By Fin Ruane Last January I wrote a piece entitled “The Future Of Amateur Snooker In Ireland” highlighting the alarming state and decline of amateur snooker in the country. In it I wrote how amateur snooker was suffering not only to loss of interest amongst players but in the way the[Read More…]
Tag: Features and Interviews
Fin’s Fables: Top 10 Crucible Memories
By Fin Ruane As this year’s eagerly awaited World Snooker Championship nears we look forward to the seventeen day snooker jamboree in Sheffield with bated breath. Questions such as “how will Ronnie play and can he win a fifth world title?”, can Mark Selby win and complete the ‘triple crown’[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: Sheffield Calling
By Fin Ruane As the penultimate ranking event of the season at the China Open came to a close on Sunday, quite a number of players back in the UK will now be preparing and practicing hard for the upcoming qualifying rounds for this year’s World Championship. No matter how[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: The 128 Debate
By Fin Ruane Since the climax of this year’s Masters, two probing questions have arisen among both players and fans alike regarding the current game of professional snooker. Many commentators and ex-players, namely the seven times world champion Stephen Hendry, have questioned whether the standard of play produced this season[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: The future of Amateur Snooker in Ireland
By Fin Ruane With the cancellation of this year’s Irish section of the Snookerbacker Classic, Irish based snooker players now find themselves ruing the lost opportunity of a shot at the end of season Q School and a possible crack at the big time, or will they? This event was[Read More…]
FF: Where Are They Now…Paddy Browne
By Fin Ruane On Friday the old master Steve Davis again rolled back the years by qualifying for next month’s UK Championship. It has to go down as an incredible achievement for the 55-year-old who once again has defied the odds and the pundits by qualifying for one of snooker’s[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: Snooker in The New World
By Fin Ruane This weekend sees the snooker roadshow move onto Sofia in Bulgaria for the fourth leg of the European PTC series. With two remaining events left to play in Scotland and Germany, the last few places are up for grabs for the Grand Finals in Galway (TBC) next[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: Will the Rocket Fire Again?
By Fin Ruane Tuesday saw an extraordinary statement released from World Snooker regarding Ronnie O’Sullivan’s withdrawal from the remainder of the snooker season. I for one was truly astonished as I felt O’Sullivan was ready to resume his career at the UK Championship in York next month and continue on[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: The Wildcard Question
By Fin Ruane At this week’s International Championship in Chengdu, China, the issue of wildcard rounds has once again been the subject of much heated conversation and debate. Originally introduced in invitation events such as the Benson & Hedges Masters and Irish Masters the wildcards were a way of the[Read More…]
Fin’s Fables: The Greatest Match Ever
By Fin Ruane With the snooker road show descending on Antwerp this weekend for the third instalment of the European Players Tour Championship, one recalls last season’s event in Belgium and to the final which many commentators claimed to be the finest they had witnessed in many a year. It[Read More…]