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Snooker

I read somewhere that Selby won his first title around the time Leicester gained promotion to Premier League, then won another around the time Leicester won the Premier League, and now he’s won another just before they win the FA Cup.
Their fortunes seem entwined.

Seems so - definitely the night Leicester won the Premier League he won his last World title. Inspire each other. Always used to be interesting how Football clubs in areas follow similar paths, used to think it down to the economy in the area.

Say this year the 2 Sheffields and Rotherham all gone down. Derby, Nottingham Forest and Notts County at low levels comapred to past. Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford were all in the doldrums together though have started to come back. Fulham, Brentford have followed success of Chelsea in recent seasons. Sure there are many more.

 
Seems so - definitely the night Leicester won the Premier League he won his last World title. Inspire each other. Always used to be interesting how Football clubs in areas follow similar paths, used to think it down to the economy in the area.

Say this year the 2 Sheffields and Rotherham all gone down. Derby, Nottingham Forest and Notts County at low levels comapred to past. Leeds, Huddersfield and Bradford were all in the doldrums together though have started to come back. Fulham, Brentford have followed success of Chelsea in recent seasons. Sure there are many more.
..... yeah! quite an interesting theory. I don't know if there is anything in it, perhaps there are certain similarities but is it simply down to this at the end of the day? Seems hardly believable that because someone wins at the top in the snooker world, that this would directly affect what happens to their town football team's performances. I can see a possible inspiration link which in turn inspires them to play better, but I would not go as far as to say, it is written in the stars, just what fate awaits them due to performances of others. Would be nice to think there was something in the theory which binds our sportsmen together. ;)
 
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The British Open will return to the World Snooker Tour for the first time since 2004 this season.
The tournament will run from August 16-22 and will be the second ranking event of the 2021/22 campaign.
All 128 tour players are set to compete in the event, which was held every year from 1985 to 2004. John Higgins was the last winner of the tournament when he beat Stephen Maguire in the final, while Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams and Steve Davis have also lifted the trophy.
Brighton was the host city in 2004 but it is yet to be confirmed where it will be played in 2021.
WST chairman Steve Dawson said: "We continue to work towards building a full calendar for the 2021/22 season and the schedule is gradually taking shape.

We are delighted to bring back the British Open which has a fantastic history and has been won by many of the greats including Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, Paul Hunter and John Higgins.

"Planning for the tournament is now in progress with the intention to restore its position as a prestigious event on the calendar."
There are currently 19 events scheduled for the 2021/22 season, with Turkey set to host a tournament for the first time.
The Turkish Masters will be held in Antalya from September 27 to October 3.
The new season is due to begin with the Championship League starting on July 4 with the provisional calendar yet be finalised for venues after Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire played host to large swathes of the 2020/21 campaign behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ;)
 
Mark Selby has revealed he was reduced to tears by the stunning FA Cup final success for his beloved Leicester City. The four-time world champion was in the 21,000 crowd at Wembley on Saturday with wife Vicky as guests of the club following his latest Crucible triumph earlier this month.
And the huge emotion of the day got the better of the 37-year-old Selby, whose last visit to the old stadium came 25 years ago with his late father David. It was already a hugely poignant day for all Foxes fans, with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha having tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in 2018 - and his son ‘Top’ celebrating with the players.
And recent Betfred World Championship winner Selby admitted: “I was welling up at the end, the tears were coming.
“I said to my wife Vicky that I wasn’t like that even when I won the world title a couple of weeks ago.
“And on Saturday I am standing there at the side of the pitch in a right state. There was just so much emotion involved, with what has happened with the club and also me personally.
“Obviously Leicester had the terrible tragedy with Vichai losing his life in the helicopter crash. It just seemed like fate when the Chelsea goal was disallowed.
“And the last time I went to Wembley, the old one, in any kind of final was a play-off final when they beat Crystal Palace in 1996.
“And I was standing there that day with my dad, who as many people know passed away when I was 16. So the whole day brought back a lot of memories.
“Then to see Top walking around with the players and the trophy at the end, looking up at the sky – it was very powerful. He was I’m sure wishing his dad could have been there, and so was I.
“It is such a different emotion, being there to watch Leicester win that FA Cup to my own success winning a fourth world title earlier this month.
“I do believe I can win snooker titles, and have lived and breathed it – but there is a part of me that still can’t quite believe what Leicester have done these past five years.
“I have followed them all my life, never really thought they would win the league, and never really thought they would win the FA Cup. We are still not viewed as a Man City or Man Utd. But this was a fantastic day and one that I will never forget.
“I was speaking to the TV sports presenter Gary Newbon afterwards, and he was in bits. He is in his late 70s now and was telling me he had been a Leicester fan since he was about six.
“And basically he has been waiting all his life for this, this one day, winning the FA Cup final at Wembley.
“He was there at the 1969 final when they lost, and just told me I might not fully realise how big a deal this is, being only 37 and following Leicester for 25 years or so.
“I was driving down to Wembley and was on the coffee – but I’ll watch it again on Sunday night with a little glass of something. I got there at around 3pm and saw a load of my mates from Leicester, so stood with them for a couple of hours.
“But not drinking didn’t matter, it was such a high just being there - fantastic. Inside the ground the 6,000 Leicester fans sounded like 20,000, they were so loud.
“There were so many highs in the one match – the incredible goal itself, Kasper Schmeichel’s saves, the Chelsea goal disallowed by VAR, the final whistle… When Tielemans scored it felt like I was jumping around for about an hour and a half. And when VAR disallowed their goal it was like we had scored again.”
Unlike London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, Leicester are a one-club city like Newcastle, Leeds and Wolverhampton. And Selby insists there is something unique in the surge of civic pride generated by such successes and occasions.
He added: “There is something special about success for the city when there is just the one club. The current owners have done loads for our city and the community. But the support has always been tremendous, we were getting 10,000 going to away games in League One back in the day.
“There aren’t many Leicester fans coming from outside Leicester, compared to many of the traditional bigger clubs.
“I did text Gary Lineker when we scored, I could see him jumping up and down on the balcony. Then he had his head in his hands during the VAR decision – but it all worked out fine.” ;)
 
Veteran Tony Knowles believes he has a “realistic chance” of making it through Q School and achieving his ambition of regaining a place on the World Snooker Tour at the age of 65.


The former world number two has entered Q School for the first time in four years, having rekindled his enthusiasm for practice. When the event at Ponds Forge in Sheffield starts next week, he’ll line up against some 200 other players, all hoping to land one of 14 golden tickets to the pro circuit. Knowles will face Bradley Cowdroy in the opening round of the first of three events.
Click here for the draws and format


“I played ok against Jimmy White in the recent World Seniors Championship and it made me want to test out what I’m doing in other tournaments, to find out whether I’m good enough now to win matches” said Knowles. “The adrenaline was flowing and I was nervous when I played Jimmy at the Crucible, perhaps because I expected too much. I may have lost 3-0 but I felt I hadn’t made many mistakes, Jimmy just punished my bad shots.


“I have been practising more than at any time in the last 20 years and I have really got the love of the game back. I have a table at home and I’m using some of the practice methods I used many years ago, working on my long potting and cue action. And I haven’t lost the thrill that comes with playing in tournaments.”


Knowles was one of snooker’s biggest stars of the 1980s, winning the International Open, Professional Players Tournament and Australian Masters. He was ranked among the top 16 for most of that decade and reached three Crucible semi-finals. Perhaps his greatest moment was beating defending champion Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round in Sheffield in 1982.


He last played on the tour in 2001 and was unable to progress beyond the last 64 at his most recent attempt at Q School in 2017, but Knowles remains optimistic.


“I’ve got a realistic chance this time because of the time I have put into practice,” he said. “I have still got the knowledge of the game. Snooker changed in my era when the balls and cloth changed. But everything comes full circle and you saw at the World Championship this year a very controlled style of play from the likes of Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham. That knowledge remains very important and that’s why you see a lot of the older players on the circuit still doing well.


“What I need is more matches against other players on the Star tables, if I can get that under my belt then my consistency will improve, I’ll cut out the mistakes and the break-building will come back. My goal is to get back on to the tour and show what can be achieved at my age.” ;)
 
World Seniors champion David Lilley has set his sights on making it through Q School and proving that he belongs on the World Snooker Tour, after a demoralising two-year spell on the circuit.


Lilley turned pro for the first time in 2019 at the age of 43. His first few months on tour were ruined by a shoulder injury, and he was eventually relegated at the end of the 2020/21 season. But an “overwhelming” triumph at the World Seniors earlier this month has given Lilley the motivation to make a fresh start.


The 45-year-old from Tyne & Wear worked as an insurance claims controller, playing snooker on the amateur circuit, before deciding to make the leap to the pro game after qualifying through Q School two years ago.


“In my first season on tour I started getting pain in my shoulder,” he said. “It would only come on certain shots and I would get a shooting pain through my neck. Then I was quitting on those shots to avoid the pain. I spent fortunes with physiotherapists and chiropractors trying to solve the problem but nothing worked. That led to anxiety. Mentally I was gone, ruined. I would go into matches very apprehensive, then get embarrassed when I played badly.


“The first lockdown was a blessing because I stopped playing snooker, and with rest my shoulder got better. I think it was a repetitive strain injury as I had gone from playing eight hours a week to eight hours a day. Luckily it doesn’t bother me any more.”
Lilley won just five matches in his first season on tour, and though he improved in his second year – notably beating Shaun Murphy on his way to the last 32 of the English Open – it was not enough to keep his card.


“It was only when I got to the final weekend of the seniors event that I decided to enter Q School again and try to get my place back,” he said. “I feel I have unfinished business. I know how well I can play, but I can count the number of times I have done that on the tour on the fingers of one hand. I called my wife and she agreed, she said I need to get it out of my system. I am fully focussed on Q School now, hopefully I can get through and give it a proper two years on the tour, injury free.”


Lilley earned a place in the Seniors event by coming through the qualifying rounds. “I arrived at the Crucible with no expectations and no targets other than to play well,” he reflects. “I found the television lights hard to adjust to at first, then started to get on a roll. It all just came out of the blue.”


After knocking out Philip Williams, Ken Doherty and Patrick Wallace to reach the final, Lilley scored a 5-3 victory over Jimmy White, sealing the £15,000 top prize with a break of 69.


“It was a massive high, overwhelming,” he said. “The most pleasing thing was to finish the match in one visit rather than crawling over the line. The money is nice, but I’m just glad to have showed what I can do when it mattered.”


Lilley’s one regret was that he wasn’t able to share his triumph with a man who had a huge influence on his career. Stan Chambers was a widely respected coach in the North East, having helped countless juniors learn the game over more than 50 years. He sadly passed away earlier this month.


“When I started playing, my dad was tough on me, he would shout at me if I missed an easy ball. Stan was the one who would stick up for me. And he was my coach for many years,” recalls Lilley. “He was always the main man around the North East and he will be massively missed. I was at his funeral on Thursday and it was great to see so many faces there, old and new.” ;)
 
Alife Burden admits he has had some “dark spells” during his time away from the World Snooker Tour and that nothing can replace the thrill of competition and sense of camaraderie on the circuit.


Burden was relegated from the tour at the end of the 2019/20 season and narrowly missed out on an immediate return via Q School, losing to Steven Hallworth in the final round of event three. After nine months away from competition, the 44-year-old Londoner is ready to return and has entered 2021 Q School, which starts next week.


“Last year I said I had retired and I had no intention of coming back,” said Burden, whose career highlights include winning the World Amateur title in 2009 and making a 147 at the English Open in 2016. “I could have played in a few ranking events last season as a top-up amateur, but pride in my own performance stopped me, I didn’t want to just turn up having not played for months.


“Then Jason Francis, who runs the World Seniors events, talked me into playing in one of their qualifying tournaments, and I really enjoyed it. That led me to decide to give Q School another crack, and I have been practising for the last three weeks. I have no match sharpness of course but mentally I am fresh and I still think I’m good enough to be on the tour. If I get my game together than not many players would want to draw me at Q School. It’s a tough event and I might not get through, I realise that.


“The main thing I have missed is the competitive side. The butterflies in the stomach when you go to play in a tournament. I know a lot of footballers who have found it very difficult when they stop playing, having been competitive for most of their lives. The adrenaline rush that you get during a match can’t be replaced with anything else, and that’s something that people outside sport don’t understand. I have had a few dark spells where I have wondered what to do with myself.


“I have also missed the friendships with the lads on tour as I tend to get on with most of them. I still speak to them of course and over the past year I have watched more snooker on TV than I had ever done in my life, which has also helped restore my appetite for the game. The pandemic has made everyone realise how lucky we used to be. I used to moan about the trips to China, but now I see those events as great experiences and the chance to travel with my friends on the circuit – I would love to go back there now. At the time I took it for granted.”
Away from snooker, Burden is dedicated to his son Lene’s fledgling football career, and has spent much of the past year helping the 16-year-old to make key decisions about his future.


“Lene was at Arsenal for ten years, then we recently took the decision for him to move on,” Burden explains. “I had several very honest conversations with Per Mertesacker, the academy manager. Arsenal wanted Lene to stay at the club, but it was clear that the competition was very tough and there were other junior players in his position who were ahead of him. We felt that in terms of his career pathway, it would be better for Lene to move to a club where he has a better chance of competing for the first team. It was a brave decision, but the right one.


“We looked at eight different clubs. Lene spent a week at Liverpool which was a great experience, and also went to see Spurs, Watford, Bournemouth and a few others. We went to Bristol Rovers and Lene immediately felt they were right for him, in terms of the coaching staff and the football philosophy, so he has decided to sign for them. It’s a great move for him and I believe he will be pushing for the first team before long, he is good enough for the top level.


“It has been a difficult time for him, he has experienced rejection from certain clubs, there have been tears. But all of that is character-building. He has had to fight for what he wants, and that will stand him in good stead. I’m planning to move to Bristol to support him there.” ;)
 

Mark Allen goes from black to red: Snooker star declared bankrupt​


Dramatic decline in fortunes as snooker star with £3m in prize money declared bankrupt as he takes break from game.
Snooker ace Mark Allen has declared himself bankrupt after announcing he was taking a break from the sport which has netted him over £3m in prize money.


Northern Ireland’s top potter known as ‘The Pistol’ also resigned as a director of his company Mark Allen (NI) Ltd on Thursday.





Mark Allen plays a shot
Mark Allen plays a shot.

Looks like he is in a spot of bother. I did not know he was in any kind of financial difficulties. Sad to see this kind of trouble when you have it all and cannot make things work. ;)
 

Mark Williams makes call for new doubles competition​


Nigel Slater / 1 day ago


Three-times world champion Mark Williams has asked snooker bosses to consider adding a doubles snooker competition in the season calendar.
Williams, one of snooker’s most successful stars in recent history, made his plea on Twitter and tagged World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson.
He tweeted: “Love to see a doubles comp make its way back into our calendar this year.”
The World Doubles Championship, also known as the Hofmeister World Doubles then the Fosters World Doubles was held in the 1980s but ended as new tournaments were created.
The recent snooker World Cups have featured countries represented by two players each, with games including at least one frame of doubles.
Williams’ suggestion appeared to get the backing from fans and those involved in the game.


Snooker writer Gary On Cue tweeted Williams back saying: “Be brilliant. 128 players randomly paired. Be class.”


Liam Dumbleton said: “Bring back the Hoffmeister world doubles.. the old December days.” ;)
 
Michael White is heading to Q School this week confident that his game is better than ever and he is ready to, not just regain his place on the main tour, but make a fresh assault on the upper echelons of snooker. The 29-year-old has had a rollercoaster career so far, showing immense promise as a junior and amateur before turning professional at just 15. A World Championship quarter-final on debut in 2013 was followed by ranking titles at the Indian Open and Paul Hunter Classic, with the Welshman into the world’s top 16 in 2015. Then things changed as White’s form deserted him in the 2018/19 season to the extent that he fell off the tour last year and was forced to compete as an amateur over the last campaign.
He is in a better place mentally than he has been for years and believes his game is in the best shape it has ever been, which is a frightening prospect. ‘Better than ever, definitely,’ White told Metro.co.uk of his game at the moment. ‘I’m looking forward to Q School. I strongly believe I can get back into the top 16. ‘I feel like I’m stronger mentally after going through the things I’ve been through. I was quite young getting into the top 16 – 23, 24 – so I’m a lot more experienced now, not just snooker-wise but in the way I conduct myself. I know more things that work for me and against me, I’m more wised-up on that side.’
White has been looking for answers on why his game slid away from the peaks he achieved early in his career, when he was viewed as a future world champion at a very young age. ‘I definitely had a lot of pressure on me more than other players would have done,’ he said. ‘The only other player I think had as much pressure as I did at a young age was Judd [Trump]. ‘I won the world amateur title at 14 so everyone’s saying I’m going to be world champion by 20, but it’s never going to work out that way, the way the game is. You’re a big fish in a small pond. The standard now is better than it’s ever been, anyone can beat anyone. ‘I sat myself down. Jack [Lisowski] and Kyren [Wilson] are the same age as me, pretty much. They’re in the top 16 and I was definitely as good as them growing up, if not having the edge on them. I sat myself down and thought, “Why are they where they are and I am where I am?” ‘I was going through it: break-building, safety, bang, bang, bang, and it was only one thing, lifestyle. Now that’s in good nick then there’s no reason I can’t get back to where I got to. If not further, but one step at a time.’ ;)
 
Tony Knowles, icon of snooker’s boom era of the 1980s, has returned to the spotlight thanks to the BBC’s recent Gods of Snooker documentary and also because the veteran has got his cue out of its case once again. The 65-year-old played at the World Seniors Championship earlier this month and is hoping to return to the main tour when he enters Q School this week. It would be a remarkable achievement to retake his place as a professional once again, 40 years after he made his World Championship debut at the Crucible, although he fancies his chances of doing just that. It was his ’80s exploits that saw Knowles thrust back onto our television screens most notably this year, though, starring in the Louis Theroux-produced Gods of Snooker, which the Lancashire legend was thoroughly impressed with.
‘I watched all three episodes, I thought Louis Theroux did a very good job of capturing most of it,’ Knowles told Metro.co.uk. ‘Obviously there’s a few things said that were probably not fully to the point. ‘At least it’s better than the one before, The Rack Pack, this was a lot more accurate. That was a dramatisation that wasn’t really accurate enough, upset a few people, but never mind.’ As is so often the case when looking back at that time in snooker, it wasn’t Knowles’ two ranking titles or three runs to the World Championship semi-final they looked at, but his controversies off the table. Namely the kiss-and-tell story claiming he liked to wear women’s underwear and his subsequent selling of his own story in 1984, which saw him pose with topless models in the tabloids and incur a hefty fine for bringing snooker into disrepute. ;)
 
World champion Mark Selby is fired up about his home city of Leicester staging a first ever ranking tournament this season.
The 37-year-old, who claimed a fourth Betfred World Championship crown in early May at the Crucible, is delighted Wednesday’s new calendar for 2021-22 brings the Shootout to the East Midlands.
After a campaign spent almost entirely in Milton Keynes, snooker is back on the road, with venues across the UK as well as Berlin, Gibraltar and quite possibly China and Malta too.
Selby, who must wait until January for his big day at the Morningside Arena, was the runner-up at last season’s quickfire event with frames lasting 10 minutes and a shot-clock dropping to just 10 seconds.
Selby, who watched Leicester City win the FA Cup at Wembley before seeing them miss out on a Champions League spot against Spurs at the King Power, was off to play golf with two of Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker’s sons at top course Sunningdale on Wednesday.
He said, “I am delighted Leicester has finally got a ranking tournament with the Shootout.
“It is a hotbed of snooker and has produced a lot of players, and there is huge interest in the game in the city. I expect the crowds to be really good for that one.
“Leicester has been very high-profile as a sporting city over recent years with obviously the football, and rugby’s Leicester Tigers, and the Riders basketball who play at the Arena.
“But apart from the odd invitation event or the Championship League, Leicester hasn’t had a big tournament like that.
“I didn’t play the Shootout a few times, but I’ll definitely be there this season.
“The atmosphere will be excellent, Vikki and Sofia can come and there will be a lot of friends there to cheer the Leicester players.
“For me personally, there are a few events on the new calendar in the Midlands which is going to make travelling there from home much easier.
“Of course it is brilliant to be going back to all our usual venues and some new and exciting ones. And it shows that things are gradually getting back to normality.
“But Milton Keynes and the MK Stadium served a valuable purpose for us all last season, if they hadn’t have staged all those tournaments we probably wouldn’t have played at all.
“We could easily have been sitting at home and not earning like many other sports.
“And so I am glad that has been recognised with them keeping the English Open this season, to show some gratitude from the sport. It’s the least we could do.”
The UK Championship will be back in York, and the Masters at Alexandra Palace – with the Champion of Champions in Bolton and the revived British Open still awaiting a venue.
The English Open is the event remaining in Milton Keynes but the other Home Series tournaments will be in Glasgow, Belfast and Celtic Manor.
In the Cazoo Series the venues will be the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, the Aldersley Arena in Wolverhampton and the Venue Cymru in Llandudno. The German Masters will return to Berlin, the new Turkish Masters is in Antalya, and the Gibraltar Open is back on ‘the Rock’ with further events possible in China and Malta.
Governing body World Snooker Tour, mindful of recent developments in certain areas of the UK related to the Covid Indian variant, issued their own statement on Wednesday.
It read: “We will continue to work closely with the government and all of our venues and partners on Covid-19 regulation. Fans can be assured that all necessary precautions will be taken at events to minimise the risk of virus transmission, keeping safety as our highest priority.
“If at the time of the event the Government restrictions force this event to change its terms of attendance, customers will be offered a variety of options and where necessary refunds will be made available. As an additional measure and where possible, e-tickets will be issued in place of more traditional ticketing methods.”
WST chairman Steve Dawson said, “We are thrilled to offer this chance to snooker fans across the UK to come to our events next season and enjoy the incredible experience of watching snooker live.
“The World Championship at the Crucible was a landmark for British sport in welcoming back a live audience and the atmosphere was extraordinary. We want to see that repeated across our tour next season.
“It’s fantastic to add new host cities to our roster, such as Leicester, Coventry and Wolverhampton, where we know there is deep-rooted support for snooker, while keeping many of the superb venues we have grown to love over the years.
“The players are excited by the chance to get back out on the road around the UK, visit these great cities and enjoy the buzz of competing in front of fans.
“There has never been a better time to watch snooker live and to witness the remarkable talent of the leading stars.” ;)
 
@ Delboy99 Delboy99 Hadn't seen that about Allen. How could he lsoe all that? Know he likes a drink but no wonder he lost his form last season with all that worry. Taking a break won't help him pay either. Sorry stuff, hopefully not joined the Thorne and White types in gambling and drugs.
 
Just realised the Q School started and I was putting my ratings up. Most of the players I have no ratings for but these are the ones I have, ex professionals trying to return to tour or those that nearly made it last year.
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@ Delboy99 Delboy99 Hadn't seen that about Allen. How could he lsoe all that? Know he likes a drink but no wonder he lost his form last season with all that worry. Taking a break won't help him pay either. Sorry stuff, hopefully not joined the Thorne and White types in gambling and drugs.
...... looks like he is in deep trouble financially, don't know whether he has been squandering and spending ruthlessly, but it has to affect his concentration with all that worrying going on in the background. Needs to pull his finger out or hr could end up another Stephen Lee (where is he now?) Quite impressed with your ratings list, lots of names there will never make it back surely. ;)
 
Had a look and says he is going through a divorce. So could be just a ruse to avoid paying too much.

It's still a lot of money to spend in a lifetime.

Yes there's some try every year and never quite make it.

That young Chinese lad Bai Langning, think 19 now, should have been given a Wildcard really, missed out in last round for Crucible but that was the only event he played this year, stuck in China. Considering White, Doherty, Hendry and Fu (not played any events for over a year), were given WIldcards plus the 2 ladies who are some way short of the ability required it is a bit of a jobs for the boys (or girls) club. He looked a lot better in those World qualifiers so would be my Number 1 tip to qualify.

Don't update ratins now until next season players guaranteed so there won't be any changes to these.
 
Had a look and says he is going through a divorce. So could be just a ruse to avoid paying too much.

It's still a lot of money to spend in a lifetime.
..... yes, you wonder just how they get themselves into this kind of situation. Could be a ploy as you say to make the missus think that he has nothing, but he looks to me to be the kind of guy that throws caution to the wind probably once too often! :)
 
Veteran Tony Knowles believes he has a “realistic chance” of making it through Q School and achieving his ambition of regaining a place on the World Snooker Tour at the age of 65.


The former world number two has entered Q School for the first time in four years, having rekindled his enthusiasm for practice. When the event at Ponds Forge in Sheffield starts next week, he’ll line up against some 200 other players, all hoping to land one of 14 golden tickets to the pro circuit. Knowles will face Bradley Cowdroy in the opening round of the first of three events.
Click here for the draws and format


“I played ok against Jimmy White in the recent World Seniors Championship and it made me want to test out what I’m doing in other tournaments, to find out whether I’m good enough now to win matches” said Knowles. “The adrenaline was flowing and I was nervous when I played Jimmy at the Crucible, perhaps because I expected too much. I may have lost 3-0 but I felt I hadn’t made many mistakes, Jimmy just punished my bad shots.


“I have been practising more than at any time in the last 20 years and I have really got the love of the game back. I have a table at home and I’m using some of the practice methods I used many years ago, working on my long potting and cue action. And I haven’t lost the thrill that comes with playing in tournaments.”


Knowles was one of snooker’s biggest stars of the 1980s, winning the International Open, Professional Players Tournament and Australian Masters. He was ranked among the top 16 for most of that decade and reached three Crucible semi-finals. Perhaps his greatest moment was beating defending champion Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round in Sheffield in 1982.


He last played on the tour in 2001 and was unable to progress beyond the last 64 at his most recent attempt at Q School in 2017, but Knowles remains optimistic.


“I’ve got a realistic chance this time because of the time I have put into practice,” he said. “I have still got the knowledge of the game. Snooker changed in my era when the balls and cloth changed. But everything comes full circle and you saw at the World Championship this year a very controlled style of play from the likes of Mark Selby and Stuart Bingham. That knowledge remains very important and that’s why you see a lot of the older players on the circuit still doing well.


“What I need is more matches against other players on the Star tables, if I can get that under my belt then my consistency will improve, I’ll cut out the mistakes and the break-building will come back. My goal is to get back on to the tour and show what can be achieved at my age.” ;)
When I read this and Tony Knowles saying he has a ’realistic chance’ of getting through Q School, I nearly made some flippant comment how I reckon I’d fancy my own chances more . But gobsmacked won his first match 4-1 and his second 4-0 against Steadman at odds of 14/1, playing tonight again, fair play he’s giving it a good crack.
 
When I read this and Tony Knowles saying he has a ’realistic chance’ of getting through Q School, I nearly made some flippant comment how I reckon I’d fancy my own chances more . But gobsmacked won his first match 4-1 and his second 4-0 against Steadman at odds of 14/1, playing tonight again, fair play he’s giving it a good crack.
..... probably Tony Knowles was good enough to make progress first time round when he was younger. He was a reasonable enough player from memory, but I don't think he gave his all. Probably realizes that he could still make a few bob if he puts his mind to it, although time is not on his side unfortunately. :)
 
Hello @ O Outlander

You have found betting on this! Beating Steadman was a stunner, lost the next round but I dount will ever return to the tour now, much more going on in his life than snooker. Still a good try. The seeding of the ex pros has made the tournament much harder as they reach the later stages.
But gobsmacked won his first match 4-1 and his second 4-0 against Steadman at odds of 14/1, playing tonight again, fair play he’s giving it a good crack.
 
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