With almost 600,000 residents, Sheffield is one of the north of England's biggest cities. It was built upon steel and other metal industries - including the manufacture of fine cutlery. However, nowadays, in other parts of the country, people are more likely to say the word "snooker" when asked what Sheffield is famous for.
At this time of year and every year the World Championship Snooker Tournament is held in the city's "Crucible" theatre. In the space where plays and musicals happen during the rest of the year, you will see snooker tables and men with wooden cues potting snooker balls into pockets or sometimes failing to pot them.
It can be just as dramatic as the plays that are performed upon that stage.
Snooker evolved in British India in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was largely connected with another table top game called billiards that was also played by Army officers.
To play snooker you need a large heavy table with a flat surface over which a green baize cloth is tightly spread. The table, measuring twelve feet by six feet, has pockets in each corner as well as two further pockets at the sides. The purpose of these pockets is to catch coloured balls made from a heavy duty plastic resin - though in the past they were made from either clay or ivory.
There are fifteen red balls, and individual yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black balls. Also there's a white ball or cue ball - it is the only one that you are allowed to hit with a long, slender and wooden snooker cue.
As a spectator sport, snooker can be very absorbing and audiences are always hushed in The Crucible - only cheering or applauding after good shots are made. BBC television covers every game played over the two week period of the tournament.
The hotbed of the sport is The British Isles but snooker is also played in Canada, Australia, China and some other European countries. Last year's world champion was from Belgium but there have also been champions from Canada, Australia and Ireland. There have never been any American winners. However, currently one of the best players in England is called Trump - and I am not kidding! It is surprising that he hasn't yet applied for a name change. Judd Dung sounds infinitely better than Judd Trump.
Most years, the TV coverage just drifts past me but this year I have been watching a few games including today's quarter finals. The phenomenal Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan was knocked out by Stuart Bingham who won thirteen frames to Ronnie's ten frames. It was very tense. One small error and a frame can be lost.
There was a time in my life when I played a fair amount of 8-ball, but I don't think I've ever watched any snooker. This post fulfills my "learn something new every day" goal.
ReplyDeleteHappy to have been of service Kelly.
DeleteI haven't played snooker for a long time. Many people had a snooker table in the rec room. Every senior center has a snooker table.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting. If you had practised you could have been the next Cliff Thorburn!
DeleteI've played pool on occasion, but never Snooker.
ReplyDeleteBut I have been snookered before so there's that!
I suppose the word "snookered" was borrowed from the game of snooker. In snooker, when you cannot easily get at the ball you need to hit you are snookered.
DeleteI have never had any interest in Snooker or Billiards, are they the same game? My youngest son likes to play if there is a table available wherever he is at the time.
ReplyDeleteNo they are not the same River. Same table but less balls and not really televisual.
DeleteA travel YouTuber made two episodes about Sheffield, including one talking a little about the competition. I am rather impressed by what I saw of the city.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not Melbourne but it's not bad all the same. I think the hills it is built upon add to it's character.
DeleteSnooker was a British army word. Billiards was played outside and the green baize was supposed to represent grass. Snooker was invented during the Indian Monsoon season indoors. There's talk of the world Snooker being moved to Saudi Arabia along with the boxing.
ReplyDelete**** Saudi Arabia!
DeleteYes Ronnie the "Rocket" recently won a tournament there. Money is no object.
DeleteRonnie The Rocket will get all the aviation fuel he needs over there.
DeleteBring back Steve "Interesting" Davis.
ReplyDeleteHe played a DJ set in a Sheffield pub last week and everybody fell asleep.
DeleteI think the "interesting" label was a Spitting Image joke. What label would you choose for the middle of your name? Yorkshire "The Omniscient" Pudding?
DeleteYorkshire "Salt of the Earth" Pudding versus Tasker "Wet Dish Rag" Dunham.
DeleteYeah, I don't think Snooker is a thing in America. We have pool and, if you're fancy, billiards. (Don't ask me what the difference is between any of those games, because I don't know.)
ReplyDeleteBut you would know if you signed up with a snooker club in North London! Dave could join too. There are plenty of clubs to choose from including The Hurricane Room, Colindale.
DeleteI used to play a lot of billiards and was even in several leagues. Once I even made it to the final game in a 9 ball tournament. But then age messed up my eyes and I can't line up the pockets anymore and eventually gave up. That was all on the much shorter billiards table. I can't imagine how impossible it would be for me to line up a shot on a much longer snooker table.
ReplyDeleteYes twelve feet is a long way.
DeleteI remember playing a bit of pool when I was in college spending too much time at the bars. I have no idea if pool, snookers, billiards are the same game or just similar.
ReplyDeleteNo they are not the same Ellen - but similar yes. I hope you did not smoke marijuana when you were in college.
DeleteCan you imagine having the same last name as the orange one who falls asleep during his own trial? I would have to think about changing my last name!
ReplyDelete