Fatty Facesitter's Snooker Loopy thread

[Fatty Facesitter]

I think he'll carry on for life. Competitively, he'll keep plugging away for as long as he can hold on to a top 16 place (some guaranteed prize money in the can before you even take to the table). Even when he drops out of the 16, he'll still receive invitational places from promoters of tournaments in places like China, Hong Kong, etc. That will keep him going with continuous supplies of five-figure sums. 

Think he's still got some way to go on his Eurosport contract as a pundit/talent - as part of this deal he's contractually obliged to appear in their Home Nations broadcasted events (English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh) - so even if he has a stinker and goes out in the early rounds, he'll fulfil additional studio dates at the venue as a pundit, sometimes for more money if he exceeds the number of contracted appearances. 

If the unthinkable happened and he failed to retain his tour card in the years to come, he'd be handed an invitational tour card ala Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry, James Wattana, etc. 

He's also joked before about playing in the World Seniors - he does a lot of work with Jason Francis who runs that tour, so it's not as implausible as you might think. Also offers a route into Champion of Champions and another guaranteed payday. 

Even if he stops competing on the main World Snooker Tour (WST) - he'll still rake it in with exhibition appearances. He regularly knocks in 147s in front of exhibition crowds - usually tours with someone like Stephen Hendry and with John Virgo as an MC. He'd probably start his own touring roadshow and live off of that for a while, supplemented by other brand deals from China (like Hendry lives off now) and more Eurosport punditry. 

He'll carry on wielding that cue until he drops, one way or the other. He can get hundreds of books ghost-written about/for him, he can be the focal point of more reality shows like the American Hustle bits, he can try and start businesses flogging his gear that will ultimately fall on it's arse or try to get into the nutrition game. But he was born to do one thing - play snooker. It's the only thing he's ever been good at. And when he's good, he's fucking mesmerising to watch. For me, absolutely the greatest ever. For now, tournament play is still his highest earner/bread-winner.  

The window is closing but he can still win an 8th title if he gets a kind draw and he can build up a head of steam in Sheffield. Even if he does win it though - until his body gives out, he'll keep potting. 

 

[Butch2000]

There’s a good documentary on iPlayer called The Welsh Master at the moment about Ray Reardon.

A marvellous full head of natural hair at 90. Take note Jimmy “Shawn Stasiak” White.

[Pork Pie]

On 10/27/2022 at 2:12 AM, Butch2000 said:

There’s a good documentary on iPlayer called The Welsh Master at the moment about Ray Reardon.

A marvellous full head of natural hair at 90. Take note Jimmy “Shawn Stasiak” White.

I found it really sad when he said no one talks to him anymore. Players could learn a lot from him. There's only so much footage of his playing days but from all that I've seen he was a ruthless player. His advice that the only ball that matters is the white and if you can control it you'll win is something some players today could really learn from. Kyren Wilson for example is a really good player but if he's to reach that next level he needs to control the cue ball better. 

Champion of Champions starts today on ITV4. Here's the line up:

Monday, October 31

13:00 (UK time)

Mark Selby v Lee Walker

14:00

John Higgins v Hossein Vafaei

19:00

Mark Selby / Lee Walker v John Higgins / Hossein Vafaei

Tuesday, November 1

13:00

Neil Robertson v Fan Zhengyi

14:00

Kyren Wilson v Ryan Day

19:00

Neil Robertson / Fan Zhengyi v Kyren Wilson / Ryan Day

Wednesday, November 2

13:00

Judd Trump v Luca Brecel

14:00

Mark Allen v Joe Perry

19:00

Judd Trump / Luca Brecel v Mark Allen / Joe Perry

Thursday, November 3

13:00

Ronnie O'Sullivan v Robert Milkins

14:00

Zhao Xintong v Mink Nutcharut

19:00

Ronnie O'Sullivan / Robert Milkins v Zhao Xintong / Mink Nutcharut

Friday, November 4

19:00

TBC v TBC

Saturday, November 5

19:00

TBC v TBC

Sunday, November 6

13:00

TBC v TBC

19:00

TBC v TBC

[SuperBacon]

Mink Nutcharut. What a name.

[Loki]

Ronnie’s amazing, I wonder what it is that allows him to continue at the top level at an age when generally players drop off.

Look at Hendry’s attempt to come back.  I know he’s older but still - really disappointing.  I expect Ronnie to still be competitive in his 50s.

[Fatty Facesitter]

Jimmy White has qualified for the York/TV stages of the UK Championship. Won four matches to get through. He’s 60!

This is the first year of a new format change for the UK Championship - previously it was ran as a 128-person tournament. The first round would be staged by Eurosport, and then the BBC would also come in from the second round onwards.

The ‘Judgement Day’ concept (final round of qualifying) is borrowed from the World Championship qualifier format. Personally I think it’s a great idea - it works brilliantly for the Worlds, freshens up the UK Champs format and it’s already provided a great story as Jimmy progresses. 

60 though. He’s been playing quite poorly picking up the odd win over the last few years and only playing with an invitational tour card. This season though he’s been quite good - amazing that he’s becoming competitive again!

EDIT - Apparently it’s 41 years since his UK Championship debut. Fucking hell. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Fatty Facesitter

[Pork Pie]

It was good to see Jimmy White make it to the main tournament. It's got be likely that it was his last appearance in a triple crown event. I thought he stood a decent chance as Ryan Day really isn't in great form despite winning the British Open. White was also very unlucky in the first two frames but in the end he just gave too many chances away. 

Kyren Wilson played an amazing 5 frames in his match. He should have won 6-0 but still a good performance winning 6-3

I much prefer this format for the UK Championship. It feels special again where as the last few years it felt pretty much like any other standard tournament.

[Gus Mears]

As my interest in football has waned, I've gotten bang into snooker. Have watched it more than any other sport over the last few years. Agree that the UK Championship is miles better in this format. You're likely to get at least one good match in the two table format and I feel able to keep up with whast's going on which wasn't the case last few years.

Astonishing how well O'Sullivan is playing at the moment. Is he playing at his peak? It has to be pretty close, which is remarkable given his age.

Despite this, the big story so far for me is Mark Williams having the shits and leaving his soiled boxers somewhere in the Barbican. I feel sorry for him, but his diet is entirely clown meat, kebabs and beer so it's perhaps not that surprising.

[The Gaffer]

Looks like Shaun Murphy's been doing his usual white meat babyface media tour this week, essentially calling out The Rocket for not using his position enough to improve the game. He's snooker's John Cena 2005-2012. Doing and saying all the right things, and generally attracting ire for it. I've grown to like him. But I also like O'Sullivan sitting lifeless in the Eurosport studio answering everything with variants of "I'm not really trying and I don't really care." 

Death, taxes and Mark Allen coming off as unlikable as well on the latest edition of ~Snooker Spice!

 

[Fatty Facesitter]

Allen/Murphy are practice partners and good pals - all banter. Shit banter mind, but it's all for lolz.

Murphy is such an enigma and one of the oddest blokes I've come across in the game. He's very articulate chap, a great advocate for the sport and clearly talented. At the same, he absolutely loves himself. If it was possible to safely undergo surgery on removing one's rib cage in order to self-fellate, he'd be at the front of the queue. 

He gives it Mr.Nice when he's being interviewed, but make no mistake, he's also got a competitive ego about him at the same time (not necessarily a bad thing on its own). Case in point, the punching the air in celebration between frames. I'm sure you'll agree that this is unseemly, ungentlemanly behaviour. It works too - he got all the way to the final of the Worlds in 2021, he's done it several times since in other competitions and it worked against Gilbert earlier this week. He's been on the record of saying snooker is a show, it's theatre, and snooker players are entertainers. I think he genuinely believes he's part shakespearean actor/part sportsman. 

Then there's this 'injury' he's been carrying this week. Nonsense. Luring Judd into a false sense of security before binning him off. I don't buy it for a second. He's a closet shithouse. 

The oddest thing I've ever seen though took place in one of the press rooms from one of my shifts covering it. He was due to go on last in the order of play that evening and was waiting for his table to be free (it was a 128 tournament where the order takes a while to get through). Whilst waiting, he sat waxing lyrical with a particular broadcaster about his 2005 final. They start watching the final frame on YouTube. They are absolutely fawning over him and he's licking his lips with glee. "Oh, I don't know, it was ok!" - the sort of knowing comments where you pretend to be embarrassed and secretly you are concealing an erection at the affection you're being serenaded with. They watched the entire thing and the presentation afterwards. It was just...so odd.  

...he went on to lose the evening match 4-0. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Fatty Facesitter

[Pork Pie]

I like Murphy but it's really hard not to dislike him at times. The tone with which he speaks seems like he's talking down to people. As far as on the table it's ridiculous he doesn't win more. Not many can pot and break build as good as him. His cue action is incredible. I guess he's just not consistent enough.

The UK Championship seems to wake Ding up. Beating O'Sullivan 6-0 is a big statement. Although I wasn't able to watch it so maybe O'Sullivan was playing bad but I'm guessing it was more because Ding was playing well. 

[Gus Mears]

Ding played better as the match went on. Ronnie had chances in the first couple of frames and couldn't take them. Be nice to see a unexpected winner (as long as its not Murphy). Gutted my boy Yan Bingtao went out so early.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Gus Mears

[Fatty Facesitter]

He’s been reading this thread. Remarkable. 

[Gus Mears]

Great to see Ding back in a major final. Snooker is in a better place when he's playing well, and I'd love to see him face off against one of the other Young Chinese Players in a big match some time this season. Him vs Bingtao would be a real clash of styles.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Gus Mears

[Pork Pie]

It's nice to see Ding playing so well again. And he had to win the qualifiers so he's had a longer tournament than whoever he'll face in the final. 

I really want to see Lisowski win the tournament though. He always comes across as a decent person and is ridiculously entertaining, although a bit frustrating at times. I think you could see the influence Peter Ebdon is having on him at the World Championship this year. If he can keep the white ball under control a bit better and get some of Ebdons mentality he'll be winning tournaments.