THE BIG INTERVIEW: NEIL ROBERTSON

I'm afraid that this "dream" life of theirs is a very naive vision of their reality. Yes it IS probably a dream in the first years when they are young, free and all they want is to play. But after 15-20 years I'm afraid very few still live it that way. For most of them it's then a job, a very repetitive one and very solitary, lots of time away from home, in not too fancy hotel rooms... And with no security of any kind regarding their future after the game except for the top guys

Monique wrote:I'm afraid that this "dream" life of theirs is a very naive vision of their reality. Yes it IS probably a dream in the first years when they are young, free and all they want is to play. But after 15-20 years I'm afraid very few still live it that way. For most of them it's then a job, a very repetitive one and very solitary, lots of time away from home, in not too fancy hotel rooms... And with no security of any kind regarding their future after the game except for the top guys

find another Job then their choice nobody forcing them.

sonny

higgins in round 2 of uk last year , ronnie in round 1 of masters last season

just 2 examples

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:he has more concerns regarding the Afternoon session rather than the night session i think 2pm and 7pm start is better but also make it a 10 frame session instead of the 11 it is now so you start 7pm on 13-12,14-11 or 15-10

Dave H said...
Incidentally, if you think there's no difference between 2 and 7 and 3 and 8, there is: they are playing an extra frame on the Sunday night so as not to play so many on the Monday

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:

Monique wrote:I'm afraid that this "dream" life of theirs is a very naive vision of their reality. Yes it IS probably a dream in the first years when they are young, free and all they want is to play. But after 15-20 years I'm afraid very few still live it that way. For most of them it's then a job, a very repetitive one and very solitary, lots of time away from home, in not too fancy hotel rooms... And with no security of any kind regarding their future after the game except for the top guys

find another Job then their choice nobody forcing them.

Nobody forces anyone to do any job ... indeed. Get real Wild! Most of them quitted school early and are not qualified for anything else.
I'm not saying their life is hellish. Like every job it has advantages and constraints. But after many years of playing that's what it is: a job, with lots of frustrations and uncertainties. Not the dream glamorous life some here seem to imagine it is.

ok mon

do you think there are too many snooker tournaments going to be played ??

I can't believe this argument Let's wrap these players up in cotton wool too unless they get a paper cut yeh ? ffs ... they are snooker players, they are meant to play snooker and we should be over the moon they're getting more and more chances to prove their stuff.

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:ok mon

do you think there are too many snooker tournaments going to be played ??

No provided that indeed players can pick and chose and that the calendar is built in such a way big rankers don't collide.
To me it's a shame that next season Brazil, Shanghai and World Open are so close to each other.
In tennis players don't play in every event. They manage their season and their level of form and tiredness. Majors are sufficiently "scattered" so that they have recuperation time between them if needed.

Monique wrote:

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:ok mon

do you think there are too many snooker tournaments going to be played ??

No provided that indeed players can pick and chose and that the calendar is built in such a way big rankers don't collide.
To me it's a shame that next season Brazil, Shanghai and World Open are so close to each other.
In tennis players don't play in every event. They manage their season and their level of form and tiredness. Majors are sufficiently "scattered" so that they have recuperation time between them if needed.

i think players have pick and choose the PTC and also i dont believe players should be criticised for pulling out of other events or punished for it if that what they want to do.

its time we get away from this we need top players playing mentality and play each tournament on merit with the players thats there.

we can not rely on Ronnie for ever so just get on with it.

Neal Robertson wont be in Hamm this weekend so he has 1 event to get in the PTC Finals we got to live with that because that was his decision rightly for family matters.

And Ali said he won't play neither in Hamm nor in Prague. So he will not be in the Finals neither. Same reasons: family, and wanting to focus on UK.

Monique wrote:And Ali said he won't play neither in Hamm nor in Prague. So he will not be in the Finals neither. Same reasons: family, and wanting to focus on UK.

if that what they wants to do thats their right the key here its their choice last season and for the previous 10 roughly they did not have a decition to make thats as fast as snooker has come in only 12 months.

this time last year Barry Hearn was nothing to do with WSA,WPBSA,Snooker Tour involvement.

it was 2nd of December 2009 when Rodney Walker got defeated and the 4th of December 2009 that Barry Hearn first Got a place on the WPBSA Board thats still 20 days off being a Year and just look whats happened in that time.

it was in fact 17 of November 2009 that Barry Hearn first put his name Forward to be chairman theres not even been a year to that decision yet.

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:

Monique wrote:And Ali said he won't play neither in Hamm nor in Prague. So he will not be in the Finals neither. Same reasons: family, and wanting to focus on UK.

if that what they wants to do thats their right the key here its their choice last season and for the previous 10 roughly they did not have a decition to make thats as fast as snooker has come in only 12 months.

this time last year Barry Hearn was nothing to do with WSA,WPBSA,Snooker Tour involvement.

it was 2nd of December 2009 when Rodney Walker got defeated and the 4th of December 2009 that Barry Hearn first Got a place on the WPBSA Board thats still 20 days off being a Year and just look whats happened in that time.

I know, we've gone from Fanatic to Island, had a reporter at several events, had an interview with Cliff and Michaela and still haven't got the bloody Shotmaster in general use.

The time issue doesn't wash. If the players were not giving a choice they would have to play away.

The average salary over here is £26k for a 40 hour week with only 20 days holidyas a year. So for higher paid snooker players who put in less hours to go on about travel and time away is a joke.

Monique, I know people who are panicking at the thought of where there next pay day is going to come from. They can't provide. Do you honestly expect me to take pity on snooker players just because they have to stay in cramped hotel rooms and travel a lot? If they don't like it, they should try something else.

thetubberlad wrote:Monique, I know people who are panicking at the thought of where there next pay day is going to come from. They can't provide. Do you honestly expect me to take pity on snooker players just because they have to stay in cramped hotel rooms and travel a lot? If they don't like it, they should try something else.

And I know snooker players who are exactly in the same situation. I'm not speaking about the top boys here. I'm sure most people on benefits have a far easier life than low ranked snooker players... well until the welfare reform kicks in anyway

A player who goes to play in one EPTC, loses his first match has to pay for travel, for accommodations, 100£ entry fees and earns nothing... If he/she wins just one match, get 200 Euros. Do you think that covers the expenses?
Yes they do go to shabby hotels. They do return home with the first available transport, be it in the middle of the night. They do share rooms to reduce the costs. They do eat a lot of junk food ...