The Snookerbacker Blog

The audience had to be shipped in yesterday

Day Two from Killarney sees the likes of Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter in action as the bottom half of the draw play down to eight to join Friday’s qualifiers on Finals Day.

It seems like a nice set up over there this weekend and the match table arena in particular would grace any more prestigious event. The old beige/sand carpet putting me in mind of the old Wembley Conference Centre and classic Masters matches, of which of course Alex was involved in one or two in his time. I await with eager anticipation a player today who decides to don a white suit in honour of Canada’s favourite erm, snowman, Kirk Stevens to totally clash with the golden background.

The crowds have not materialised as yet but hopefully they will as we move into the weekend. Things had got so bad yesterday that they rounded up all the kids that were sagging off school and forced them to watch as punishment, fully uniformed up. Let’s hope that they don’t have to go to such desperate measures again today and tomorrow.

In terms of qualifiers to Finals Day, top 16 folk John Higgins, Robbo, Mark Allen and Martin Gould are all safely through as is the highly impressive Ben Woollaston who already has a PTC under his belt and looks to be a player relaxed in match arena surroundings. He is clearly one to keep on the right side of as the season goes along. Joining them are Gerard Greene, Ryan Day and Thai player Dechewat Poomjaeng who all made it through last night.

Bettingwise, Robbo is through to tomorrow so that’s a Mustard Army representative in the top half, I’m hoping for more of the same today from the band of brothers in the bottom half. Only Joe Swail not winning enough frames scuppered a 100% day yesterday so hopefully today everything will go a bit more smoothly.

In terms of a bet this morning I’ll open up with a treble I think and take advantage of some of Apollobets handicap odds.

Recommended Bet: 1 point treble on Michael White, Ken Doherty (-1.5) and Graeme Dott (-1.5) pays 9/4.

The World Snooker scoreboard had a bit of a dodgy day yesterday and I tried to keep the site updated with scores as they came in. I think it will be better today but if it isn’t you can keep up to date with all the first round scores here as I’m a bit on the busy side until late afternoon and won’t be able to post updates until then.

Don’t forget to keep up with Apollobet as they will be pricing matches up as they develop later on.

Round 1: 9.30am

33 Judd Trump 4-3 Adam Wicheard
34 Andrew Pagett 3-4 Andrew Norman
35 Marco Fu 4-0 Oliver Brown
36 Michael White 4-1 Matthew Couch
37 Luca Brecel 4-1 Nick Jennings
38 Anthony McGill 4-1 Sean O’Sullivan
39 Stephen Lee 4-0 Zhang Anda
40 Sam Baird 4-0 JP Kelly
43 Alan McManus w/o Robin Hull
44 Dave Harold 4-0 Alex Davies

11am

42 Steve Davis 2-4 Shaun Murphy
45 Rory McLeod 4-2 Kyren Wilson
46 Mark King 4-3 Scott MacKenzie
49 Yu Delu 4-0 Jack Lisowski
50 Andy Hicks 4-2 David Grace
51 Adam Duffy 4-1 Robert Milkins

11.30am

48 Ali Carter w/o Adrian Gunnell
52 Li Yan 4-1 Jamie O’Neill
53 Ricky Walden 4-1 Julian Logue
64 Mark Selby 4-1 Alfie Burden

12.30pm

41 David Morris 1-4 Sam Harvey
54 Matthew Selt 4-3 Jonathan Williams
56 Stuart Bingham 4-0 Alex Taubman
57 Barry Hawkins 4-1 Craig Steadman

1pm

47 Ken Doherty 4-2 Joe Meara
58 Kurt Maflin 4-2 Stuart Carrington
59 Michael Holt 1-4 Stephen Craigie
60 Andrew Higginson w/o Lucky Vatnani

2pm

55 Jimmy White 4-2 David Hogan
61 Mark Davis 4-1 Mitchell Mann
62 Jimmy Robertson 4-0 Tian Pengfei
63 Graeme Dott 4-0 Kacper Filipiak

Recommended 2nd Round Bet pays a shade under 2/1 a 2 point treble on Hawkins, Walden and Bingham at Apollobet. I’ll also stake 1 point on Stephen Craigie to beat Andy Higginson at 7/4.

Round 2: 3.30pm

81 Judd Trump 4-2 Andrew Norman
82 Marco Fu 4-2 Michael White
83 Luca Brecel 4-1 Anthony McGill
84 Stephen Lee 4-0 Sam Baird
85 Sam Harvey 1-4 Shaun Murphy
86 Alan McManus 4-2 Dave Harold
87 Rory McLeod 4-3 Mark King
88 Ken Doherty 4-3 Ali Carter
89 Yu Delu 4-2 Andy Hicks
90 Adam Duffy 4-3 Li Yan

5pm

91 Ricky Walden 4-2 Matt Selt
92 Jimmy White 1-4 Stuart Bingham
93 Barry Hawkins 4-0 Kurt Maflin
94 Stephen Craigie 0-4 Andrew Higginson
95 Mark Davis 2-4 Jimmy Robertson
96 Graeme Dott 0-4 Mark Selby

Round 3: 7.30pm

105 Judd Trump 4-0 Marco Fu
106 Luca Brecel 2-4 Stephen Lee
107 Shaun Murphy 1-4 Alan McManus
108 Rory McLeod 3-4 Ken Doherty
109 Yu De Lu 4-2 Adam Duffy
110 Ricky Walden 1-4 Stuart Bingham
111 Barry Hawkins 4-2 Andrew Higginson
112 Jimmy Robertson 3-4 Mark Selby

Luxury PTC Accommodation

After the qualifying day it’s time for the first round proper over in Killarney. The tournament is of course being covered by Eurosport and the times that you will be able to tune in from your region can be found here. 

It’s the top half of the draw which are playing down to eight today and that of course includes the likes of Ronnie, John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Mark Williams.

Judging by these photographs taken by Monique Limbos it’s a great set-up over there and judging by some of the names that have qualified to play today is being well supported by the Irish snooker fraternity. A couple of the Irish players on show have already entered the Dublin leg of the Snookerbacker Classic and I hope to see a few more of them pitching their hats into the ring come January.

Just as a quick aside before I move on to a bet this morning, we all know that Ronnie and a few others aren’t keen on the PTC’s but the latest name to start having a go at them is none other than (Taylorism Warning) the young Chinese Sensation, Ding John Way.

Little Hui has been feeding the China Daily a few lines in his usual comedic way by claiming that the PTC’s leave players with ‘no money to eat’. Now I don’t know if he’s taken John Higgins’ swallowing line a bit too literally there but they do say that the Chinese will eat anything.

His pal Xiao Guodong also joined in the banter by saying ‘Do you know what the PTC is? It’s just a game in which you buy your ranking points, and you have to attend it’. Xiao then goes on to tell people how much dosh he’s doing on a monthly basis in them to fill up the World Snooker expenses account for the annual Christmas knees-up at Bazza’a mansion round the old joanna.

Then true to form Ding adds the killer punchline by saying ‘Let’s take tents and food with us to the PTC’s’.

You just gotta love Ding. You can read the whole story here.

This treble pays just over 5/2 at Apollobet and is as much as I can find to get excited about in the match betting this morning so I’ll just kick the day off with a recommended 1 point treble on the handicaps in three matches that to me could go either way:

Simon Bedford (+1.5), Joe Swail (+1.5) and Daniel Wells (+2.5)

9.30am 

5 Marcus Campbell 0-4 Ashley Wright
6 Passakorn Suwannwat 4-3 Barry Pinches
9 Ryan Day 4-2 John Torpey
10 Simon Bedford 3-4 Liu Song
11 James Wattana 4-2 Mark Williams
12 Mark Joyce 4-1 Michael Wasley
13 Mark Allen 4-0 Paul Davison
14 Mike Dunn w/o Anthony Hamilton
15 Peter Lines 3-4 Phillip Browne
16 David Gilbert 4-2 Keith Sheldrick

11am

7 John Higgins 4-1 Ian Burns
8 Nigel Bond w/o Ian McCulloch
17 Jamie Burnett 4-1 John Sutton
18 Martin Gould 4-1 Gareth Allen
19 Matthew Stevens 4-0 Jamie Walker
20 Jamie Jones 4-0 Robert Redmond

11.30am

21 Tony Drago 4-1 Clinton Franey
23 Joe Perry 4-0 Anthony Cronin
24 Joe Jogia 4-1 Joe Swail
25 Dominic Dale 4-3 Cao Yupeng

12.30pm 

2 Xiao Guodong 4-3 Peter Ebdon (140)
3 Sam Craigie 3-4 Gerard Greene
4 Fergal O’Brien 4-3 Daniel Wells
26 Stephen Maguire 4- Ryan Cronin

1pm 

1 Ronnie O’Sullivan 4-0 Aditya Mehta
27 Stephen Hendry 4-2 Robbie Williams
28 Dechewat Poomjaeng 4-3 Jordan Brown
29 Tom Ford 4-3 Liu Chuang

2pm

22 Neil Robertson 4-1 Gary Wilson
30 Jamie Cope 4-3 Mike Hallett
31 Ben Woollaston 4-2 Liang Wenbo
32 Liam Highfield 4-1 Rod Lawler

Second Round matches being updated now over at Apollobet. 

Recommended Bet at around 11/10 a 2 point double on Mark Allen and Martin Gould.

Round 2: 3.30pm 

65 Ronnie O’Sullivan 1-4 Xiao Guodong
66 Gerard Greene 4-3 Fergal O’Brien
67 Ashley Wright 4-1 Passakorn Suwannwat
69 Ryan Day 4-1 Liu Song
70 James Wattana 2-4 Mark Joyce
71 Mark Allen 4-0 Mike Dunn
72 Phillip Browne 0-4 Dave Gilbert
73 Jamie Burnett 2-4 Martin Gould
74 Matthew Stevens 2-4 Jamie Jones
76 Joe Perry 0-4 Joe Jogia

5pm

68 John Higgins 4-2 Nigel Bond
75 Tony Drago 1-4 Neil Robertson
77 Dom Dale 2-4 Stephen Maguire
78 Stephen Hendry 1-4 Dechewat Poomjaeng
79 Tom Ford 4-2 Jamie Cope
80 Ben Woollaston 4-3 Liam Highfield

Round 3: 7.30pm 

97 Xiao Guodong 2-4 Gerard Greene
98 Ashley Wright 2-4 John Higgins
99 Ryan Day 4-0 Mark Joyce
100 Mark Allen 4-1 Dave Gilbert
101 Martin Gould 4-0 Jamie Jones
102 Neil Robertson 4-0 Joe Jogia
103 Stephen Maguire 2-4 Dechewat Poomjaeng
104 Ben Woollaston 4-3 Tom Ford

World Snooker has announced changes to the structure of the World Professional Tour in order to assist in the further growth of the sport. 

At a recent board meeting it was agreed that the number of players competing on the professional circuit will increase from 96 to 128 from the 2013/14 season. 

It was also agreed that players gaining a tour card after Q School next May will keep their card for a period of two years rather than one. 

These decisions are part of a complete review of the structure of the tour, currently being made in conjunction with the WPBSA. 

A further part of this review will include the option of fundamentally changing the ranking system so that it is based on prize money earned, rather than ranking points. 

World Snooker Chairman Bazza said: “Our sport is changing and we need to adjust the structure of the pro tour to reflect that. We are expanding on a global scale and we need to provide more opportunities to international players, and allow all players to develop their careers with the most talented ones rising quickly to the top. 

“We are currently in a consultation process and will continue to work closely on this with the WPBSA. Further updates will be announced in due course.”

Currently these are proposals, but given Bazza has given them his backing, it can probably be taken that this will happen.

What do you think? Will more professionals be good for the sport? Is allowing Q-School graduates a two year tour card regardless of their first season performance a good idea? Will a ranking system based on earnings rather than points benefit the big names who pick and choose events or those that play in everything? Or Both?

They don't make them like they used to

I like these PTC’s that have a sense of occasion and identity. I liked the Paul Hunter Classic, I liked the Pink PTC last time around and I am going to like this one too from Killarney. It is named after the man to whom every single player there owes a debt of gratitude, a man who single handedly turned snooker from a sport played by gentlemen to one played by scamps and street urchins, and as a result into the sport that took the 80′s by storm; the late, great Mr Alex Hurricane Higgins.

Personally I am hoping that the spirit of Alex himself will somehow find it’s way into this event. There’s nothing like a bit of controversy to get things going and with due respect to today’s boys, even the biggest transgression by modern day standards pales into insignificance against even the milder episodes from the great man such as pissing in plant pots and calling an opponent ‘a baldy c*nt’ on TV after being beaten by him, to the slightly more serious ones like falling bloodstained from a second storey window, turning up to a TV event with a black eye and a huge cast having had a fight with another player and punching a tournament director in the stomach before a press conference. This even before we get to threatening to have a fellow player shot dead and beating your girlfriend up with a hair dryer. It somehow puts all these childish rants about playing too much into some perspective.

But who knows? This weekend might see players trying to emulate the great man to some extent? Perhaps Stuart Bingham and Mark Allen might finally come to blows? Perhaps Scott MacKenzie may hit front pages by referring to first round opponent Mark King as a baldy c*nt after their match? Perhaps the normally mild mannered Mark Selby might decide to head butt World Snooker official Gary Wilkinson for no particular reason other than he’s been out on the lash all night and he ‘has never liked his face’? Perhaps a fracas at the bar between flatmates Jack Lisowski and Judd Trump over ‘some bitch’ might result in one of them being thrown from a window into the car park to the delight of the waiting flashing paps? Or perhaps Ronnie will finally fulfill his promise to ‘get his knob out’ and give the plant pots by the match table a bit of a watering in full view of the fully blinged-up Mayoress of Killarney?

We can only wait and see what materialises. Fingers, and knobs, crossed.

In terms of betting, another of Alex’s long list of vices, I’ll flag up six likely lads again in the hope that one of them can carry the Mustard colours to the winners podium for the first time this season. A little disappointing as last year I think I managed to predict 5 out of the 12 event winners. But these events are tricky and once again we are being enticed to get involved by those crafty folk at Apollobet, who again will probably be the place to be for all things PTC this weekend with updated books as the event goes on.

You can open an account with them by clicking here. You can view their PTC Snooker Prices by clicking here. You can also enter the Prediction Contest to win a £40 free bet with them here.

So who will be carrying the team colours this weekend?

The place the eye is immediately drawn to again is the top section of matches with the names O’Sullivan and Higgins jumping off the drawsheet. I know I said in the previous preview that if Higgins didn’t win the last one I’d back him for this but I have, as ever, for better or for worse changed my mind. The manner in which he lost in the last event again said to me that he still isn’t quite there yet and to me he looks a way off his A game at the moment. Ronnie will be looking for an unprecedented treble here and who would bet against him doing it again? Alex was a hero of his after all (despite that fact that he also used the ‘C’ word against Ronnie more times than you could imagine) and he may just turn on the style again despite his protests at having to play in these. But I am going to leave the top section of matches alone and instead look further down the top half of the draw to Neil Robertson 16/1 who after winning PTC6 in some style crashed out to Anthony Hamilton first time in the next one. He will have had time to recharge since then and can benefit with a fairly smooth path to Finals Day in this.

I’m going to side with my old pal Liu Chuang 150/1 in the next section. The Chinese Stephen Hendry impersonator and part-time deadpan comic is a huge price each way given his pedigree in these and the way he is improving, he has to be backed in what I see as a wide open section of the draw which he is more than capable of winning.

Not exactly best pals

Then we come to the bottom section. Imagine transporting yourself back 12 months and seeing this market on a PTC event. Your eyes would literally pop out of your head at seeing the classy Marco Fu 100/1 at such a price. I believe he’ll have a run in one of these soon and I hope he can and has with the help of the ultra cute Shirley put the issues he has had off the table behind him. He can then start clawing his way back to where he should be in the game; in the top 16. I’m prepared to put a few quid his way at big odds in the hope that the Masters runner-up can start getting it together again.

Then it comes to the Team Skipper and yet again I am going to put my trust in Shaun Murphy 11/1, who must now be seeing the coveted Mustard Cashmeres as a curse. But his draw alone for me makes him favourite, despite the fact that Steve Davis is his first round opponent and the Nugget may well be planning his own little slice of irony by taking home a trophy with his former arch-rivals name on it. How their lives have led different paths, but as my old dad used to say, it takes all sorts…

The final two selections are Ricky Walden (40/1) and Mark Davis (50/1). Ricky in my mind is a top 10 player when he’s on his game and all the signs are that the therapy he’s been having since his visit to the Crucible Dentist Dr McLeod in April is beginning to work, he’s back in form and hungry for ranking points. Mavis will feel less pressure than he has of late in this event you would imagine, he had his chance to snatch a top 16 place from under the bespectacled nose of Martin Gould of course but failed to do so. The pressure is now off him for a bit and I believe that might see him return to his old self. With tournament favourite Mark Selby facing a difficult opener against Alfie Burden then a possible match up with Graeme Dott, I’m prepared to take him on in this section with our Mave.

Recommended Bets (all prices with Apollobet):

2 points win Shaun Murphy at 11/1

1 point win Neil Robertson at 16/1

o.5 points win Ricky Walden at 40/1

0.5 points each way on Liu Chuang at 150/1 and Mark Davis at 50/1

0.25 points each way on Marco Fu at 100/1 

The Best of Luck if you are having a bet. 

Causing Trouble Again

There is an old adage that is often trotted out in sport when someone is perceived at being a little out of line. It’s that weathered old cliché ‘no one person (usually a man to be fair) is bigger than the sport’. Well, in snooker’s case more than most that widely accepted wisdom is one that is sometimes challenged when a certain Mr Ronald Antonio O’Sullivan decides to start being a bit loose with his language.

Yesterday our Ron was widely reported giving his views on the PTC events, something that he has done a few times already this season. But this time he chose to use rather colourful, to some quite graphic language to do so. I’ve never really liked people that use the word ‘rape’ to describe anything other than the actual defined meaning itself but it seems to have wormed its way in to the English language in recent years to describe anything from feeling like you have been ripped off by the bookies to in this case, being forced to play in a series of snooker tournaments that you don’t really want to bother with.

This is what Ronnie said about the PTC’s:

“I feel like I’m being raped when I’m playing in them, I feel I’m being blackmailed. They put these ranking events on and ranking points at these tournaments and it just feels like the winner’s prize is not great. The loser’s prize… most players are going there and losing money, but they’re putting ranking points on so it’s forcing the players to play in it, which is not great, but what do you do? You have to go. The lower-ranked players can’t afford it and the top-ranked players don’t really get rewarded for what they do, so no-one is a winner.”

This is coming from the player who is the first in history (ok they have only been running two years) to win two of them in a single season. It is common knowledge in snooker circles that Ronnie is far from alone in feeling like this amongst top, middle and lower ranked players as well as amateurs who to me at least with one or two exceptions are largely chasing a wild goose trying to make professional from these events rather than preparing for an assault on the Q-School next May. 

There have been a number of posts across snooker blogs that have continued to prize open this can of worms, so much so that you could argue that the worms left the can a long time ago. There have been players; Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby being the two best examples that spring to mind that outwardly at least appear to support the events, whilst players like Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire – who last week told Dave Hendon he felt like a prostitute (what is it with this language?), Stephen ‘Bazza doesn’t give a monkey’s about me’ Hendry and ringleader of the tormentors Ronnie have all called for a radical rethink into how the tour is being run by Bazza and the gang. It’s interesting that the players most vocal in both camps currently have different family set ups.

I will say now that I support Bazza and all he is doing for the sport, but in my view these events are not working. I’d advocate less of them personally and I would have a rethink about amateurs being able to enter and instead redirect a bit of the pot of money into the amateur and junior game itself. Financially, the expense of playing in these for lower ranked, even some middle ranking players must be crippling so it’s hard to see how the amateurs manage or indeed what they get out of this as opposed to a solid amateur circuit.

My main concern is not for the rich boys at the top, my main concern is for the future of the sport. What parent in their right mind would want little Johnny who is a bit nifty with a cue going into a sport where only a handful of the very best make any money out of it while the others either scrape a living or are just broke all the time?

My other concern is the fanbase. While more snooker week in week out should mean a greater following for the sport, there needs to be some variety and by that I don’t mean Power Snooker or Shootouts every week. There needs to be a balance struck between new fans being attracted to the sport and those that love the sport already continuing to be interested. There are not enough quality events on the calendar, despite all the snooker we are seeing at the moment hardened fans still only really have the Crucible, the UK with it’s shortened matches, the Masters and to a lesser extent China, Shanghai and Wales to call proper events. Six. That’s not exactly an improvement is it? (OK to my shame I didn’t include the German Masters which is obviously better than both Shanghai and Wales and is on a par with China, Wales is also dying a slow death so the original figure of six is probably still accurate)  

In terms of Ronnie’s comments, I wonder whether he will be disciplined for them? Or whether, once again, he has challenged that old adage successfully?

We shall see.

Good Morning Everyone. It’s over to Killarney this week for the eighth PTC event which is named in memory of the Hurricane, given that rumour has it, Alex was not averse to a bit of a gamble himself, it’s only fitting that we should mark this with another of our tipster contests, courtesy of those kind chaps over at Apollobet.

They have again offered up a FREE £40 BET to the winner of this week’s contest which will run in the same way as the PTC7 one which was won by Mrs Dominic Dale. 

The Rules

Pick a team of 6 players from the list below to represent you in tournament

Each member of your team will score a points total based on their Apollobet price, listed next to their name.

Your player must reach the Quarter Final stage of the event to start accumulating points.

If your player loses in the QUARTER FINAL they will receive the points equivalent to their price, for instance, if Judd Trump loses in the QF his points total will be 14.

If your player loses in the SEMI FINAL they will receive the points equivalent to their price times two, for instance, if Judd Trump loses in the SF his points total will be 28.

If your player loses in the FINAL they will receive the points equivalent to their price times three, for instance, if Judd Trump loses in the FINAL his points total will be 42.

If your player wins the PTC they will be awarded their price times four PLUS 100 Bonus Points, for instance, if Judd Trump wins PTC 7 his points total would be 156.

 The Players

Mark Selby 9/1 Shaun Murphy 11/1 John Higgins 12/1 Ronnie O’Sullivan 12/1 Judd Trump 14/1 Mark Williams 14/1 Neil Robertson 16/1 Stuart Bingham 22/1 Graeme Dott 28/1 Ali Carter 33/1 Martin Gould 33/1 Stephen Lee 33/1 Stephen Maguire 33/1 Mark Allen 40/1 Matthew Stevens 40/1 Ricky Walden 40/1 Barry Hawkins 50/1 Mark Davis 50/1 Ryan Day 50/1 Andrew Higginson 66/1 Jamie Cope 66/1 Marcus Campbell 66/1 Stephen Hendry 66/1 Anthony Hamilton 80/1 Jack Lisowski 80/1 Mark King 80/1 Peter Ebdon 80/1 Rory McLeod 80/1 Dominic Dale 100/1 Joe Perry 100/1 Liang Wenbo 100/1 Marco Fu 100/1 Matt Selt 100/1 Michael Holt 100/1 Fergal O’Brien 125/1 Li Yan 125/1 Rob Milkins 125/1 Tian Pengfei 125/1 Tom Ford 125/1 Ben Woollaston 150/1 Dave Gilbert 150/1 Joe Jogia 150/1 Joe Swail 150/1 Liu Chuang 150/1 Liu Song 150/1 Nigel Bond 150/1 Yu Delu 150/1

The Terms

The usual terms of one entry per person and you must include an email address in the space provided.

Anyone I suspect of pushing through multiple entries will be disqualified as will anonymous entries.

You must be old enough to bet or at least have or be able to grow a bum-fluff beard.

All competitors should have an account at Apollobet in order to qualify for the prize. To open one click here it’s free with no obligation but you may want to take advantage of their opening matched free bet offer.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY START OF PLAY ON FRIDAY.

Please enter via the comments section below. You can find more information about the tournament and the draw at World Snooker here.

Please remember also to enter the SB300 Prediction Contest to win £300 worth of World Snooker Championship bets. You can enter that here.

The Best of Luck

Stevie has the weight of the world on his shoulders

When my copy of Snooker Scene dropped onto the doormat of Snookerbacker Mansions the other day and was passed to me by our faithful butler Reardon, I retired to the reading room in the East Wing and excitedly flicked through it until on page 30 I found my advert for the Snookerbacker Classic. Once I had finished admiring our handiwork I set about reading the rest of it.

There was one article in particular that caught my eye. The headline simply reads ‘Stephen Lee sued’ so, intrigued, I read on. It turns out that our Stevie has spent quite a bit of time in and out of court for the last six years. In fact, if his was a criminal record rather than one linked to legalities he would probably be given a regular slot on Crimewatch.

To summarise the story, it turns out that Stephen has been successfully sued by Paul Mount’s company, Mount International Ultrasound Services (MIUS). According to Snooker Scene, this relates to Lee breaking a contractual arrangement for wearing the MIUS logo on his waistcoat during the World Open in Glasgow in 2010. The amount of the claim is no small potatoes, at the time the piece was written it was totaling £9,745 with interest accumulating on a daily basis while it remains unpaid.

The article then goes on to list a whole host of other County Court Judgements against Big Stevie, a total of eight seperate claims against Trowbridge’s very own Dick Turpin. One of them has been ‘satisfied’ but the other seven which amount to £51,000 have not. There are no details as to what the other ones are for, but Snooker Scene comes to the conclusion on this occasion that the point needs to be made to all players that they must honour contracts and they should not be treated ‘as worthless pieces of paper’.

So what do we make of this?

Well, as Stephen wasn’t quoted in the piece I decided to take it upon myself to contact him, through his new management company Pockets Promotions and their head honcho and fellow Liverpudlian Adam Quigley. He had this to say:

At the World Open, Stephen asked Paul Mount if he could swap his logo as his game was on the red button and not live on TV and he had a small logo willing to pay him for that match. Rightly or wrongly Stephen swapped the badge. On-Q (Paul Mounts Promotions Company) then terminated his management contract but not his logo agreement.

About a month or so later I met Stephen at my snooker club and after a few meetings  I agreed to set up a new company Pockets Promotions and manage him myself. The UK was coming up and Stephen had drawn John Higgins in the 1st round. So I set about advertising for a logo for him as this was a big match and on TV.

Paul rang me and asked me what I was doing saying that Stephen was under contract to wear his MUIS logo. After listening to Paul and him telling me he had 3 years left to run with this logo, I informed the company that wanted the UK logo that I now could not offer it to them. So for the UK Stephen wore the MUIS logo.

A month later Stephen played and won an invitational event in Mumbai, India where he beat Jimmy White in the final. Stephen did not wear the MUIS logo for this event. This was not a World Snooker event nor on TV.

At the Sky Shootout one of our staff went over to Paul to ask for his logo for Stephen as we had left ours in the hotel to which he replied “He’s not wearing it anymore!” and stormed off. Stephen says he had nothing in writing so we went to the German Masters and wore the MUIS logo against Ali Carter. Over there speaking to a few players, they told me that Stephen had had his MUIS logo contract terminated.

Just smile and sign the bloody thing.

Once back in the UK I rang Paul Mount to see once again what was going on. He explained that yes they had stopped it on the grounds that he did not wear it in India. Stephen was under the impression that his logo was for 6 World Snooker events only and that this was not one of them. I also went on to say to Paul that this seemed unfair as 3 of his own players there in India (White, Evans and Burden) also did not wear his logo for that event and have not been reprimanded, to which his reply was they have different contracts to Stephen. So it was India that his MUIS logo was finished not The World Open as Snooker Scene stated, and wrongly in my opinion.

(Snooker Scene don’t actually say that in the article and merely point out the fact that it was at the World Open that Lee didn’t wear the logo as contracted)

We knew Snooker Scene were going to run with this story as some players had informed Stephen. I found it a little ironic that it came out a few days before we had to walk in to Paul Mount’s SWSA for PTC 7. I have spoken to the Press Complaints Commission and also Clive (Everton). I asked Clive why he had just ran with this story and not asked for Stephen’s side to which his answer was “not enough time…”

To me at least, it appears pretty clear that the whole episode here stems back to Stephen’s decision to wear another logo for his red button match during the World Open. Something that, if he was under contract he should definitely not have done. What has happened subsequently is a little more confusing, though it seems that Paul Mount decided on the basis of this one transgression to terminate Stephen’s management contract, but not the contract to wear his logo. Which makes the version of events from Stephen’s point of view all the stranger if, as he states, Paul refused to give him the logo at the Sky Shootout when he was asked for it.

Either way, it seems that relationships between the two parties for whatever reason have broken down. The courts have sided with MIUS and this leads you to believe that it was pretty clear from a legal point of view that Stephen broke the terms of his contract. As I always say to everyone, don’t sign anything which involves a cash transaction unless you are very clear what it is. Clearly in this case something went very wrong. Whilst it would be wrong to cast judgement on him on the basis of a CCJ list as long as Robert Wadlow’s inside leg measurement, the fact that there is a trail of financial hassles in his past means Stevie does come with some heavy baggage.

At least on the table things are going well for him. He is of course now back in the top 16, a couple of decent runs in the next few events and he might be able to start paying some of the bills off.

To subscribe to Snooker Scene visit their website here. I’ve checked the terms and conditions and they seem kosher.

What the devil has been going on?

With being away for a few days I thought it might be worth doing a brief summary of what has been going on in my absence as there are a few snippits of news that may or may not have come under your radar.

First of all let’s have a look at how the World Seniors Qualifiers went over at the South West Snooker Academy. A whole plethora of faces from the 70′s and 80′s were competing for the right to join giants of game in the Sky Sports televised event in early November. Including Patsy ‘Don’t mention the rest’ Fagan, Les ‘Fatboy Slim’ Dodd and renowned housemartin fancier, the Silver Fox David Taylor. Also playing was the man who famously let the Iranians play with his ding-a-ling David Roe, who it appears would do anything for a coaching job these days.

But alas, the crowd pullers above didn’t make it through and instead we are left with Darren Morgan, who is more than capable of winning the whole event. Whenever I see Dazza, I can’t help but think back to the first time I set eyes on him in the flesh at Pontins many years ago. He drew up in a red sports car with the registration H1 BABE which shall we say, always provoked a reaction, most usually the word ‘knobhead’ whispered under hushed breath. Joining the Dazzler is Steve Ventham, who may be best known to some as the opponent of a certain Scotsman in Junior Pot Black (check out from from 5.30 here, with advanced apologies to Neal ‘spekky’ Foulds). The next name into the hat for the main event is Karl ‘Who?’ Townsend and they are joined by World Snooker employee and tournament organiser who mysteriously received the only bye in the second round but I’m saying nowt, Gary Wilkinson. All the results from the event are here. 

In the professional game, I won’t go over the Premier League shennanigans and instead I’ll move onto the latest musings from PTC7 winner Ronnie, who claims to not be bothered in the slightest about his latest ranking.

“I’m not bothered where I am in the rankings, the game is going through changes and I’m just going to sit tight and be patient,” said the Rocket “I’m not going to go through what Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry have done, trying to compete as they did in their prime. I’ve accepted that I’m not as young as I was and I don’t pot balls like I used to, or like the new players can. I’m just taking each tournament as it comes and trying to enjoy snooker.”

Whilst Ronnie is up to 12th after his unlikely double PTC triumphs helped him stave off the first mid-season cull, he is currently lying in 16th place with only the UK and the remaining PTC’s to play with before the next cut off which will determine the seeding places for the China and Welsh Opens.

After the Welsh Open we will see the final ranking revision which will determine World Championship seedings. So Ronnie is far from certain to be seeded for Sheffield, especially if he does his usual slapstick snooker routine in China and Wales. The boy needs a good run in the big ones, a rocket cannot live on PTC’s alone I’m afraid. You can view the latest projected seedings at Matt’s site here.

I see Power Snooker is also returning. The phrase ‘throwing good money after bad’ springs to mind. As you can tell, I am not a fan and I don’t think given the congested calendar that it is fair of the organisers to say to the current top 16 that they have to play in it or be blacklisted from any future PS events.

To me that is actually an incentive NOT to play, but the ‘play with us or we’re taking our ball home’ attitude that this displays puts me off the event even more. I won’t be watching.

Congratulations also to the English Association for Snooker and Billiards which has finally received recognition as a national sports governing body from Sport England. What took them so long? If nothing else, this finally lays to rest any argument as to whether snooker is a sport or a game as we now have a nice framed certificate to prove it. It’s about time our great game, I mean sport, was recognised in such a way and here is a nice picture of Fergie, the Nugget, Terry and some other bloke with it (note to photographer: lighting). I fear however that the sight of Terry and Steve may well push a certain coaching copyright commenter over the edge. Hey-ho.      

I think that’s about it. Willie has been banging on about gambling and match fixing being endemic on the baize again I see, you’d think he had a book to sell or something.

Finally, don’t forget to enter your team to win £300 worth of bets from Boylesports on the World Snooker Championship. Click here, check out the rules and get your team in before the end of the month.

Good day all. I’ve had a few days away in Ireland doing various bits and pieces, one of which was to visit the venue for the second leg of the Snookerbacker Classic over in Dublin. It’s the first time I have visited The Crossguns Snooker Club in Phibsboro, but I’m delighted to say that it won’t be my last.

As I had a couple of hours to kill I started out with a breezy stroll up the Liffey before crossing at the bridge by the Law Courts and making my way up Constitution Hill into Phibsboro, which is about a mile outside Dublin city centre. On entering Phibsboro and as a self check to ensure I was going to the right place I approached a woman to ask her where the Crossguns was, unfortunately I think she might have been Romanian and I think at one point she thought I might be about to mug her, so I carried on regardless. I continued along the road and passed several people in tracksuits, which, being from Liverpool, immediately made me feel right at home.

I came to a busy street where two Irish workmen were talking about something or other and I asked could they direct me, they duly pointed straight ahead in the direction of the ‘snooker hall’ and told me to take a right as I got to the canal. I did as they said and no sooner was I faced with my first glimpse of the Crossguns, situated opposite the canal that runs deep into the heart of Dublin.

First impression? I’d use the word ‘intrigue’ as this was not what I had expected. There was no polished sign indicating that this was the beating heart of the snooker community in Dublin, there was no plaque outside paying homage to the greats that had passed through it’s doors. All I was faced with was a white, single storey building and a rather tatty looking rusty iron stand perched high above the roof in between telegraph wires with an advert for Coca Cola above the simple three words ‘Cross Guns Snooker’. Being of that sort of mind I wondered whether the distant corporate giants of the fizzy drink world paid for it many years ago, do they even know that it’s still there? Do they even care?

I spent a minute just standing there, admiring the canal opposite before locating the single black door to enter the club. I pushed the door and was immediately met with darkness. Just a faint light behind a booth and a man sitting behind it watching the TV. I approached him and explained what I was doing there ‘I’m running a tournament here in January – this one’ I pointed to the poster immediately behind my head. With this, the man immediately switched off the TV and gave me a firm handshake, introducing himself as John.

I have no idea even now whether John was expecting me, or knew who I was, but it didn’t matter as he just started chatting to me anyway, seemingly pleased to be talking snooker with someone at this point in the day. While we were chatting my eyes couldn’t help but wander around the club itself, seven tables, one match table with ‘more room and slightly bigger pockets’ according to John, at the front of the hall and six other freshly ironed tables in pristine condition down two aisles. The one at the far end was populated by three locals, none of whom, I’m sorry to say are likely to be following in the footsteps of some of the more illustrious faces that adourned the walls and had doubtless frequented, or at least visited this shrine to snooker.

John turned on the table lights and took me around showing me pictures of some of the greats, players from around the region and north of the border; Eugene Hughes, Paddy Browne, Dennis Taylor, Ken Doherty and many many other names too numerous to take in as he pointed them out in old photographs; ‘Terry Parsons great player, no longer with us’; and of course, Alex. These were faces through the decades captured in time with one thing in common, their passion for snooker. Photographs of the current owner Fin Ruane and his father who founded the club still have pride of place as do signed posters from tournaments such as the Benson and Hedges Masters. John took me to a photograph of Ray Reardon ‘my hero’ then named Crossguns team players from yesteryear as he pointed to them on old stills amongst this tapestry of snooker memories.

I pathetically tried to compete with his encyclopeadic knowledge by asking had Patsy Houlihan ever played there, to which John politely replied, in order to save my blushes and not hurt my feelings that ‘I think he might have been English’ at which point he produced a tattered copy of Snooker Scene from 1977 saying ‘he’ll be in here somewhere I think’. I have no doubt he was, the manner in which John chose that particular copy made that obvious to me. I also had a feeling that he had handed me some kind of ancient manuscript that he reserved only for those that showed the kind of love for the game that he connected with, or maybe I was imagining that bit. But as I stared at this tatty old mag, I wondered who might have also flicked through it in the 34 years since it’s publication? What was so special about this edition? This month?

As I leaned on the hatch counter, trying to take this whole episode in I also thought about how many others had leant in this same position through the years? Had Alex? I wondered. If he had I was almost certainly touching the same wood he had touched, I had opened the same door he had opened to get in, I had looked out over the same tables that he had studied. In fact at one point I almost expected him to burst through the door in a cloud of smoke, cigarette in hand in his long overcoat with the fur collar, demanding the light for free.

I tried to imagine the nights of high drama that had come and gone at the Crossguns down the years, reputations made and lost, heroes crowned and villains banished. The walls of this small, compact shrine to snooker simply seap history, the kind of history that has been lost in so many clubs around the UK that are either too quick to shelve the past or too greedy to care. John embodies the spirit of the Crossguns and obviously absolutely loves the place, I am not a religious man, but if I believed there was a heaven, this is what I would want it to look like.

There is a scene in ‘Rocky’ where, after a huge fight between Apollo Creed and the Italian Stallion, they make their way alone to a boxing ring in a disused gym to slug it out. They go back to basics without all the hullaballo and simply do what they enjoy doing without the razzmatazz. I got that same feeling when I walked into the Crossguns, a feeling of getting back to basics, of nostalgia, memories of childhood, call it what you like, but the feeling was the same one I had when I first saw a full sized snooker table in a working mens club in Liverpool. For a snooker fan, the place is simply unmissable and has a magic about it you are unlikely to find anywhere else.

As I left and said my goodbyes to John, I looked again out onto the canal. I wondered how many others had done the same, how many snapped cues had been carried out into the ocean, how many players had contemplated their futures looking into these same waters for inspiration or answers.

Had Alex? I wondered.

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The Snookerbacker Classic second qualifying leg will be played at the Crossguns Snooker Club on 4th February 2012

Contact me to reserve your place.

Apologies for the delay all, but from what I can tell we have winners in each competition we ran for the Pink PTC event at the weekend.

Winner of £40 free bet courtesy of Apollobet goes to Mrs Dominic Dale

Winner of the Pink T-Shirt Competition is a little more problematic as this is joint between regulars Doctor Dish and our resident Spanish T-Shirt winner Dani Martinez

If Mrs Dom could just send me an email while I try and cadge an extra T-Shirt from my contacts over at the SWSA, otherwise, it’s a fight to the death between Dishy and Dani.

I’m back in England tomorrow and normal service will then resume.

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE £300 CRUCIBLE BETS CONTEST HERE