ATWSC Group E: Cliff Thorburn v Peter Ebdon

Cliff Thorburn v Peter Ebdon (Best of 20 frames)
Group: E
Date: December 2
Match: Six of six
Match day: Three of three
Venue: Thurston’s Hall, London, United Kingdom

Vote for which of the two players you think was greater. Vote honestly, and leave your bias out of it. Don’t vote for a player just because you like them, don’t vote against a player just because you dislike them.

Consider the table conditions to be whatever conditions would have the least impact on the result.

You can use your own personal criteria for measuring greatness once it’s free of any bias towards/against (delete as applicable) players you like/dislike (delete as applicable).

Comment for the player you wish to vote for.

Gotta be Ebdon.

Thorburn

chengdufan wrote:Thorburn

Given the era he played through and what he achieved in spite of that, it's Ebdon every day of the week for me.

One to crack open the popcorn for. A real blockbuster clash, if ever there was one.

Ebdon to edge it.

Cloud Strife wrote:One to crack open the popcorn for. A real blockbuster clash, if ever there was one.

Ebdon to edge it.

Group E was one savage group.

Pink Ball wrote:

chengdufan wrote:Thorburn

Given the era he played through and what he achieved in spite of that, it's Ebdon every day of the week for me.

Fair enough.
I think it's pretty close, but Thorburn edges it. They're just about equally talented in my book, but Thorburn achieved what he did having to play in a foreign country. And he stayed towards the top end for far longer than would have been expected.

On his career record, got to go with the “original” Grinder.

Thorburn

badtemperedcyril wrote:On his career record, got to go with the “original” Grinder.

Thorburn

Mind-boggling. Ebdon had Williams, O'Sullivan, Hendry and Higgins to contend with, Doherty, Hunter and Stephen Lee as well, yet won 9 ranking titles including the two toughest tournaments in the game.

Tough one, this.

Thorburn was the original non-British World Champion and won 20 tournaments. Has one of probably the top three most iconic snooker breaks ever, probably second only to THAT Higgins break in 1982. I think his nickname probably means he’s underrated by many.

But does that make him better than Ebdon?

I think you’d be hard pushed to find a sportsperson who maximised his ability as much as Ebdon did. As Pink says he operated in the toughest era of snooker ever and beat possibly the greatest player of all time in the final to win the two biggest tournaments.

I’d say it’s close. But it’s Ebdon.

Shame he’s insane, really.

It's honestly not that tight for me, and I watched both and thought Thorburn was very, very good.

But Ebdon never gets the credit he deserves. Quality snooker player. A complete looper these days, but we can't hold that against him for the purpose of this competition.

Thorburn

Thorburn

Thorburn wins by 11 frames to 8.