{"id":4811,"date":"2021-12-31T01:47:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T01:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=4811"},"modified":"2024-02-08T10:53:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T10:53:26","slug":"misc-why-i-love-snooker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=4811","title":{"rendered":"SPORTS\/MiSC: Why I Love Snooker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"525\" height=\"296\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HwdvROf-V9w?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-GB&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always enjoyed snooker. Probably partially because I\u2019ve watched it since my childhood; my father is or was a fan of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps surprisingly, David Attenborough is also a part of the story. It was Attenborough, when running BBC2, who chose this working men\u2019s sport as a part of showcasing the introduction of colour TV to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4264.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4818\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4264.jpg 976w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4264-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4264-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attenborough, when running BBC2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We may come back to the issue of class at some later point. Billiards has been portrayed as a posh man\u2019s game. Pool is a brasher more American blue-collar pursuit. And snooker sits, perhaps, somewhere in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here are some of the things I like (and dislike) about this game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, the table. I love the green baize (what if any difference is there between baize and felt, I wonder?). It\u2019s like a mini battlefield. And as a wargamer I like that! It\u2019s the terrain in which the combatants engage in a warfare that\u2019s both physical and intellectual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, the balls. I love those bright, hard, shiny orbs! And the choice of red, against green, for the little army of low value \u2018grunts\u2019 is perfect. The higher value colours could be various brass or ADCs (Aide-de-Camps), dotted around the battlefield, running errands for the commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4265.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4819\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4265.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4265-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The beautiful baize battlefield of the snooker table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then there are the players and their magic wands, the cues. Snooker players are a funny bunch. Mostly they seem to be drawn from working class or what we class-conscious Brits might call lower middle class, or upper working class. The latter might be best exemplified by someone like Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan; resolutely working class in terms of culture, but from an affluent (if shady) background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do such considerations apply to foreign players? One wonders about the Chinese and Thai players. I really don\u2019t know!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having mentioned the whole \u2018working men\u2019s culture\u2019 thread, that brings in some other things. Mostly these relate to what I <em>don\u2019t<\/em> like about the sport. These also concern the \u2018showbiz\u2019 and fiscal aspects of the game (not unique to snooker). So, whilst I don\u2019t mind the silly nicknames, I\u2019m not so keen on the player\u2019s theme tunes. A recent trend I could happily do without. And the ubiquitous advertising, gambling being the most pervasive, pernicious and, frankly, repulsive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snooker players and umpires also have &#8211; in all the snooker I\u2019ve ever seen, UK or elsewhere &#8211; dress codes, which are a mixed bag. That any people in sport should act as advertising hoardings I strongly disapprove of. But the tradition of dressing smartly? That\u2019s alright. Rather like cricket whites it\u2019s a tradition I find cosy and comforting, rather than oppressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"684\" height=\"1024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4263-684x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4816\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4263-684x1024.jpg 684w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4263-200x300.jpg 200w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4263-768x1151.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4263.jpg 801w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 684px) 100vw, 684px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alex Higgins looking sharper than a razor blade!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s obviously the game itself, with its combination of bravura and strategy. I love flashy aggressive players, from \u2018Hurricane\u2019 Higgins and \u2018Rocket\u2019 Ronnie, to newer guys, like Trump. But then again, I also love the more measured tempi of guys like Neil Robertson and Mark Selby. There are a good number of what I deem to be duller players. In the gentlemanly spirit of the sport itself, I\u2019ll refrain from naming anyone. They may be highly skilled. But I don\u2019t enjoy watching them \u2018at work\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the chief attraction of snooker, as with many sports (or indeed any human activities), is to do with something I just mentioned, skill. Watching the more flamboyant players when they\u2019re \u2018in the zone\u2019 is a kind of Zen poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with this introduction, via my reference to Zen, there\u2019s the calmness of the game. Crowds occasionally get a little rowdy, at certain junctures. But by and large they watch in rapt silence, as the gladiators fight hard, but silently. If one excludes the TV commentators (quite often on YouTube the commentary is missing), the clack of the balls, the numeric narrative of the umpire\u2019s interjections, and the occasional burst of applause, are all that breaks the almost monastic silence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end it\u2019s the mix of skill, drama, aesthetics (of the game in particular) and pace\/peace, that I love the most. It\u2019s a game I can focus intently, or just bathe in its ambience. It can command attention, and it can soothe and relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"430\" height=\"630\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4259.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4812\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4259.jpg 430w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4259-205x300.jpg 205w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u2018Whispering\u2019 Ted Lowe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst mentioning such qualities, and having consciously excluded them above, I feel it\u2019d be churlish not to mention some of the commentators. Perhaps my favourite might be \u2018whispering\u2019 Ted Lowe (Clive Everton may be his heir?), whose soft-spoken delivery really is <em>very<\/em> charming. Especially in an era when the tawdry brashness of so much of our culture &#8211; the intrusions of adverts really throws this into stark relief &#8211; is pitched at such a glaring blaring level. As alludes to via Everton, Lowe has some noteworthy heirs, although the professional pundits of old are increasingly being replaced by former (and even sometimes current) players. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I type this I\u2019m watching a Trump vs Robertson match from 2020. And it\u2019s great. Trump has the flash speed and power, and Robertson the cool, smooth methodical game. And &#8211; this might sound superficial; I\u2019m a tad embarrassed confessing to it &#8211; they\u2019re both trim and relatively (for the snooker world, perhaps not the acme of fashion) stylish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4814\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-1024x576.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4260-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two trim stylish gents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Certainly snooker is not as bad as darts, in which you can picture many of the players as drunk, racist, aggressive bigots. The kind of folk who might keep the worst of rough pubs in business. Sure, snooker has its cadre of tattooed skinhead porkers, evoking a culture I find total anathema. Along with the role of gambling in supporting the sport, this is an aspect of snooker I have real issues with. And I won\u2019t pretend some of these relate to \u2018issues\u2019 I have with what is often popularly called \u2018chav\u2019 culture, but I prefer to call contemporary serfdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4815\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262-1024x576.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4262.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scots dart player and former tyre-fitter Peter \u2018Snakebite\u2019 Wright.*<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>* Peter may be a very nice chap. I <em>really<\/em> don\u2019t know! But his theme music is by a band called Pitbull. And he looks like a proper cnut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s leave such thoughts there! And instead, reflect on the the simple but satisfying aesthetics and mechanics of the game itself, the prodigious and entertaining skills of its best protagonists, and the range of responses it can provoke from excited awe to soothing and relaxed admiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For me snooker &#8211; not all snooker, mind; but snooker at its best &#8211; is a wonderful and almost therapeutic spectator sport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8\/1\/\u201822<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4810\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-768x576.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/img_4258-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">3 am: when insomnia bites\u2026 snooker soothes!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since first posting this I find I am in company with a certain Mr Osman. The only game show I like enough to watch regularly is his <em>House of Games<\/em>. He\u2019s not ashamed of being suavely polite and clever. And he\u2019s also an author. Apparently he chose the BBC Snooker theme when he appeared on D<em>esert Island Dicks,<\/em> on the most recent Boxing Day,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"750\" height=\"446\" src=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/img_4538.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4874\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/img_4538.jpg 750w, http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/img_4538-300x178.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Amen, brother Osman. Amen!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve always enjoyed snooker. Probably partially because I\u2019ve watched it since my childhood; my father is or was a fan of the game. Perhaps surprisingly, David Attenborough is also a part of the story. It was Attenborough, when running BBC2, who chose this working men\u2019s sport as a part of showcasing the introduction of colour &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=4811\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;SPORTS\/MiSC: Why I Love Snooker&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[74,79],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paGwUa-1fB","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4811"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4811"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11611,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4811\/revisions\/11611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}