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Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

I just found, by accident, an old clip of snooker banter during the Pot Black Cup from 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HayAjCgcQD8

I remember this tournament. Why not have more tournaments like this? I really enjoyed it when they did it in 2006. Bit posh, but it could be done at a variety of venues. Why not? I found it infinately more entertaining then Power Snooker. Personally, I would find it more interesting then the rubbish clock shoout out in January. So why not?

Interesting chat with Hazel and Steve Davis at the end. As true today as it was then.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Tubberlad

I hated Power Snooker, this wasn't much better though...

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

TPtheirishstud wrote:I hated Power Snooker, this wasn't much better though...


Really? I thought it was alright.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Tubberlad

My outstanding memory of it was the rest of the players laughing at Murphy because he was the only one taking it seriously...

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

TPtheirishstud wrote:My outstanding memory of it was the rest of the players laughing at Murphy because he was the only one taking it seriously...


I don't think it was that year, but one year Matthew Stevens beat Shaun Murphy in the final, and they asked him if it made up for losing in the World Championship final. Matthew Stevens went; "Well, not really." rofl

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Monique

Pot black in its late occurences was nothing more than a mundane event where people who could afford it paid a fortune to drink champagne and do small talk with a handfull of snooker players who pretended it to be a snooker event by playing one frame of snooker or three at the very most. Players laughing at Murphy for trying his best in it is both testimony of that and of Murphy's dedication (slightly ridiculous but endearing nonetheless). Ronnie's honesty when he favoured running a cross country run rather than pretend to be part of the "upper class world" earned him a lot of stick, while it should have earned him nothing but praise.
Snooker never was an upper class sport and will never be. And it's very well like that.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Wildey

yes the setting it was played was a turn off for me.

took snooker back to the 20s and a old fashion gentlemen only club atmosphere.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Smart

wildJONESEYE wrote:yes the setting it was played was a turn off for me.

took snooker back to the 20s and a old fashion gentlemen only club atmosphere.


I'd like to see more events in this sort of environment. <ok>

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

The format was a bit odd, it must be said. With players out drinking champagne, and talking to people with a lot of money. It could be easy to be taken as elitist.

At the same time, we're at risk of inverted snobbery. It did come across as a bit elitist, that's true. But I wouldn't want to see snooker as being a 'working class game'. It should be a game for all to enjoy, surely. We should be encouraging people from across the social spectrum. There's absolutely nothing wrong with players having dinners and drinks with people after the matches, but we shouldn't just be aiming these type of events to people that want/can afford champagne dinners. What if there was a series of these events, where some weeks players were playing in a pub with a large back-room, or somewhere that might be like by those of us with a more common touch.

Thinking about it, if done right, this could really help promote snooker. More so then Power Snooker, which didn't even adhere to snooker. Done in a proper way, as maybe once-a-month non-ranking event, I can see this doing more harm then good. Aiming it solely at people with money, whilst the players toady up to Barons and Baronnesses won't help. But, I don't see the problem with the odd glamour event, as long as some are brought to other people with no interest in that lifestyle.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Smart

I think champagne events is the only way forward for snooker. Perhaps if the game is to grow then a CAVA series of events could be on offer for those who can't splash out for a champagne event.

Cava could be PTC.

Champagne could be rankers.

:cracker: :xmas: :cracker: :xmas:

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

HugoDrax wrote:I think champagne events is the only way forward for snooker. Perhaps if the game is to grow then a CAVA series of events could be on offer for those who can't splash out for a champagne event.

Cava could be PTC.

Champagne could be rankers.

:cracker: :xmas: :cracker: :xmas:


I don't want to make rankers more expensive, that's crazy talk.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Roland

The Pot Black cup was a load of bullocks. The only good thing about it was Mark Williams won one of them. I don't remember the Stevens quote but that's a classic <laugh>

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

Sonny wrote:The Pot Black cup was a load of bullocks. The only good thing about it was Mark Williams won one of them. I don't remember the Stevens quote but that's a classic <laugh>


It was a dumb question, to be fair. I don't see what was wrong with this event, to be honest. Or at least the actual concept. The BBC's coverage wasn't great, they kept cutting over to show live horse racing and then you'd come back; "Oh yeah, you missed a whole match." <doh> And, as has been said, they seemed to want to market it as a posh exclusive event, which might irk some. But as a concept, I don't mind it. I think it was an entertaining Saturday afternoon. If this Sky Shoot Out thing had the right idea, they'd just scrap all this 10 minute a frame, 2 seconds a shot rule, and keep it as a one-frame shoot out.

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:. If this Sky Shoot Out thing had the right idea, they'd just scrap all this 10 minute a frame, 2 seconds a shot rule, and keep it as a one-frame shoot out.

now that i agree with <ok>

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

wildJONESEYE wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:. If this Sky Shoot Out thing had the right idea, they'd just scrap all this 10 minute a frame, 2 seconds a shot rule, and keep it as a one-frame shoot out.

now that i agree with <ok>


Mr. Wild. :wave:

Re: Pot Black Cup

Postby SnookerFan

wheelsofsteel wrote:waste of time. Pot Black is dead and from a different generation


Viva Sky Shootout. :bowdown: