Pro Snooker Needs Changes

[wildJONESEYE]

Well after the enormous boom snooker had in the 80's it was almost inevitable there was going to be a decline. The game is growing in many parts of the world though, here in Sweden for example, and of course in China. So no need to be too pessimistic about the future.

over exposure due to Barry Hearn selling everything from Matchroom aftershave to Steve Davis dolls.........

by overexposing there had to be a decline but i think the sport is better than ever and with the right people markating it snooker will be far bigger than darts....even now price money in the snooker majors are bigger than Darts......

[snooky147]

The World Snooker Association most certainly does restrain free speech from its members. They have a catch all rule threatening action aagainst any member or manager that criticises them openly or even privately.

[wildJONESEYE]

Why? does The WSA see free speach as a problam.....its whats best for the sport is what should be no 1 in the minds of the WSA and if they feel the need to disapline players for opening theire mouths theire priority is shot to pieces....

Snookers interests and promoting the sport is whats important and if players feel the board are hopeless and not doing theire job and clearly they are not.....i believe its only right players or fans sais so......

if the current board are not doing theire job......get someone who is And if players feel the need to say Rodney Walker Youre Crap.....Get Over It And Turn it Around and not waste time discaplining players thats being honest...........

[snooky147]

They have had that rule in place for a number of years now mate. I personally think though that it's unenforceable and would be easily overturned if challenged in a court. I personally think that if you have a grievance and have evidence to support that grievance you should be allowed to air it.
My OWN PERSONAL opinion is that they see criticism in any form as a threat to them instead of using it constructively to improve the running of the sport.

[wildJONESEYE]

They have had that rule in place for a number of years now mate. I personally think though that it's unenforceable and would be easily overturned if challenged in a court. I personally think that if you have a grievance and have evidence to support that grievance you should be allowed to air it.
My OWN PERSONAL opinion is that they see criticism in any form as a threat to them instead of using it constructively to improve the running of the sport.

Absalutly use criticism as a possitive not see it as a Negative.......

then things could get better.....

[Strickimicki]

Where's it going?

I've got to get this of my chest,

I don't know exactly what the problem is with earnings. I know of a lot of people who would be well chuffed to earn 30k a year, especially for doing something that they started doing as hobby.

It seems extremly difficult for youngsters to get up there with the top players. Starting off lets say at the age of sixteen as an extremly good hobby player, with next to no earnings. Knocking around in lets say not the best enviroment for youngsters.

The thing with snooker is, it's been milked by a lot of people over the last thirty years and like every cow it starts to dry up eventually.

The intresst is growing in other parts of the world though, here in Germany its coming on pretty strong. When I moved over here 18 years ago I couldn't find a table anywhere. Now I'm a leading member of a club that belongs to the members. We are a group of snooker enthusiasts that invested there own money to rent a hall, buy tables, lay carpet and furnish the place.

We charge a membership fee of about 35 quid a month. For that price you get a key and you can play/practice as much as you like 24/7. It seems to be working.

I think this is the way snooker should be brought to the public. The prices of a typical snooker hall are extremelly high sometimes. A young lad or lass should have the oppertunity to play and practice, without there parents having to sell thier souls to pay for it.

As for sponsership I think the law givers are cocking that up with the banning of smoking sponsership. Next they will ban alcohol sponsership, gambleing sponsership and what ever else they think is a bad influence on young people.

I watched snooker and darts on the box in england in the 70's and 80's and I don't smoke or hardly drink, that must be some kind of miracle.

Get embassy back on the ball and everything will be fine.


Sorry, it got a bit long

Brian

[checkSide]

As for sponsership I think the law givers are cocking that up with the banning of smoking sponsership. Next they will ban alcohol sponsership, gambleing sponsership and what ever else they think is a bad influence on young people.

I watched snooker and darts on the box in england in the 70's and 80's and I don't smoke or hardly drink, that must be some kind of miracle.

Get embassy back on the ball and everything will be fine.


Brian

I have to disagree with you there!

Alcohol, tobacco and gambling advertising should be banned in all forms.
These industries have no place promoting themselves through professional sport.

IMHO.

[jaguarf1]

...and so should be banned Coca-Cola & McDonalds.

[wildJONESEYE]

I have to disagree with you there!

Alcohol, tobacco and gambling advertising should be banned in all forms.
These industries have no place promoting themselves through professional sport.

IMHO.

why?

if sponsors like Tabaco,Alcohol and Gambling want to put money back in to sport and help the development of sport i say Let them.....

afterall they have made plenty of money from people let them give some of it back......

ive never understood banning tobaco sponsership because it wont make people stop Smoking and it will increase the proffit margins of such companies because they wont give some of it back to people like Ronnie O'Sullivan or Shaun Murphy for being at the Top of theire Sport........

[hegeland]

Why ban smoking/drinking/gambing ads, when you don't ban smoking/drinking/gambing?

As long as it's a legitimate business, I see no reason to ban the ads.

(Personally I think steps should be taken to make smoking illegal at some point in the future, but that's another story)

[The Statman]

Why ban smoking/drinking/gambing ads, when you don't ban smoking/drinking/gambing?

As long as it's a legitimate business, I see no reason to ban the ads.

(Personally I think steps should be taken to make smoking illegal at some point in the future, but that's another story)

Indeed.

Advertising by motor insurance firms is not going to make me buy their product if I don't drive a car; I don't see why Embassy sponsorship will make me buy their product if I don't smoke.

[thinsy]

I have two comments to make:

1. I think that snooker has lost its way and one reason for this is the competitiveness within the game, i think this is because there is so few tournaments and the lack of prize fund on a whole. Back in the days when there was many tournaments, including the World doubles and team events which had no ranking values the players came to entertain and show character....

When did this last happen? The Grand prix... Ken Doherty v Neil Robertson for a couple of frames in the round robin stages when the result didn't matter .

We have some really funny and entertaining guys out there but they are too busy trying to scrape a living to show off...

I propose telivised, non-ranking events with a performance wage instead of prize money

2. Bring back tobacco advertising....

The Embassy SMOKING KILLS World Championship

Get them to advertise the down side of smoking, they'd probably still pay the huge prize money... Any publicity is better than no publicity at all.

[ADR147]

Indeed.

Advertising by motor insurance firms is not going to make me buy their product if I don't drive a car; I don't see why Embassy sponsorship will make me buy their product if I don't smoke.

unfortunately actuarial maths tells us that advertising does work otherwise nobody would do it!

[checkSide]

Lol. Obviously advertising works.

The money men at these multinational companies don't waste billions of pounds every year for no return.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is extremely naieve, or in denial.

Having accepted that, you have to ask whether it's right to let these companies peddle their wares through sports that are watched by millions of children.

I drink, smoke and gamble, but ethically I don't think any of them are good for the individual, or the society in general. Therefore advertising them should be banned.

IMHO.

[wildJONESEYE]

unfortunately actuarial maths tells us that advertising does work otherwise nobody would do it!

Advertising is to promote brands.....so it doesent promote the activity of smoking....

ive watched the EMBASSY World Championship sinse 1981..and never smoked....

reason is

ive never looked at the World Championship and feel the need to go out to the shop to get cigaretes ...HAVE YOU??????????????

i doubt nobody has ever done that.........