By Elliott West
“Scoop or whatever it is, I don’t know, but that’s what we’re getting, that this will be our last season. I think that’s definite. The World Championship will be our last one. It’s not my decision, I love the game and everything else. But I understand, nothing lasts for ever, I understand that”.
John Virgo
Introduction
In recent days, the snooker headlines have been full of speculation after John Virgo commented on the Talking Snooker podcast that he felt that this could be his and Dennis Taylor’s last season commentating on snooker for the BBC. Of course, this hasn’t been confirmed and remains to be seen whether the announcement actually gets announced in the coming months. The comment comes after various interviews with Judd Trump and Neil Robertson that the sport needs to be modernised and such pundits have been criticised for being outdated and not with the times.
“I think they’re probably looking for people who are more in touch with the modern day player. Although I think all players are the same aren’t they? They play shots, there’s not many shots that people play that I haven’t seen, you know. I’m not criticising the decision, I know nothing lasts for ever”.
John Virgo
The Gripe
Snooker has marched on in the modern era with styles of play, table cloths, cues and venues all changing in the last thirty years but in some quarters, the game has been frozen with some of the past players being continuously used by the BBC to provide commentary for its coverage of the Triple Crown events. Dennis Taylor and John Virgo have been out of the game as professionals for some years but their analysis remains essentially the same, cobbled together with stories from the past that repeat again and again.
I have the utmost regard for John and Dennis and wish sometimes that people would focus on their fantastic playing careers apart from the 1985 World Championship and the 1979 UK Championship wins but hey ho, that is the way the media rolls. However, if you are to comment on the current tour, you have to be up to speed with what is going on in the snooker calendar and not just concentrate on the tournaments you are paid to work on. This error has made them both vulnerable and open to criticism. The weakness can’t be covered up by wrapping it up with match and player statistics. The commentator has to be seen to know what he is talking about.
The Answer
Taylor and Virgo know their stuff because they have been there and played the game at all levels and have decades of experience. The answer is not to sack them but to let them naturally retire under their own steam. Unlike the BBC, Eurosport has managed to find a winning formula and has attracted snooker fans over the years who have become fed up with the BBC. Eurosport provides the viewer with near enough coverage of the whole snooker season, live and uninterrupted, transmitting live until the last ball is potted. The BBC doesn’t and lags behind, resting on its laurels of being the original broadcaster.
If the BBC is ever to catch up in this snooker race, it has to let the future of the game work on a permanent basis with those that have already been there. Players like Jack Lisowski, Judd Trump and Peter Lines have all donned the microphone in recent months and have been impressive. Maybe slightly rough around the edges, they can be schooled by working with the masters, Taylor and Virgo and provide them with an insight into what is actually going on, on the tour, their match experiences and first-hand information on the players that they are commentating on. They may have played them recently and know whether they are in form or not, their strengths and weaknesses.
This tweak would definitely put the BBC on a better footing because essentially Dennis and John know snooker inside out but it is this imperfection that brings them out into the firing line. The commentary team are not guilty of it alone as the pundits such as John Parrott and Steve Davis struggle with new players and recalling any information from tournaments leading up to those that they are working on. Perhaps they don’t watch a lot of snooker but surely you have to if you are to provide first-class analysis?
Summary
The ball is firmly in the BBC’s court but I don’t think sacking commentators works. Clive Everton was removed from the team and replaced by a somewhat poor replacement, Stephen Hendry a few years ago and although Clive went on to work for ITV4 and Sky Sports, there was definitely a hole left in the analysis. The BBC should learn from its mistakes and not make the same one again. Of course, John and myself are speculating and we may just carry on with the same commentary team but it is important whatever happens, that the BBC adapts whilst moving with the times.
