Will the World Championship Go Ahead as Normal??

zuutroy · 11-03-2020 2:02pm #1

Dave Hendon did a podcast earlier in the week and the official line he got from WST is that it's definitely going to happen in the allotted slot, even if that means if has to be played in an empty Crucible. The fact that it holds 980 might mean it just escapes if they ban gatherings over 1000. I've got good tickets to both semi-finals to a close, so I'm really hoping I get to use them! Would be my first time at the one-table setup. Have to admit it's not looking good as the virus should be peaking in the UK just as its due to begin.

melon_collie · 14-03-2020 12:39am

I can't see it happening tbh. Look at the bad press that Cheltenham has gotten over last few days. If all other sports have cancelled their schedules then snooker will have to follow suit. Disappointing I know. . . . . But this is an extraordinary situation.

Arthur Daley · 17-03-2020 12:27am

Have tickets to the Crucible also. Any chance this year's tickets will just roll forward to 2021, rather than a refund. Cannot see crowds being there in 2020.

zuutroy · 17-03-2020 3:10pm

They've rescheduled the Tour Champs to the end of July, so maybe WC in August?

ArmaniJeanss · 17-03-2020 3:27pm

Even if the WC goes ahead later in the year, it's surely not guaranteed that the Crucible will be available for 17 consecutive days.
So could well be a shortened tournament (Barry gets his wish) or a different venue.

zuutroy · 17-03-2020 3:51pm

Pretty sure 3x sellouts per day for 17 days (excepting the final) might mean that whatever was originally scheduled will get bumped.

Joe_ Public · 17-03-2020 7:00pm

The crucible will already be booked for a week in august for the world seniors so it would seem to make sense to aim for that. They could always play another round in ponds forge in order to save time.

You then have to get q school out of the way before new season can begin but that wont be the worst problem to have if it means events being able to take place again.

Joe_ Public · 18-03-2020 1:03pm

Check the world snooker site and its countdown clock to the world championships is ticking merrily away. Cant see why this charade should go on. Is there any other major sport being less proactive about calling its flagship events off? Even Glastonbury announced its festival - more than 3 months away - is a goner. Arent you just fostering uncertainty and giving people false hope at this stage? Much as they tried, they couldnt stage an 8 player tournament in a small north wales village this week but somehow cling to the illusion they'll be allowed stage a 128 player one in a small city in less than 3 weeks time! Two referees fell ill in gibraltar last week. Time to end this farce right now imo.

FR01 · 18-03-2020 7:14pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Check the world snooker site and its countdown clock to the world championships is ticking merrily away. Cant see why this charade should go on. Is there any other major sport being less proactive about calling its flagship events off? Even Glastonbury announced its festival - more than 3 months away - is a goner. Arent you just fostering uncertainty and giving people false hope at this stage? Much as they tried, they couldnt stage an 8 player tournament in a small north wales village this week but somehow cling to the illusion they'll be allowed stage a 128 player one in a small city in less than 3 weeks time! Two referees fell ill in gibraltar last week. Time to end this farce right now imo.

Announcement imminent

Joe_ Public · 19-03-2020 10:25am

Cant believe the european championships actually going ahead in portugal at the moment. Fair play to all the irish guys for withdrawing from it.

bradolf pittler · 19-03-2020 5:22pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Cant believe the european championships actually going ahead in portugal at the moment. Fair play to all the irish guys for withdrawing from it.

From what i understand the lads were willing to travel but were advised not to by ribsa.Getting over there wasn't a problem but they couldn't guarantee them getting back.It was the correct decision from ribsa.
I still cant believe they went ahead with it to be honest,Only 50+ entrees compared to well over 100 in previous years.Even some of the players like Darren Morgan only played in the 6 red event and got home asap.Shame on the ebsa.I wonder will the press on with the other european event due to take place in Russia in early June?
I gather theres a conference call meeting to be held by ribsa soon where they while announce the suspension of all competitions until it is deemed safe for clubs to reopen etc.
My guess is Sept at the earliest

Joe_ Public · 19-03-2020 7:03pm

Spain been in lockdown since sunday or monday i think and state of emergency declared in portugal in the meantime. Yet they thought for this to go ahead, just wrong. Credit to all on the irish side, followed protocol and did right thing.

Meanwhile....hearing people are receiving tickets in the post for the crucible. The show/charade must go on it would seem...

bradolf pittler · 19-03-2020 8:29pm

Theres no way the crucible can go ahead,God knows how bad the U.K. will be in 4 weeks time and i'm sure snooker will be the last thing on everyone's mind by then.

FR01 · 19-03-2020 11:32pm

World championship cancelled - announcement in the morning

FR01 · 20-03-2020 12:13pm

FR01 wrote: »

World championship cancelled - announcement in the morning

Here you go

https://wst.tv/betfred-world-championship-postponed/

zuutroy · 20-03-2020 12:58pm

Summer holidays in glamorous Sheffield it is then (hopefully)!

Exclamation Marc · 20-03-2020 5:04pm

Tickets remain valid thankfully so will hopefully get there in the Summer.

AllForIt · 20-03-2020 5:21pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Summer holidays in glamorous Sheffield it is then (hopefully)!

This announcement would seem to come on the back of Boris Johnson saying yesterday that he/his advisers would guesstimate the country would be over the worst of it in 12 weeks time. No one knows that for certain of course.

Joe_ Public · 20-03-2020 6:59pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Summer holidays in glamorous Sheffield it is then (hopefully)!

One can always hope anyway.

Arthur Daley · 26-03-2020 12:32am

https://twitter.com/AonghusMcAnally/status/1241483216265056256

Courtesy of Skid X on the Beebrock thread

Joe_ Public · 26-03-2020 12:35am

Arthur Daley wrote: »

https://twitter.com/AonghusMcAnally/status/1241483216265056256

Courtesy of Skid X on the Beebrock thread

Wonderful.

zuutroy · 05-04-2020 11:06am

The Sun are reporting that it will take the Olympic slot at the end of July.

AllForIt · 12-04-2020 10:09pm

I wonder what the standard will be like, specifically wondering if all this self isolation would help. Then again, no matchplay action for a good few months so that might offset any advantage gained in increased levels of isolation practice.

Chalk McHugh · 12-04-2020 10:13pm

zuutroy wrote: »

The Sun are reporting that it will take the Olympic slot at the end of July.

Wouldn't that be wonderful. With all the doom and gloom this one small post has given me a boost.

zuutroy · 12-04-2020 11:19pm

AllForIt wrote: »

I wonder what the standard will be like, specifically wondering if all this self isolation would help. Then again, no matchplay action for a good few months so that might offset any advantage gained in increased levels of isolation practice.

A lot of players don't have a table at home and from what I hear those who do aren't doing much practice.

Hotblack Desiato · 13-04-2020 2:28am

zuutroy wrote: »

The Sun are reporting that it will take the Olympic slot at the end of July.

Not likely imho. Not with an audience, anyway. I'll be very surprised if any mass gatherings of 1000 people or more take place before next year.

Joe_ Public · 13-04-2020 2:45am

Not sure you'd pay me to be in that audience...cough, cough, splutter, cough...

Hotblack Desiato · 13-04-2020 4:15am

There's too much fecking coughing in a normal year!

Even with no audience, and no players' families attending, you're still looking at hundreds of people gathered together between players, coaches, officials, and broadcasting staff.

zuutroy · 13-04-2020 1:23pm

Hundreds is a major stretch. 4 players, 4 officials, 4 camera people in the arena. Everyone else can be isolated sufficiently to keep them safe.

If they did go ahead with a crowd it would be hard decision as I've nice tickets for the last semi-final sessions for myself and 3 friends worth a total of about €800. I'd settle for a crowd-less version in July and tickets valid for the April 2021 Championship.

Joe_ Public · 13-04-2020 1:55pm

Judd Trump, for one, doesnt believe it should go ahead behind closed doors. Personally i think he's right.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/03/snooker-world-championship-needs-crowd-says-judd-trump-12505367/

Chalk McHugh · 13-04-2020 4:17pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Judd Trump, for one, doesnt believe it should go ahead behind closed doors. Personally i think he's right.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/03/snooker-world-championship-needs-crowd-says-judd-trump-12505367/

Would you prefer no World Championship in 2020 over a tournament played behind closed doors? Personally i would love to see it being played one way or the other at this stage. Im sure a lot of snooker fans would enjoy two weeks of top class snooker even with no crowd. Its a pretty silent sport for the most part so if any game could go ahead behind closed doors it iis snooker. Just for this one year. But safety and health for all is paramount so whatever decision is made i'll gladly accept it.

Will the World Championship Go Ahead as Normal??

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