I remember John Teckoe playing for Rolls Royce back in the 1970’s to 1990’s. My dad Dick Loynes played with him and he was still playing league snooker and billiards in his eighties.
This is where your niche will be on TH-cam I think, shining a light on the real, grassroots levels of the game, where snooker is at its absolute purest. OK, for some people they see ton after ton and player A making 67 before player B responds with 72 and the frame - they see that being the purest form of snooker, and of course they're entitled to their view but in mine, they're wrong. This is the essence of snooker. All the way from Joe and Fred Davis, through the likes of Ray Reardon, John Spencer, right through Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, all the way to Ronnie O'Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump - and so many more, all started out, and continued playing, in their local leagues. All those people who only like the cream of the crop forget where those guys came from...and they came from winning, and losing, matches just like this one. That's why this is the purest form of snooker IMO. :)
I dunno man, it's not true that the top pros started out losing league games. I mean, maybe if they started playing in the league just as they begun playing the game. But most of the top pros would have been levels above the average local player within a couple of weeks. Ronnie had a 147 at age 14, I believe. I don't think he'd have had time to be at the level where he's losing league matches to average players. Same goes for most players you've named. Joe Davis wrote a manual on how to play the game, undefeated world champion for years - I doubt he was losing league games. Spencer & Reardon would have been top billiards players too. The point I'm trying to make, is that this is grassroots snooker, yeah. But he purest form of snooker is the top pro level. Playing with freedom and precision. Us club players are trying to emulate it. If you'd rather watch 2 average Joe's getting 20 breaks at best, over a professional clearing up, or a high level safety battle, then that's your opinion I guess. I know what I prefer.
I think you both make very valid points. I agree with Daniel in that when I started this channel and trying to learn the game I had aspirations to be good amateur player, whilst I didn't really have a goal in mind I thought I needed to make a century break to be considered that. Whilst I would still love to do that before I stop the channel and hang up my queue, I no longer think I have to make a century to be counted. For most casual snooker viewers all they see are the pros and whilst I have no evidence, I wonder if many are put off playing because they think everyone in the local league is knocking on the door of the pro tour. So yes this channel is about grassroots club amateur snooker and the realty that the standard varies so much. For example I cant wait to play and film our next cup match which is in a couple of weeks as we have been drawn against last years league winners who are all capable of century breaks and make 50+ breaks on a fairly regular basis, don't care if we get hammered, it will be a great experience. But Charlie is make a fair point, there is a reason why only top level matches make it to TV as casual viewers only want to watch the highest of standard. This is generally the same in any sport but that doesn't mean there is not an audience for the grassroots level of the game (I hope) and that most of the audience also like watching the top end of the sport. Anyways, thanks both for watching and commenting.
@@RopeforaCue yeah that's true Ad. I thought everyone in my local club would be top top players when I started going in & my dad introduced me to everyone. I slowly began to realise tho that the general standard (in my club) wasn't even the best standard in Blackburn. So it did give me a lot of hope and aspiration of at least being one of the better players in my club anyway. I'm currently still on that journey and, like you wanted to do, eventually get a century. I've had 65, so just more practice and experience and I reckon I'll have it in a few years. It's all about getting what you want out of the game. There's some older fellas in my club who come in week after week just to have a knock, not to do anything special. And i appreciate that, it's a hobby. It's a way getting some free time away from home for a lot of people.
I remember John Teckoe playing for Rolls Royce back in the 1970’s to 1990’s. My dad Dick Loynes played with him and he was still playing league snooker and billiards in his eighties.
This is where your niche will be on TH-cam I think, shining a light on the real, grassroots levels of the game, where snooker is at its absolute purest. OK, for some people they see ton after ton and player A making 67 before player B responds with 72 and the frame - they see that being the purest form of snooker, and of course they're entitled to their view but in mine, they're wrong. This is the essence of snooker. All the way from Joe and Fred Davis, through the likes of Ray Reardon, John Spencer, right through Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, all the way to Ronnie O'Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Judd Trump - and so many more, all started out, and continued playing, in their local leagues. All those people who only like the cream of the crop forget where those guys came from...and they came from winning, and losing, matches just like this one. That's why this is the purest form of snooker IMO. :)
I dunno man, it's not true that the top pros started out losing league games. I mean, maybe if they started playing in the league just as they begun playing the game. But most of the top pros would have been levels above the average local player within a couple of weeks. Ronnie had a 147 at age 14, I believe. I don't think he'd have had time to be at the level where he's losing league matches to average players. Same goes for most players you've named. Joe Davis wrote a manual on how to play the game, undefeated world champion for years - I doubt he was losing league games.
Spencer & Reardon would have been top billiards players too.
The point I'm trying to make, is that this is grassroots snooker, yeah. But he purest form of snooker is the top pro level. Playing with freedom and precision. Us club players are trying to emulate it. If you'd rather watch 2 average Joe's getting 20 breaks at best, over a professional clearing up, or a high level safety battle, then that's your opinion I guess. I know what I prefer.
I think you both make very valid points. I agree with Daniel in that when I started this channel and trying to learn the game I had aspirations to be good amateur player, whilst I didn't really have a goal in mind I thought I needed to make a century break to be considered that. Whilst I would still love to do that before I stop the channel and hang up my queue, I no longer think I have to make a century to be counted. For most casual snooker viewers all they see are the pros and whilst I have no evidence, I wonder if many are put off playing because they think everyone in the local league is knocking on the door of the pro tour. So yes this channel is about grassroots club amateur snooker and the realty that the standard varies so much. For example I cant wait to play and film our next cup match which is in a couple of weeks as we have been drawn against last years league winners who are all capable of century breaks and make 50+ breaks on a fairly regular basis, don't care if we get hammered, it will be a great experience.
But Charlie is make a fair point, there is a reason why only top level matches make it to TV as casual viewers only want to watch the highest of standard. This is generally the same in any sport but that doesn't mean there is not an audience for the grassroots level of the game (I hope) and that most of the audience also like watching the top end of the sport.
Anyways, thanks both for watching and commenting.
@@RopeforaCue yeah that's true Ad. I thought everyone in my local club would be top top players when I started going in & my dad introduced me to everyone. I slowly began to realise tho that the general standard (in my club) wasn't even the best standard in Blackburn. So it did give me a lot of hope and aspiration of at least being one of the better players in my club anyway. I'm currently still on that journey and, like you wanted to do, eventually get a century.
I've had 65, so just more practice and experience and I reckon I'll have it in a few years.
It's all about getting what you want out of the game. There's some older fellas in my club who come in week after week just to have a knock, not to do anything special. And i appreciate that, it's a hobby. It's a way getting some free time away from home for a lot of people.