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It seems to me that everyone who plays and follows snooker loves the game with a
passion, the reason why is that the game itself is great fun and addictive to
play and watch. Yet the people who control snooker consistently let the sport
down. I am afraid to say the root cause has always been money and power. Many
people over the years have lived very nicely out of the sport and there is
nothing wrong with that. However it seems that those who benefit the most tend
never to think about the future of the game, they only take what they can while
they can. I have been to meetings where the board has been attacked verbally by
its members who were unhappy with the way things were. I remember one such
moment when David taylor (the Silver Fox) stood up and accused the board of
being unfair and looking out for their own interests. This was funny really
because David Taylor sat on one of the worst and most questionable boards ever!
In one corner we have Ian Doyle who seems to enjoy signing up any player as long
as they have a chance of life in the 32 This does nothing for the player but
serves mr Doyle who gets another vote. Is all this the correct way for snooker
to proceed with one man calling all the shots? Ian Doyle is an asset to the game
no question, but to let him govern the whole show would not be right. The real
truth is that behind the scenes snooker has been a mess for years with internal
squabbles law suits and the like, all because of money and power.
Snooker still has the chance of making it big in the media again. It has a
very strong viewing base, but sponsors will keep away until the ruling body
sorts out the mess it is in and shows everybody they can be a respected ruling
body of a world sport and not some committee of a working mens club. I know
many people read my page around the world and it is those people I feel most
sorry for, because if snooker is denied the correct sponsorship for the lack of
organisation it will stop the expansion of the game around the world. There are
so many people from all over the world who write to me telling me there is no
snooker on television in their country, and there never will be without
sponsors. Snooker only really has two sponsors and they are both Tobbaco
companies. How come when
Steve Davis beat
Ronnie in the
Bensons final three
weeks ago Ten million people in the UK watched this match. Sponsors should be
faling over themselves to sign their name to a tournament like this. Where else
could they get that kind of coverage? Well in the UK it could only come from
football, and the revenue would be huge. So the answer is that sponsors are
afraid of the image that snooker has made itself down the years. They also
think that snooker's audience is made up of old people and they are right it is.
Anyone who has read my articles knows how I feel about making snooker appeal to
a younger audience, I want to see snooker played and watched all over the world,
and I would like to see people running it as a long term project and not for
short term personal gain. Will i see this? Probably not, but I would settle
for somewhere in the middle!
I am sad to announce that I am no longer the manager of Mark King. I have
travelled around with Mark for about five years, but by mutual agreement we have
gone our seperate way. Mark has the potential to be a top eight player and if
he really works hard I know he can join the elite club, however hard work is
never easy and it is now up to him to really show us all what he can do. He has
a tremendous base to launch from following his fantastic run in the Regal Welsh,
this confirms what I have been saying for a long time that any player from
inside the 100 can win a tournament. The depth of talent is amazing. The only
fear I have for Mark is that he sits back now because he thinks he has made it.
I have always told him that this is where the hard work begins! I wish him
all the best and I for one will sit back and watch the rest of his career with
interest.
The World Championships this year will be the best ever, with the biggest ever
pay day in snooker and so many players playing well, the recipe for a clasic
tournament is there. The main players are looking good. God ..oops sorry, I mean
Stephen Hendry seems relentless today
(22/3/97) he is in yet another final, the
Irish Masters. Can he win his
seventh title? Well it would be a brave man to
bet against it. I will probably live to regret this statement but I do not think
it will be his year this time. It could be Ronnie O'sullivans, although he
still says stupid things in press conferences he is maturing on the table. I
guarantee he will be world champ one day, but this year ... well maybe. Jimmy white
is back on song and he does love the crucible but whirlwind he is not,
He would need some luck and to play out of his skin. I would love Jimmy to win
It would give everyone a lift, and the game would benefit too, but alas I
think not, the players are too strong for him. As for the rest it will depend
on who is on form on the day , I have made a short list of the possible winners.
These are my top six, but do not rule out the nugget
Steve Davis. He has a shout,
but he will need a good run. Young
Mark Williams could spring a
surprise or two,
but I think he will run out of bullets over such long matches. The winner
should come from my six, but you never know. I remember three years ago Steve
Davis said the days of an underdog winning the world title are gone, now he is
the underdog. I wonder if he feels the same way, especially after his great
Masters triumph! I believe each year brings a new risk for the top players.
More underdogs winning matches they shouldn't. This year could spring a
surprise. Well I for one think it will as much as it will be a surprise if God
doesn't win!
Please keep writing to me
with any questions you have, also if you want any tips
or questions answered.
Regards
Richard Fountain
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