snooker world championship final

Didn't take long to get so sick of John fucking Virgo that I had to turn it off. He's beyond parody with his barfing of 'ONE UP! ONE UP!' Total embarrassment.

Decided to support the only actual human being in this final after all. Give me a cheating cunt over Trumpbot any day of the week.

*Ton up, even

4 centuries in 8 frames

I kind of think that there are levels of cheating: throwing matches for money is vv bad obv, but he's not getting to 3 consecutive world championship finals by cheating, is he?

― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2019 12:12 (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I was just taking an easy cheap shot. He's shown repeatedly he has the game and the temperament to beat and be the very best but he'll ultimately end his career a bit Andy Murray to O'Sullivan's and Hendry's Nadal/Federer. Is that because he lacked drive or because he took bribes?

Higgins winning this year will tie him with O'Sullivan..

good start

the centuries are flying by

Fuck the haters, I loved that frame

It's good stuff.

another century

is it called a millennium when they do 10 centuries?

... is it over?

Looks like this is the session where uncharismatic-no-fun-on-a-night-out Trump wins this

he’s playing some good snooker tbf

good for the game, that it is played like this in the world final

his personality doesn't really matter

can’t believe higgins has thrown so many frames

he's probably just tired this time

Does look that way: although I want Higgins to start grinding away, get Trump into an hour's worth of scrap and get his rhythm off, really test him out.

I don't believe he is enough of a safety/tactical player even now but you only meet who is put in front of you and at the place where they are at. In frame 2 or 3 he got two snookers out of Trump and nearly stole it.

Higgins was very near a 147 with an incredible double to pot the last red

Terrific yellow under pressure from Trump, and he goes on to a century: 13-7

Terrific shot with his right hand to keep that break going

Sheesh, this could be over with a session to spare (which would mean no live snooker for me after work). Last time that happened was Hendry-White (18-5) in '93.

Imagine having to take two weeks off to see the final of 1952, which ended in 94-49 o_O

Lindrum and McConachy met in the 145-frame match.[8] The score was 6–6 after the first day[8] but Lindrum pulled ahead, leading 14–10 after the second day and[9] 22–14 after three days.[10] The 12 frames were shared on day 4 but Lindrum still led 28–20,[11] extending his lead to 38–22 after day 5.[12] Lindrum led 44–28 after the first week after another level day.[13]

Lindrum won eight frames on the second Monday, to lead 52–32[14] and then nine frames on the second Tuesday to leave him 61–35 ahead.[15] After another good day, in which he won 10 frames, Lindrum led 71–37, needing just 2 of the remaining 37 for victory.[16] On the Thursday, Lindrum won the first two frames to reach a winning 73–37 position.[2][17] The remaining 35 "dead" frames were due to be played, although in the end only a total of 143 frames were played, Lindrum winning 94–49.[2] Lindrum became the first non-British player to win the World Championship.[18]

Fuck, Trump on a 147 now and it would be the best one I've seen if he makes it

Ah well

it's centurific

I'm betting on a final frame decider at 5 AM tomorrow morning :-)

ok, maybe not

I'll be going to my very first live snooker tournament in November, in Coventry. As a spectator, not a player :) Am already trying to think of what shirt to wear to that televised event. I do know this: it will not be that 'Neanderthal morphs into snooker player' one that's all over the screen this tournament. Nor will it be 'Keep calm and watch snooker', ugh. Recommendations are welcome though.

― Uptown VONC (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, April 29, 2019 10:42 PM (six months ago) bookmarkflaglink

http://www.championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ManBetX-Champion-of-Champions-Draw.jpg

IT. IS. TIME.

We got tickets for the semi-final Saturday night, and the draw is somewhat unlucky; would've loved to see Ronnie, or Jimmy, obv. But it's all good.

The tournament means precisely nothing but it's my first and likely only live snooker match ✓
First televised tournament with a woman playing against men ✓
Outrageously expensive train tickets (London-Coventry 55 quid wtf) ✓
The tournament is broadcast by ITV4 ✓
I'll be the guy wearing the ... shirt (undecided) ✓

Stoked for the madness.

(semi-final draw is winner group 2 vs winner group 3)

:D keep us all updated!

Selby vs Trump, you have to pick one lol

Sad, sad lol :D

I'm rooting for Thepchaiya, actually!

I've no idea about the atmosphere (if any!) around such an event. My dream is Steve Davis being there, spinning obscure, scratched Les Rallizes Denudes or V/Vm 7"s to get the crowd going and failing spectacularly. But more likely it will mostly be a cesspool of nerds with acne lacking social skills and a penchant for crazy stats of yore. Which, also, is totally ok with me. Will keep you posted :)

Lol yes do :) (and yeah Rail prices are ridiculous, hoping the thing will be thoroughly nationalised by this time next year)

You're not kidding, Comrade! We decided on rail this time, a first, going to England. It felt like somewhat of an experiment? Instead of flying to Brum or Leeds/Bradford or what have you, we quite consciously decided on Eurostar, zipping through the tunnel, not adding to our footprint. The train was great btw, but it's disappointing being back. In terms of costs, most def (pls to elect Jebedia Cromwryn as PM now and nationalise the rails ffs! these hyper-capitalist prices are in.sane.), train tickets are priced outrageously (I have lived in Todmorden for a year, five years ago, which does not represent England, nor Yorkshire, I know, but man... have prices risen since then), and also just the in-your-face aura/nazism of 'Englishness'. Union Jacks hanging behind windows even more than before... Idk...

BUT. This is a snooker thread. So WHERE'S THE CUE BALL GOINGGGG? (had second thoughts abt packing a cd-r of my first "album", something me and my brother threw together when we were young, a terrible demo that only had the title going for it: 'The Day John Virgo Killed The Game'. I didn't pack it, and doubt that fuckface will be there anyway. Canb always throw a usb-stick at him).

Once in a lifetime! :)

https://i.imgur.com/xBk5HL4.jpg

Were we unlucky for not booking the Friday night (a Ronnie vs Neil R. cracker) vs the Saturday semi of Allen vs Trump? Nah. It was truly a "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" experience. A shambles and fantastic rolled into one.

The snooker was mediocre, at best. The spectacle around it made it completely worth while though. Even if it involved several way too drunk and loud and obnoxious lads and m8s. I realize there is no point in banging on about the sheer number of drunk English attendees embarrassing themselves, but I was still taken aback. The bald guy lower right in the picture, seated before us, earned himself a stern look of the ref because he had a loud lager hiccup during play. He kept telling people around him he expected Trump to make a second century, in that drunk "I am trying to whisper but don't realize I'm failing miserably"-voice: 'Back to back centuries m8', 'back to back centuries', 'back to back centuries telling ya', 'this'll be back to back centuries!'. Obviously we didn't pay the shambolic 10 quid for the commentary earpiece, but the narrator of duty, Stephen Hendry would've narrated the scene as thus: "There were no back to back centuries". Guy left after frame three, threw up in the lounge of the Ricoh Arena, returned and was then removed from the audience when Trump had just made it 4-4, when they played 'Rebel Rebel' during the 2 mins ITV gambling commercial break in between frames, because he had shouted "Shot!" after break-off and after the frame was shouting 'Gmon Ronnie! Gmonn ya fuck! Back to back centuries!"

An older couple - she in her seventies and completely with it, him 85 and struck by severe Parkinsons - sat opposite of us on our bench before play where we were enjoying a beer. We struck a conversation. She told us her husband had been watching snooker on the telly all his life, and it was his wish to once see it live. For his 85th birthday she arranged tickets for this semi-final. She had arranged with the venue that they'd enter through a backdoor, as a surprise, so he'd not realize what the surprise was, or where he was, basically. Surrounded by MASSIVE Ronnie posters and a snooker table in the lobby and a merch stand w/ godawful t-shirts with "snooker players do it with one feet off the floor", she put a plastic straw in his Guinness and said: "We're sitting here now, and he *still* doesn't know what his surprise birthday gift is." He just looked at us, staring, and indeed did not have a clue where he was. When he wheeled his walker to the toilet, 15 mins before showtime, he ignored or forgot the specific and thrice repeated instructions of his wife to use the disabled toilet. Ten mins later I was in the mens - there was a huge line just before the game started - and he was standing there, trousers and underpants at his ankles, in front of a urinoir, lost in himself. Later, when we seated, and just before the start, I saw him and her and they were seated front row. I hope he finally then understood where he was, what his surprise gift was. And that he remembered it, or *knew it*, if only for a short while.

This is turning out to be way more of a Real England post than a snooker post, but such is life.

Tl;dr the snooker was fine, even more in awe of the players keeping composure in these circumstances (the buzzing drone of camera's and lights is something else in itself), four days in Coventry was neat (though I'd recommend Coventry to others for two days at most). The Herbert museum was nice. It had an exhibition on about Coventry of yore (yore seemingly meaning anything beyond the '00s. There were DOS pc's and Amiga's and Specials 7"'s on display). They also had this, which I could not interpret in any other way as a 'Vote Labour' appeal. Good on them:

https://i.imgur.com/ekF7Ein.jpg

Finally, the snooker merch stand. Saddest. Merch. Stand. Ever.

https://i.imgur.com/AZL5zB6.jpg

35 quid for a snooker ball SIGNED by KYREN WILSON to sock a drunk lad in the face? Don't mind if I do Clive, don't mind if I do.

Best trip ever.

content this quality cannot go ignored

top, top work

never been to Coventry but when in Stroud recently enough I met the owner of Beer Gonzo, the region's foremost craft beer Mecca - did you end up there at any point?

Bless you, my friend :) Truth be told it always felt like I was writing an email to you here instead of a post on a public forum. <3

We did not end up there. Which is a shame, I now wish we did! We stayed at the Ramada, just outside of the ring road, and focused on the center mostly. On Coventry: the ruines of the bombed to shatters cathedral, the Herbert museum, the university district and the hipster 'Fargo' (Far Gosford) village, with vintage and antiques and 2nd hand book shops and stuff are nice and worth your while.

We were really curious - having wiki'd up our knowledge about Coventry: city heavily bombed during WW2 and rebuilt after - if the center was anything like Rotterdam (obliterated in the war and therefor pressed to reinvent itself, reborn into a futuristic, modern architectural miracle). Alas, it was not. Most of the center is made up of godawful white plastered mall alleys and streets, giving you no sense of direction, with half of the shops closed down; bricky and soulless, melancholy. We piously followed the guides and signs to Spon Street, a medieval street all of the city desperately pushes you towards, but it was a laughable, nigh on offensive, 'attraction'. Yes, there were some old buildings, but those buildings were closed and derelict and. Pubs with proud "this is the oldest pub in the city" signs while in a haunted, decaying state. Take better care of what you promote or declare heritage ffs.

You'll be spoiled for choice on restaurants though: loads of great, esp Asian (and beyond) restaurants. We had great grub three nights in a row: at a Lebanese, Bangladeshi and Indian restaurant. As always in England, nigh on achingly humble and friendly service, fantastic food.

So where's that cue ball going? ;)

I've been to that museum, it's great. The cathedral is also great. Not a mega fan of Cov in general tho.

Those were some fine posts btw LBI

I know there’s a second post but I can’t stop giggling at the centuries guy getting fucked out

As always in England, nigh on achingly humble and friendly service

I dunno you generally get decent service in a curry house tbf. And there are some ace ones in the West Mids in general

NV <3

Gyac, I specifically meant the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Lebanese *in England* - my admittedly thoroughly flawed catch-all phrase was Asian - restaurants and their staff. They are so welcoming and great, almost embarrassingly so, while working their behinds off. No irony at all. "Centuries guy getting fucked out" is more akin to English pub and rests staff tbf :)

Yeah fair enough! I genuinely enjoy authentically surly service tbf, rather that than forced-sunshineyness of Pret staff

I dunno you generally get decent service in a curry house tbf. And there are some ace ones in the West Mids in general

I don't know Worcester tbh, have only ever driven through/by it as far as I remember. Pretty sure there's at least one ilxor who's Worcester-adjacent tho?

there is 1 who still lives there iirc. I haven't really lived there since I left for uni which was 25 years ago, so any curry houses I used to frequent probably no longer exist (just checked, the one I had the best idea of the address is now a pizzeria)

iirc the racecourse is currently underwater. this is a fairly common occurrence

"This is turning out to be way more of a Real England post than a snooker post, but such is life."

Lol, yes well done :)