Pulling up the drawbridge

[DrSmunge]

I see what is being done to cut costs in snooker and I truly wonder if this is the way forward for the sport.
At the end of the current season only the top 56 will hold their place on the tour while the rest can play on the secondary tour or go and get a more profitable job stacking shelves in Tescos.
This follows the results in the Grand Prix where I understand a number of leading players were beaten by qualifiers and the game didnt really suffer as a consequence.
Also I hear from a friend that many top 16 players complained of not practising enough to do themselves justice at Preston.
This is a disgrace for a so called pro sportsman.
I suggest the future lies with the younger and hungrier brigade and the current batch need a kick up the arse.
Ovbviously there are exceptions and Ronnie is the best thing that has happened to the game in many a year.
Dont forget that Ronnie was the product of the Open Tour of the nineties and this albeit congested tour system also generated plenty of money in entry fees as well.
The game was better off then and also the association had a few bob in the coffers.
The open tour also created jobs for refreees and officials so what exactly was wrong with it I ask..........?
I hear from (right honourary) board members that the game currently needs a period of stability and further cutbacks to be in anyway solvent but I truly doubt that this will benefit the sport in the long run.
Currently a large percentage of leading players are more interested in playing internet poker than practising their snooker as they are entrenched in a ranking system that keeps them on enough money to live comfortably.
At the same time, prospective giant killers (similar to Ricky Walden) are unable to make the Main Tour as the secondary tour they are on is fiendishly tough.to get out of.
Meanwhile the top 16 are a part of an elite tour that they cannot get relegated from no matter how many hours of poker they put in.
Just a few thoughts................

[JanieWatkins]

Aah welcome back Smunge
How we've missed your "right on the nail" posts to get us all thinking.

I say "chuck em all" in round one on zero points and let the lean and hungry win through and the fat and complacent go and stack the shelves in Tesco - but not my local Tesco please...

I'd like to be able to rely on finding the products I'm looking for and not discover that my shelf stacker "hadn't practiced his shelf stacking arts", "was playing hopscotch in the car park", "was having the trolleys 'chipped' and adding personalised number plates", or was on "bail", "probation", "prozac" or having treatment for internet gambling addiction.

The numbers on tour or in the pro ranks seems to be largely a matter of "packing" and "presentation" - circa 1991 we had the "open to all" policy, then we had open tours, challenge tours, main tours, now we're going to have THE TOUR and a qualifying school (we haven't had a qualifying school since about 1988?) and all and sundry can play in the WSA/Pontin's Open Series.... so there is a route there, but will the structure be perceived as too hard, or will the 700+ hopefuls (as in 1991) all enter the Open Series to get a place in the final play off qualifying school?

And will all the "demoted pros" go back and join their NGB events to qualify through that route or is playing in the "amateur" game beneath their collective dignity?

Lots of questions... I hopefully anticipate that Smunge or Weesil can provide some useful answers.

[Templeton Peck]

Willie Thorne and Virgo can sod off to Sainsbury's with them and can become assistant managers to whip them into shape with their 'constructive' criticism.

[DrSmunge]

I say "chuck em all" in round one on zero points and let the lean and hungry win through and the fat and complacent go and stack the shelves in Tesco - but not my local Tesco please...


And will all the "demoted pros" go back and join their NGB events to qualify through that route or is playing in the "amateur" game beneath their collective dignity?

Lots of questions... I hopefully anticipate that Smunge or Weesil can provide some useful answers.

Its funny because I think that the Top 32 deserve to be seeded thru to the last 64 of every event and that means every venue.
I think that is where the privileges should end though.
The game needs top players but I think the top players need the game more and even the one time rebel and overly laid back O'Sullivan has knuckled down despite his obvious wealth from snooker (and other business interests).
Of what use are snooker players who haven't practised for events as late into the new season as October.............?
Whats worse I wonder, not practising or using not having practised as a contributary factor in defeat in the aftermatch press conference..........?
Anyway, the way the top of the sport is currently structured those lazy top players wont have to try that hard as they are firmly entrenched in the comfort zone.
Instead of jobs for referees and officials and money in the WSA bank accounts, the cake shops of Trowbridge are coining it in and the internet poker industry is thriving on a few blokes who have any amount of spare time on their hands.
I wonder how much good this is for the sport as I understand that the major talking point at Preston surrounded a frame docking situation granted to a player whose father is very powerful in the sport.
Rivetting stuff no doubt..............

[Templeton Peck]

I can't believe Shaun Murphy actually asked the ref to dock Maguire a frame - if he had such a problem with it he should have spoken out when Maguire asked permission instead of jumping up as soon as he left the arena. Not exactly sporting was it! I don't think he did himself any favours because it fired Maguire up.

[DrSmunge]

I can't believe Shaun Murphy actually asked the ref to dock Maguire a frame - if he had such a problem with it he should have spoken out when Maguire asked permission instead of jumping up as soon as he left the arena. Not exactly sporting was it! I don't think he did himself any favours because it fired Maguire up.

Apparently its well documented that Murphy is almost destined for greatness.
I understand this was mentioned in the scriptures of Nostradamus himself.
That boy will go far and he is dreaming up new ways of winning frames and indeed matches as we speak.
The latest is that he can technically claim the match if his opponent either:
1) Takes a toilet break and attempts to "do a number two"
2) Drops his chalk at any time, thus deemed to "not be ready to continue the match for the 2 seconds it takes to pick it up again"
3) His opponent is "An Australian called Neil" who may not have the correct work permit to play snooker in Prestatyn as North Wales has very complicated immigration laws.
Oh yes, greatness awaits Murphy alright.............

[JanieWatkins]

North Wales has very complicated immigration laws.
:

Wales, and in particular North Wales, have very simple immigration laws:

1. You are WELSH
2. you speak WELSH
3. you pretend to be Welsh but bring huge amounts of English money into the country.
4. You pay the toll to cross the bridge.

Of course the immigration rule for Pontin's is that you are English and speak with a Manchester or Liverpool accent.

Anyone with a genuine Welsh accent is shot.

Pontin's still struggles with the fact that by some accident of geography it is actually in Wales, but nullifies this by employing almost exclusively English staff doing little for the local economy and even less for the local culture.