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The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Image
Who's the king of the Salt Mine?

This is a quick list of quotations from players who might’ve been a little ticked off at the time of being interviewed, and were not quite so gracious as they ought’ve been.

Simply guess who the quotation belongs to. Bonus points if you can guess the opponent and/or match! I've edited out names to remove giveaway clues.

I'll add more as and when I come across them. It'll probably be updated periodically, every couple of months or so. Obviously, if you want to add your own, don't post comments from matches just ended as that destroys the quiz element!

A - 'There used to be a thing on television - The Comedians - and the brunt of all the jokes was 'dead people in bus shelters in Morecambe'. I think they had them all transported from Morecambe to Derby today because the audience was so flat I couldn't raise a gallop. ... It was so dead this afternoon the audience looked to me as though they were all on valium. [...] John Williams looked at [the free ball incident] and changed his mind. The referee seemed very inconsistent under the circumstances. And I did ask for a second opinion but the man was very brash about the whole thing, and said, 'No I'm the senior referee - No, you can't'. [...] I'm going to insist when we have a meeting that referees at regular times have regular eye tests'.


B - 'It was tough. The playing conditions were in front of everyone's eyes to see how bad it was [...] It was pretty much impossible to get on a roll and make big breaks. The balls were bouncing all over the place off the cushions. The biggest shame is that it hasn't taken someone to play their best to beat me because I felt as though that was definitely going to have to be the case after my second round match. [My opponent] the champion he is adapted to the conditions better than me so what can I say he is a worthy winner. When two players use this brand of chalk called Taom chalk you don't get any kicks or big bounces, they just don't happen. And [my opponent] doesn't like using the Taom chalk because it doesn't grip as well on his tip .... I did fear the worst when he got through against Stuart. On one hand I love to play him, but on the other there was the potential for all the chalk to come off and go on to the table and create the big bounces and kicks. It is tough to take and [my opponent] will tell you the conditions were as bad as it gets'.


C - 'I thought I was a bit unlucky to lose in the end. He played really well in the last 4 or 5 frames but I think after I made that clearance at 12-11 you just want a chance in the last frame and I thought he kind of twitched that red and left it safe. A lot times I play him he plays some amazing snooker at times that you can't play against, and I just stuck in there and you've got to get the luck against him and time and time again it just doesn't happen'.


D - 'In my estimation, [xxxx] is not a Snooker person. He is a money person. the more he gets, the more he wants. He will never be sated. He puts money before country. He belongs back in Coalisland. He is not fit to wear this badge, the red hand of Ulster'.


E - 'I was heavily hamstrung in a way. I had really bad tip problems coming into the match. That was pretty evident last night and I really struggled with that. I thought I did pretty well to keep it 6-3. ... People talk about whether it's an advantage coming in, I'd have to agree ... Apart from playing Ronnie first round I'd be happy to play anyone first round knowing I've won three matches within a week and someone else is coming in cold and you've got the ranking points secure and all that sort of stuff ... I'd rather play three matches all day long ... I definitely would. I'd rather play three matches coming in than be a seed for sure. If you're not good enough to win the three matches to get here you're not going to win first round here anyway. If someone runs out of steam it's their own fault for not being in the right shape or mentally strong enough.'


F - 'Nothing really went right for me today, I thought that was obvious. Snooker is just one of those games where you're only allowed to play as well as the balls present themselves to you in every frame. So many frames are different to each other, and I just felt I never had a really good run of it. That combined with [xxxx] playing a fantastic match, he's got to take credit for taking his advantage because even though he was coming to the table and the balls were all there, he still had to pot the balls. .... Snooker is a funny game. Personally it's very frustrating a game where if you're better than the opponent you don't always get the right rubs and stuff like that. You watch tennis and if you play better than the other guy you win. It's a bit frustrating but that's the game we play and it can create many upsets. If it were the top 4 players in the semis of every event it would be pretty boring'.


G - 'Jimmy played a blatant push shot in the tenth frame which he didn't say anything about and I can't believe the referee hasn't seen it ... The table was rolling off, but then again they always do here, it's the worst venue on the circuit .... I didn't want to say anything [about my illness] because it would have given Jimmy some encouragement before the match. But that wasn't why I lost - I was just absolutely pathetic. ... I'm gutted because I didn't think Jimmy was too hard a match. He was solid enough but usually if you put him under pressure, he'll crack ... I'd had enough of the cue so I threw it into the daffodils. I'm getting a new three-piece maple cue for next season so it doesn't matter'.


H - 'You're short, you're bald. You always will be and you can have me outside whenever you want'.


I - 'Yes'.


J - 'I couldn't believe how slowly [xxxx] was playing in the first session. He was absolutely crawling around the table. I've never seen anyone play so slowly. I personally think he should be pulled up about it. ... It was scandalous, bordering on cheating. It really did get to me but that's my own fault. I think he was out of order, he was bending down looking at the angle of every shot, even when he was breaking off. If I had played as slow as that I would've been pulled up. It was just so deliberate'.


K - 'It's a joke. When I play like that I feel like packing it in. I'm losing to people who shouldn't be in the same room. That's one of the worst three performances of my career'.


L - 'The table was the worst I've played on in six years as a professional. It rolled off all over the place. ... I detest Mike Hallett. Just ask any of the other players on the circuit. It's because of his attitude.'


M - 'Well chaps, the current events over the past few weeks have not been very good, this way or the other. So I would like to announce my retirement from professional snooker. I don't want to be part of a cartel. I don't want to be part of a game where there are slush funds for everybody, where the players are mucked about. I don't want to be ever again in my lifetime to get less than job satisfaction. If Derek Jameson, for instance, can leave the News of the World and go to Sky TV, then there has got to be a place for me in this life. I'm not playing snooker anymore because this game is the most corrupt game in the world. It needs to be brought to the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry. There are an awful lot of people running about this world who put their kids through certain schools, feeder schools, grammar schools and you get absolute tossers doing jobs for exorbitant money. Well, I don't want to be part of it, so you can shove your snooker up your jacksey. I'm not playing no more and it's not sour grapes, nothing. It's the truth. I wish Cecil Parkinson and Maggie Thatcher would do a probe into snooker then we would actually find out the real truth. [I don't] want to be part of this tripe anymore, no disrespect to the Northern people because I like tripe. There's a thing called job satisfaction. I don't want to be part of a cartel, corruption, whatever. That is the end of the story. I hate it, abhor it. I'm not going to break the cue because I like the cue, but it's a corrupt game. Excuse me, I've not finished, I've not finished ... rock on Tommy. The people who work within the game appal me. I won't be using a cue again. I've had all sorts of rubbish thrown at me by the media in the past six or seven years. I was supposed to be a stalwart of the game, the guy who took all the brunt. The kid who took all the brunt is absolutely sick up to here. I'm not prepared to take it any longer. It has interrupted my private life, my children's life and a few relationships. Let's see how you do without me because I ain't playing no more. I might do overseas trips and teach kids from Amsterdam. I don't like the WPBSA - the way they do things, they can throw me out, shove me out, I couldn't give a damn. I cannot handle some of the untruths. I am going to the law courts. I am going to fight the newspapers. I have plenty on my plate. One of the first papers I'll go for is The Star, The Sun and what's the other one?'


N - 'I considered it unprofessional and immature and I was surprised by [xxx]'s reaction even though it made no odds to me. I've never directed that kind of thing at anyone ... I've never done that, but given the person in question, I'm not surprised'.


O - 'I felt it was disrespectful to me and the game. Obviously like if you're playing anyone else ... there's not many players who'd just get down and hit them 100mph when you put them in a snooker. Sometimes they will try and work it out, try and play safe or try and get you in trouble back but I just felt he was doing that throughout the match really. So I just thought it was a little disrespectful to me and the game, but you’ll have to ask [xxxx] about himself'.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Iranu

I’ll get some obvious ones (I think) out of the way.

K Hendry

M Alex Higgins

O Saltby Selby

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

For D, Alex Higgins speaking of Dennis Taylor? :chin:

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

I think L might be Doug Mountjoy. He had a big problem with Hallett
Last edited by SnookerEd25 on 19 Apr 2021, edited 1 time in total.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

I is Steve Davis’ post match interview in ‘85

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

H for Hann, on Hicks

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

E could be Mark Allen. Reading it, it just naturally morphed into me hearing it in his voice

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Juddernaut88

C- Think that could be Judd Trump when losing 13-12 to John Higgins in the 2018 world championship quarter final

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Iranu's 3 guesses are correct.

K is Hendry after losing to Mark Johnston-Allen for the third time in the 1995 International Open.

M - Alex Higgins after losing to Steve James in 1990. I love how in the middle of this invective he excuses himself for bad-mouthing tripe.

O - Mr Saxa himself, Mark Selby.

Ed -

D - Indeed Alex Higgins speaking of Dennis Taylor in the 1990 World Cup. The quote is from Higgins' comments to the press afterwards. Taylor complained publicly that although he was captain he'd let Higgins have his own way to 'get some peace and quiet'. And he deplored Higgins' remark of team mate Tommy Murphy that he'd 'played like a c---'.

L is not Doug Mountjoy. Since I've started to look for salty comments, it seems many players had a problem with Hallett.

I is indeed Steve Davis' 1985 comment to David Vine, widely interpreted as being salty. To be honest I think it was just the shock!

H is Hann's comments on Hicks after the 2004 World Championship first round. Hicks had goaded Hann by saying he was out of the top 16 as they shook hands, although Hicks said this was prompted because Hann moved in his eyeline several times during the match.

E - is not Mark Allen.

Judders -

C is indeed Judd, and that's the correct match, too. I like Judd very much as a player, but wish he'd stop complaining about luck every goddamn loss. I had to choose just one match, and I like here how he complains about the luck in all their previous encounters too.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby rekoons

F might be Neil robertson? He's also quite good at moaning when things don't go his way.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby rekoons

Here's another obvious one:

P - "You wanna dance, let's go dance."

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

rekoons wrote:Here's another obvious one:

P - "You wanna dance, let's go dance."


Jamie Clarke, in the Billiard Room, with Anthony McGill

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

F is Neil Robertson, good guess, following his loss to Michael Holt at the Crucible in 2016. Explaining that despite Michael playing well, the best player lost.

Some more. These are all from the 1990-91 era:

Q - ‘The two hours practice that Mike [Hallett] has put in in the past three months have obviously improved his game out of all recognition’.


A certain ranking finalist:
R - ‘I’m taking nothing away from Jimmy, he knows that, but the conditions were ridiculous. I’ve had enough. I won’t be competing in any more World Series events’.


A current commentator after losing 5-4 to Robby Foldvari, who reached the last 16 of a ranking tournament for the first time:
S - ‘His pace of play was totally unacceptable. The fellow is a disgrace to snooker. He doesn’t deserve a penny of the prize money. At the end there were three people watching and I can understand why. He is a selfish man who has no regard for the spectators’.


Two former world champions in discussion in 1991, commenting on Hendry's season:
T - Player A - ‘Outside of potting the rest of [Stephen Hendry’s] game hasn’t been strong. I don’t suppose I’d concentrate on my safety if I could pot like him. He is a great breakbuilder, but he is the weakest world champion.’
Player B - ‘I wouldn’t disagree with [Player A's] description. Steve Davis is the only one of the modern day champions that I rate but my one criticism of him is that he has a weak temperament.’

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Alex0paul

J was Dott talking about Davis?

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Correct, Alex. Dott's comments are from his Crucible debut against Steve Davis in 2000, in which only 6 frames were completed in the first session.

Dott was so traumatised by the experience he spent the next year standing in a field with a sandwich board around his neck saying, 'My name is Graeme Dott'.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby rekoons

SnookerEd25 wrote:
rekoons wrote:Here's another obvious one:

P - "You wanna dance, let's go dance."


Jamie Clarke, in the Billiard Room, with Anthony McGill


Jup

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby rekoons

Empire State Human wrote:

Dott was so traumatised by the experience he spent the next year standing in a field with a sandwich board around his neck saying, 'My name is Graeme Dott'.


I remember That, it was when i first started watching snooker and the first time i saw dott.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Alex0paul

Empire State Human wrote:Correct, Alex. Dott's comments are from his Crucible debut against Steve Davis in 2000, in which only 6 frames were completed in the first session.

Dott was so traumatised by the experience he spent the next year standing in a field with a sandwich board around his neck saying, 'My name is Graeme Dott'.


His debut was against Wattana

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Mick745 - Nope, S isn't Parrott.

Alex - Shoot, I was convinced that was his debut, but you're spot on. Now I'm feeling salty.

I'll give some clues for the remaining ones this evening after I finish ... work.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Some hints -

A - from a semi-final in a 1980s ranking tournament. The winner went on to secure their only ranking title. The comments are by someone who has made a few other comments about referees.

B - from a Crucible quarter-final in the last couple of years.

E - from a first round loss at the Crucible after surprisingly losing to the same player at that stage for the second time.

G - again from a first round Crucible match. The Jimmy is Jimmy White. His opponent is a current commentator.

L - is quite tricky. An overseas player is speaking, who had just lost 9-0 to Hallett in the UK. They also played Hallett in arguably the biggest match of their life and narrowly lost.

N - A comment from a match at the Masters in the 1990s after his opponent celebrated wildly after potting the winning ball.

Q - is also tricky. It's not a player but someone closely connected to Hallett who was unhappy that he'd lost.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby rekoons

Empire State Human wrote:Some hints -

N - A comment from a match at the Masters in the 1990s after his opponent celebrated wildly after potting the winning ball.


I'm going for Ebdon for this one.

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Alex0paul

B is Robertson losing to Higgins in 2019?

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Alex0paul

E is also Robertson losing to Milkins in 2018?

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

Yes, L got to be Dene given the clue, but is surprising; I’ve met Dene and he is ‘one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet’ (TM), and always gave off the aura of being a laid-back, placid kind of bloke so surprising he would publicly make such a statement :chin:

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby SnookerEd25

Q could be Ian Doyle?

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby mick745

Empire State Human wrote:Mick745 - Nope, S isn't Parrott.

Alex - Shoot, I was convinced that was his debut, but you're spot on. Now I'm feeling salty.

I'll give some clues for the remaining ones this evening after I finish ... work.


Is "S" therefore McManus?

Re: The Salt Quiz

Postby Empire State Human

Rekoons - N is indeed Ebdon. Morgan is his opponent. Some context here from 2:50 https://youtu.be/8iRlsuEsvdU?t=172

Mick745 - L is Dene O'Kane. Not sure quite what triggered the remarks.

Alex0Paul scores the Robertson twofer. I always like listening to Robertson after losing at the Crucible. He makes sure to compliment his opponents, but here blames his opponent's chalk and the new qualifying system respectively.

SnookerEd - Correct - Q is Ian Doyle.

Mick745 again - S isn't McManus.

***

S & G are both current commentators, but the comments are surprising because they're usually regarded as mild-mannered, easy-going characters. "G" is perhaps the most shocking.


So, we have A, G, R, S, and T outstanding.