There were three aspects of the behaviour of the crowd at the Masters snooker final today that brought shame on the game
1) Constant shouting out whilst the players were mid-break
2) Abusive comments (swearing) directed at the referee when he asked for quiet
3) Complete disregard of the obvious pressure and upset that Ding Junhui was experiencing
I can't remember a snooker audience so badly behaved. London has always been a rowdy venue but some sections of the crowd tonight brought shame on the UK in what has been a bad week for our reputation on the world stage. World Snooker must prevent this behaviour in future. Just as the use of a mobile phone can result in being kicked out of a snooker audience so should yobbish behaviour. One thing to look at is the sale of alcohol backstage during a game.
On a lighter note Ronnie O'Sullivan put in a superb performance. He has come in for some harsh criticism after the walkout at York. I bought tickets for the semi final in York hoping that Ronnie would get through and I was angry when he walked out in the quarter final denying me my chance to see him play. Shaun Murphy has also pointed out that Paul Hunter fulfilled his obligations to snooker whilst dying of cancer. All of this anger is understandable but Ronnie should not do anything that makes him feel uncomfortable. A man with a plethora of personal problems who suffers from depression should not be put under the microscope. The simple fact that he still attempts to play snooker to his own high standards and has not quit the game should be something to admire and encourage. When he visited my local snooker club he was quiet, modest and shy.
Another example of the vulnerability of snooker players was the breakdown of Ding Junhui near to the end of the match tonight. Ronnie played him off the table but I think most of the performance of Junhui was down to the crowd. Imagine taking part in a high pressure sporting event in China with thousands of fans cheering for your opponent and erupting with relief every time you miss. Junhui is an amazing snooker player plying his trade in an unfamiliar country. He works exceptionally hard and his play is a joy to watch. He has a genuine desire to improve his game and at 19 years old he is surely going to be the player of the next decade. Many of the current players of today (Hendry, Williams, O'Sullivan, Higgins) are reaching the end of their career and Ding Junhui is the best of the players coming through to replace them.
One aspect of the partisan nature of the crowd at the Masters final tonight might be the fact that Junhui is Chinese. I hope not. Snooker has been enriched by players from all over the globe over the years. The popularity of snooker in China is something that all snooker fans should embrace. Lets face it, after the loss of sponsorship from big tobacco the game has suffered financially. And the crop of Chinese players ready to burst into the game can only enrich it. There could be someone as gifted as O'Sullivan practising right now in a Shanghai snooker hall. I hope that World Snooker has a clear plan in place to embrace the Chinese audience and players. I would suggest
1) Elect 50% of Chinese members to the board of World Snooker
2) Stage more tournaments in China
3) Take turns to hold the World Championship in China and Sheffield
Such activities would help foster ties amongst the global network of snooker fans and help improve the profile of the game. We would not be handing OUR game over. We would be sharing something wonderful that we all love. I am excited by the prospect of joining a global audience of tens or even hundreds of millions to watch the first world snooker final staged in China.
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