Where now for Steve Davis?

According to the BBC website, this season is the first season since 1978 that Steve Davis has appeared at neither the World Championship nor the UK Championship. Obviously Steve is a fading legend, who did well to retain his top-16 place when he was 50, and had that decent run in last year's round.

I'm a big fan of player's continuing playing as long as they love the game, and can stay on the main tour. But at the same time, it's sad to see somebody like Jimmy White still contend they could win a world title years after that was clearly impossible, and it can also pain me to watch him put in so much practice, just to get himself in a position to be knocked out in the first round of tournaments.

Do you believe now is time for Steve Davis to retire? He's done all he can do, and is as deserving of a knighthood as any other sportsmen. He had a decent run in the Worlds last year, and has struggled this year. So maybe it's a good time to face the inevitable and say; "I had a good career" before you're floundering too much. Is know a good time to cash in on his popularity in the game, and appear for Snooker Legends and the Seniors Worlds? Pressure free games, still gets to play and earns a few quid on the side.

Or are we being too harsh? Does Steve still have something to offer the pro game outside of exhibitions and commentary? Obviously not going to add to his tally of rankers, but can he still appear at arenas? Or do people just think he'll enjoy it to much, he'll continue to play?

Discuss.

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I'm not sure really, Steve himself has said that in Snooker you gradually climb up the rankings (remember he was 13th before he won the 1983 world title) - have your years at the top and then climb down the ladder - as Steve is now - he can still play the game, not many 53 year olds reach the last 48 of the worlds (which was what Steve was seeded to do remember, he won a qualifier from unlikely positions just a few days ago - which in itself shows he can play the game) - Its like with JP - he reached the last 16 of the world championships and gave a high seed a run for his money over 25 frames, shows that they can play. Ken Doherty is in the late autumn, in the position of climbing down the rankings after his spell at the top)

Knowing Steve's attitude I think he'll play until he loses his card, unless he develops a detest for the the professional circuit.

Tough to say for us but I really think in this situation it's down to the player himself and how he feels, listen nobody else should have the right to tell a 6 time world/UK champ when to retire he'll do it when he's good and ready ! But as a neutral I thought last year at the Crucible was just a beautifully set-up moment for him to retire on the biggest stage, beating the best player in the world in an amazing match ... I just hope he isn't playing his last ever match in a couple of years time losing heavily in a round of 80 match.

if Steve was going to Retire he would have almost 10 years ago when he almost fell out of the top 32 then.

He didn't and he got himself together and back in the top 16 he knows whats the deal i just think he enjoys trying so he will keep going up to sheffield to Try.

Stephen Lee hamered him 10-2 but he had chances from what i saw on live scoring but he was not killing off the chances but if he keeps getting chances he could win matches just like he did against Lisowski but not consistantly.

With so many points at stake in the PTC events and these often making a massive difference in the lower end of the rankings where a few thousand points can seperate 10 or 15 players, its a question of whether he has the enthusiasm to commit fully to playing these events.

With a lot of 09/10 points to lose next season his place on tour will be in jeopardy at the end of next season and Steve really has to decide whether he bows out of his own accord gracefully now, or plays on but commit to other tournaments with the same level of commitment and professionalism that he always does with the World Championship.

Steve would miss snooker badly if he stopped player after a near 35 year pro career, so personally whilst he will never achieve past glories, either will so many other players on the tour who are past their peaks too, so i think he should continue to play on with a new goal of trying to remain on tour till hes 60.

witz

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you naughty fibber

This thread was intended for me to debate whether Steve would retire, rather then tell him to. It seemed like a natural time. It's hard to tell at the time though. After his World Championship last year, I wasn't thinking; "Man, I bet Steve will have a pretty shoddy season next year." He was still regularly qualifying for events. Nobody has a crystal ball to see what the next year or two will bring professionally, so it's probably a hard choice. Especially for somebody who loves playing the game that much.

If Steve still loves playing in the small cubicles, and putting practice in he might as well keep it up for another season or two, at least. As Wild says, if he wanted to just cash in as a Legend for Hire he would have already done it. But, like Bourne, I'd think it would be said to see Davis getting spanked by mediocre journeymen who have never, nor will ever, make a fraction of the impact on the game that Steve has. (By the way, I don't think Stephen Lee is mediocre, it's more of what Steve could be facing as he gets older.)

not qualifying for neither the worlds nor uk for the first time since 1978 might tell its own story but i personally think he should carry on and reassess this time next year

scroll back to the 2000s and hes reached quite a few ranking semi finals and finals most notably against o sullivan at the welsh open when he 8-5 up and lost 9-8 and against ding in the uk so what im saying is every once in a blue moon a player of his class will surprise us all

he may not win any matches in three or four tournamants then all of a sudden he capable of having a run in a tournament from nowhere you never quite lose that class

people harp on about his match with higgins last year but not many people remember the first session which in my opinion standard wise was the best session played by anyone at the crucible last year in that session he won 6-2 against some would say his clone he played a perfect session i think he only missed two balls that session his safety was superb his long potting was superb along with the mid distance pots and he was scoring very heavy from the opportunities he was creating

what im saying is davis will continue to decline but every now and again he capable of having a good run in a tournament where he can reach the semi final or even final

as a Hendry fan i would want him to retire even if he becomes World Champion This year BUT its not my place to say its really up to the individual.

Wild wrote:as a Hendry fan i would want him to retire even if he becomes World Champion This year BUT its not my place to say its really up to the individual.

the thing is its easy to look back with hindsight at the END of a players career and say he should have retired then.

But whilst a career is still ongoing, even in an obvious and natural decline there will be mini revivals and peaks and troughs of form which give the player and his fans renewed optomism.

The thing with snooker with darts and golf probably being the only sporst similar, is that with the sport not being physically based, players dont have a certain career lifespan of 10-15 years like footballers, tennis players etc have. They can basically play on till they reach normal retirement if they wish to do so and can still play to some sort of decent standard.

Just look at the like of Tom Watson almost winning The Open 2 years ago aged 59, just every so often an old dog has its day in the sun and who knows, perhaps Hendry could reach a Crucible final again, you just never know.

If all players should retire once they are past their peak then half if not more of the current main tour players would have to retire. Plus how do younger players know when theyve peaked, Robbo the current WC, he may have had his peak and is never going to win another title or he may go onto to win 3 more WCs. No-one would dare suggest he should take the chance and retire now with his legacy intact so he never has a natural decline phase like so many others before him have.

I guess its also why music stars and film stars who die young are more iconic than those who grow old and whose star begins to wane. If Marilyn Monroe was still alive and a 85 year old woman would she be as iconic, if Elvis was still alive and 76 hed prob be a joke figure more remembered for eating burgers. Wheras had Michael Jackson died 20 years ago instead of 2 years ago before his decline set in, hed have been looked back on far more favourably by all.