The Old Codgers Take to the Baize: The World Seniors Championship 2010 with Latest Odds

May 11, 2010

The Old Codgers Take to the Baize: The World Seniors Championship 2010 with Latest Odds

Filed under:

— snookerbacker @ 2:11 pm

The people of Bradford can hardly contain their excitement

Zimmer Frames, walking sticks, mid-frame naps, conversations about the price of fish and regular toilet intervals are the order of the day when the first World Seniors Championship for 19 years hits the unsuspecting town of Bradford starting on the 28th May with the qualifiers to the main event.

Some familiar names of yesteryear will be battling it out for the right to be crowned chief Old Geezer. They will be joined by some current decent players who are thoroughly prepared to take a bit of easy cash off the nostalgic fools.

The qualifiers will be held at the hysterically named ’Cue Gardens’ in Bradford on 28-30 May.

The players set to feature include Bolton Stud and all round ladies man Tony Knowles (standing room only for his matches on account of the Bradford Womens Institute buying all the tickets), the still active on the circuit and pushing for a top 16 place in the regular tour next season Tony Drago, Grimsby and Eurosport’s own Mike ‘Has anyone got a rope’ Hallett, the Silver Fox and all round dish David ‘Helloooo Ladies’ Taylor, Stoke Greengrocer and Banana Lover Dave ‘Big’ Harold, Nigel ‘Licensed to Pot Geraniums’ Bond, the Outlaw and renowned tee-totaller Joe ‘just a half for me’ Swail plus another mystery player to be announced.

My sources have it that John Higgins has pitched his hat into the ring but in his now trademarked dimwit style he declared on the form that he was 51, this was hastily checked against existing records by the eagle-eyed World Snooker team who deemed his application ‘unsuitable’ and were seen promptly telephoning a Sunday Newspaper with ‘exclusive details’ of the application. Anyway, I think it’s probably going to be Darren ‘I’m Welsh’ Morgan.

Former World Snooker Champion, Joe Johnson who has cockily seeded himself ahead of the names above and is one of the key people behind this new event stated: “Snooker fans have been crying out for this type of event and I am sure that we will do our best to put on an entertaining Championship. There are only a limited number of tickets available so fans should book their seats now!”

He said this without even a hint of desperation whilst standing on top of a soap box with a huge loudspeaker flashing his red shoes and shouting ‘Remember me?’ to unsuspecting shoppers in Bradford City Centre.

Knowles: Stud.

Anyway, after the qualifiers the real big guns take over and they will consist of seven world champions – Steve ‘The Nuggett’ Davis, John ‘Gutted he retired now Higgins is gonna get kicked out and he could have his card back’ Parrott, Ken ‘The Giggler’ Doherty, Dennis ‘Watch him disappear to the bookies if he has a 138 to lay off’ Taylor, Alex ‘They’re all at it’ Higgins, Peter ‘Barry’s Nemesis’ Ebdon and good old JJ himself – as well as serial runner up Jimmy ‘The Jungle Whirlwind from Old London Town Get me Out of Here’ White who will be seeded through to the final stages of the over 40′s event in November.

The last time the event was held Cliff Wilson beat Eddie Charlton 5-4 in the final of the 1991 World Seniors Championship. Sadly a re-enactment of this final is something even Joe’s magical marketing and promotional skills could not pull off on account of them both being dead.

There will be plenty of relief on hand for aches and pains

There have been other seniors events since but this is the first to carry the World Championship title and will carry prize money of a pretty healthy £50,000, plus a lifetime supply of Uncle Joes Mint Balls.

Old Uncle Joe himself said: “I have been working very hard to pull this concept together and I am glad that with World Snooker’s help we are making it a reality”.

“I cannot wait to get out on the floor and battle it out with my old friends and adversaries”.

The televised final stages will be held at Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford from November 5-7.

It has not yet been confirmed who will be covering the event.

Tickets for the qualifiers are available either through the World Snooker website or through Fat Cyril the Tout at the British Legion Club just opposite the NCP Car Park, second left, knock on the door three times and when a face appears at the letterbox say the words ‘Mint Balls’ and he’ll let you in. If you say you read about him on here he’ll probably give you a discount. Nice one Cyril.

Latest Odds from Paddy Power: 5/2 Ebdon, 7/2 Doherty, 4/1 Davis, 7/1 Swail, 8/1 Bond, Harold, 10/1 White, 16/1 Drago, 20/1 Parrott, 66/1 Morgan (unconfirmed remember), 100/1 Knowles, Hallett, 125/1 Johnson, 150/1 Taylor, Taylor, The Hurricane.

Well, I can spot the value, can you?

Comments (17)

Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

17 Comments »

In terms of Paddies putting the book up chilly, I think it’s more than coincidence perhaps that they bashed it up about an hour after this post appeared!

Comment by snookerbacker — May 13, 2010 @ 6:45 pm Reply
By the way SB are those before and after pictures of Tony Knowles after his many years of bedding all those lovely ladies. If so I think I might go celibate for a while and join a monestry….

Comment by sittingchilly — May 12, 2010 @ 9:15 pm Reply
Yes SB the Robbo win takes the heat off for a while and actually I’ve had a decent year picking the actual event winners, its just that nearly every time I have had a match bet the wrong bloke has won!! But for once a quite lucrative tournament at long last.

Must say Paddies seem a bit quick with their odds for this oldies event, being as its not played in its entirety until November, I wonder if they have got it muddled up with the qualifying competition!

A nice tribute to John below from the poster, maybe that will be his new walk-on music for the rumoured break away tour featuring himself, Ebdon, Maguire, Burnett, Hann and the two Franciscos, and throw in Dennis (after what we hear about his betting patterns) or else Selt to complete the field with Mooney as promoter.

5-3 scorelines being priced up by Thorpy at 1/3 as we speak, those TV schedules have to be looked after as we well know.

Any connection between these people is purely coincidental of course…I for one think they are all innocent of anything that may ever have been levelled at them (disclaimer).

Seems the World Series of Snooker website is being dismantled as we speak… now gets a bad gateway message on its main page.

Comment by sittingchilly — May 12, 2010 @ 9:10 pm Reply
Brilliant deco! I knew he’d been up to something from that picture the other day. It’s good to know that I have snouts all over the globe trying to recover the receipt for that camera.

Comment by snookerbacker — May 12, 2010 @ 7:46 pm Reply
think I know why you haven’t heard much from old Si-Ting recently SB, it looks like he’s had his mind on other things:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRgCVeyPJik

Comment by deco800 — May 12, 2010 @ 7:35 pm Reply
It was a 146 actually chilly. 147′s are so Noughties.

Si-Ting has disappeared again but he did send me that John Higgins photo the other day so we’re still on speaking terms, just. He says he’s going to report for me on the Wuxu Classic next month but I’m not sure if he’s telling the truth on that one.

The oldies event? Haven’t a clue how it’s going to work, they’ll probably make it up as they go along.

Long time no hear anyway my good man, I assume Robbo paid the bills last month?

Comment by snookerbacker — May 12, 2010 @ 2:35 pm Reply
I hear shortly after taking that pic, you nicked that old blokes walking stick and promptly knocked in one of your regular 147s SB, all in a days work!

Only jokin, I realise you have an official photographer now, how is Si Ting by the way, I hope he is coming on well in his new role.

Have seen a wiki entry which suggests only one qualifies from the opening event and then rather strangely plays Peter Ebdon for the chance to line up with the other seeded seven entries.

Perhaps that is the luck of the draw unless Bazza had words with JJ beforehand lol.

But how accurate that is we just dont know, maybe your sources are better!!

Its certainly been confirmed there will be a minimum requirement of at least three toilet breaks per frame given the advanced age of the competitors involved. All were certainly agreed on that anyhow.

Comment by sittingchilly — May 12, 2010 @ 1:48 pm Reply
No word on that yet BW. But the fact that only eight are in the qualifiers to play 8 in the main event suggests to me a group format of short matches. Will update as it gets under way.

Comment by snookerbacker — May 12, 2010 @ 1:22 pm Reply
Hi Sb

Any idea what sort of format this is going to take up, best of how many frames / round robin qualifiers etc, there may be value there but a lot will surely depend on the format….. for instance DRAGO over best of 5 to smash them round a bit would be more tempting than over best of 9 if you get my drift.

Comment by Black Whippet — May 12, 2010 @ 11:40 am Reply
I fancy Drago at 16s ew

Comment by rebecca1971 — May 12, 2010 @ 12:29 am Reply
Last time I checked he was round at Dennis’s discussing dump shots.

Comment by snookerbacker — May 11, 2010 @ 7:02 pm Reply
It should be over-45, rather than over-40. There are too many still-active players on the circuit between 40 and 45, which will make it impossible for the OOOOLD guys to stand a chance. Where is Cliff Thorburn?

Comment by Sparky — May 11, 2010 @ 6:53 pm Reply
You’re right there. The housewives choice and correctly so.

Comment by snookerbacker — May 11, 2010 @ 6:53 pm Reply
They don’t make em like TK any more, broke a million hearts on and off the table….

Comment by TheBlueBoy — May 11, 2010 @ 6:49 pm Reply
Paddies Kim. All odds now on updated post.

Comment by snookerbacker — May 11, 2010 @ 6:43 pm Reply
66-1 !

Where,where?

Comment by kimball — May 11, 2010 @ 4:39 pm Reply
Darren Morgan 66-1 for this, thats got to be worth a couple of quid

Comment by deco800 — May 11, 2010 @ 4:32 pm Reply