Definitively the match that hooked me on snooker.

The quality ain´t great but take a look at the late great Mr Higgins. Jack Karnhem wrote about this game in one of his books and I´ll never forget that saturday afternoon mesmerised by Mr Gunslinger himself against the unflappable Mr Thorburn. Higgins was 5-1 down and all but out. He scrambled 2 more frames on the board and was 53 down in the next when Cliff missed a sitter. Particularly watch this ninth frame and the dish from Higgins including what I thought at the time was a wonder shot to nudge the last red from the cushion. Enjoy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mga4tirIdTM

I honestly have no clue of the match that got me started watching snooker to be honest, I remember Robertson's world final but have definitely been watching snooker for a while before that - I think that was when I became a lot more intrigued by the sport than I'd previously been.

Jimmy White vs Stephen Hendry 1994 World Final

Had followed snooker loosely before this, especially the early part of Ronnie's career, but this is the match that got me hooked and turned me into a lifelong fan. I was only 9 years old at the time and I remember the whole family sitting together around the TV glued to this match. Every one of us was rooting for Jimmy except my mum who was a hardcore Hendry fan.

Was truly gutted when Jimmy missed that black and then Hendry cleared up. It was the sort of stuff that made me lie awake in bed at night thinking about it, and then I would end up feeling knackered the following morning before school lol. Great memories.

Had been watching snooker on and off for a year or so but the Match that turned me from a casual viewer to a fanatic was the 1982 World Final when Alex beat Dracula.


A Special player never seen anyone generate that sort of excitement just by Walking in to a room.

A bit hard to say, I only watched some bits prior to 2005 but I think the match that I really remember inspired me to continue watching this amazing sport was the 2005 Worlds Final between Murphy and Stevens. I think I only watched the final 2 sessions of it, but I was hooked up with the insane amount of long pots Murphy was knocking in, and I was rooting for him, and he duly won 18-16.

I didn't exactly become a die hard watcher after that, but it really got my interest in the sport, and by late 2006 that's when I started to watch every tournament, every ball potted.

Hard to say. Watched it with my gran for a while. Used to be on Jimmy watch whilst she watched her soaps.

I only sat down and watched a full tournament properly for the first time in 2002. It was Ebdon's world title win.

I only got hooked in 2014. One of the more interesting match was the IC semi when that Williams missed a do-or-die red, then he losed 9-8.

gcjdavid wrote:I only got hooked in 2014. One of the more interesting match was the IC semi when that Williams missed a do-or-die red, then he losed 9-8.

That's the draw with snooker. I remember a few times when I was at university, I had some revision or some coursework to do. I'd be eating lunch, or something, and think; "I'll just watch a frame and then get down to some work."

Something like you mentioned would happen. For example, somebody would miss frame ball and his opponent would clear up. I'd think; "Okay, I'll see how he responds to that. One more frame."

You'd end up watching all afternoon.

SnookerFan wrote:

gcjdavid wrote:I only got hooked in 2014. One of the more interesting match was the IC semi when that Williams missed a do-or-die red, then he losed 9-8.

That's the draw with snooker. I remember a few times when I was at university, I had some revision or some coursework to do. I'd be eating lunch, or something, and think; "I'll just watch a frame and then get down to some work."

Something like you mentioned would happen. For example, somebody would miss frame ball and his opponent would clear up. I'd think; "Okay, I'll see how he responds to that. One more frame."

You'd end up watching all afternoon.

Too true. I've been known to literally do nothing but stare at the livestream for whole days during qualifiers or the championship league, much to the ensufferement (is that a word?) of coursework.

AC or LT? wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

gcjdavid wrote:I only got hooked in 2014. One of the more interesting match was the IC semi when that Williams missed a do-or-die red, then he losed 9-8.

That's the draw with snooker. I remember a few times when I was at university, I had some revision or some coursework to do. I'd be eating lunch, or something, and think; "I'll just watch a frame and then get down to some work."

Something like you mentioned would happen. For example, somebody would miss frame ball and his opponent would clear up. I'd think; "Okay, I'll see how he responds to that. One more frame."

You'd end up watching all afternoon.

Too true. I've been known to literally do nothing but stare at the livestream for whole days during qualifiers or the championship league, much to the ensufferement (is that a word?) of coursework.

Thus, I've found myself lucky to stay in a time zone when the evening sessions are 4 am local time.

Thank you to the OP for this gem of a link. Don't think I have seen this one before. Alex had always been my favorite from an entertainment perspective. I always try to emulate his style (though not his awful mechanical form) in my game play to make for interesting snooker. The biggest problem I have in my club is the boredom and tedium of drawn out frames due to the generally ridiculously conservative shot selection. I have stated before that in any given frame, I expect to pot a mere five reds due to my opponents' continual habit of compiling a well thought out break of "One!" only to follow up with a run away shot leaving me buried in baulk yet again. With this utter lack of perspective, you would think the World Championship were on the line with every shot rather than actually trying to improve one's potting ability and overall snooker.

Alex was always different, seeing shots that no others could or would dare to see. I can honestly, objectively see that trait in my game as well, with a premium on creativity and learning for the future new lines that the cue ball will predictably take when playing a pot at some unusual angle. (You want an example? Watch the two pots of the black ball starting at 9:00 to 10:00 on the referenced video. Alex plays exactly the same angle, cue off two cushions between yellow and brown, just different power as required for the shot. The first one is utterly amazing power control with a delayed appreciation on the part of the gallery because they probably hadn't seen it coming; just expected to pot black and come what may. In fact, you can clearly see the cue ball traveled exactly as Alex expected, only it traveled just a bit too long as Alex expected a simple bend-over-along-the-side-cushion shot and was mildly disappointed to have to walk around the table and play the rest shot.) I can't say how frequently my opponent believes that I have fluked myself a perfect leave on a high colour after playing some non-standard shot and I have given up trying to argue the point so now I just leave my opponent to think what he will.

I arrived in England in February, 1985 and saw Snooker for the first time on telly that same evening, but I have no memory of which tournament or players. Alex was into his decline already by that point. As far as the game, it was love at first sight for me, having never even been aware of its existence prior to this. The icing on the cake for me then was the classic '85 WC and I was fortunate to be able to watch every minute of the television coverage of the final session. Of course, everyone knows the difficulty of the physical aspect of playing the game, but I believe this match, especially the deciding frame, epitomized the grueling psychological aspect of the game. Today, the importance of this is proven in the proliferation of "sports psychologist" as a livelihood. Back in Alex' and Cliff's day (and mine), beer and cigarettes mostly served this purpose.

Great post, Acesinc. I try to play like Alex as well

2008 WSC. Ronnie in untouchable mode.

Great thread Brave Bunny.

I can’t remember the exact moment I fell in love with snooker but I do remember being about 5 years old, roaming between the tables at the Ripley Star club, the private members club in our tiny faux-French style village in North Yorkshire. My friend Anthony’s Mum was the caretaker of the club and as she hoovered we were allowed to run riot in the games room. All manner of cue sports lived here, from the vast slate slabs of seemingly endless baize of the 12 ft x 6 ft full size snooker tables, the young upstart that was the 8 ball English pool table and the strange upturned mushrooms of the bar billiards table. To me this vast room of adult pleasures was glorious. I read a study that claimed that what happens in the first five years of a child’s life is very, very important. This period is critical to the child’s development of imagination and creativity. Well snooker got stuck in there. I was really lucky, my Dad was in a band so I was surrounded by musical instruments and songs being written in our front room in our tiny tied cottage (my mum worked in the farmhouse each morning in lieu of rent.)

...and then fast forward to 1985 and the black ball finish. I was 12 and it was the latest I'd ever been allowed to stay up and the whole family was glued to watch Dennis Taylor wagging his finger :)

I should add, by this time I absolutely idolised Steve Davis. I wanted him to win. Get it in nugget!

We're of a similar vintage, Dan-Cat, though I'm a few years younger

There wasn't one particular match that got me into snooker; it was simply a colourful, interesting thing that was on the TV. And Steve Davis always seemed to be playing, and seemed to spend most of the time at the table, and my young brain recognised that as he had opponents in this strange, ball-centric game, he must be better than them to monopolise the play. I remember wondering why the others couldn't do it like he did. His style wasn't a secret, after all - it was being televised...

My first glance of snooker was back in 1989, when Eurosport started its program through Sky (both were part of the satellite channels pack that was offered for free in my country). I don't remember a particular match, but I remember Steve Davis dominating. Maybe it was the Worlds Final of that year.

But the tournament that made me a hardcore fan of snooker and I remember very well, was World Masters on January 1991. I have clear memories of Wattana's 147 (which I didn't understand exactly, as a 14 years old, why it had caused such an impression), Wattana's win over Hendry, Jimmy White beating Tony Drago in the final. Several hours of live snooker those days, even mixed doubles or women's tournament (Allison Fisher was the best). Sweet memories...

Stephen Hendry v Peter Ebdon: United Kingdom Championship Final 2006

That was the match I realized what a great sport snooker really is. I'll explain this in more detail later today...

The Dott vs Ebdon world final.

For me I think it was the 2004 Masters final between Ronnie and the great Paul Hunter. Such a great match and such great personalities. I was amazed how Paul Hunter was able to win it in the end after Ronnie played so good. This was the match that hooked me on snooker and I became a fan of both players.

After that I remember watching Ronnie play like a god against Hendry in the 2004 world semi on his way to his second world title and I just couldn't believe how good Ronnie was. The following year I was even more amazed when Ronnie absolutely destroyed John Higgins in the 2005 Masters final. I still think Ronnie was at his absolute best in that 2005 Masters final. Just unbelievable. I became a Ronnie fan for life. When I play snooker myself it's cue ball controll that fascinates me, and nobody does it better than Ronnie.

Paul Hunter was involved in many fantastic matches.. Such a shame he's not around anymore. Snooker hasn't been the same without him, his talent and charisma is missed...

My earliest Snooker memories go back to the 2003 World Championship (as a 11 year old). I didn't watch the whole tournament probably but some parts of it , including some parts of the final with MJW and Doherty and Ronnies maximum against Fu. Obviously, back then I didn't know what was going on in that moment but I thought. Hey, that guy is potting some good balls and the crowd is applauding a lot.

Apart from that the British Open final between Hendry and Ronnie which Hendry won is the only other memory I have regarding the year 2003.

I don't remember since when I really started to become a fan of Snooker but definitely by no later than the Mastersfinal 2004 between Ronnie and Paul Hunter which was truly a brillant match. And ever since I've been watching as much Snooker as possible.

And I remember quite well that I was already a supporter of ROS in the 2004 World Snooker Championship when he was playing like a machine.