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What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby SnookerFan

Every time I go to snooker, especially when I've travelled half way across the country to watch it, this questions always occurs to me.

I have literally sat in The Crucible for 11 or 12 hour shifts, with only the odd mid-session or 10 minute between sessions for a break. You eat a fried breakfast, then that has to keep you going until you can grab the odd bag of crisps or whatever is quick for you to eat. I can get back to my hotel room having done nothing all day but watch endless snooker, endless men potting balls, you lie down thinking; "Tomorrow morning I get up and do all this again..."

I always ask myself why I do it, you can get enclosed in a bubble. To do this for two or three days in a row can seem almost sadomasochistic when you are doing it. You're in a constant state of having pins and needles, and your back/bottom throbbing from sitting on an uncomfortable seats. (That's the only reason, I promise.)

But anybody who has ever been to live snooker, and gone through these experiences will know why I do it. I do it because of the rush. I have been to live football, rugby union and boxing matches. And nothing has quite been as addictive as going to live snooker. It's like a drug, you come back feeling beat, and somewhat removed from the rest of the world, and yet the next day at work, instead of doing anything you are checking out other snooker events. What's nearest you? How long will it take me on the train? How much is it? Can I afford it?

A few years ago I read a book by that Adrian Chiles guy. I support West Brom, and somebody brought me the book for Christmas. All he had done is gone to every West Brom game over a season, watching them get relegated from the Premier League, and chronicled his feelings and the conversations with the people he met. He couldn't understand why he was so obsessed by West Brom. Why he was so happy for a week following the times they won. Why he didn't want to talk to anybody after a game they lost, and wouldn't recover until the day of the next game and the anticipation took over. He couldn't understand why he paid good money every week to go to the games, but find himself starring at anything but the game, because he was too tense to watch it. But he did. The book hoped to answer these questions, and what makes a fan. It didn't, it was just an excuse to write about funny characters he met at football matches. But it was worth a read.

It always struck me that writing a similar book for snooker might be worth doing, even only three people read it. I have met some very interesting characters travelling around watching snooker, and it strikes me that with crowd size down, that people that travel to these events must be the weirdest and most wonderful group of freaks and heroes.

Or am I just romanticising the game too much? I was wondering if anybody had got any interesting stories of people they've met at games, run ins with famous snooker personalities or any insight into what makes somebody so passionate about snooker they'd sit in a small uncomfortable chair, in a dark room watching other people play a game, rather then bothering to learn to play it themselves.... What do people think?

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

Very good. <laugh>

I've plenty of stories, plenty.

Here's one....

When I was playing up in the Norbreck up in Blackpool back in the early 90's in the qualifying, at the time, there were 3 sessions each day, 10am, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, which cost 50p, £1 & £1.50 to pay to get into & see.

I started to notice these 3 young lady's & at all of my match's. I started smiling at them, when emotions kicked in after a bad miss or whatever, because they showed an interest in me, I shared my emotions with them & got plenty of smiles back. They started stopping me after match's for a chat. No problem.

To cut a long story short, I started giving them free tickets for my match's & also other match's that they were interested in seeing. One of them pulled me aside one evening & asked me to marry her. <laugh>

Genuine!

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby Monique

great post snookerfan ... why indeed?

Why do I do it? And travel abroad so often for it? Here are my (attempted) answers

Snooker is about emotions. The slow pace of the game allows it: they build up to overwhelm the players and the audience, to get them and me though agony of tension, of pain, of frustration, of delight, of pride, of joy ... to be destroyed or to be fulfilled, to suffer or to enjoy.
Snooker is about living these emotions with the players. Some of them "give" the audience their emotions at the risk of making themselves vulnerable ... those are my favs. Snooker for me personally is also about capturing those emotions in my pictures.
Snooker is about geometrical beauty, fascination about the physics of collision, friction, about angles, spin, effects ...
Snooker is about wits battles and about creativity in the player's mind to find solutions to the problems the other player's mind has crafted. And I try to "play the shot" with them, to anticipate, to imagine ...

Snooker leaves me drained, battled, exhausted ... wheter I'm happy or unhappy about the outcome of the match.

Some other sport doing that to me? No ... all too rushed, too fast ... oh, erm, yes ... :love:

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby SnookerFan

JohnFromLondonTown wrote:Very good. <laugh>

I've plenty of stories, plenty.

Here's one....

When I was playing up in the Norbreck up in Blackpool back in the early 90's in the qualifying, at the time, there were 3 sessions each day, 10am, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, which cost 50p, £1 & £1.50 to pay to get into & see.

I started to notice these 3 young lady's & at all of my match's. I started smiling at them, when emotions kicked in after a bad miss or whatever, because they showed an interest in me, I shared my emotions with them & got plenty of smiles back. They started stopping me after match's for a chat. No problem.

To cut a long story short, I started giving them free tickets for my match's & also other match's that they were interested in seeing. One of them pulled me aside one evening & asked me to marry her. <laugh>

Genuine!


Puts my fangirl story to shame. <laugh> I've probably told this one before, but it's come up in conversation.

At the second day of my visit to the UK Championships 2008 in Telford a woman came up to me all excited as one would usually only do when meeting a celebrity and went; "You were here yesterday, weren't you?" I was like; "Yeah." She was like; "I saw you on the telly. Sitting in the front row." I wasn't quite show how to respond, so just nodded and pretended to be happy. And she was like; "You were in a red t-shirt." I was like; "I know." She toddled of all happy.


Not quite the same as you John, who no doubt gets women throw their knickers as you, but quite a good reaction for somebody who had just sat there watching all day and been picked up by the camera a couple of times. <laugh>

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby Wildey

Monique wrote:great post snookerfan ... why indeed?

Why do I do it? And travel abroad so often for it? Here are my (attempted) answers

Snooker is about emotions. The slow pace of the game allows it: they build up to overwhelm the players and the audience, to get them and me though agony of tension, of pain, of frustration, of delight, of pride, of joy ... to be destroyed or to be fulfilled, to suffer or to enjoy.
Snooker is about living these emotions with the players. Some of them "give" the audience their emotions at the risk of making themselves vulnerable ... those are my favs. Snooker for me personally is also about capturing those emotions in my pictures.
Snooker is about geometrical beauty, fascination about the physics of collision, friction, about angles, spin, effects ...
Snooker is about wits battles and about creativity in the player's mind to find solutions to the problems the other player's mind has crafted. And I try to "play the shot" with them, to anticipate, to imagine ...

Snooker leaves me drained, battled, exhausted ... wheter I'm happy or unhappy about the outcome of the match.

Some other sport doing that to me? No ... all too rushed, too fast ... oh, erm, yes ... :love:


Brilliant post and it totally captures why i watch snooker its a total head f*** sometimes.

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby SnookerFan

Is it me, or is there a sense of community in the snooker world, there doesn't seem to be in other sports? I noticed at the event I went to on Saturday how there seemed to be a camaraderie between the players that you don't always see in other sports... The jokes between the players (albeit ex-players) was hilarious, and good to see that they all got on.

Or was this just a case of ex-pros getting together again when it doesn't matter? Hitting a few balls around rather then trying to win trophies. They say there are no characters in the game any more, but is this due to the fact the competition is so intense these days?

Whatever way, it's good to see players getting on so well and having a laugh.

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby Wildey

snooker lends itself to player interaction but you don't want that to go over board in competition .

theres this myth going around that snooker in the 80s had laugh a minute jokes and players always smiling.....really thats wrong cliff thorburn summed it up well he said "i wanted to kill my opponent on the table but was friends afterwards" thats the same now as it was then Hendry and Williams are Great Mates and has been Great Mates over the years despite both being at the top of the sport same with Thorburn and Taylor in the 80s.

i lived through the 80s,90s and 2000 as a snooker fan and believe me there was no different in any era.

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby N_Castle07

Snooker is a great sport to follow; unfortunately it can be heartbreaking following your favourite players. Especially over the past 6 years or so when the players haven’t been as consistent as the past. When your player is winning titles it’s great but when a player goes through a bad spell and is playing out of form it tends to last longer than in most sports and it can be heartbreaking to watch your player go through these spells. Snooker tends to attract the most hardcore fans who all support different players and like different styles and have varied different opinions on the game which makes the game of Snooker truly fascinating.

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby Monique

about interactions ... well there aren't so many professional snooker players. 96 is nothing. Just compare to other sports. Snooker mainly "happens" in UK and everyone knows everyone on the tour more or less. Certainly at the top. And there is a common language: english. Rivalry at the table doesn't necessarily exclude friendship or at least good relationship off the table, there are mainy examples. And some that would surprise mainy a fan!

Re: What sort of person watches snooker?

Postby SnookerFan

AC or LT? wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Ooooh, Monique is going to share some insider gossip with us. :D


Still waiting, it has to be Mark Allen and Ding!



rofl rofl rofl rofl

The biggest surprise would be if Dennis Taylor was friends with anyone.