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Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby Andre147

masterdoctorgenius wrote:i loved it


then you'll love the Shoot-Out even more <laugh>

It's not proper Snooker, but absolutely no harm at all in having 1 or 2 fun events per season.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby SnookerFan

SnookerEd25 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Apparently this is the 500th professional tournament that Jimmy White has entered.


But only the 239th he can remember...


rofl

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby davisfan

First, hello :-)

Second, glad to read so many thoughts on the Seniors that echo my own. The play was enjoyable in large part but the whole thing just didn't feel right somehow, a mishmash, rather than a distinctive, settled format... and the very low age limit is a huge part of that, as discussed above.

40 is much too low (and dilutes the whole point of the thing), but they're surely stuck with it now - if it was reverted to 45 or even 50+ the 2015 winner wouldn't be able to defend the title, nor even appear for several years. It's a silly situation that should never have happened, and now we're stuck with a 2-speed field of current pros and Players of Yesteryear (TM) serving as cannon fodder.

Also, while I'm moaning... the tinkering (entry criteria, shot clock) just gives the impression that World Snooker/Sky/Hearn don't think the basic 'product' is interesting or valuable enough in its own right. Which is something of an insult to players like Cliff Thorburn, to the whole concept of a 'seniors' event, and to viewers who have enough attention span to watch snooker without BWOOP, PING PING PING sound effects.

Mark Williams' interviews were funny, though.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby Andy Spark

davisfan wrote:First, hello :-)

Second, glad to read so many thoughts on the Seniors that echo my own. The play was enjoyable in large part but the whole thing just didn't feel right somehow, a mishmash, rather than a distinctive, settled format... and the very low age limit is a huge part of that, as discussed above.

40 is much too low (and dilutes the whole point of the thing), but they're surely stuck with it now - if it was reverted to 45 or even 50+ the 2015 winner wouldn't be able to defend the title, nor even appear for several years. It's a silly situation that should never have happened, and now we're stuck with a 2-speed field of current pros and Players of Yesteryear (TM) serving as cannon fodder.

Also, while I'm moaning... the tinkering (entry criteria, shot clock) just gives the impression that World Snooker/Sky/Hearn don't think the basic 'product' is interesting or valuable enough in its own right. Which is something of an insult to players like Cliff Thorburn, to the whole concept of a 'seniors' event, and to viewers who have enough attention span to watch snooker without BWOOP, PING PING PING sound effects.

I agree, the event is trying to be too many different things at once and so never succeeds in properly being any.


As for a 39 year old winning, (same age as Ronnie), well have we ever had a situation in any sport where the winner of a senior major/World Championship is the same age as a man that one a normal major/ World Championship that same season? Surely the entire raison d'etre of senior events is that the players are of an age where they are no longer competitive enough to win big events on the main tour, barring a 100/1 event?

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby SnookerFan

I get the impression that we're taking this event more seriously than the organisers do.

It seems to be an excuse to throw in a few of the oldies like Jimmy and Steve Davis who can still draw a crowd. I'd guess the inclusion of people like Mark Williams is just to keep the standard up a bit. Bear in mind some of these players haven't played competitive snooker in years.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby Dan-cat

SnookerFan wrote:I get the impression that we're taking this event more seriously than the organisers do.

It seems to be an excuse to throw in a few of the oldies like Jimmy and Steve Davis who can still draw a crowd. I'd guess the inclusion of people like Mark Williams is just to keep the standard up a bit. Bear in mind some of these players haven't played competitive snooker in years.


What he said. I watched last year and apart from the final the standard was fairly shabby and not a good advertisement for the sport.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby SnookerFan

Dan-cat wrote:
What he said. I watched last year and apart from the final the standard was fairly shabby and not a good advertisement for the sport.


I don't have Sky Sports, but popped down for the opening day in Portsmouth a couple of times, as that's easy to do on the train from me. I often stayed in Portsmouth overnight, had a few beers. Watched a few of the legends play.

I didn't take it seriously, a bit of banter and few beers with some ex-players.

I wouldn't take it as anything more serious than that.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby SnookerFan

Dan-cat wrote:SF I reckon you have seen more live snooker that anyone I know!


rofl

I'm a lightweight compared to some. I've been to ranking events to watch for the weekend, and met people that have tickets for every match all week.

There may even be people on this site that watch more than I do.