The Snookerbacker Blog

Another month has passed since my last month ahead post, which means that it is time for another month ahead post as the last month ahead post has now become the month passed and we now need to look to a different month ahead. Next month this month will have passed and we will have to look ahead to another month. That’s just the nature of month ahead posts I’m afraid, no sooner have you finished digesting the month ahead than it has become a month passed and you must digest a new month ahead.

The headline news in November is the return of some proper snooker! At last! OK, not everyone, including me is happy with the shortening of matches for the UK Championship both in the qualifiers and at the venue but they are still best of 11 for a bit which is enough for me to get excited about having a bet.

First up though we have a Premier League date in Southampton this week followed by the World Seniors from Peterborough next weekend which is being covered by Sky. Nigel Bond goes into the event as favourite with the likes of holder Jimmy White, Steve Davis, John Parrott, Neal Foulds, Dennis, Cliff and The Bolton Stud all competing both against each other and the shot clock. It should be a fun event and I’m sure the old competitive streaks will be on show as we get down to the wire.

While the Bus Pass brigade are finishing off on Sunday the UK Qualifiers get under way at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester and run until Wednesday when we will find out which 16 players will be competing with the top 16 in York in early December. I’m hoping to get down there for at least a day, possibly the final day to catch some of the action.

The day after the qualifiers there is Premier League action from Banbury and the 9th PTC event gets under way from Antwerp in Belgium. It will be interesting to see how it goes down there, I’ll hazard a guess it will be well-attended as it’s at least in an accessible location and I’m sure Monique Limbos will be pestering the life out of her fellow countrymen and women to attend, she’s a difficult lady to ignore when she’s on a mission is Monique, trust me. The event looks well-organised and even has it’s own website here. Let’s hope it’s one of the better PTC’s and isn’t once again dominated by the moaners and groaners whingeing about how much they’ve spent.

Then folks after another Premier League night in Grimsby it’s the event you have all been waiting for. Yes, it’s the return of Power Snooker, which is this year being held in a shopping centre in Manchester. To add to the class and elegance of the event it is backed by The Sun newspaper, that last bastion of truth in our corrupt press. It will feature ‘The Power Girls’ who are just a poor imitation of the altogether classier Snoopie, will be attended by a collection of shaved chimps and wannabee ASBO’s who have the mental capacity and attention span of a turbot, musical accompaniment will be provided by the Power Snooker band, originally named ‘The Power Snooker Band’. They will be covering classics such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood tracks ‘The Powerzone of Love’ and ‘Welcome to the Powerzone’ and some festive cheer for the chimps will be provided by guest singer Cliff Richard who will join them in singing the timeless yuletide classic ‘Powerzone and Wine’. All the action will be captured by ITV4 who will be attempting to treble their viewing figures for the year and hopefully break into three figures. I’m not sure why Mr Hearn has seen fit to back this event.

After this assault upon the senses it’s back to the Academy in Sheffield for the qualifiers to what for me has been Bazza’s best initiative since taking over at the helm; the German Masters. It will also give me the opportunity to reintroduce the German Girls to the blog which always results in a surge in hits, and yes, that does say HITS.

The month rounds off with the Premier League Final from the charmingly named Hopton-on-Sea, before we head back to the claustrophobic cubicles of the Academy for PTC 10. At least I think it is at the Academy, that is what it says on the Entry Pack yet the World Snooker website also confusingly says it’s in Europe, which I suppose Sheffield is last time I checked.

That’s it for November on the professional front. On the Snookerbacker Classic side of things I am hoping to be in a position to make the draw for event one at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds in a couple of weeks time. There are still two places left to firm up so if you haven’t yet entered or have asked me to reserve a place and haven’t paid you need to do so now. All being well I’ll be making the draw live on Twitter and Facebook. I should also be in a position to draw the third event in Gloucester by the end of this month. There are a couple of places still to fill there.

Keep the entries coming in for Dublin and for the last chance saloon in Essex at Ali’s place.

And that’s November in a nutshell.

Oh yes, just one more thing. You only have a few days left to enter the biggest snooker tipster contest of the season here.