Snooker World Championship 2025

[GornikDaze]

Settles down to watch first session of Judd v Williams - mutes sound due to Virgo and Murphy on comms

 

[normskih]

Settles down to watch first session of Judd v Williams - mutes sound due to Virgo and Murphy on comms

I think Murphy is very good.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Why is he playing as an amateur and not as a professional?

He’s still banned by the Chinese snooker authorities but not the world governing body, so probably came to some deal with them. I think his ban runs out this summer.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

I think Murphy is very good.

I used to prefer it to Guinness but you don’t see it anywhere anymore.

 

[dronefromsector7G]

John ‘Where’s the cue ball going?!’ Virgo missed a chance to say it then

 

[normskih]

I used to prefer it to Guinness but you don’t see it anywhere anymore.

They did used to sell Murphy’s, that’s right

 

[stonerblue]

Why is he playing as an amateur and not as a professional?

Dunno joe

 

[BlueHammer85]

I think Murphy is very good.

He is, can tell he lives and breathes snooker and absolutely loves it, always found him insightful talking about the game.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

He’s still banned by the Chinese snooker authorities but not the world governing body, so probably came to some deal with them. I think his ban runs out this summer.

Dunno joe

@Citizen of Legoland is spot on.

Zhao, 28, served a 20-month suspension for betting breaches and was aware of a player fixing two matches.
His professional status is due to be reinstated at start of the next season.

Its funny that he can play as an amateur but not professionally. You'd think a ban is a ban.

 

[Thaksins Love Child]

Sad to see the semi final relegated to bbc4 the game is dying.

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

Settles down to watch first session of Judd v Williams - mutes sound due to Virgo and Murphy on comms

Likewise with the irritating Virgo-far too shouty and overdramatic.

 

[mexico1970]

Sad to see the semi final relegated to bbc4 the game is dying.

Largest ever audience was the Davis Taylor final but the sport is watched mainly in China now, banning smoking in snooker halls and advertisement area didn't do snooker any favours.

That's probably why the players in the semis aren't exactly spring chickens, when Ronnie leaves the sport it'll die some more over here but will thrive in China ans Asia in general.

 

[Thaksins Love Child]

Largest ever audience was the Davis Taylor final but the sport is watched mainly in China now, banning smoking in snooker halls and advertisement area didn't do snooker any favours.

That's probably why the players in the semis aren't exactly spring chickens, when Ronnie leaves the sport it'll die some more over here but will thrive in China ans Asia in general.

As Ronnie has said, the fact him, Williams, Higgins etc are still about is a poor reflection on the younger players who he called crap

 

[mexico1970]

As Ronnie has said, the fact him, Williams, Higgins etc are still about is a poor reflection on the younger players who he called crap

Snooker needs its Luke Littler but doesn't look like it will get it. Worse thing about snooker is that when the popularity really drops off the facilities close and then it cascades to a quick death.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

As Ronnie has said, the fact him, Williams, Higgins etc are still about is a poor reflection on the younger players who he called crap

Has Ronnie checked out the ages of our midfield recently.

 

[mexico1970]

Has Ronnie checked out the ages of our midfield recently.

Compared to those snooker players our midfield is positively youthful and rampant with vigour :)

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Compared to those snooker players our midfield is positively youthful and rampant with vigour :)

Its quite incredible that these snooker players are still around for so long.
You'd think that their eyesight and co -ordination would no longer be at the required level.
Its like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer playing at the top for well beyond what is expected if them.

 

[mexico1970]

Its quite incredible that these snooker players are still around for so long.
You'd think that their eyesight and co -ordination would no longer be at the required level.
Its like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer playing at the top for well beyond what is expected if them.

Or maybe Ronnie was right when he said that the up and coming players weren't up to much so haven't been able to knock the old guard off their perches?

 

[meltonblue]

Its quite incredible that these snooker players are still around for so long.
You'd think that their eyesight and co -ordination would no longer be at the required level.
Its like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer playing at the top for well beyond what is expected if them.

It’s not really to be fair. Far more likelihood of keeping a much longer career in a sport like snooker and there always has been, Reardon was winning tournaments at a similar age.

It’s more the three of them are generational players. Plenty of that era have long gone too.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

It’s not really to be fair. Far more likelihood of keeping a much longer career in a sport like snooker and there always has been, Reardon was winning tournaments at a similar age

True enough but when Ray Reardon and Terry Griffiths were around there was a lot of good younger players putting up decent competition to them.
There seems to be no challenge to the current "old boys" apart from the Chinese lads. Maybe snooker is no longer popular with the young lads and there afe very few pool tables in bars anymore.