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Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby TheRocket

vodkadiet wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO5uZYizCWU


All credit to Fergal for holding himself together like that and gaining one of his best victories in his golden career. And all credit to him that he kept his emotions under control and didn't show a fist pump after potting that magical black at the end.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby vodkadiet

TheRocket wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO5uZYizCWU


All credit to Fergal for holding himself together like that and gaining one of his best victories in his golden career. And all credit to him that he kept his emotions under control and didn't show a fist pump after potting that magical black at the end.


Fergal doesn't fist pump. He isn't a chav!

Anyway, a great match between 2 gritty match players.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Andy Spark

SnookerFan wrote:
Andy Spark wrote:Yes, the whole raison d'etre for the event is that great players past their best are not having to compete against the very best. If Ronnie is eligible next year, as either the official world number one or still the best player in the world by most peoples reckoning, that really would make the event a farce. I can't believe World snooker or the WPBSA haven't thought of that, what are they doing dropping the age limit to 40! :hmmm: Maybe they think Ronnie will decline within a year, it's certainly possible, but on the balance of probabilities unlikely.


Though I agree that tour players, especially ones in the top-16 shouldn't be allowed to enter, it's not something I'm going to lie awake at night worrying about.

The Snooker Legends can't be a good laugh, but it has no real importance in snooker calendar. They let tour players in originally so David and Jimmy White could be there, then lowered the age so Hendry could be there.

This tournament is an exhibition event, so at the end of the day, they can do what they want. If they want to have players at their peak enter, and beat the crap out of players like Dennis Taylor, it'll make the tournament look a bit daft, but it won't really matter.

This is not an exhibition event unless you believe that the under XYZ youth world championships should also be designated "exhibition" too, or maybe the ladies world championship or maybe disabled events. Differentiation on the basis of age is like differentiation on the basis of gender or disability; it is part of a healthy, inclusive sporting scene that acknowledges and accepts physical difference.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Andre147

Andy Spark wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
Andy Spark wrote:Yes, the whole raison d'etre for the event is that great players past their best are not having to compete against the very best. If Ronnie is eligible next year, as either the official world number one or still the best player in the world by most peoples reckoning, that really would make the event a farce. I can't believe World snooker or the WPBSA haven't thought of that, what are they doing dropping the age limit to 40! :hmmm: Maybe they think Ronnie will decline within a year, it's certainly possible, but on the balance of probabilities unlikely.


Though I agree that tour players, especially ones in the top-16 shouldn't be allowed to enter, it's not something I'm going to lie awake at night worrying about.

The Snooker Legends can't be a good laugh, but it has no real importance in snooker calendar. They let tour players in originally so David and Jimmy White could be there, then lowered the age so Hendry could be there.

This tournament is an exhibition event, so at the end of the day, they can do what they want. If they want to have players at their peak enter, and beat the crap out of players like Dennis Taylor, it'll make the tournament look a bit daft, but it won't really matter.

This is not an exhibition event unless you believe that the under XYZ youth world championships should also be designated "exhibition" too, or maybe the ladies world championship or maybe disabled events. Differentiation on the basis of age is like differentiation on the basis of gender or disability; it is part of a healthy, inclusive sporting scene that acknowledges and accepts physical difference.


Yes I agree, although it still carries a fun element to it, the World Seniors should only be elegible to players aged 50 or older, that way we have a fair tournament that gives all players a fair chance of winning it.

I don't bother too much with this changes as I certainly won't be watching much of this crap, but if it was indeed 50 or older players only it would feel like a proper Seniors Championship, with the odd joke here and there but at the end of the day all players would still want to do well and possibly win the whole thing.

The way it is now players still playing on the tour are 99% certain the ones who are going to win it, most likely MJW or Dale for instance, it makes a total mockery of this event. Even Ronnie will be able to enter it in 2016. They think making it this way should attract more viewers, but it's just the opposite in my view. Players 50 or older would have been the order of the day.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Cloud Strife

I think the age limit of 40 is too high for this event. They should consider dropping it down to 30 or even 25. That way you'll have guys like Judd and Ding who can play in this as well.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby TheSaviour

Cloud Strife wrote:I think the age limit of 40 is too high for this event. They should consider dropping it down to 30 or even 25. That way you'll have guys like Judd and Ding who can play in this as well.


Hahaa. But I think it is great that there are players just over 40 to play this World Seniors Championships. That way the older players will have a great challenge trying to beat them. People like Ray Reardon or Steve Davis have or had just the right game and attitude to make it a very interesting. To play against the younger fluent players. Obviously with Ray he HAD it..
Having "just" the good track record isn´t necessary always enough.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Wildey

i agree with Andre

i find this event a turn off because they trying to be too serious.

what makes these events interesting is nostalgia......nothing nostalgic watching Mark Williams playing after seeing him in the UK Championship or beating Ronnie in the IC and making the Semi Finals.

Main Tour players should not be eligible if they are inside the top 64.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby SnookerFan

Andy Spark wrote:This is not an exhibition event unless you believe that the under XYZ youth world championships should also be designated "exhibition" too, or maybe the ladies world championship or maybe disabled events. Differentiation on the basis of age is like differentiation on the basis of gender or disability; it is part of a healthy, inclusive sporting scene that acknowledges and accepts physical difference.


The shot clocks, and more informal nature of the tournament, make this exhibition as much as the age of the people in it.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby SnookerFan

gcjdavid wrote:Since when we're there shot clocks?


According to Wikipedia, 2011;

"In 2011 the age eligibility criteria was increased from 40 to 45 years,[5] and it was moved to the East of England Showground in Peterborough.[6] All matches were best of 3 frames, a 30-second shot clock was introduced after ten minutes of play, and the miss rule was altered so ball-in-hand was awarded anywhere on table after the third miss"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Seniors_Championship

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:i agree with Andre

i find this event a turn off because they trying to be too serious.

what makes these events interesting is nostalgia......nothing nostalgic watching Mark Williams playing after seeing him in the UK Championship or beating Ronnie in the IC and making the Semi Finals.

Main Tour players should not be eligible if they are inside the top 64.


<laugh> <laugh> <laugh>

"Aaah, Mark Williams. That takes me back. To a week last Wednesday." :D

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby PLtheRef

SnookerFan wrote:
Wildey wrote:i agree with Andre

i find this event a turn off because they trying to be too serious.

what makes these events interesting is nostalgia......nothing nostalgic watching Mark Williams playing after seeing him in the UK Championship or beating Ronnie in the IC and making the Semi Finals.

Main Tour players should not be eligible if they are inside the top 64.


<laugh> <laugh> <laugh>

"Aaah, Mark Williams. That takes me back. To a week last Wednesday." :D


rofl

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby PLtheRef

Wildey wrote:i agree with Andre

i find this event a turn off because they trying to be too serious.

what makes these events interesting is nostalgia......nothing nostalgic watching Mark Williams playing after seeing him in the UK Championship or beating Ronnie in the IC and making the Semi Finals.

Main Tour players should not be eligible if they are inside the top 64.


What will kill the tournament off is how it's trying to mix the serious nature with the quirks to try and play the seriousness down. I know that it's not the fault of the players if they turn 40 when they're still at the top of their game but it does take a lot of the spirit of the spirit of the tournament when it turns into a contest which includes a proportion of the games best players who you'd expect to win even over best of three frames.

How it can be combated I'm not sure - you could make it for non-tour players but then again that rules out a few of the field. - I'm not convinced by a ranking cut off (even though nobody will try and find their way into the seniors)

Just looking at the inaugural line up for the original World Seniors, all but two (who were never on tour anyway) were still competing on the tour at the time.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Wildey

If they want this to be a serious event Ditch the shot clock and play best of 9s if they want this to be a nostalgic look at players of yesteryear increase age to 45, play best of 3s and no tour players involved.

they trying to be everything and it coming across as total rubbish.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby Andy Spark

Wildey wrote:If they want this to be a serious event Ditch the shot clock and play best of 9s if they want this to be a nostalgic look at players of yesteryear increase age to 45, play best of 3s and no tour players involved.

they trying to be everything and it coming across as total rubbish.

I agree, they have tried to do too much with this event, which has left people genuinely confused as to what its really purpose is. In spite of bearing some of the hallmarks of exhibition format, for example informality, it has more of the hallmarks of serious play. By attempting to be "jack of all formats", it has become master of none.


One solution would be to have two such senior events, one which is clearly exhibition and one which is clearly a serious World Championship for (+ 45 or +50) senior players.

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby SnookerFan

I notice nobody bothered to put up the draw.

It was published in December, I guess people thought Christmas was more interesting than this tournament. Can't think why. <laugh>

Anyway, here it is;

Monday March 2nd from 1pm:
Steve Davis v Rory McLeod
John Parrott v Cliff Thorburn
Nigel Bond v Dominic Dale
Dennis Taylor v Darren Morgan


From 7pm
Mark Williams v Darryn Walker
Joe Johnson v Paul McPhilips
Jimmy White v Ken Doherty
Peter Ebdon v Fergal O'Brien




Peter Ebdon vs Fergal O'Brien is the last match up. With a midnight start, they might still be playing at 9am the following morning. <laugh>

Re: World Seniors Championship Qualifiers 2015

Postby GreenRiver

The funny thing is that Ray Reardon won the World Championship 5 times in his 40s, so if players aged 40 can enter the seniors, we could, and probably will, have the absurdity of seeing players win the seniors at a younger age than Ray was when he won the world championship!

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby PLtheRef

Just looking back at some of these names - Mark Williams

Who here can remember that run he had to the Semi-Finals of the Welsh Open back in February 2015?

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby motorhead

PLtheRef wrote:Just looking back at some of these names - Mark Williams

Who here can remember that run he had to the Semi-Finals of the Welsh Open back in February 2015?

those were the days mate.... I'm off now, gotta catch my shuttle, my grandsons invited me over for dinner on Mars tomorrow night.

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby Andre147

PLtheRef wrote:Just looking back at some of these names - Mark Williams

Who here can remember that run he had to the Semi-Finals of the Welsh Open back in February 2015?


Yeah, I think he also reached a Final right after that, but it was such a long time ago I can't remember rofl

Re: Betway World Seniors Championship

Postby motorhead

SnookerFan wrote:I had no idea that Rory McLeod was as old as 43.

I don't know how old I thought he was, but I thought it was younger than that.

same here, I found out like a week ago thanks to an interview on yt.



Monday March 2nd from 1pm:
Steve Davis v Rory McLeod
John Parrott v Cliff Thorburn
Nigel Bond v Dominic Dale
Dennis Taylor v Darren Morgan


From 7pm
Mark Williams v Darryn Walker
Joe Johnson v Paul McPhilips
Jimmy White v Ken Doherty
Peter Ebdon v Fergal O'Brien


McLeod has faced Davis once in '12, Rory won fairly easily.
Parrott should have no problems I guess.
Rooting for Dale but BO3 could make it a coin toss.

Darryn could have a shot?
McPhilips should win I guess.
Jimmy to pull the upset)
Ebdon vs Fergal will end at 9am