snooker club in their back garden so to speak, lots of farm buildings have a snooker room or outbuilding where they have an invitation friends only membership, not quite the same model as London. Having said that, I reckon there is an argument to explore joint sports centre partnerships with a certain amount of public funding, there's been lots of Lotto money and government support recently with the Olympics success, there's no reason why snooker can't get a cut of the pie.

[jw147]

Maybe UK only
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38160821

I seen that one, i was talking about the car boot sport one! cant find it anywhere

[DeanH]

Maybe UK only
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38160821

I seen that one, i was talking about the car boot sport one! cant find it anywhere

Ah soz
Not seen the car boot one either

[jw147]

Ah soz
Not seen the car boot one either

Yea the bbc must of changed it lol, when i go to find it all it seems to show is the top 5 shots of the georgio match!

[vjmehra]

Yeah, my experience I have to admit doesn't contain big cities, so I'm not one to think of all the reasons for the closures. I imagine lots of people don't even bother driving or owning a car to get them there. In the rural areas people have a snooker club in their back garden so to speak, lots of farm buildings have a snooker room or outbuilding where they have an invitation friends only membership, not quite the same model as London. Having said that, I reckon there is an argument to explore joint sports centre partnerships with a certain amount of public funding, there's been lots of Lotto money and government support recently with the Olympics success, there's no reason why snooker can't get a cut of the pie.

It's an interesting idea, would be great if it could work, but I think again it would only work outside the cities so you still have a huge percentage of the population struggling to find a table :-(

[VillaGuy]

It's easy to toot a horn and get people to notice you...
What ROS needs to understand that change begins within the self.

Would schools serious tell ROS to F off if he wanted to do a few exhibitions, clinics and talks to their pupils? The publicity only would have many head teachers drooling.


Promoting the snooker is not just up to the governing body. It's a job for everyone! :snooker:

I've seen the comment that Chris Small has failed the same attempt in Scotland, but I agree with you. If any pro can inspire more of the next generation to come through it's Ronnie, he can whine all he wants but that isn't productive action. Ronnie has the kind success that Chris Small hasn't got close to, if Ronnie went to a school in whatever car he now drives he's going to inspire much more enthusiam that the sport can be a career, it's a money orientated world we live in afterall.

[VillaGuy]

It's an interesting idea, would be great if it could work, but I think again it would only work outside the cities so you still have a huge percentage of the population struggling to find a table :-(

The thing is, what other avenues are there to explore? If it's not financially motivating enough to have a snooker hall in the middle of an expensive real estate area you then need to look at the other options, and other sports operate away from the centre, I think snooker clubs need to make that choice and it's a choice with different options within itself.

[itsnoteasy]

I've seen the comment that Chris Small has failed the same attempt in Scotland, but I agree with you. If any pro can inspire more of the next generation to come through it's Ronnie, he can whine all he wants but that isn't productive action. Ronnie has the kind success that Chris Small hasn't got close to, if Ronnie went to a school in whatever car he now drives he's going to inspire much more enthusiam that the sport can be a career, it's a money orientated world we live in afterall.

I doubt any six or seven year old kids even know who Ronnie O'Sullivan is, or any other snooker player for that matter, unless their dad or family member is into snooker.

[VillaGuy]

I doubt any six or seven year old kids even know who Ronnie O'Sullivan is, or any other snooker player for that matter, unless their dad or family member is into snooker.

I don't think their parents need to be into snooker to know who ROS is

[vjmehra]

The thing is, what other avenues are there to explore? If it's not financially motivating enough to have a snooker hall in the middle of an expensive real estate area you then need to look at the other options, and other sports operate away from the centre, I think snooker clubs need to make that choice and it's a choice with different options within itself.

I can't think of a better idea TBH...I'm just not convinced it would work.

What would be good is if more hotels had a snooker room, they have the space and most hotels are pretty dull, would be a good way to keep guests onsite buying drinks and even attract non-guests, but that's not really likely to change things dramatically either way.

[VillaGuy]

A kid of 6 or 7 probably wouldn't know who Pete Sampras is, it wouldn't make a difference if they came with a huge amount of publicity and a sports car, I'm sure they'd pick it up that they are famous.

[VillaGuy]

I can't think of a better idea TBH...I'm just not convinced it would work.

What would be good is if more hotels had a snooker room, they have the space and most hotels are pretty dull, would be a good way to keep guests onsite buying drinks and even attract non-guests, but that's not really likely to change things dramatically either way.

That's a good idea, hotels are pretty bland and one of the same these days, the spark of interest has to start somewhere and an evening playing something competitive with your old man is something that sticks in your memory