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So where did it all begin?

Postby Tubberlad

How did you become a snooker fan to begin with? And which players contributed most to maintaining your interest to the point where it became your passion? Also, have you ever grown tired of the game at any stage or fallen out of love with it?

Personally speaking, I still remember the first time I watched the game, it was the opening day of the 1999 World Championship, John Higgins was playing and I remember feeling entranced by it. I only starter watching it out of boredom, my brothers had it on and I'd nothing better to do...

And a love affair began I suppose. When time weren't s great, snooker was probably the one thing that really cheered me up.

Over the first few years, the players that contributed most to maintaining that interest were Higgins, O'Sullivan, Williams, Doherty of course, being Irish, Hendry, Hunter, Ebdon, Stevens & Jimmy White.

My favourite moment in snooker was Ronnie O'Sullivan's World title in 2008, and Ken Doherty's run the the 2003 World final. Though Higgins winning the World Championship in 2011 was a sad moment for me personally, Paul Hunter's passing is by far and a way the worst thing I've seen happening in our game since I started watching.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

it all Started with Alex Higgins in late 1981 but it became a passion seeing him win the World Title in 1982. he caught my interest with his flair and magnetism but it did not stop there and every aspect of the game got engrossing and ill be honest thats never waned 20 years after Alex stopped being competitive.

i just move on nobody bigger than the sport.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby SnookerFan

My gran always watched snooker, and I remember watching odds and sods with her. I know I watched some in the 1990s with her, but can't actually remember pretty much anything. It was literally if she visited, I'd watch a couple of frames and go off and do something else. I can remember seeing Steve Davis being introduced as a champion, and I think it was when he was Masters champion. So sometime between the 1997 and 1998 tournament. But I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I knew that I enjoyed watching it occasionally. I remember the first time I switched a game on and watched one frame. I think it was a Hendry match, but god know when. I thought; "Arrrgh snooker!" Watched a frame, and thought; "Actually that weren't too bad." But went downstairs to do something else also. So, it was a very, very casual interest.

Believe it or not, it was as recently as 2002 that I came to it properly as a fan. I was at uiversity, and I was supposed to be doing coursework or revision or something one afternoon after a lecture, and I happened to notice the 2002 World Championship was on. So, having purchased a sandwich from the student shop, I thought; "Okay, I'll watch a frame with my lunch, and then go to work." Of course, one frame became two, which became three. I only had BBC at the time, being a student, but I'd watch all afternoon and suddenly realise the snooker was finishing at half-five or six and I'd better start thinking about dinner, having done no work at all. This pattern happened every day, until Peter Ebdon lifted the trophy. And unusually for an Ebdon came, it was an exciting match. That's how it started. I watched every BBC tournament the next season, not having Eurosport. So, for me that season Mark Williams became the man. As far as I knew, he was winning everything. And he always seemed to beat Ken Doherty, whose memorable run to the final is also one of my favourite memories.

After that, every time I was at my gran's house, I'd be on snooker watch on one room (or more importantly Jimmy White watch) when she was watching her soaps. Bless her, she so wanted him to win, and he always lost when I was at her house. Since then, obviously, I've become obsessed. I've attended so many live events, and had a real regret that I didn't get into in 1992, not 2002.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Matt_2745

Can't remember to be honest, there wasn't one match or season that I can look back on and think 'yes that was it'.

I watched from the mid-90's to the mid-noughties as a youngster and liked it, without being heavily involved, but then I went to the Crucible for the first time in 2005 and that definitely raised my interest a couple of notches and got me following every event and going to live events.

Then in 2008 I started my blog and that put my interest up further to where it is today really.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Witz78

from about age 3 playing on the 6x3 in the spare room in the house

then seeing and trying to play on the full size table in my Uncles house made me even more keen

maybe it was the simplicity of watching the different coloured balls making it compulsive viewing as a kid

certainly being mathematical from an early age, the scoring and numbers probably hooked me too

it just always seemed to be on in peoples houses wherever my mum dragged me and my brother to, everyone was into it back then so it was the natural thing to do

saw a spotty teenage Hendry come down to open the local club in '86 and that really excited me

played in the club for years as a teenager

can remember filling up jotters in Primary 2 at school with frame scores from mythical matches and tournaments id create with the likes of Taylor, Davis, Higgins, Mountjoy, Reardon, Griffiths, Thorburn, Meo etc playing in them

i think the fact the players all had personalities made it easy to get into in the 80s as a kid too

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:can remember filling up jotters in Primary 2 at school with frame scores from mythical matches and tournaments id create with the likes of Taylor, Davis, Higgins, Mountjoy, Reardon, Griffiths, Thorburn, Meo etc playing in them

i think the fact the players all had personalities made it easy to get into in the 80s as a kid too


thats the same for all sports though not just Snooker you think Tennis,Golf,Cricket,Football the list goes on proffesionalism to some extent changed sport for the better for players but it created clones of the succesfull players.

i still think today snooker has as much if not more characters than other sports.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Bourne

Jeez good question, It would have been about 1999-2000 ish if memory serves me correctly but i'd genuinelly be intrigued if I knew why I got interested in this sport and what moment in particular grabbed me. I guess my earliest memory would be the 2000 World final because I remember all the hoopla about Stevens at the time and they were bigging him up as being the new decade's dominant force, didn't turn out that way :john: Became a real proper fan instead of just a passing interest about 2/3 years later I think.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby randam05

Well, my older half brother who lived with us half the time, before he moved to university four years ago, is a lover of all sports, including snooker. Apparentley he tells me he used to watch snooker all the time when I was in the house, but if asked to come watch it with him I would refuse! I didnt even know what it was really! and I cant seriously believe I used to go everyday without snooker even crossing my mind!

We had always had a 6x3 table in the garage that I maybe played pool on once a month or so for a laugh! But then when it got moved into the house, my brother bought a set of snooker balls and I had a few games unknowingly how to play it. He tells me now, that when we played we had to be a player, and when he asked me who I wanted to be, I said ronnie o sullivan because hes the only one id ever heard of. And he would be Paul Hunter. His favourite at the time.

Now, I think ive said it before on here somewhere about how I got into snooker. Anyway, when I used to come home from school in April 2006, it was heavily raining every day during the championships. I absoloutley love the rain. Really love it over any other weather. So I sat by the window with a cup of tea after school, which I also adore, and listen to the rain. And put the telly on, and obviously nothings on at that time of day so I started putting snooker on to see how the pros played it! and ended up watching the majority of that tournaments final and various other matches I cant remember. So yes, it was the Graeme Dott, Peter Ebdon 2006 final that got me into snooker! Albeit I cant remember much of it at all now.

Later that year, dad let me stay up late to watch the robertson cope grand prix final with him on a school night! and that really set off my love for snooker. Although I didnt watch any tournament till the 2007 world championship, of which I decided to follow all of! and thats when I really fell in love I think. Then I started going down the club to play and other sorts before getting a table of my own! Now I wouldnt miss a minute of snooker.

And no my love for it has never dropped, and probably never will. Having said that, I have many times given up playing it will fustration. But god I appreciate snooker players and what they do, I really do!

Without snooker, I really dont see where my life would be right now. I would have very little to look forward too and do. Man it would be boring! Thank god for my older brother! And now I have passed it on to Jade!

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

randam05 wrote:Well, my older half brother who lived with us half the time

im sorry but that made me laugh lol

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby SnookerFan

Wild wrote:
randam05 wrote:Well, my older half brother who lived with us half the time

im sorry but that made me laugh lol


He's only a half-brother.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby N_Castle07

For me it was the early 90’s on the BBC. My very earliest memories were just Hendry picking up the trophies at the end of each tournament. I was way too young to appreciate how great he was at that stage. It wasn’t until around the mid 90’s that I really fell in love with the sport. I’m sure I would of eventually fell in love with the sport at some stage in my life no matter who I watched, but Hendry certainly played a major part in me watching snooker.

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Bourne

SnookerFan wrote:
Wild wrote:
randam05 wrote:Well, my older half brother who lived with us half the time

im sorry but that made me laugh lol


He's only a half-brother.

:clap:

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby SnookerFan

Bourne wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
Wild wrote:
randam05 wrote:Well, my older half brother who lived with us half the time

im sorry but that made me laugh lol


He's only a half-brother.

:clap:


Sorry, I misread it. I thought it said; "My brother who lived with us half the time." rofl I thought I was making a hilarious joke. :-(

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

randam05 wrote:I dont get it...

Half Brother only lives with you Half The Time :redneck:

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Bourne

Witz78 wrote:
randam05 wrote:I dont get it...



i half get it............ :gag:

You half-inched my joke :no:

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby roy142857

Tubberlad wrote:How did you become a snooker fan to begin with? And which players contributed most to maintaining your interest to the point where it became your passion? Also, have you ever grown tired of the game at any stage or fallen out of love with it?



Watching Pot Black together as a family, grandparents, parents and myself in the '70's. And watching World Championships in particular with my Pa (grandfather), who I was closest to as he was effectively a third parent to me.

Funnily enough, trying snooker at church youth club and finding I was VERY useless (never potted more than two balls in succession, never potted a black! High break? that'd be SIX :emb: ) got me more rather than less interested - just knowing how difficult it was, I guess.

Maintaining and gaining interest in the game? Try not to all laugh, but Steve Davis contributed to that more than anyone, friends saw him as a bit boring but I saw it as watching a master craftsman at work.

Since the 90's really it hasn't been so much that I've lost interest in snooker, but a lot else competing for my time (family, community involvement), and also the draw of other sports I follow (motor sport, the college version of American Football, Cycling, Athletics, non-league football too in the past 3 or 4 years). However, a couple of things have happened in the past year or so to re-kindle an interest - my son starting to get interested in watching games (though not as much as he loves NASCAR racing ... though he hates Formula 1!), and I've found the whole process of re-organisation as interesting as the matches (!) and (I think because of this) the play in the matches seems a whole lot sharper, whereas I'd felt everything had been getting very lacklustre. Plus what's on the Internet helps - some great blogs - 'though I'm surprised in retrospect that I've only very recently found this site.

Additionally, frustration in recent years with cycling and athletics (drugs issues, and with athletics, runners names instead of numbers which is great for television, but we were very disappointed when we went to the Crystal Palace (which I used to do regularly from childhood to early 20's) ... and we couldn't work out who was who in the races as no numbers - being next to a great pole vault competition only half made up for that .... so I'm watching much less of (and hardly any time reading about) those sports, giving more time for snooker, non-league football and NASCAR (always lots of time devoted to college football, that hasn't fallen off since seeing a Georgia Tech game on honeymoon 20 years ago).

All in all, looking forward to the coming season, must start remembering to set the video more often for late games, which tend to be a problem given the need to get up early (and I just can't burn the candle at both ends anymore :-( )

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:That your idea of useless. rofl I rarely pot two balls in a row at pool. This is what puts me off trying snooker.

yes if you cant master the art of potting pool balls dont try snooker lol

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby randam05

Wild wrote:
randam05 wrote:I dont get it...

Half Brother only lives with you Half The Time :redneck:


Yeah, hes my half brother, because he has a different mum, and he used to live with us half the time, meaning half the week. :redneck:

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Wildey

randam05 wrote:
Wild wrote:
randam05 wrote:I dont get it...

Half Brother only lives with you Half The Time :redneck:


Yeah, hes my half brother, because he has a different mum, and he used to live with us half the time, meaning half the week. :redneck:

lol

Re: So where did it all begin?

Postby Witz78

Wild wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:That your idea of useless. rofl I rarely pot two balls in a row at pool. This is what puts me off trying snooker.

yes if you cant master the art of potting pool balls dont try snooker lol


its funny though cos i find some of my mates are easier to beat at pool than snooker, and vice versa.