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Ronnie's at it again

Postby Skullman

The world champion recently quit the main snooker tour after refusing to agree to a stringent player contract imposed by Barry Hearn's World Snooker organisation.

O'Sullivan - who won his fourth world title at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre last month - has complained about the impossibility of balancing family life with the need to travel extensively under Hearn's new regulations and is missing from this week's Wuxi Classic.

O'Sullivan told The Times that he is planning breakaway tournaments with the most popular players, as opposed to the top-ranked ones, and while doing so he had a dig at Carter – the man he beat at this year's World Championship final and also in the 2008 decider.

“Other players like John Higgins and Mark Williams may feel the same as me soon,” O'Sullivan told the paper.

"Get them with, maybe, Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and Judd Trump and you have a show. These are the players people want to see. The rest, like Ali Carter, are making up the numbers.

“I don’t see myself as in competition with World Snooker, they have big tournaments, but if I’m not in main events I need to do other stuff.”

World Snooker boss Hearn said in reply: "We won’t sanction anything counter-productive to us.”


This time he wants to make his own tour. Let's see how that works out for him shall we? Is it just cash he's after or is he just trying to play games with Hearn and World Snooker?

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby kenneth79

Dont worry Skullman. Monique will soon be here to tell us how we have misunderstood this, how this is Ronnie being selfless and noble. :gag:

Ronnie is my favourite player to watch on the table but off the table he is pretty much at the bottom. His personality is disgusting.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby roy142857

The thing is, when he said he was taking a few months off to spend more time with family etc, I thought - 'Jolly good for him, sensible decision for anyone who can afford to do so to take a career break'. And I was looking to see how he performed after the break, might make other players think of doing the same if he came back in good form, and likewise I'd see nothing wrong with that.

And then we get this constant rubbish out of him ... or is it his management company? Hardly a break from the sport if his mind is on this. Fast losing sympathy for him, not sure I even want to see him back right now, just leaves a bad taste ...

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby kenneth79

Not that I mind that he trash talks Carter. Hes one of my least favourite players on tour and a complete whinger. Its never HIS fault when he crashes out of tourneys. I say let both Ali and ROS retire. Give me the attitude of players like Robbo/Selby/Murphy any day.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Skullman

roy142857 wrote:The thing is, when he said he was taking a few months off to spend more time with family etc, I thought - 'Jolly good for him, sensible decision for anyone who can afford to do so to take a career break'. And I was looking to see how he performed after the break, might make other players think of doing the same if he came back in good form, and likewise I'd see nothing wrong with that.

And then we get this constant rubbish out of him ... or is it his management company? Hardly a break from the sport if his mind is on this. Fast losing sympathy for him, not sure I even want to see him back right now, just leaves a bad taste ...


If we want to see the effects of a break, we'll have to look at Higgins. You'd think someone at Grove Snooker or his family would have more sense and tell him he's deluded...
Last edited by Skullman on 29 Jun 2012, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby kenneth79

Skullman wrote:
roy142857 wrote:The thing is, when he said he was taking a few months off to spend more time with family etc, I thought - 'Jolly good for him, sensible decision for anyone who can afford to do so to take a career break'. And I was looking to see how he performed after the break, might make other players think of doing the same if he came back in good form, and likewise I'd see nothing wrong with that.

And then we get this constant rubbish out of him ... or is it his management company? Hardly a break from the sport if his mind is on this. Fast losing sympathy for him, not sure I even want to see him back right now, just leaves a bad taste ...


If we want to see the effects of a break, we'll have to look at Higgins. You'd think someone at Grove Snooker or his family would have more sense and tell him he's deluded...

Also like how World Snooker are barely bothering with him now. Before Hear and Ferguson were coming out to make statements on Ronnie's actions and nameless spokesperson does it.


Whos to say Grove Snooker arent supporting this behaviour or even that they initiated it?

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby SnookerFan

The past season or two I've stopped getting as annoyed by Ronnie and his crap as I used to. His dig at Carter was unneccessary, but I've stopped expecting anything different from him.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Casey

[quoteThe rest, like Ali Carter, are making up the numbers][/quote]

What a brutal thing to say. If Ronnie doesn't want to play, then ok but don't drag the names of others down to boost his own ego.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

I'm sorry but it's just too funny. rofl

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Wildey

could someone shoot this bucking hammer <ok>

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby SnookerFan

Sonny wrote:I'm sorry but it's just too funny. rofl



Ronnie is just a fanny to be fair.

But you never know, maybe the players will be up for this. Hendry in particular, considering he's just retired. <doh>

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

I thought he might want to do a tour with Selby. Even I would go and watch one of those! But he's not Ronnie's type of player so he wouldn't invite him.

I really need to see the context of these delusional and hilarious comments. I thought Ronnie's beef was about making money from the use of his name in selling products.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby snooky147

The thing that Ronnie does not seem to give a damn about is this. No matter what the player, be it the flambouyant, the journeyman, the fast and the slow, they ALL made snooker what it is. Whether Ronnie or any of us like it or not the sport needs them all.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby SnookerFan

Sonny wrote:I thought he might want to do a tour with Selby. Even I would go and watch one of those! But he's not Ronnie's type of player so he wouldn't invite him.

I really need to see the context of these delusional and hilarious comments. I thought Ronnie's beef was about making money from the use of his name in selling products.


I just gave you the context. He's a fanny.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

Yeah of course snooky, thought it too obvious to point out. Ronnie wants to play exhibition snooker not snooker the sport. Anything he can possibly come up with himself no matter who he invites to play will be totally and utter meaningless in the scheme of things. It'll be like a younger version of Snooker Legends. In fact if he pulled it off he would be the man to kill snooker. But lets not get carried away, he is clearly delusional but it is fascinating. He's going to be remembered forever with this chapter in his life and it's still to unfold. I wonder what the next installment will bring us.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Sickpotter

Pathetic , total :fart:

Hearn should have him stripped of his ranking and eject him from the pro tour for attempting to damage the professional game like this.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Alpha

O'Sullivan made similar comments last year but just like this time it's all hot air. The man is an idiot but he's not delusional.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

He is delusional if he thinks he can get this "champions league" thing off the ground.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Smart

Sonny wrote:He is delusional if he thinks he can get this "champions league" thing off the ground.


people apparently went to watch the Higgins world tour in Jersey, Kiev and Warsaw - so it is feasible that something similar could be set up.

Ronnie is thinking "well people come and watch the Premier League, so why dont I set up my own sort of snooker related event".

Would I watch it, no. I am only interested in ranking snooker, not exhibitions, not bastardisations of the game.

Now the sensible thing to do if he is snake hissed off with snooker is simply to not play it and be the family man (big act imo). He does not need the money that this new "venture" would bring, so its all a bit silly really.

BTW I like Carter the player. <ok>

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

As I've just been saying in PM, the World Series was different because it was saying to the Rodney Walker lead World Snooker "Look what's out here for gods sake". He was setting up events in Bahrain, meanwhile frustrated players wanted to know why events weren't taking place in mainland Europe. So there was a benefit to the game for that venture. Obviously we know how that ended and greed got in the way a bit but this one is even more about greed.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

Also I might add, as a spectacle the World Series was absolute dog rubbish.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Smart

Sonny wrote:As I've just been saying in PM, the World Series was different because it was saying to the Rodney Walker lead World Snooker "Look what's out here for gods sake". He was setting up events in Bahrain, meanwhile frustrated players wanted to know why events weren't taking place in mainland Europe. So there was a benefit to the game for that venture. Obviously we know how that ended and greed got in the way a bit but this one is even more about greed.


Yep, I agree with all of that. Personally I would not pay to watch anything other than ranking snooker, thats all that I am interested in. However I cant vouch for other folk, who knows. I cant understand people paying to watch Premier League snooker but they do.

I think this is just noise anyway and nothing will come of it. If I had won what he had won and made a very decent living and then became snake hissed off I would happily find other things (non snooker) to do with my time. Jeez its a massive world out there, oh but he does not like travelling rofl

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Smart

Sonny wrote:Also I might add, as a spectacle the World Series was absolute dog rubbish.


well anything where there is people "giving frames" or whatever the terminology is .....does not interest me. Local players my bottom. <ok>

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Dannyboy

This is a dangerous road Ronnie is going down - it pretty much confirms his motives as a money grabber rather than someone who is homesick/tired/injured - delete as appropriate. Is £7m prize money not enough? What does he expect? Snooker doesn't owe anyone or Ronnie O'Sullivan a living.

The last thing snooker needs is a darts-style split. People can laugh, but the origins of the PDC were the Top 16 breaking away and forming their own tournaments. Obviously their motives were far different that ROS etc; just using it as an example.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Smart

Dannyboy wrote:This is a dangerous road Ronnie is going down - it pretty much confirms his motives as a money grabber rather than someone who is homesick/tired/injured - delete as appropriate. Is £7m prize money not enough? What does he expect? Snooker doesn't owe anyone or Ronnie O'Sullivan a living.

The last thing snooker needs is a darts-style split. People can laugh, but the origins of the PDC were the Top 16 breaking away and forming their own tournaments. Obviously their motives were far different that ROS etc; just using it as an example.


and darts has never recovered (still in a mess) <ok>
(ps I bought a Ted Hankey dart board the other day) :clap:

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Casey

3 years ago it might have worked, but there is too much money on the main tour now for the TOP players to break away.

Hearn as all the Tv contracts, which channel would show Ronnies tournaments........ :emb:

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Wildey

Dannyboy wrote:This is a dangerous road Ronnie is going down - it pretty much confirms his motives as a money grabber rather than someone who is homesick/tired/injured - delete as appropriate. Is £7m prize money not enough? What does he expect? Snooker doesn't owe anyone or Ronnie O'Sullivan a living.

The last thing snooker needs is a darts-style split. People can laugh, but the origins of the PDC were the Top 16 breaking away and forming their own tournaments. Obviously their motives were far different that ROS etc; just using it as an example.

Ronnie is a Prized pin end

he couldn't organize a buck in a brothel with never ending supply of viagra Im not worried one bit hes a fame hungry turd.

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Andy Spark

Well done Ronnie!! :D , I think you lot are being mean, he is just standing up for entertaining snooker! Most people don't want to see boring players on their screen. Personally I wouldn't mind if people like Slowby actually won much but they don't, I mean John Higgins is relatively boring but he's proven himself to be an all time great snooker player with the titles he's won and all credit to him.

I think Ronnie has it just about right with his selection. I am thinking of a Bournemouth Masters snooker event, we have a darts event this July in Bournemouth featuring four top darts players, we could have a snooker event too! I'm sure it would go down well with Ronnie coming along and three other players he's chosen. :-D

Re: Ronnie's at it again

Postby Roland

This is Dave Hendon's take.

Newspaper headlines suggested today that Ronnie O’Sullivan was planning a breakaway tour but these were misleading. He isn’t.

What O’Sullivan wants is a series of tournaments featuring hand-picked players he thinks the public would like to see.

He wants these to run alongside existing World Snooker tournaments, although with the tournament calendar now so packed it would be hard to see how clashes could be avoided.

Not all the quotes made it into the original stories but I have been given access to them.

This is what O’Sullivan said:

“Other players like John Higgins and Mark Williams may feel the same as me soon. Get them with maybe Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and Judd Trump and you have a show.

“These are the players people want to see, the rest like Ali Carter are making up the numbers.

“I don’t see myself as in competition with World Snooker, they have big tournaments, but if I’m not in main events I need to do other stuff.

“Stephen Hendry retired for similar reasons, a year down the line who knows who might be up for it.

“People switch on the TV to watch certain players, like with John McEnroe in tennis. They know the characters, know the person, are excited by what they do and waiting for something to happen.

“I am not the only one who feels this way, I am the only one who has had the balls to say it. I believe there is another way, and I can open a door for other players.

“They could be fantastic, proper tournaments. Only eight players would have the status that bring something to that, that the public would pay to see, that I would pay to see.

“I think seven or eight now on tour would be interested in that concept.”

O’Sullivan is right that there are a handful of star names that draw the crowds. This is true of any sport.

But the danger is that a slew of tournaments featuring a small number of players would soon become a bore.

Without a ranking system or joined-up structure underpinning them they would just look like a series of exhibitions, although this is not to say they wouldn't attract the paying public.

An exhibition featuring Ronnie against, say, Jimmy White is a good night out and the Snooker Legends organisers have made a success of their events, of which these two crowd-pleasers of part.

I can fully understand why O'Sullivan's idea would appeal to players: well paid events for little real pressure.

But would the public really take to them?

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn was distinctly unimpressed. He said: “Ronnie is looking for something to do and tour players are not allowed to play in unsanctioned events. We won’t sanction anything counter-productive to us.

“Tour players playing in events set up by Ronnie is a non-starter. I expect him to support the game that made him a world champion, not undermine it.

“He’s a great player and we want him on tour, but there would be zero tolerance for him or others joining him on this kind of thing. I am talking heavy sanctions.”

On the face of it this isn’t very constructive. Why not work together?

But neither of these big characters seems willing to back down now. In fact, the O’Sullivan v Hearn turf war is developing into a rather tedious clash of egos.

If O’Sullivan feels the players’ contract is too restrictive then he has every right not to sign it. However, World Snooker sources are adamant he asked for appearance money, which they flatly refused to pay.

O’Sullivan can beat anyone on the snooker table but he won’t beat Hearn off it. He has various people in his ear telling him he’s worth more than everyone else but all they have done is left him without playing opportunities and, therefore, financially poorer.

Ironically, he seemed to be at his happiest early in his career when he was managed by, yes, Barry Hearn.

This latest plan will probably fall flat too. World Snooker won’t sanction tournaments that clash with their own and the other players won’t risk disciplinary action by competing in rival events.

I was there in the thick of the TSN breakaway tour and all that it ultimately did was damaged snooker and seriously depleted not only its reputation but also its cash reserves.

However, if O’Sullivan can bring new events to the table then World Snooker should not withhold a sanction just because he doesn’t want to enter all of their tournaments.

One thing worth mentioning in closing: there already is an event which features the game’s biggest names playing a series of matches for big money.

It’s called the Premier League and O’Sullivan has opted not to play in it despite winning it ten times, including all but one time under the shot clock rules.

Had he won it this year it would have been worth around £80,000 to him. It’s an event he genuinely enjoys and I think it’s one he’ll miss when it starts in August.

Perhaps the real test of this long running saga is the extent to which it misses him.