By Elliott West
Introduction
Recent comments by Mark Allen and Judd Trump, suggest that not all the players on the main tour are happy with certain aspects of how the sport is run. Nothing in the world is perfect and these outbursts were probably aimed to cause a debate and hopefully make the powers to be, make alterations to current formats. Let’s have a look at what was said and see whether of any of these comments are relevant and viable?
Out of Place
Attire
Comments have been made about the dress code of players. The traditional wearing of waistcoats, accompanied by bow ties or ties has been present since the foundation of the game. Players over the years such as Alex Higgins, have argued that ties are restricting on the shot, often taking his off and should not have to be won. The governing body brought back ties for certain events and some decided to wear their ties at various positions under their chins, half-mast being the most popular.
Judd Trump commented in a recent press interview that how the players dress, is completely unappealing to a younger audience. However if you alter or take away the dress code, you effectively destroy the essence of snooker. Snooker has an identity and part of it is the way players dress. The current dress is instantly recognisable and associates the wear with the sport. Remove it or adapt it and you water the game down.
Wild Cards
Several players such as Ken Doherty, Marco Fu, Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White has been offered two year tour cards in recognition for their contribution to the sport. This effectively stops them from falling off the main tour and having to qualify again through Q School. Mark Allen has voiced his objections to this system, saying that it is unfair. Rather than allowing a space to be created for another player, the incumbents remain and don’t win enough matches to reflect the card given to them.
It is true that the game is crying out for young blood but without considerable investment, these players will never be able to grace the main stage. Money is starting to filter into the youth game but it has long been starved of capital. This has not been helped by the pandemic which has led to all snooker clubs having to close for long periods of time. Some may not be able to survive and will have to close for good. This will cripple the youth potential of attracting them into clubs and to pick up a cue for the first time or to just practice.
Commentary
Mark Allen and Judd Trump believe that snooker has an obsession with the past. Citing commentators, he feels that spend far too much time speaking about the players and matches of yesteryear. These players played their part but rather than regurgitating the same nostalgic stories, it is time that those people in the box switched their focus to the up and coming players.
Nostalgia is ingrained in British culture and people love to hark back to the past for some light relief. However, it does worry me how little research is done on what is actually going on in snooker. Some commentators struggle to recall tournaments and players. I even saw a BBC player profile showing that John Higgins was born in 1983! The way forward is definitely to give younger people a chance in the commentary box, using players still in the game. Please use as many statistics as you want but talk about the snooker calendar and the vast number of tournaments that are part of it.
The Future
Perhaps the announcement that Barry Hearn is retiring, will dawn a new age of vision and many of these scruples will be naturally ironed out in changes to the current ways of working. What is not clear is the direction Steve Dawson, the new Chairman of WST, will decide to take the sport? Could he even be tempted to move the World Championship away from the Crucible, when the current deal with the theatre runs out? It seems unlikely this will happen as Hearn has left an imprint of his way of working in his team. Barry may start leading start leading a slower pace of life but I am sure that he will always voice his concerns, even from a distance.
