Will the World Championship Go Ahead as Normal??

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 10:21am

Joe_ Public wrote: »

My actual favourite moment in that 69 clearance isnt a pot but when at one point, as he's walking around the table, Alex turns and winks at someone or just maybe everyone in the audience, as if to say, dont worry, I've got this under control here. That's what made him unique i think, to do that at 15-16 down in a world sf and in that style - i dont think anyone else could have done that.

No single figure did more to popularise snooker in the 1980s imo and some were a bit resentful of it. Not that alex got the rewards for it, but a lot of that was clearly down to his own appalling behaviour.

Alex was just a small bit before my time but i can appreciate what he did to make snooker so popular. But while my grandad adored him my Dad pretty much despised him for his disgraceful conduct and i have to say he's not somebody i admire greatly at all. Threatening to have Dennis Taylor shot? I mean come on there's just no way i could warm to a person like that.

Joe_ Public · 20-04-2020 10:46am

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Alex was just a small bit before my time but i can appreciate what he did to make snooker so popular. But while my grandad adored him my Dad pretty much despised him for his disgraceful conduct and i have to say he's not somebody i admire greatly at all. Threatening to have Dennis Taylor shot? I mean come on there's just no way i could warm to a person like that.

I knew fair few who hated alex and were fans of davis. Couldnt have any truck with that at all. Of course i wouldnt be trying to justify Alex's behaviour, guy was mentally disturbed. But i dont think i would have become a fan of snooker only for him. I used to bunk off college lectures to try and find a pub that might be showing the snooker when alex was playing. It was how i imagined people might have viewed Best when they were young. But morally, indefensible. No argument there.

OutTheGap · 20-04-2020 10:52am

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Alex was just a small bit before my time but i can appreciate what he did to make snooker so popular. But while my grandad adored him my Dad pretty much despised him for his disgraceful conduct and i have to say he's not somebody i admire greatly at all. Threatening to have Dennis Taylor shot? I mean come on there's just no way i could warm to a person like that.

Obviously some of the things he did were indefensible but you probably have to look at the good and bad things he did when judging him. He was his own worst enemy (a bit like George Best in that respect) Dennis Taylor was on the program and spoke generously about his snooker while also addressing the darker side of Alex.

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 11:15am

OutTheGap wrote: »

Obviously some of the things he did were indefensible but you probably have to look at the good and bad things he did when judging him. He was his own worst enemy (a bit like George Best in that respect) Dennis Taylor was on the program and spoke generously about his snooker while also addressing the darker side of Alex.

I have my own issues with drink and other stuff but have never been violent, beat up woman or threatened people. Its just not in me to be like that. I will self destruct but not effect anyone else. I don't accept alcohol as an excuse for his behaviour. Its either in you or its not. His carry on was disgusting and as much as he did for snooker i just cannot like a person like that in any walk of life. Sorry thats just how i feel.

Joe_ Public · 20-04-2020 12:08pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

I have my own issues with drink and other stuff but have never been violent, beat up woman or threatened people. Its just not in me to be like that. I will self destruct but not effect anyone else. I don't accept alcohol as an excuse for his behaviour. Its either in you or its not. His carry on was disgusting and as much as he did for snooker i just cannot like a person like that in any walk of life. Sorry thats just how i feel.

No need to apologise. It's a fair perspective from someone with no emotional connection, looking at the facts from a distance.

I dont think life is always that black or white though. Higgins had his demons, did horrible indefensible things, but people couldnt help feeling some kind of affection for him, as the tributes that flowed after his death showed. Even some of those he hurt and let down terribly could never quite write him off completely, including his ex wife and daughter.

I like that Jimmy White quote about alex on one of the book blurbs - "i loved him, i hated him, i loved him, i hated him". That kind of sums it up for me, how he conflicted people's heads.

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 12:19pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

No need to apologise. It's a fair perspective from someone with no emotional connection, looking at the facts from a distance.

I dont think life is always that black or white though. Higgins had his demons, did horrible indefensible things, but people couldnt help feeling some kind of affection for him, as the tributes that flowed after his death showed. Even some of those he hurt and let down terribly could never quite write him off completely, including his ex wife and daughter.

I like that Jimmy White quote about alex on one of the book blurbs - "i loved him, i hated him, i loved him, i hated him". That kind of sums it up for me, how he conflicted people's heads.

Yes fair point. I'm sure he had his good points too. I remember he spent quite a bit of time towards the end of his life living in Dublin and he used to frequent the Boers Head on Capel St. I know a few who spent some time in his company and although he was old and frail he was quiet and mannerly.

Maybe he deep down regretted some of his actions but i guess dont we all to some extent. Perhaps if i was around to see him work his magic on the table and see how he transformed the game i may have a different perspective but deep down i just dont think i would have liked him as a person with all the nasty stuff he was involved in.

Joe_ Public · 20-04-2020 12:37pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Yes fair point. I'm sure he had his good points too. I remember he spent quite a bit of time towards the end of his life living in Dublin and he used to frequent the Boers Head on Capel St. I know a few who spent some time in his company and although he was old and frail he was quiet and mannerly.

Maybe he deep down regretted some of his actions but i guess dont we all to some extent. Perhaps if i was around to see him work his magic on the table and see how he transformed the game i may have a different perspective but deep down i just dont think i would have liked him as a person with all the nasty stuff he was involved in.

One of the things back then was the Davis v Higgins rivalry which was great for the game in terms of styles and personalities. But other than on paper, it was probably one of the most one sided rivalries in sport, davis hockeyed him nearly everytime. But there was one brief period in 1985 where higgins held sway - beat him in masters at Wembley, masters in goffs and then the world team cup too. Whatever you thought of him, they were some occasions.

I saw him play a few times but never wanted to meet him. Met a guy who knew him in dublin before the end and said alex was a nightmare, constantly badgering him for money and getting narky when he didnt get it. He's nothing but tragic and the stupid nature of his death was very sadly fitting in that respect.

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 12:41pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

One of the things back then was the Davis v Higgins rivalry which was great for the game in terms of styles and personalities. But other than on paper, it was probably one of the most one sided rivalries in sport, davis hockeyed him nearly everytime. But there was one brief period in 1985 where higgins held sway - beat him in masters at Wembley, masters in goffs and then the world team cup too. Whatever you thought of him, they were some occasions.

I saw him play a few times but never wanted to meet him. Met a guy who knew him in dublin before the end and said alex was a nightmare, constantly badgering him for money and getting narky when he didnt get it. He's nothing but tragic and the stupid nature of his death was very sadly fitting in that respect.

And he died, not of alcohol or cancer, but of malnutrition. He couldn't even feed himself at the end. Your right what a fitting end.

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 12:46pm

Be good to here any stories of anyone who met him in Dublin in the years before he died. From what i heard he wasnt bad in the Boers Head. He did his few daily bets in Ladbrokes up the road on Capel St. No pool table in the Boers Head but i heard he used to play pool in other pubs in the city for money and sometimes people would feel so sorry for him they'd let him win. Dont know how true that is as could be just rumour.

OutTheGap · 20-04-2020 12:48pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

One of the things back then was the Davis v Higgins rivalry which was great for the game in terms of styles and personalities. But other than on paper, it was probably one of the most one sided rivalries in sport, davis hockeyed him nearly everytime. But there was one brief period in 1985 where higgins held sway - beat him in masters at Wembley, masters in goffs and then the world team cup too. Whatever you thought of him, they were some occasions.

It was funny in the documentary yesterday that Barry Hearn said Davis was afraid of Higgins physically. You could see that in a couple of interviews they showed, Davis was very uncomfortable in his seat, probably afraid Higgins was going to hit him!

At the time of the Davis v Higgins rivalry I wouldn't have had any time for Davis, he seemed like a robotic machine. I have to say now he comes across very well and seems like a decent bloke.

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 12:51pm

OutTheGap wrote: »

It was funny in the documentary yesterday that Barry Hearn said Davis was afraid of Higgins physically. You could see that in a couple of interviews they showed, Davis was very uncomfortable in his seat, probably afraid Higgins was going to hit him!

At the time of the Davis v Higgins rivalry I wouldn't have had any time for Davis, he seemed like a robotic machine. I have to say now he comes across very well and seems like a decent bloke.

Davis was always my favourite until Ronnie came along. Influenced by my dad to be fair. He loved Steve and i ended up a big fan. Steve is such a loveable person. A thorough gentleman.

Joe_ Public · 20-04-2020 12:55pm

OutTheGap wrote: »

It was funny in the documentary yesterday that Barry Hearn said Davis was afraid of Higgins physically. You could see that in a couple of interviews they showed, Davis was very uncomfortable in his seat, probably afraide Higgins was going to hit him!

At the time of the Davis v Higgins rivalry I wouldn't have had any time for Davis, he seemed like a robotic machine. I have to say now he comes across very well and seems like a decent bloke.

There are aspects of his commentary i dont like, but overall he is a decent bloke alright. And one of the greats, third after hendry and Ronnie for me.

I dont remember if its in that doc, but i do recall davis once saying he actually liked playing higgins in those febrile atmospheres, felt if anything it helped him. And had a fairly vocal support himself too it must be said.

zuutroy · 20-04-2020 5:39pm

Met Higgins at Goffs when I was a kid and he was really unpleasant. Just an aura of volatility and bitterness off him.

FR01 · 20-04-2020 7:51pm

Spent two separate days in the company of Alex several years apart. A nicer person you couldn’t wish to meet. There was alcohol involved on both occasions but yet not one bit of controversy. I honestly believe and trust me I’m not excusing his behaviour for one minute that it was several of his usual hangers on that caused several of his rather public outbursts.

The horrible thing is cancer didn’t kill him, he died of malnutrition. His body lay undiscovered for several days in the sheltered accommodation he was staying at in Belfast.

I attended his funeral and what struck me that day that although Hendry was there Selby and Murphy also attended. The latter two weren’t even on the pro tour when Higgins was playing, they just attended out of respect. It was a pity that Dennis Taylor or Steve Davis didn’t attend but then again I’m sure they had their reasons.

The saddest part of the day was when he was laid to rest , there was no applause , no speeches, no fanfare, that struck me as a really sad and lonely end to a man who I think got us all wanting to play the game.

zuutroy · 20-04-2020 9:05pm

Hendry chatting to Ronnie on Instagram is worth an hour of your time. Very enjoyable.

Arthur Daley · 20-04-2020 9:20pm

So many everyday folk part of the snooker circuit. Part of it's appeal v other sports these days

How one of the world’s best snooker referees is helping to fight coronavirus on the frontline in Belgium

Olivier Marteel, who refereed the World Championship final in 2015, says he “didn’t even have one second of doubt” about agreeing to be on the hospital frontline in his native Belgium in the fight against coronavirus.
Marteel would have been at the Crucible to officiate in this year’s championships had the tournament not been postponed, and taking precedence now is his usual day job as a nurse at the AZ West hospital in Veurne.
Normally a radiologist, Marteel was asked to work in his hospital’s A&E department for the virus and says he is usually the first person incoming patients see when they come in for assessment.
Marteel checks their symptoms then decides whether they need to be tested for the disease or see a doctor, but with the volume of patients he is seeing and a lack of personal protective equipment, the 50-year-old from Ghent has had to be creative in an attempt to keep himself safe.

“I have never worked in an A&E situation like this before,” the 50-year-old from Ghent said on World Snooker’s official website. “When I was asked to take on this role, I didn’t even have one second of doubt. Ever since I was a young child I wanted to work in medicine. I trained for three years and I have been working for 28 years. So when this came up, I jumped at it, even if there are some risks.
“It is tough, of course. Just as you do in the UK, we have problems here getting enough personal protective equipment. This weekend we started using scuba diver masks which were bought in a sports shop, because we don’t have enough of the correct masks.

“The worst thing is the heat. The body produces a lot of heat but it can’t escape from the costume. I am often wearing two pairs of gloves – one for the whole day and another pair when I am treating patients. By the end of the day my hands feel like gum.”
Marteel has refereed on the World Snooker tour since 2006 and has also taken charge of UK Championship and Masters finals to complete his own Triple Crown.
“I have always said that refereeing is a piece of cake compared to my main job,” he added. “I treat snooker like a job as well of course, but for me it is a holiday. And that will never feel more true than when I’m back at a tournament – before long I hope.”
PA

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sport/more-sports/how-one-of-the-worlds-best-snooker-referees-is-helping-to-fight-coronavirus-on-the-frontline-in-belgium/ar-BB12UCkb?ocid=spartanntp

El_Duderino 09 · 21-04-2020 2:22pm

Not related to this year's championship but there's a show on BBC 2 at the moment called Crucible Classics. Featuring the semi final between Robertson and Selby in 2014.

FR01 · 22-04-2020 2:17pm

Looks like we will have a world championship this year !!

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/52313778

Chalk McHugh · 22-04-2020 2:20pm

FR01 wrote: »

Looks like we will have a world championship this year !!

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/52313778

Thanks for this post. Fantastic news

With all the doom and gloom there is now something to really look forward to. Yes!

FR01 · 22-04-2020 2:36pm

From world snooker ....

https://wst.tv/new-dates-for-betfred-world-snooker-championship/

zuutroy · 22-04-2020 2:39pm

Time to move the hotel booking so

Chalk McHugh · 22-04-2020 2:40pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Time to move the hotel booking so

You may get go afterall. Hope it works out for you.

Exclamation Marc · 22-04-2020 2:42pm

Great news that if it either doesn't go ahead or goes ahead behind closed doors that tickets will automatically transfer to 2021 championship.

Hotblack Desiato · 22-04-2020 5:03pm

Don't count your chickens yet...

WST chairman Barry Hearn said the preference is to stage the event with a "full crowd as usual" inside the Crucible Theatre, which has a capacity of just under 1,000.

If that is not possible, "careful consideration" will be given to other scenarios, including a reduced crowd, playing the tournament behind closed doors, or postponing the event again.

Rothko · 22-04-2020 6:07pm

If it does go ahead, I can only imagine that it'll take place behind closed doors.

Joe_ Public · 22-04-2020 6:20pm

"Subject to government advice," are the key four words. Thats almost certainly behind closed doors at a bare minimum imo.

Chalk McHugh · 22-04-2020 7:18pm

Yes i had seen that earlier. Could very well be behind closed doors. At this stage i would gladly take that.

Was thinking how World Snooker would allocate tickets for a reduced capacity? Say 20% crowd allowed. Thats 200 of the 1,000 capacity. How would they choose which ticket holders get in? Be nice to hear a few claps, ooghs and aaaghs and gasps on the tv. The ticket situation would need to be sorted good bit in advance. Really we'll know more towards the end of May. If things are in anyway better by then and say the Prem Lgue has the go ahead to start in June/July and European football getting going it will all be positive for the Crucible.

A ray of light today lads. Small comforts. The dream is still alive. For the apocolyptic year involved i think having a live Crucible on the tv this August would be so special in a weird type of way.

FR01 · 22-04-2020 8:21pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Yes i had seen that earlier. Could very well be behind closed doors. At this stage i would gladly take that.

Was thinking how World Snooker would allocate tickets for a reduced capacity? Say 20% crowd allowed. Thats 200 of the 1,000 capacity. How would they choose which ticket holders get in? Be nice to hear a few claps, ooghs and aaaghs and gasps on the tv. The ticket situation would need to be sorted good bit in advance. Really we'll know more towards the end of May. If things are in anyway better by then and say the Prem Lgue has the go ahead to start in June/July and European football getting going it will all be positive for the Crucible.

A ray of light today lads. Small comforts. The dream is still alive. For the apocolyptic year involved i think having a live Crucible on the tv this August would be so special in a weird type of way.

Yes indeed, let’s have less of the doom and gloom and keep the fingers crossed for the tournament to go ahead

El_Duderino 09 · 24-04-2020 3:17pm

Classic snooker on BBC 2 at the moment hendry vs white 1992 final

Joe_ Public · 24-04-2020 3:24pm

Ahh, still hurts all these years on. Epic frame that at 14-14, that blue left in the jaws by Jimmy. He was gone after that!

El_Duderino 09 · 24-04-2020 3:41pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Ahh, still hurts all these years on. Epic frame that at 14-14, that blue left in the jaws by Jimmy. He was gone after that!

That was just on! Absolutely gutting.

Duke of Url · 24-04-2020 4:23pm

Did anyone here have tickets for the Rokit Senior Masters in Goffs that got rescheduled until next year?

Joe_ Public · 24-04-2020 4:52pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

That was just on! Absolutely gutting.

Yeah...was watching. As many times as I've watched it i still expect that blue to drop every time. Sickener.

El_Duderino 09 · 24-04-2020 5:04pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yeah...was watching. As many times as I've watched it i still expect that blue to drop every time. Sickener.

I expected it to drop too. I wonder if the cloth was that much thicker back then, plus the nap of the cloth running against the ball. You really would expect that ball to continue into the pocket if it happened today.

But it's extraordinary to see the number of times White over-hit balls in that frame.

Moral of the story is cocaine and world championship finals don't mix.

Joe_ Public · 24-04-2020 5:55pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I expected it to drop too. I wonder if the cloth was that much thicker back then, plus the nap of the cloth running against the ball. You really would expect that ball to continue into the pocket if it happened today.

But it's extraordinary to see the number of times White over-hit balls in that frame.

Moral of the story is cocaine and world championship finals don't mix.

Yeah spot on i think. Just so used to quick tables now that it seems crazy that doesn't drop. I dont know with jimmy, never thought he lacked bottle, but whatever it was about hendry and world finals, he just couldn't get over that last hilary step.

El_Duderino 09 · 24-04-2020 6:43pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yeah spot on i think. Just so used to quick tables now that it seems crazy that doesn't drop. I dont know with jimmy, never thought he lacked bottle, but whatever it was about hendry and world finals, he just couldn't get over that last hilary step.

I often think there are loads of ways to be brilliant at snooker but they don't always lead to victory. He was creatively brilliant and probably had a big advantage over some players by reputation and blew them away mentally. His fast play never gave his opponents a minute to rest. I think Hendry looked completely unflappable in that match today. I wonder if that threw White.

On a separate point, did you think the play seemed very fast in that game today? Even at such a late stage in the final, they just played on. It was like two O Sullivans in modern terms. But thats just thinking on reflection so I might be misremembering.

Joe_ Public · 24-04-2020 7:12pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I often think there are loads of ways to be brilliant at snooker but they don't always lead to victory. He was creatively brilliant and probably had a big advantage over some players by reputation and blew them away mentally. His fast play never gave his opponents a mi ute to rest. I think Henry looked completely unflappable in that match today. I wonder if that threw White.

On a separate point, did you think the play seemed very fast in that game today? Even at such a late stage in the final, they just played on. It was like two O Sullivans in modern terms. But thats just thinking on reflection so I might be misremembering.

I know lots of people favour ronnie but i personally hold hendry as the greatest, just for the way he dominated the big tournaments for10 years and how he changed the game in terms of mentality. Do think he intimidated guys alright, just so confident and attacking. Preyed on any visible trace of weakness.

Jimmy was just always a quick player, only Drago was quicker. Hendry was quick too. I think players were in the main quicker then, a few slower types like Griffiths and Thorburn but they werent that slow. Even ebdon was quick when he first broke through. Thatd be my recollection anyway.

FR01 · 25-04-2020 12:00am

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I expected it to drop too. I wonder if the cloth was that much thicker back then, plus the nap of the cloth running against the ball. You really would expect that ball to continue into the pocket if it happened today.

But it's extraordinary to see the number of times White over-hit balls in that frame.

Moral of the story is cocaine and world championship finals don't mix.

Cocaine ??

El_Duderino 09 · 25-04-2020 2:57am

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I know lots of people favour ronnie but i personally hold hendry as the greatest, just for the way he dominated the big tournaments for10 years and how he changed the game in terms of mentality. Do think he intimidated guys alright, just so confident and attacking. Preyed on any visible trace of weakness.

Jimmy was just always a quick player, only Drago was quicker. Hendry was quick too. I think players were in the main quicker then, a few slower types like Griffiths and Thorburn but they werent that slow. Even ebdon was quick when he first broke through. Thatd be my recollection anyway.

I happened to see it again on red button and I'm happy to say it’s definitely a lot faster than the average modern player. He's not just playing boring snooker. It's interesting shots with great control. But it's really fast play. No comparison to a modern player

Joe_ Public · 25-04-2020 10:15am

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I happened to see it again on red button and I'm happy to say it’s definitely a lot faster than the average modern player. He's not just playing boring snooker. It's interesting shots with great control. But it's really fast play. No comparison to a modern player

Jimmy was a special player, one of the all time greats imo despite the lack of world titles. I never saw a player with such awesome cue power, on those old heavy cloths the action he could generate was phenomenal. If anything, you could argue maybe he could have taken an extra second or two over his shots, but that's just way he was. Incidentally, ronnie used often complain about hendry being slow. I never found hendry particularly slow myself.

OutTheGap · 25-04-2020 4:57pm

The BBC showed the 1994 final today where Stephen Hendry beat Jimmy 18-17. Jimmy looked to be on for a winning clearance in the last frame but missed an easy black off the spot. He said after that he got a rush of blood to the head and snatched at it.

While you’d feel sorry for him for not winning the World Championship, he lacked the coolness under pressure that Davis and Hendry had.

Arthur Daley · 25-04-2020 5:59pm

It was devastating to watch 1992 and 1994. And Jimmy got hockeyed in between in 1993.

He was such a great sport joking at the end of the 94 final to David Vine: 'he's beginning to annoy me'. I was fit to throttle Hendry, only watching it on TV

Joe_ Public · 25-04-2020 6:32pm

OutTheGap wrote: »

The BBC showed the 1994 final today where Stephen Hendry beat Jimmy 18-17. Jimmy looked to be on for a winning clearance in the last frame but missed an easy black off the spot. He said after that he got a rush of blood to the head and snatched at it.

While you’d feel sorry for him for not winning the World Championship, he lacked the coolness under pressure that Davis and Hendry had.

Always wonder if he'd beaten Alex in 82 how would things have worked out for him? Think he said that himself, that defeat left a mark. Missed a black off the spot while on 40 break in that frame where alex makes the clearance too. Still had to beat dracula but could have all been different for him.

OutTheGap · 25-04-2020 7:07pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Always wonder if he'd beaten Alex in 82 how would things have worked out for him? Think he said that himself, that defeat left a mark. Missed a black off the spot while on 40 break in that frame where alex makes the clearance too. Still had to beat dracula but could have all been different for him.

He was unlucky in that almost every time he got to the final, he was up against Davis or Hendry at their peak. No disgrace in losing to them. He had chances in 1992 and 1994 but couldn’t get over the line.

The other time he got to the final was when John Parrott beat him in 1991. That was a big missed opportunity for him as it was the only time Parrott made the final.

Joe_ Public · 25-04-2020 7:28pm

OutTheGap wrote: »

He was unlucky in that almost every time he got to the final, he was up against Davis or Hendry at their peak. No disgrace in losing to them. He had chances in 1992 and 1994 but couldn’t get over the line.

The other time he got to the final was when John Parrott beat him in 1991. That was a big missed opportunity for him as it was the only time Parrott made the final.

Yeah, 91 is a funny one. Could argue it was Jimmys big missed opportunity but at same time Parrott was outstanding all that tournament, just picked his time to peak. Not sure anyone would have beaten him given his form that week.

FR01 · 25-04-2020 7:43pm

All down to bottle with jimmy in my opinion. Agreed against Hendry & Parrot in two finals not many would have come near them. Against Davis it came down a best of three in the end . Versus Hendry in ‘92 I feel he pushed the boat out at 14-8 when realistically if he had won one of the last two and gone into the final session 15-9 I feel it was to big a climb for Hendry.

As a lot of commentators say , in a final frame all you want is a chance, in ‘94 he got his and produced one of the greatest twitches in snooker, it comes down to bottle and winners have it in abundance. Once Hendry came to the table you knew it was all over and unfortunately Jimmy did too. That was his last final and it must be heartbreaking for him to look back at.

Chalk McHugh · 25-04-2020 7:52pm

For all the talk about Jimmy White being a great player his record in the big three tournaments is pretty poor. Two wins and nine losses. There are many players with more triple crown wins without his legendary status in the game. He's miles off the top players in my opinion. Nowhere near Ronnie, Hendry, John Higgins etc. Again he was a peoples favourite, a wideboy Cockney who partied hard. Bit of a bad boy but without Alex's thuggery. One thing i never liked was why he addressed the cue ball with his cue looking like it was going to rip the baize it was so low. Worked for him but never saw any player do that.

FR01 · 25-04-2020 8:21pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

For all the talk about Jimmy White being a great player his record in the big three tournaments is pretty poor. Two wins and nine losses. There are many players with more triple crown wins without his legendary status in the game. He's miles off the top players in my opinion. Nowhere near Ronnie, Hendry, John Higgins etc. Again he was a peoples favourite, a wideboy Cockney who partied hard. Bit of a bad boy but without Alex's thuggery. One thing i never liked was why he addressed the cue ball with his cue looking like it was going to rip the baize it was so low. Worked for him but never saw any player do that.

I’d always consider jimmy one of the games greats, granted he never won as many titles as the Hendrys, O’Sullivans etc and of course you’re always going to be judged on what you’ve won but I guess his longevity and what he brought to the game deserves a lot of recognition.

As his peak he was the games best cueist, his timing was faultless hence the reason he cued so low on the white, regardless of talent not many players can cue that low without the chance of a miscue. My only gripe with Jimmy is that he has continued to compete and really should have considered retirement like Davis and Hendry did. His love for the game just keeps him plugging away I guess !

Joe_ Public · 25-04-2020 8:36pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

For all the talk about Jimmy White being a great player his record in the big three tournaments is pretty poor. Two wins and nine losses. There are many players with more triple crown wins without his legendary status in the game. He's miles off the top players in my opinion. Nowhere near Ronnie, Hendry, John Higgins etc. Again he was a peoples favourite, a wideboy Cockney who partied hard. Bit of a bad boy but without Alex's thuggery. One thing i never liked was why he addressed the cue ball with his cue looking like it was going to rip the baize it was so low. Worked for him but never saw any player do that.

Oh behave!

Losing 6 world finals does colour that record admittedly. But its still an achievement. He's in the top 10 all time for me, though time may well push him out of it.

Chalk McHugh · 25-04-2020 8:55pm

FR01 wrote: »

I’d always consider jimmy one of the games greats, granted he never won as many titles as the Hendrys, O’Sullivans etc and of course you’re always going to be judged on what you’ve won but I guess his longevity and what he brought to the game deserves a lot of recognition.

As his peak he was the games best cueist, his timing was faultless hence the reason he cued so low on the white, regardless of talent not many players can cue that low without the chance of a miscue. My only gripe with Jimmy is that he has continued to compete and really should have considered retirement like Davis and Hendry did. His love for the game just keeps him plugging away I guess !

He won 2 majors. Ronnie has 19 and Hendry the same i think. And make no mistake Ronnie and Hendry and John Higgins know the value of winning the big three tournaments and give extra credit for them. And rightly so. The fact is for a legend of the game a return of two majors is pretty poor and there's no getting away from that. Not denying he was a good player. But for the big trophies he was not a great winner. And that for me is what seperates the great from the very good.

Will the World Championship Go Ahead as Normal??

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