Snooker Loopy

by elliott west

As the 1970’s ground to a conclusion so the dawn of the 1980’s emerged with a promise of new things to come. In snooker the old snooker guard were moving to the exit door, stage left and a new breed of snooker player came onto the scene. One such player was Steve Davis. Davis a lanky lad from Romford had been the talk of town for a few years. He regularly beat all that dared challenge him in his local club and took a clinical approach to the game, the desire to win. Inspired by his father at an early age he fell in love with snooker when his Dad took him to the club on a Sunday afternoon and watched him play. Davis was the archetypal amateur who had little clue on how to manage his talent and relied in the early days on family support to progress.

However in 1982 Steve was under new management, under the wing of the entrepreneur and businessman Barry Hearn. Hearn had spotted Davis in his local snooker club and saw his immediate potential as a world class player. Remolding his image Barry took Steve from a casual to smart look to dressing him in a suit and accompanying him to matches acting as a mentor and lucky talisman. The odd couple of polar opposites began to work, so Davis was able to accomplish the transition from an amateur to professional player and subsequently won the World Championship in 198

The 1980’s had failed until this point to have ever brought a televised 147 to fruition. John Spencer had managed one in the 1970’s but the camera crew were on strike at the time and his efforts missed the film can and his efforts ended in vain. Oddly enough this cruel blow came back to haunt Spencer in 1982 when he played Steve Davis in the quarter final of the Lada Classic at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham. Ironically Davis was beaten in the final; 9-8 by Terry Griffiths but on the way to this match Steve showed all his flair and panache on the table, winding Spencer around his bridge hand.

Now dressed in a crisp white shirt, waistcoat and bow tie Davis started his break by potting a red into an acute, middle pocket and so the magic began. Like any 147 it was a joy to watch and shows the true genius of Steve Davis as a player. Davis was accused by some fans of being emotionless and boring but if you showed them this 147 they may change their minds. It is true that Steve is serious when on the table but that’s only because he is in the zone and off the table is a very funny and intelligent man. The clip I below speaks for itself and shows the elegance of this break at a time when 147’s were as rare to be seen as baby pigeons.

by elliott west

The world of snooker always remembers its best and one of these is Jack Karnehm. A former professional player and BBC commentator, Karnehm knew the game inside out and was a regular in the commentary box for Triple Crown tournaments during the 1970’s and 80’s. Jack was a prolific billiards player and won the English Amateur in 1969 and the UK Billiards Championship in 1980. Simultaneous to this he turned professional as a snooker player in 1971 but his career as a player was less fruitful, his only memorable result being a 4-5 loss to Chris Ross in the 1977 UK Championship.

In the later years of his baize career and afterwards, Jack started to turn his attention towards the analytical side of snooker. Picking up a microphone he joined Ted Lowe, John Virgo and others to pontificate on match analysis. His reign in the box saw him witness some of the true classic matches; Reardon, Higgins, Thorburn and Taylor to name just a few. These were matched and tournament wins that any fan would surrender their mobile phone to have watched and must have been sublime to  have been a part of.

Karnehm’s most memorable commentary was during the first 147 at the World Championship. This occurred in 1983 when a young Canadian player; Cliff Thorburn was making his mark at the Crucible. Thorburn had already struck gold in Sheffield in 1980 when he convincingly defeated Alex Higgins for the first time and so in 1983 against Terry Griffiths he was hungry for more silverware of the Sheffield variety. Karnehm drew the lucky straw by being in the commentary box for this match and the crucial frame began with a red that missed the intended pocket and rebounded into the opposite left corner pocket. From then on the frame grew in momentum and culminated on the crucial black when Karnehm uttered the famous words “Good luck mate”.

Jack wasn’t without his own controversy in his commentary career. Teaming with a young rookie at the time John Virgo in a match. John was explaining that the frame was basically over and the player was just getting some potting practice in to get his eye in for the next frame. Jack took offence to the commentary as he had felt that Virgo had butted in and it was traditionally he who had the last word and threw his microphone down in disgust. It was a scene that soured their relationship and let’s say there were never any further Christmas cards shared between with two of them again.

Jack Karnehm was also known for making spectacles and he was a developer of the swivel-lens glasses. First developed by Theodore Hamblin and pioneered by Fred Davis in 1938, these spectacles had the the effect of allowing the player to look along the shot through the optical centre of the lens and were set at a compensatory angle. His upside-down design would become the trademark for Dennis Taylor who due to failing eyesight needed a saviour to halt his demising form. The result was legendary and we all know what happened next! Taylor never forgot Jack and always mentions him when recalling his legendary 1985 Crucible, black ball final win against Steve Davis in 1985.

Karnehm was also a coach and wrote several books on snooker. He was also the President of the Radstock Billiards association until 2000. He died suddenly in 2002 aged 85 after an an afternoon working on his garden in extreme heat. Jack will be fondly remembered and his warm and charming voice that oozed the love of the game will always be remembered and forever preserved on celluloid footage.

by elliott west

Dylan Smith is not a widely recognised name outside the social circles of snooker but within the snooker clubs and social media sites, his name is one that resonates. The 11 year old rising star from Kent is following in the footsteps of another leading light Ben Sizer, a multiple Kent champion. Dylan from Tunbridge Wells, embarked on a tour of junior events last year and managed to come runner up. Very impressive for a competition that is open to any player up to the age of 21. Smith has made a great start, compiling a highest break of 30 and has competed against snooker greats such as Jimmy White and Mark King. Dylan has also spent time at the Crucible and the Star Academy in Sheffield and has been able to practice on a professional Star/Strachan table thanks to a generous donation by John Higgins and has been working with my friend Alan Trigg to improve his game. Trigg has praised Smith saying “Having coached thousands of juniors and hundreds of professional players alike over the past 45 years, I can say that with the correct motivation and hard work, Dylan will become a top player in the world”.

Dylan has become a star overnight, starring in a film about the Victoria Club in town and was even supplied with a three-piece suit free of charge for the part. He has his own Twitter account and posts regular tweets and video footage of his progress in the sport. Having played Jimmy White, Dylan has adopted the same attacking style of play; splitting the reds in any game at the earliest opportunity and is often pictured next to other professional players to champion and promote his cause. Having watched much of his social media footage, this boy really does blast the baize and has an amazing clearance speed, a player who would never wind down any shot clock in a match. Cue makers and sponsors are literally queuing up, pardon the pun, to work with and promote this young lad and his trophy cabinet is expanding by the week.

Players such Dylan are cherished in our sport and should always be championed. They don’t come along very often and when they do, their rise is explosive, capturing the eye of worldwide audiences, pundits and players. Snooker is not a sport for the faint hearted and there are often highs and lows to this career as an amateur or professional. One minute you may be on a winning streak with exceptional form and on another day you won’t be able to string a break together and miss balls that you would never miss in a practice session. All players have experienced these sporting mind games and only experience can help someone cope with the mental anguish that the sport can cause.

China currently has the upper hand on the progress and development of the sport, developing many players at an early age and so the youth such as Dylan Smith really are a a blessing for snooker. I hope in the coming years we are able to heavily invest in the amateur game as we did in the past. Because only when we do this will the abundance of youth talent appear in snooker clubs and eventually migrate to the professional tour. Dylan Smith we praise you and may many more men and women with your talent come into the snooker world!

elliott west

One of the bastions of snooker is the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds. Opened in 1974 this building recently celebrated 40 years and has hosted some of the greatest matches and players in snooker history. Situated on Kirkstall Road, this building has hosted the greats of the sport including Ray Reardon, Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, Steve Davis, Paul Hunter and most recently Ronnie O’Sullivan. Owned by the Williamson family and currently managed by Chris Williamson, this centre has flourished in recent years whilst other clubs in the surrounding area have closed down. The ‘Northern’ has managed to survive primarily because it offers a range of cue sports and coaching at reasonable prices.

Due to its unique facilities many amateur and professional players flock here to practice and I would even dub it as a “snooker factory” improving the skills of current players and moulding future youth protégés. The centre has hosted men’s and ladies’ tournaments, including the Women’s World Championship and Billiards tournaments. The Northern Snooker Centre also has The Paul Hunter Matchroom; opened in memory of the great player who sadly passed away from cancer at an early age.

I feel that this idea should be rolled out in other cities to counteract the rapid closure of snooker clubs. By creating new snooker centres one would develop the sport, bringing the two strands of youth and established players into a central hub. The UK would be wise to take a leaf out of China’s book and educate students in the sport at an early age. In China snooker is taught at school and wildcard players often appear at Chinese tournaments at the age of 16. Nurture and development are so important in any sport and only when this happens will more new UK based players appear in amateur and professional events.

by elliott west

Clive Everton has one one of the most recognised voices in snooker commentary. His silky, dulcet tones have graced our television screens for over 40 years, guiding us through the joy and tragedy of epic snooker matches. Working beside greats such as Ted Lowe, Ray Edmond, Jack Karnehm, John Pullman, John Spencer, Dennis Taylor and John Virgo, Everton has used his vast knowledge of the green baize to enable the viewing audience to be enthralled and inspired by snooker. The former professional billiards and snooker player has worked for the BBC, Sky and currently is employed as a commentator on ITV snooker coverage. Now 81, Everton still treats us to the same microphone panache that he did when he first started in 1978.

Welsh born Clive began his career in radio and later moved to the BBC to commentate on snooker. This partnership lasted until 2009 when he was famously sacked and replaced with Stephen Hendry. It is thought that Everton lost his job as a result of attacking World Snooker but his sacking had led to an almost ageist trend with the removal of Willie Thorne from Triple Crown events and reducing John Virgo’s airtime. Unlike other commentators, Clive’s uniqueness is that he concentrates on the technical side of snooker when delivering his words. Having been a talented billiards player, the Welshman is able to bring his analytical mind to the viewer and interpret shot choices and match play in a varied form.

Everton was also a professional snooker player with limited success, the highlight being when he beat Patsy Fagan in the last 64 of the Professional Players Tournament In 1982. It is no wonder why he returned regularly to the microphone after this blip and concentrated on what he was he was truly good at; the spoken word. Clive also worked on rugby, tennis and squash, managing Jonah Barrington, the former number one squash player. He has also been the long time editor of Snooker Scene, a chronicle of snooker’s activity and a must for any snooker enthusiast.

Clive has not been without his mishaps, classically falling off his chair in one World Championship and laughter ensued as both he and Dennis Taylor fell into a fit of the giggles. Also in 2007 he was unable to attend the final as he had apparently slipped in the bath and fractured his hip. These mishaps are outweighed by the sheer strength of character of this match, a true great who has brought his craft to many television screens for so long and has no plans to put down his microphone anytime soon!

by elliott west

In the early days of snooker history when the sport was a game and not well recognised beyond closed doors, billiards and snooker had a home in central London; Thurston’s Hall or The Leicester Square Hall as it became known after it was bombed during World War Two. From its opening in 1901 until closure in 1955 it was the largest of all the venues, seating approximately 250 people and was the Crucible of its day hosting 12 World Championship finals between 1930 and 1953.

All the greats came here to play including Joe and Fred Davis and Ted Lowe first got involved in snooker here. Players such as Jackie Rea, Walter Donaldson and Sidney Smith, no longer well recognised names, all competed in this hive of cue activity and despite much of the equipment and fittings being destroyed by a bomb blast the hall rose from the ashes and was rebuilt. Snooker was a hybrid at this time a combination with billiards and was not seen as a major game, classed instead as a pastime that was largely played as a gentleman’s game played in smoke filled clubs. The working class used such events as a means of release from the working week, so the likes of the Davis brothers were just what they needed to make their evenings and weekends slightly easier.

If you thought the Crucible was compact and confined, this hall was smaller! The audience were seated very close to the table and matches went on for days. These players were true winners because a final could last a week and the prize money and recognition was low. Players at this time played for pride and to showcase their skills and not for remuneration. The few professionals at this time played a multitude of exhibitions and tournaments, some with very few watching due to confined space and they often had to sit on the stairs as no chairs were provided. The referee used to shout out the score and beer and cigarettes flowed as they played.

By the time the hall closed in 1955, snooker was still in its infancy and next moved to venues such as Blackpool and the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds. It wasn’t until 1969 when Ted Lowe in conjunction with BBC 2 moved snooker to the Pot Black format and colour television put snooker on the sporting map. However, Thurston’s Hall and later Leicester Square Hall played their part in snooker history and developed the love of a game into a mainstream sport.

by elliott west

In 1981, the Crucible was still barren of a 147 and the audience were craving for the day for it to happen. The only sniff of a 147 had come in 1979 when the Canadian Bill Werbeniuk had scored a 142, a treat for snooker fans but the glorious goal that all viewers wanted to see. Several years later Doug Mountjoy was playing Reardon at Sheffield and the chance came again for the former miner from South Wales. Mountjoy a protégée of the great coach Frank Callan was walking on the crest of a wave this year and on his great run to the final he came across the Welsh great; six times World Champion, Ray Reardon. Reardon was hungry for another title but Mountjoy was keen to keep the former miner and policeman at bay. Great friends off the table, the two Celts reverted to snooker warriors on the baize.

The lad from Glamorgan had his chance in this match to achieve the ultimate dream and it is a clip that is regularly viewed still on social media. Doug was one of the Welsh greats and like Reardon is a true hero of mine. They both remind me of my Grandfather, John Reardon who was born and lived in Ebbw Vale. Snooker was a release for these players from the arduous daily life in the Welsh valleys and so this snooker theatre was a perfect place to fight to achieve the 147. Unfortunately Mountjoy couldn’t achieve the 147 but instead produced the second best prize; a 145.

Like Alex Higgins’s latter 1982, 69 break, Doug’s break is a joy to watch and shows a Welsh master class in action. With Reardon smiling and sniggering in his chair and Ted Lowe with his occasional whispering on the commentary, this truly was a fantastic television moment causing the viewer to sit on the edge of their seat and the hairs to stick up on the back of their neck. Doug managed to get his chance early in the frame and so the momentum began. Never losing position until the last red was potted, Doug decided to take the air of caution route and avoid missing the penultimate black. Instead  he went for the blue and then went on to clear the table.

To the applause of the audience and a warm hug from Reardon, Mountjoy bathed in this glorious snooker moment and raised his cigarette packet and cue in joy. He may not have achieved a 147 but he had stamped his craft on the Crucible table, setting a record that wouldn’t be broken for another two years when Cliff Thorburn achieved the 147 in 1983 after fluking the first red into the opposite pocket. Sadly Mountjoy was unable to become a Crucible victor in 1981 as he came across the machine that is Steve Davis.

by elliott west

When you think of snooker qualifying venues one of the most iconic was the Norbrek Castle Hotel in Blackpool. Snooker first moved here when the game started to open up. Taking place several months before the World Championship in January, players traveled to Blackpool to find out their snooker fates in often boiling or freezing conditions to play on one of the 20 tables that Norbrek housed. Coming here was boom or bust for a player as they were confined to the constrained cubicle set up that no professional wishes to have to experience with an audience view that resembled chess pieces on a board.

This was not a place for the faint hearted and preyed on the addicted, making and destroying many a player’s career. When I first started watching snooker there were many great players nearing their time professionally and so their only way of ever seeing the Crucible stage again was to battle it out at Norbrek. Played in the hotel’s Norcalympia Room, players had to play 11 matches to get their golden ticket to the Crucible. Often having to play from early morning for a snooker player, 9am, they would trundle down from their rooms above to experience carnage city after a continental breakfast. Nobrek may have once staged the Liberal Party Conference and The Pretenders but no red carpet was laid out for these snooker diehards. All the greats came here but were not so great when they left.

O’Sullivan classically won 74 out of 76 matches here in qualifiers  but his victims could be seen in the nearby Marriner’s pub, licking their wounds and drowning their sorrows before braving the bracing Blackpool winds to make their long journey’s home. This was a tough system but a fair one and relied on the survival of the fittest. Some survived but others got entangled in Blackpool’s night life.

The hotel was also a place of drama off the table with one referee having his car written off when another referee’s car was blown into his. Also rumour has it that one player who fell victim to the Norbrek cubicles, fell ill when returning to his room after his defeat and died. These gruelling conditions also put a strain on those involved, including one referee who had to ask a player for a piece of chocolate because his energy levels were running so low. No story can be concluded without an Alex Higgins story. Higgins came to the famous hotel towards the end of his career and was drinking heavily. Rather than his once jovial nature on the baize, his temperament had now soured. A mood that he often took out on the people running the show. This time it was the referee who got in his line of fire, telling him to get out of the way because “he was in his line of thought”. Higgins’ appearances here became more and more bizarre, with the Irishman falling over and cutting his arm before a match due to heavy intoxication and taking a gun to the hotel in the guise of a cue. 

Norbrek Castle Hotel ceased to be a qualifying venue at the end of the 1990’s and was moved to Prestatyn but will always be remembered fondly by snooker players and fans as a place of joy and tribulations. In fact for me, Blackpool was the home of my late Great Uncle Tommy Scott, who formed the famous variety act Jo, Jac and Joni and later worked here as a theatrical agent with the likes of Les Dawson. Fond and memorable times were had by all. No footage survived of this venue but I include some You Tube footage of a pool event to show you the great venue it was.

by elliott west

Ding Junhui is the greatest snooker export that China has ever produced but unfortunately he doesn’t do what it says on the tin, win. Much has been said and written about this Chinese player from Wuxi about his talent and genuine flair on the table yet when it comes to reality, Ding can’t consistently win. The famous scene of him breaking down during a match with Ronnie is a picture that seems to have haunted his career ever since. Don’t get me wrong he has won multiple career trophies but when he now takes part in tournaments part of him is missing.

Ding lacks belief and without that you are doomed in this sport. Belief is the very cog spring to any player’s game and controls the attitude, demeanour and winning streak that he/she displays in a match situation. Ding’s negative body language and frustration is easily picked up by his opponent and can be quickly punished on the baize. Ding needs to take a leaf out of Judd’s book. Both players are gifted yet Trump has found his mojo. If he did this then look what would happen, the holy grail of his career, the missing World Championship title could be his.

Any sportsperson can get in a rut and that frustration plays out in their game. Ding often flicks off his concentration switch and misses the elected shot. This leads to bizarre scenes such as the outburst at the World Championship. Ding missed the shot and before he went back to his seat, he put his head on the table and started to head-butt it. Not only does this send out a bad message for the players and fans but it genuinely hurts. When you have a fight with a snooker table only one person wins and it is not the instigator. Stephen Maguire learnt this the hard way when he rapped his knuckles on the cushion handrail and fractured them as a result.

Ding Junhui is a fantastic break builder and when in the correct gear can clinically beat anyone he is drawn against. He has learned to speak the English language and now spends time between his homes in China and Sheffield. Maybe his recent addition to the family has caused his game to suffer as it is extremely hard to juggle between being being a new parent and performing consistently well at your place of work. However Ding has had many sips of the winner’s cup and so it must very frustrating for a player of such high calibre to bomb in an event. If this happens consistently over a period of time, you start to feel that you can’t win and a flashback of the previous defeat plays on your mind as you take on the next tournament.

Snooker may not be a physical sport but it relies heavily on the brain itself and probably uses the majority of the brain to play it. Like any mechanism, it becomes tired and confused. Ding is in that mindset and must with the help of his coach, Terry Griffiths and others, try to lift this mental fog and bring out the real Ding Junhui again. Only then will this talented player shine and win the multitude of accolades he deserves, including his first World Championship title.

by elliott west

So the snooker season has drawn to a close for another year and what a season it has been. With a multitude of winners in the 2018-19 calendar it seemed certain towards the end that Ronnie would rule the roost after a late surge. However, snooker, never a game of certainties and the O’Sullivan ground to a halt when a certain James Cahill caused him to career off track with a massive defeat puncture. The standard of snooker has spiraled in recent years with players of all rankings causing surprises. The reason is probably a set regime of practice and more tournaments. Unlike years gone by players are dedicated to the sport and deviate until the season is over.

With Barry Hearn steering the ship snooker is in a good place and global audiences continue to grow, further expansion is needed but the seeds have been planted in countries far and wide with television coverage in a multitude of languages. Player streaming has allowed the viewer to watch snooker on the go and the market has been opened up wider by the recent launch of a PlayStation/X Box format of the snooker season. Virtual gaming creates an avenue for drawing in the young and those who don’t know anything about snooker into the fold. Of course the virtual table bears no resemblance to the real one in terms of actual play but it allows the gamer to experience what it could be like to compete in a major event; the pressures involved and the elation felt when won.

Away from the virtual baize exciting developments surround the making of a 147. A recent announcement by World Snooker means that the £5,000 rolling prize money has been scrapped and instead a one million pound prize pot will be created, allowing players to share the riches if twenty or more are made in the season. This a major development and puts an end to the degraded value of achieving an elusive 147. This in turn will spurn on players to do well and increase productivity on the green baize.

Sad news came to the sport earlier in the year that Mike Watterson had passed away. Mike was responsible for bringing snooker to the Crucible in 1977 and worked on a variety of sports during his career including darts, bowls and cricket. Mike, even in recent years could be seen chatting in the Crucible Player’s Lounge and often rang John Parrott to help him with his crossword clues. Secondly, it was announced the other day that Terry Griffiths will no longer travel as a coach. Instead he will concentrate his work from home and his club. It will be strange not to see Terry behind the scenes as I often come across him in the lift or making a cup of tea.

As this blog draws to a close and the final ball has been potted, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my readership for their continued loyalty and support. It is wonderful to be believed in and for your writing skills to be admired and even praised. Fear not though the season may be over but I will continue blogging to quench your snooker thirst on a variety of subjects and before you can blink the new season will be with the World Cup starting on the 24/06/19.