Ronnie O Sullivan

Rows Grower · 10-08-2020 6:29pm

He's 4 to 1 now to win the tournament, he won't be too impressed if he finds that out.

The Tetrarch · 10-08-2020 6:34pm

Ronnie says what he thinks.
The others think it and don't say it.
I don't want a "Thank you, Mr Eastwood" character.

ronivek · 10-08-2020 6:40pm

Undoubtedly a great snooker player but he's a fairly awful competitor and a bit of an all round twat at times.

I do wonder how many young people are playing snooker as opposed to getting involved in e-sports and streaming and so on these days though; and how long the game might survive as a spectacle.

faffingaround · 10-08-2020 7:15pm

He’s been acting the maggot since the 90’s and the sport is all the better for it! The characters(level of interest?/ high standards?!) from the 80’s and 90’s are long gone and Barry Hearn and co. still need him badly. For publicity purposes nearly more than anything.

I hate the cliche but after reading some of his autobiographies he has had a troubled childhood. Cheeky chappy and son of a murderer(courts noted it was racial) and porn baroness! Was never going to be fully right! He was f***ed up from pressure, depression and certainly cannabis from an early age.

However the idea that he is a McGregor/Kygrios type figure is a joke! Absolute genius and best player ever which is backed up by his 19 triple crown titles(World, Masters and Uk). This is 1 more than Hendry and 4 more than Davis which says a lot!

andekwarhola · 10-08-2020 8:07pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yes and no, really. There are a huge number of people playing the sport worldwide, far greater numbers than ever, just the anticipated surge of real quality players from the east hasnt happened yet. Maybe take another generation for that balance to swing, but I'm inclined to think it must do.

Obviously my knowledge is annecdotal, but I thought the comment about pool halls was interesting. I hadn't really thought about it but I definitely don't see the same use around in my kids' peer groups these days or even pool halls around generally, even in pubs. The two city centre halls I remember most from my teens-30s are long gone now.

From what I observe with my own kids and their friends, the internet and gaming doesn't seem to affect them concurrently heavily participating in stuff like field sports or martial arts half as much as people say it does, but I've always wondered (as somebody that doesn't really follow it) how the changing times would affect participation in the current young generation with stuff like snooker, darts etc.

Joe_ Public · 10-08-2020 8:47pm

andekwarhola wrote: »

Obviously my knowledge is annecdotal, but I thought the comment about pool halls was interesting. I hadn't really thought about it but I definitely don't see the same use around in my kids' peer groups these days or even pool halls around generally, even in pubs. The two city centre halls I remember most from my teens-30s are long gone now.

From what I observe with my own kids and their friends, the internet and gaming doesn't seem to affect them concurrently heavily participating in stuff like field sports or martial arts half as much as people say it does, but I've always wondered (as somebody that doesn't really follow it) how the changing times would affect participation in the current young generation with stuff like snooker, darts etc.

Yes, obviously there is a big issue with numbers playing here and the uk. But my comment was referencing the spread of the sport globally over the past 20-30 years. There are far more people playing snooker in china now than ever played in the uk at its peak. It is growing in europe too. This might take more time to transform the professional game, maybe another generation but i dont see why it shouldn't happen.

US2 · 10-08-2020 9:10pm

Not sure why this interview has gathered so much attention, Ronnie says things like that regularly. He's constantly complaining on twitter about having to turn up and beat "numptys" in the qualifying rounds or some tour events.

rob316 · 10-08-2020 9:25pm

He's a character in age of where professionalism seems to be so important. Spot on in saying what he said, it's a dying game and the kids coming through are poor.

Muahahaha · 10-08-2020 11:14pm

Didnt John Higgins get caught match fixing a few years back and some other funny business with Barry Hearn? How come Higgins wasnt banned?

joeguevara · 10-08-2020 11:16pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Didnt John Higgins get caught match fixing a few years back and some other funny business with Barry Hearn? How come Higgins wasnt banned?

He was banned for 6 months,

He was cleared of match fixing and an interesting story about the Russian mafia.

IAMAMORON · 10-08-2020 11:21pm

Best player in the world. He has had a tough upbringing and I understand he suffers from depression. People say stupid stuff sometimes.

He mentioned earlier this week that he was enjoying no spectators. Seemingly he gets mobbed in sheffield every year.

The best player I have ever witnessed.

IAMAMORON · 10-08-2020 11:24pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Didnt John Higgins get caught match fixing a few years back and some other funny business with Barry Hearn? How come Higgins wasnt banned?

The sport is riddled with match fixing.

dd973 · 10-08-2020 11:32pm

The Snooker commentariat go on about him like he's Keith Moon on Crack Cocaine with a chainsaw, then you see him being interviewed and he mumbles in a mundane Essex accent 'Well.., I fink I'm playing decent snooker at the moment...'

Beechwoodspark · 10-08-2020 11:44pm

dd973 wrote: »

The Snooker commentariat go on about him like he's Keith Moon on Crack Cocaine with a chainsaw, then you see him being interviewed and he mumbles in a mundane Essex accent 'Well.., I fink I'm playing decent snooker at the moment...'

This is exactly it

In terms of partying Ronnie isn’t fit to be mentioned in the same breath as Hurricane Higgins

AllForIt · 10-08-2020 11:46pm

faffingaround wrote: »

He’s been acting the maggot since the 90’s and the sport is all the better for it! The characters(level of interest?/ high standards?!) from the 80’s and 90’s are long gone and Barry Hearn and co. still need him badly. For publicity purposes nearly more than anything.

I hate the cliche but after reading some of his autobiographies he has had a troubled childhood. Cheeky chappy and son of a murderer(courts noted it was racial) and porn baroness! Was never going to be fully right! He was f***ed up from pressure, depression and certainly cannabis from an early age.

However the idea that he is a McGregor/Kygrios type figure is a joke! Absolute genius and best player ever which is backed up by his 19 triple crown titles(World, Masters and Uk). This is 1 more than Hendry and 4 more than Davis which says a lot!

Totally agree with this. For me Ronnie has a very stereotypical hard man geezer persona, types of people I've often come across on the pub pool circuit in south east England. Those types of people are quite harmless mostly, they just like to play up their masculinity at times. It's just the way they are.

McGregor and indeed Hurricane Higgins(was) on another level altogether. Something kinda inherently mental about them, which Ronnie is not.

I met Jimmy White in a South London snooker club back in the late 90's. He was quite geezer like rude to me, without going into the details, and he is very much of that kind of hard man geezer type working class background as well. Didn't really bother me at all. It's just the way they are given the background they come from. Just a bit brash and in your face but nothing more than that.

ArnoldJRimmer · 11-08-2020 12:14am

I love Ronnie, but he was way out of order with this. With all the controversies over the years though, its the first time I remember him being genuinely mean spirited, even if its possible that he was speaking the truth. Ken Doherty spoke quite well about it earlier, saying that these players idolise him, and he should not be putting them down like this

The comparisons with Alex Higgins in terms of ability are valid, didn't see enough of Higgins in his prime to say who was better. As a human being though, Higgins is definitely the most horrible person I've ever met. His book, while an entertaining read, backs this up

Mad_maxx · 11-08-2020 12:29am

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

He had a tough enough childhood with his dad being locked up for murder, was open about suffering with deression/ anxiety also.
I have been in his company on three occasions and found him pleasent but quiet enough.

He gets mobbed wherever he goes so i'd be backing him all day long to with this event with nobody hassling him

Have you ever met Stephen hendry, knew a guy who was snooker mad, photos in his shop of him with Ken Doherty and John Higgins, claimed hendry was a real cold fish?

Hated hendry myself back in the day, was a huge Jimmy White fan

tobefrank321 · 11-08-2020 12:36am

He talks a lot of nonsense.
One minute he says he doesn't take it seriously and in the next sentence talks about Steve Peters giving him advice. Sure you don't take it seriously Ronnie.
Not many of the young lads will have Steve Peters to call on. No wonder its difficult for them to make a breakthrough.

Hulk Hands · 11-08-2020 12:42am

Stephen Hendry is comfortably the greatest player ever. Hendry turned the game into somewhat of a farce in the 90s, such was his domainance. The game was far more popular back then than it is now and he alone changed it forever from a tactical game to a heavy scoring game.

O'Sullivan is easily more talented and he's a great character. The ability to play almost as well left handed is frankly ridiculous. Natural talent gets overrated however, albeit understandable, as people love flair. Give me a born winner who maxed out his talent like Hendry over someone who had it easy in comparison as Ronnie did. Ronnie was always near the top but was never dominant

Hulk Hands · 11-08-2020 12:49am

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Have you ever met Stephen hendry, knew a guy who was snooker mad, photos in his shop of him with Ken Doherty and John Higgins, claimed hendry was a real cold fish?

Hated hendry myself back in the day, was a huge Jimmy White fan

Hendry and Davis are very similar in this regard. Both were seen as cold and aloof when at the top. Davis was barely allowed to talk to anyone by Barry Hearn and was constantly bemoaned by the hard drinking types in the 80s. Now he's seen as very personable and quite funny. Hendry has been very similar. Once baggage handlers broke his cue in 00 and he realised he was struggling to compete thereafter, his persona changed hugely

ArnoldJRimmer · 11-08-2020 1:16am

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Stephen Hendry is comfortably the greatest player ever. Hendry turned the game into somewhat of a farce in the 90s, such was his domainance. The game was far more popular back then than it is now and he alone changed it forever from a tactical game to a heavy scoring game.

O'Sullivan is easily more talented and he's a great character. The ability to play almost as well left handed is frankly ridiculous. Natural talent gets overrated however, albeit understandable, as people love flair. Give me a born winner who maxed out his talent like Hendry over someone who had it easy in comparison as Ronnie did. Ronnie was always near the top but was never dominant

As a massive fan of Jimmy White in the 90s, I hated Hendry, but in the 1999 final where he was going for his 7th title, I was cheering him on, as he deserved to break that record. However, with snooker, I will always go with the outrageous talent over the brilliant professional. Both Hendry and O'Sullivan are legends for different reasons.

Mad_maxx · 11-08-2020 8:06am

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Hendry and Davis are very similar in this regard. Both were seen as cold and aloof when at the top. Davis was barely allowed to talk to anyone by Barry Hearn and was constantly bemoaned by the hard drinking types in the 80s. Now he's seen as very personable and quite funny. Hendry has been very similar. Once baggage handlers broke his cue in 00 and he realised he was struggling to compete thereafter, his persona changed hugely

That was ( Steve Davis) his table manner, turned out he was a likeable, affable and funny guy off it ,not so hendry who is an aloof cold fish everywhere

ohnonotgmail · 11-08-2020 10:17am

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

Big bad bill used to take them as he had the shakes from the gargle. Big unit he was

he didnt have the shakes from too much drink. he drank so much to control an essential tremor he had. on doctors orders too apparently. the beta blockers were for a heart condition he developed because of the alcohol.

The Nal · 11-08-2020 10:23am

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Once baggage handlers broke his cue in 00 and he realised he was struggling to compete thereafter, his persona changed hugely

He also got the snooker yips a year or two before that. A really noticeable decline from 2000 ish on which is actually quite sad because he was only the same age as Trump at the time.

I was a Jimmy fan like everyone else but kind of lost interest when he bottled that black in the 94 final. Only so many times....

Hulk Hands · 11-08-2020 10:27am

Mad_maxx wrote: »

That was ( Steve Davis) his table manner, turned out he was a likeable, affable and funny guy off it ,not so hendry who is an aloof cold fish everywhere

He's had video's up over lockdown of long chats with Williams, Ronnie etc and he was likeable and funny. I don't see how he'd be so central to BBC's media if he had no personality and all reports since about 02 have been to the contrary of your sole anecdotal story

Littlehorny · 11-08-2020 11:00am

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

he didnt have the shakes from too much drink. he drank so much to control an essential tremor he had. on doctors orders too apparently. the beta blockers were for a heart condition he developed because of the alcohol.

Big Bill was allowed claim tax back on some of the beer he drank back then because it was on a prescription!

joeguevara · 11-08-2020 11:04am

Littlehorny wrote: »

Big Bill was allowed claim tax back on some of the beer he drank back then because it was on a prescription!

Doubt Jimmy White got something similar with his crack purchases.

Littlehorny · 11-08-2020 11:09am

joeguevara wrote: »

Doubt Jimmy White got something similar with his crack purchases.

Really? Didn't know Jimmy went as far as hard drugs. I know people who were in his company said he drank vodka like water years ago.
Does White still drink and smoke?

joeguevara · 11-08-2020 11:10am

Littlehorny wrote: »

Really? Didn't know Jimmy went as far as hard drugs. I know people who were in his company said he drank vodka like water years ago.
Does White still drink and smoke?

White attributes losing every championship to his crack addiction. He famously smashed up an irish hotel room because of it.

Muahahaha · 11-08-2020 11:34am

joeguevara wrote: »

He was banned for 6 months,

He was cleared of match fixing and an interesting story about the Russian mafia.

yeah that whole match fixing thing still smells to this day to me. He was caught on tape discussing throwing specific frames for bribes from an Asian betting syndicate. It pissed me off because a few years before I used to work night shifts so when the snooker was on during the day Id be watching for hours and often betting frame by frame. Was only betting small money but Id definitely put money on Higgins to win frames and then when the match fixing story broke you're left wondering was he throwing them on purpose. Its nothing to do with the money, more the morals of it and it left a sour taste in my mouth from a sport I used to follow a lot at the time.

Wasnt there also some scandal about snookers CEO Barry Hearn? Either that he might have been involved or was turning a blind eye to reports of match fixing? It was all very suss. I always felt Higgins' 6 month ban was a farce and it was Hearn helping him out because the sport needed its stars. It should have been a multi year ban to send a message to other players thinking of match fixing, after all if you cant trust the integrity of a sport then whats the point in watching it. At the time I was already losing interest in the sport but the Higgins match fixing made me fall out of love with it.

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Once baggage handlers broke his cue in 00 and he realised he was struggling to compete thereafter, his persona changed hugely

The famous Hendry cue

I always thought what he needed was a sports psychologist because he seemed to get completely hung up about that cue getting broken. I know they're important and all that but think he got hung up on the sentimentality of the cue and all the tournaments he had won with it. In his mind it was some sort of a super cue that he couldnt win without. That then fed into his mind when using the new cue, he would blame bad shots on that rather than on himself.

Ronnie O Sullivan

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