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Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby JDM375

Hearn saying on Five Live that he is considering giving Steve a wildcard on the tour next season.

Thoughts guys?

Would Steve even accept it?

I'm not keen, if he wanted to keep his place on the tour so badly he wouldn't have missed the UK and the two PTCs for the jungle, then I might have been more sympathetic.

Thought the days of wildcards were dying.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Andre147

Hearn said in one interview the days of tour wildcards weere over, and now he said he intends to give one to Steve? :no: <doh>

Like you said, if Steve so badly wanted his tour place he certainly wouldn't have missed the UK and potencial precious points/money and those PTCs.

Even the legend that Steve is, he's like any other player, and that's the example Barry Hearn needs to give:

Simple: If Steve wants his tour place then work for it on Q School, he has even said he plans to do it that way so WORK FOR IT.

WILDCARDS pmsl

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Sickpotter

I think that Hearn considering it is a real testament to Davis and his fan base.

Regardless of form he's still 6 times WC. Quite frankly I'm all for giving lifetime tour spots for WC winners. if they wanna keep playing let them.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

Id give him one as well. Not a fan of wild cards myself but if anyone deserves one it's Steve Davis and I'd give him one every year he wanted to play on.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby roy142857

Goes completely against the grain for me, especially in a sport where its player v player. If in golf (say), you can add a player to the field. I'd still not like that unless they ran the 'cut' in a way where they ignored the guesting player(s).

If more than 128 players, someone has to play an extra match against Davis, or worse, Davis through to the 128 round and 2 players playing an extra match. If he beats them, they're losing money/ranking to a player who hasn't earned the right to be there. Just seems a really bad thing to do to me.

IF they did it, should not be 'at random', or rather, at Barry Hearn's discretion. - there should be a rule set - but where do you draw the line. Jimmy White falls off the Tour - does he get to play on anyway? Peter Ebdon, as he's a World Champion? Joe Johnson fancies a go, what about him? So what do we say, must win 3 majors? What?

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Skullman

Goes completely against the Hearn's idea of a meritocracy, where only ability determines your ability to stay on tour. Plus it'll be hard to trust Hearn after this, especially as he said outright the days of wildcards are over. It he changes his mind against this, what's to stop him changing his mind about keeping the format at the Crucible the same or keeping the Worlds at Sheffield as long as the BBC support snooker?

Plus it's not like Steve doesn't have enough avenues to get back on tour, like the Q-School (PTCs are very unlikely, if he can't get a tour place through them now, what chance does he have after having to go pre-qualifying?) Also all of what Roy has said, put much better than I could.

And I'm not happy with the idea that Steve can go gallivanting about on crap reality TV shows and then have his mate Barry bail him out from having to suffer the consequences...

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

@roy, you speak sense and most cases you'd be right but as someone else mention, with Steve you get a large fan base which in the end will = more £££ for everyone. Maybe not a wildcard then, make him an ambassador for snooker and he gets in every year. It's seems cynical but it's all about the money and Barry's still trying to build up snooker. Can it afford to have Hendry, white, Davis and possibly any day ronnie not involved?

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

I'm still seeing plenty of wildcards on Chinese tourneys.
What's Barry wants and what's good for getting more money are 2 different things and I know what barry will pick everytime.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby roy142857

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:@roy, you speak sense and most cases you'd be right but as someone else mention, with Steve you get a large fan base which in the end will = more £££ for everyone. Maybe not a wildcard then, make him an ambassador for snooker and he gets in every year. It's seems cynical but it's all about the money and Barry's still trying to build up snooker. Can it afford to have Hendry, white, Davis and possibly any day ronnie not involved?


You make a rule that says 'every former World Champion gets to play the World Championship' - like Masters golf - I see no problem - I'd like to see the field widened out a little anyway, I'd throw in any players who've qualified for the forthcoming season by the start of World Championship qualifying too

But although I see the money issue, I think by clinging on to past players, you reduce opportunities for building up new stars and having them attract money into the sport.

Interesting question for instance, is Hearn talking about Davis reducing column inches that could be talking about players who qualified for the Crucible on a re-spotted black? For now I bet the latter is reduced, but that Davis attracts more newspaper space in total as of now - but the sport suffers by not highlighting the players of the future.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby roy142857

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:I'm still seeing plenty of wildcards on Chinese tourneys.
What's Barry wants and what's good for getting more money are 2 different things and I know what barry will pick everytime.


A different sort of wildcard of course. And persuading the Chinese otherwise was made difficult by the Chinese players not getting visas for last years Q School, and not being helped by this years unfortunate clash with the World Under 21 Championship (the latter probably no-one's fault, well maybe Putin!)

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

roy142857 wrote:
Ayrshirebhoy wrote:@roy, you speak sense and most cases you'd be right but as someone else mention, with Steve you get a large fan base which in the end will = more £££ for everyone. Maybe not a wildcard then, make him an ambassador for snooker and he gets in every year. It's seems cynical but it's all about the money and Barry's still trying to build up snooker. Can it afford to have Hendry, white, Davis and possibly any day ronnie not involved?


You make a rule that says 'every former World Champion gets to play the World Championship' - like Masters golf - I see no problem - I'd like to see the field widened out a little anyway, I'd throw in any players who've qualified for the forthcoming season by the start of World Championship qualifying too

But although I see the money issue, I think by clinging on to past players, you reduce opportunities for building up new stars and having them attract money into the sport.

Interesting question for instance, is Hearn talking about Davis reducing column inches that could be talking about players who qualified for the Crucible on a re-spotted black? For now I bet the latter is reduced, but that Davis attracts more newspaper space in total as of now - but the sport suffers by not highlighting the players of the future.


My greatest fear here is when Davis goes those 'column inches' will go too in spite of great black ball finishes.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

The fact that hearns even considering it says to me he feels the same. If the next generation was stepping up and making their own history I'm sure Davis would have no chance of a wildcard even thou their friends.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Wildey

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:The fact that hearns even considering it says to me he feels the same. If the next generation was stepping up and making their own history I'm sure Davis would have no chance of a wildcard even thou their friends.

The fact Hearn is considering Giving his lifelong mate and a person hes managed since the early 70s a Wild card is a conflict of interest as World Snooker Chairman because as his Manager Barry gets a % of his earnings.

its Boarding on corruption

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Wildey

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:I'm fairly certain Hearn wouldn't be doing it for a % of Davis poxy winnings.

he shouldn't be doing it at all its Wrong very Wrong

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby oldgreenbaize

Hi Snooker Island team, its Nigel here from The Old Green Baize website, hope you're all well.

Just thought I'd share my story on Steve Davis in this relative discussion topic on your forum.

Davis told TalkSport last night he had no plans to retire from the game despite dropping off the tour. But said he will not play in this summer's Q School event as he felt it may have been 'unfair'.

Instead Davis plans to play in the PTC Events next season looking to win his place back through the European Order of Merit. Below is the link to the story -

http://theoldgreenbaize.com/2014/04/18/ ... -q-school/

Enjoy the World Championships!

All the best,
Nigel Slater - The Old Green Baize

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby roy142857

oldgreenbaize wrote:Hi Snooker Island team, its Nigel here from The Old Green Baize website, hope you're all well.

Just thought I'd share my story on Steve Davis in this relative discussion topic on your forum.

Davis told TalkSport last night he had no plans to retire from the game despite dropping off the tour. But said he will not play in this summer's Q School event as he felt it may have been 'unfair'.

Instead Davis plans to play in the PTC Events next season looking to win his place back through the European Order of Merit. Below is the link to the story -

http://theoldgreenbaize.com/2014/04/18/ ... -q-school/

Enjoy the World Championships!

All the best,
Nigel Slater - The Old Green Baize


Nigel - any intimation of whether he'd attempt to get back on via say the IBSF World Championship or EBSA European Championship? Would be a great way to do it!

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby oldgreenbaize

Hi Roy. Thanks for the reply.

I can't see him going down that route as he has admitted he's been playing the game as a hobby in recent years and not as a profession. I think, like Q School, he'd feel that would be unfair on those players looking to get into as a profession so to speak.

In the Talksport interview he only stated PTC events - but maybe Hearn will give him a wildcard?

Nigel

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby PLtheRef

roy142857 wrote:
oldgreenbaize wrote:Hi Snooker Island team, its Nigel here from The Old Green Baize website, hope you're all well.

Just thought I'd share my story on Steve Davis in this relative discussion topic on your forum.

Davis told TalkSport last night he had no plans to retire from the game despite dropping off the tour. But said he will not play in this summer's Q School event as he felt it may have been 'unfair'.

Instead Davis plans to play in the PTC Events next season looking to win his place back through the European Order of Merit. Below is the link to the story -

http://theoldgreenbaize.com/2014/04/18/ ... -q-school/

Enjoy the World Championships!

All the best,
Nigel Slater - The Old Green Baize


Nigel - any intimation of whether he'd attempt to get back on via say the IBSF World Championship or EBSA European Championship? Would be a great way to do it!


I have to say that would be worth a crack. He'd certainly have half a chance of getting through those competitions. Its whether he'd want to enter them, and essentially be reinstated to a status he's not held since early 1978.

A wildcard would open up a lot of worms and would actually undermine the whole philosophy that Hearn has been promoting - if you're good enough you can be professional, then if you are not, then you are not on tour.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Andy Spark

Wildey wrote:
Ayrshirebhoy wrote:The fact that hearns even considering it says to me he feels the same. If the next generation was stepping up and making their own history I'm sure Davis would have no chance of a wildcard even thou their friends.

The fact Hearn is considering Giving his lifelong mate and a person hes managed since the early 70s a Wild card is a conflict of interest as World Snooker Chairman because as his Manager Barry gets a % of his earnings.

its Boarding on corruption

Absolutely. :chin:

I remember Clive Everton considering the case for a conflict of interest on Hearn's appointment and concluding that as Steve is in the "twilight" of his career then it is a "special case". I don't entirely agree, Steve is a major player in the context of snooker history and hence, although the case of conflict of interest is a comparatively minor one, it is still significant enough that Hearn should not be manager of Davis (as tour player) and Chairman of World snooker. The bottom line is that Hearn keeps banging on about snooker being seen as totally clean so he needs to be seen as totally clean in his own business affairs.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Andre147

Skullman wrote:Goes completely against the Hearn's idea of a meritocracy, where only ability determines your ability to stay on tour. Plus it'll be hard to trust Hearn after this, especially as he said outright the days of wildcards are over. It he changes his mind against this, what's to stop him changing his mind about keeping the format at the Crucible the same or keeping the Worlds at Sheffield as long as the BBC support snooker?

Plus it's not like Steve doesn't have enough avenues to get back on tour, like the Q-School (PTCs are very unlikely, if he can't get a tour place through them now, what chance does he have after having to go pre-qualifying?) Also all of what Roy has said, put much better than I could.

And I'm not happy with the idea that Steve can go gallivanting about on crap reality TV shows and then have his mate Barry bail him out from having to suffer the consequences...


Yes well said Skull <ok>

Hearn needs to give an example, and giving tour wildcards like that is not a good one even if it's meant for legend Steve Davis.

Of course I too would like Steve to get back on tour, but he has to do it the hard way just like any other player via Q School, etc, so if he can't get in via that route :wave:

And there has also been talks about giving a wildcard to Hendry too <doh> What next, Jimmy White? <doh>

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Wildey

Legends are Legends because they achieved something during their career not by getting hand outs..


in my book if these legends accept charity they lose that halo and respect they achieved.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby vodkadiet

No player should be given a wildcard. If Davis wants to enter Q School and qualifies through that avenue then he deserves to be on the tour. Otherwise, he is out.

Re: Steve Davis to get a tour wildcard?

Postby Lucky

I'd say Hearn knows what he's doing. The general public at this time have no clue who the players are today. Even on question of sport, a full front face photo or video of top 16 players are rarely recognised correctly. And on pointless they asked 100 people to name players out of last years worlds. Ronnie was top with 40 odd percent, then Higgins with 20 odd......then it was down to single figures! Even Robbo only got 8% and he's world number one!

Obviously game shows aren't anything like a reliable indicator. But it shows how snooker has sank in peoples radar.