UK Champs Kicks Off This Monday

[Shinsakuto]

Swearing

Did anyone heard Steve Davis swore during his match with Hendry last night?
I think it might be frame 13 or 14 when Davis just missed a long pink into the green pocket, if it gone it he would have cleared and won the match but the pink just wobbled around the pocket, Davis got up and muttered "for f**K sake". Earlier in the competition Michael Holt did exactly the same when he had a massive kick on a crucial pink he muttered a swear word to himself which no one heard apart from the referee Patricia Murphy, Holt was docked a frame for ungentlmanly conduct. If that was the case why wasnt Davis punished? The outcome of who reach the final would be very different.
I dont agree players should be docked a frame for understandle situation were a player swor and more so only meant to himself. Perhaps in Holt's case he deserve to be warned but not to have been docked a frame and I put the error on the inexperience of the referee Patricia Murphy. Perhaps as a female she felt more sensitive to foul language and take offense more than a male referee but being a woman should never have been a factor in a match involving male professionals and the tradition and expectations that goes with the sport.

[reverse_side]

Hi Shinsakuto, doing a quick bit of research, Holt got a frame docked because it was a 'repeat offence'... he'd already conceded out of turn against Ricky Walden (in the first round of the TP) and swearing (probably out loud) was deemed serious enough for Patricia Murphy to penalise him; though if he conceded when he could mathematically win, then that would have been an automatic warning with no room for discretion anyway.

Davis to his credit only mouthed his swearing and Henders would not be flustered by a natural reaction like that... unlike Mark Williams strange attempt out of a snooker where the white ended up in the floor THREE times when it was obvious it wouldn't stay on the table after the first and definitely after the second shot with how he was playing the shot; Henders said afterwards that he didn't want to get embroiled in Mark's tactics.

There'd be a case for players who wilfully smash their fist into the table to be cautioned for being overyly aggressive and acting in an unsportsmanlike manner; I for one feel that this kind of childish behaviour has crept into Local Leagues and it's so poncey to be near someone that's just done it.... there's a few of us that'll simply deride the offender by whistling at them as though they're a bit of a blouse... it's only a game.

After playing in a few tournaments that make your hair stand on end and could make you forget what colour underwear you've got on or your mother's birthday... I have some sympathy for those players that step out of the arena for a breakm but for live TV it's a shame when the atmosphere is diluted by having the players disappear too often for, 'comfort', breaks when they're simply escaping from the pressure. Last night it was back to the good old old school with both Henders and Davis staying toe-to-toe and only leaving at pre-defined breaks; much better.

(As an aside; we'll see today if the BBC play that bizarre recorded crowd noise like they did in the interval... very strange)

[ferret]

Get over to www.ProSnookerRef.co.uk Eirian WIlliams's website the referee in the Davis / Hendry match last night and ask this question to Eirian.

He wont answer you in th enext couple of days but I am sure he will when he gets back to Llanelli.

[Shinsakuto]

No one heard Holts swore apart from the referee and it wasnt directed at anyone apart from himself. Holts was rightly warned about his other conduct which may be unsportmanly but the fact is that when he had the kick on a crucial ball he was at the table in play and not his opponent, the situation is understandable and he should not have been docked a frame. The referee on this occassion made a mistake because she felt it was too sensitive to her liking, she may also felt upset about other things from Holt and it all build up inside her and let it cloud her judgement. Sorry for sounding a lttle bit sexist but this reminds me of a football match some years ago when a player swore at the woman referee, she got offended by a few F words from a player, took the ball and stormed off the pitch and the game was abandoned, not sure if she ever refereed again.

[reverse_side]

if a player throws some toys out of a pram by conceding when he knows the rules governing his profession have been changed to specifically address an unnacceptable level of unsportsmanlike behavious, then he has only himself to blame for the penalties.

We and he all know his temperament is suspect; they don't call him the hitman for nothing, also an irony that a nightclub called "Cabaret" bought the space on his waistcoar that he auctioned on eBay for last year's World Champs.... a local Circus could've had a apt bit of advertsing or maybe something to do with Choking too or knuckle breaking.

If it was loud enough for the Ref to hear, a child near to the table could have picked it up; never saw the footage so I don't know; did you? (that wasn't televised, so you'd have to be there)

As for abusing Footie Refs; woman or no woman, Refs have a hard enough job as it is without some jumped up gel oiled loudmouth beckham wannabe leech mouthing off to impress the crowd. They should bring in sin bins and see how their fans react if rotten tomatoes were sold to throw at their uncontrolled players. Refs would love to send off a few but having 9 against 7 where the goalies turn into outfield players would be a dire consequence.

Do you think the number of tantrums, outbursts and unprofessionalism is acceptable? The game is supposed to be like Cricket and played in a sportsmanlike manner, if Patricia Murphy has a future in the game (and here she is)http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...de/sport01.jpg

then she needs to gain the respect of her players and if they know she'll enforce the rules so far as to dock a player a frame, then better behaved players as a result won't be such a bad thing. She even had the guts to do it at 7-7; I doubt she is a shrinking violet if she's willing to put herself through all the training and all the qualifiying matches in Prestatyn, so I doubt we can blame the 21 year old Ref for being a prude in not allowing a player without discipline to utter, "F*cking Hell".

For Michael Holt himself, by his own admission, "I’d already had a warning for premature concession of a frame at the end of the first session, so I suppose the referee had no choice. I’ll learn from that and make sure I don’t make the same mistake again". He admits he was in the wrong for what he did, the Ref carrying out the letter of the law and he won;t break the rules in the future.... again, not such a bad thing.

Our younger more impressionable players (though more embarrassingly in older ones) take their lead in beahaviour from what they see off the TV far too often, they allow it to condone their own indiscretions and worse still, might encourage them to push the boat even further when given the chance.

Not a major problem for me to see these things happen, but you have to allow the authorities to see a problem and solve it with rules that thery then have a duty and responsibility to advise their employees to deliver their authority; which this young woman has carried out correctly. Firm but Fair has never been something many right-minded people have ever had a problem with; unless you lose and you need to time to reflect and just take more time to agree.

[RaNeN]

Ding is through to the finals. Its gonna be
Steve Davis V Ding Jun Hui
Who do you guys think will win the finals????
I think Davis will win.

[RaNeN]

Ding is through to the finals. Its gonna be
Steve Davis V Ding Jun Hui
Who do you guys think will win the finals????
I think Davis will win.

[cueman]

I think if both players play well it will be a great match and go very close but I hate to make predictions so I'll pass on that. Hopefully the nerves won't spoil it but could make it exciting.

[InOff]

Ding 9-7.You heard it here first!

It will be a great game

[reverse_side]

sorry in-off, can't resist this....

yeah and then davis will force a decider and win 10-9; ho ho, best of 19 for the final.

10-7 for davis I'm predicting in an objective opinion; with my heart I hope it's 10-4 or better. Ding's the better player to beat if he actually wins it; the old guard V the vanguard will inject a bolt of satisfaction and happiness into his life that will last for decades.

Lots of ways it could pan out, but Davis' safety brain and skill to deliver tortuous positions will drain Ding of energy, also with his form against Maguire he knows he can punish mistakes with decent breaks. Ding's safety is a worry for all his fans, mostly a thick contact and the white hits balls on the way up to leave chances.

Then again, Ding could be feeling more and more at home and shock us with a powerful performance. The cheers he was getting walking out of the arena last night will have more of a positive affect than we know.

Good luck to both and may the best ginger ninja win; can't help it - hope the ref's better than in the LFC game this morning - shocking.

[RaNeN]

Damn it!!!!!!!!! Ding leading at the break 5-3. Looks like this match is gonna get as close as possible. Maybe decider frame , decider black. Looks like Davis is out of ideas or Ding must be playing extremely well.

[InOff]

Yeah it slipped my mind.Thanks for the reminder

Ding 5-3 up going into the evening session.Should be close.I dont really know why but I am suppporting Ding all the way.

Revised prediction- Ding 10-8

[InOff]

Yeah it slipped my mind.Thanks for the reminder

Ding 5-3 up going into the evening session.Should be close.I dont really know why but I am suppporting Ding all the way.

Revised prediction- Ding 10-8

[RaNeN]

My predection Davis 10-7. OR lol
Davis 10-6.

[reverse_side]

yeah, just what davis didn't want; he really needed a lead or at least leaving level. Still, all's not lost, Stevo'll come back strong, win 2 out of 3 then a tense pre-mid sesh frame to see wh's got an advantage.

Ding's manager will look at ding's safety game as long potting, break building and position is pretty spot on; that shot to spread the reds and stay on the pink was outstanding... must have watched JV's trickshots and the white around the circular reds to pot black! When he left red to right middle trying to get behind brown when anything near the green cushion was safe, was naive; 84 clearance from Davis was ideal for the master cueman. matches make you play strange shots anyway, it may look all came and serene on the surface; anything but underneath.

not a bad match so far; fingers crossed for Davis.