What happens if China falls out of love with snooker?

It seems as if the snooker world is putting its eggs in one basket and that the Chinese cash cow will keep growing. What if it doesn't? What if none of the up and coming youngsters break through? None of them have won a ranking tournament yet, maybe they won't. Ding may be an exception.

What other markets are available? If/when Ronnie retires will ticket sales and viewing figures recover in the UK?

What if the same happens in China?

Would the sport survive?

We may have to look towards other countries if that happens. How about Malta? It's about time the game established itself there again.

Europe is growing, it's just a decade or two behind China.

I'd be more concerned if China begin to dominate the game and take over in the future. What will the viewership figures in the UK and Ireland be like then?

Seriously though, I think the game will be fine in China. I think they're in it for the long term. It's a game they're good at and it suits the smaller physique of your average Chinaman, similar to other sports like ping pong or wushu which the Chinese are great at.

As a snooker fan, I'd be more worried about the lack diversity of sponsors. I shudder to think what would happen to the sport in the UK if there was a sudden ban on gambling sponsorship.

mick745 wrote:It seems as if the snooker world is putting its eggs in one basket and that the Chinese cash cow will keep growing. What if it doesn't? What if none of the up and coming youngsters break through? None of them have won a ranking tournament yet, maybe they won't. Ding may be an exception.

What other markets are available? If/when Ronnie retires will ticket sales and viewing figures recover in the UK?

What if the same happens in China?

Would the sport survive?

Mick, sorry if i'm wrong, but are you Irish? If so what do you think of the current state of snooker in the country? Ken and Fergal have been our best players and are around for a long time. It's not a great return when you think Scotland have produced two of the all time greats in Hendry and Higgins and Wales with Griffiths, Reardon and Williams. Where's our next top player coming from? Will we ever have a player to be proud of again?

Chalk McHugh wrote:I'd be more concerned if China begin to dominate the game and take over in the future. What will the viewership figures in the UK and Ireland be like then?

A world dominated by China is very concerning, tbh.

Chalk McHugh wrote:

mick745 wrote:It seems as if the snooker world is putting its eggs in one basket and that the Chinese cash cow will keep growing. What if it doesn't? What if none of the up and coming youngsters break through? None of them have won a ranking tournament yet, maybe they won't. Ding may be an exception.

What other markets are available? If/when Ronnie retires will ticket sales and viewing figures recover in the UK?

What if the same happens in China?

Would the sport survive?

Mick, sorry if i'm wrong, but are you Irish? If so what do you think of the current state of snooker in the country? Ken and Fergal have been our best players and are around for a long time. It's not a great return when you think Scotland have produced two of the all time greats in Hendry and Higgins and Wales with Griffiths, Reardon and Williams. Where's our next top player coming from? Will we ever have a player to be proud of again?

Hi i am not Irish. But Ireland does at least seem to be a country with a few talented youngsters. Isn't there a player called Leone Crowley? Also Mark Allen's step son (Northern Irish) seems to be a good player. Is there anyone in the 15-18 years bracket from the republic? I couldn't see anyone on the Challenger Tour list.

Obviously Fergal and Ken are reaching the ends of their professional careers will need to be replaced on tour with new talent from the country.

Chalk McHugh wrote:I'd be more concerned if China begin to dominate the game and take over in the future. What will the viewership figures in the UK and Ireland be like then?

I agree with this also to a certain extent. The ideal scenario would be a wholly cosmopolitan tour with players from lots of countries and continents all of roughly equal standard. Tennis is a good example of this, they have a very good mix of nationalities in their Top 100, both men and women.

However, players need to be have identifiable personalities for the viewers to engage with. In the 80s viewers enjoyed watching the likes of Reardon larking around a bit, the Thorburns and Werbeniuks were good fun, not to say they didn't take it seriously cause they did, but it was as much about identifying with the players struggle, not just with their opponents but with the table and the balls. You always felt Thorburn sweated a pint of blood on every shot. I think it was a bit of a shock when Davis came along with his extreme professionalism.

If the tour was nominated by very slick Chinese players, all playing in a very similar way, with similar names, and showing very little emotion and personality on the table but dominating the TV coverage then yes i think that would nail the coffin of TV coverage in UK and Ireland.

mick745 wrote:

Chalk McHugh wrote:

mick745 wrote:It seems as if the snooker world is putting its eggs in one basket and that the Chinese cash cow will keep growing. What if it doesn't? What if none of the up and coming youngsters break through? None of them have won a ranking tournament yet, maybe they won't. Ding may be an exception.

What other markets are available? If/when Ronnie retires will ticket sales and viewing figures recover in the UK?

What if the same happens in China?

Would the sport survive?

Mick, sorry if i'm wrong, but are you Irish? If so what do you think of the current state of snooker in the country? Ken and Fergal have been our best players and are around for a long time. It's not a great return when you think Scotland have produced two of the all time greats in Hendry and Higgins and Wales with Griffiths, Reardon and Williams. Where's our next top player coming from? Will we ever have a player to be proud of again?

Hi i am not Irish. But Ireland does at least seem to be a country with a few talented youngsters. Isn't there a player called Leone Crowley? Also Mark Allen's step son (Northern Irish) seems to be a good player. Is there anyone in the 15-18 years bracket from the republic? I couldn't see anyone on the Challenger Tour list.

Obviously Fergal and Ken are reaching the ends of their professional careers will need to be replaced on tour with new talent from the country.

My mistake Mick, thought i read you as being from Ireland before.

I really dont know whats coming up through the ranks in Ireland so im no help to you there.

Quite a few snooker halls have gone by the wayside in Dublin over the years though and the crowds seem to be down when im lucky enough to get to play a few frames.

I'm afraid we'll never have another player to be proud of again.

mick745 wrote:

Chalk McHugh wrote:I'd be more concerned if China begin to dominate the game and take over in the future. What will the viewership figures in the UK and Ireland be like then?

I agree with this also to a certain extent. The ideal scenario would be a wholly cosmopolitan tour with players from lots of countries and continents all of roughly equal standard. Tennis is a good example of this, they have a very good mix of nationalities in their Top 100, both men and women.

However, players need to be have identifiable personalities for the viewers to engage with. In the 80s viewers enjoyed watching the likes of Reardon larking around a bit, the Thorburns and Werbeniuks were good fun, not to say they didn't take it seriously cause they did, but it was as much about identifying with the players struggle, not just with their opponents but with the table and the balls. You always felt Thorburn sweated a pint of blood on every shot. I think it was a bit of a shock when Davis came along with his extreme professionalism.

If the tour was nominated by very slick Chinese players, all playing in a very similar way, with similar names, and showing very little emotion and personality on the table but dominating the TV coverage then yes i think that would nail the coffin of TV coverage in UK and Ireland.

Excellent post and that is my one major concern down the road.

SnookerFan wrote:Remember when Canada were interested in snooker?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bOR38552MJA

Yes there used to be quite a few pros from Canada, as well as Australia and South Africa. I think interest in all three of those countries has long since waned. Even Neil Robertson admits the sport is pretty much dead in his home country.

mick745 wrote:I agree with this also to a certain extent. The ideal scenario would be a wholly cosmopolitan tour with players from lots of countries and continents all of roughly equal standard. Tennis is a good example of this, they have a very good mix of nationalities in their Top 100, both men and women.

However, players need to be have identifiable personalities for the viewers to engage with.

I think having more nationalities will mean more interesting personalities as you will have players from different backgrounds with different stories behind them. I don't know how much personality Hossein Vafaei or Igor Figueiredo have but being from Iran and Brazil immediately makes them more interesting.

mick745 wrote:If the tour was nominated by very slick Chinese players, all playing in a very similar way, with similar names, and showing very little emotion and personality on the table but dominating the TV coverage then yes i think that would nail the coffin of TV coverage in UK and Ireland.

If more Chinese players were in the Top 16 and winning tournaments they would develop their own identity more than now. There aren't that many players who show much personality as it is now so Chinese players might turn out to be an improvement. I still remember Yan Bingtao cupping his ears to the crowd Hulk Hogan style before his match with Ronnie when he was still only 16.

Snooker will never return to Canada, just cant see it.

However, I agree with Iranu... give it a decade or two and Europe will be a major force in Snooker... hopefully with a World Champion.

Bingtao is surely a future world champ - 18 years old and already ranked 23rd in the world. Imagine how good he'll be when he's 28.

Good question.

But currently this snooker journey lies in Northern-Ireland. I would post the best bits of the my taking of the current situation. Have you see James Wattana or Ross Muir playing a wonder shots to cannon the highly problematic ball ? I have. Where´s China. Or have you see John Higgin´s best safety-efforts ? I have. Where´s China. John Higgins and Mark Selby, with no particular order, are the two best players I have ever seen playing the game, followed by Ronnie O´Sullivan. But followed by some distance... I would compare Ronnie to Roger Federer or to Anthony McGill. Roger, Ronnie, McGill, as well as Mark Selby, have the potential to pull away from the standard of which John Higgins (and Mark Selby) have set, I mean overally how impressive things might be... If that would happen things would be quite well. But I could be scared.

Try the quintessentially masala mixture of puffed rice, deep-fried vermicelli, potato, chili paste, tamarind water, chopped onions and coriander. Or spicy vegetable stew and savoury doughnuts soaked in fermented mustard and chili sauce. There´s no better way to beat the cold than with a glass of cool milk shaken with fresh pineapple, mango, banana or custard apple. Sounds pretty good ? Well, that´s the case with someone like Ronnie O´Sullivan or Roger Federer also. But still not the best possible there could be, or how I would argue, are. He´s allright. He´s allright. But the late Anthony Bourdain had even the better ideas. Try to take the best of the French kitchen and something from India as well, just for an example. How about some excessive amounts of chilies added, like they do in Provence !

Which reminds me about Prince Albert. Do you know what that is ? It is Prince Albert piercing. You can well google what part of your body is being pierced. It changes your sex life for good . Does it hurt when taking it ? Some say not that much that could be imagined. But guaranteed that the first you´re snake hissing after that it bites quite badly. In Brighton it used to cost 30 and in Gotham New York half from that.

I would like to have a one Prince Albert, please lol.

The potential is there. But so is the current pecking order, as well also.