Championship League Snooker is too soon, I don’t want to add to the problem, says Anthony Hamilton
Phil Haigh Thursday 28 May 2020
Anthony Hamilton does not believe snooker should be making a return next week (Picture: Getty Images)
All credit to tournament organisers for getting Championship League Snooker on next week, but the event should not be going ahead yet, believes Anthony Hamilton.
The veteran cueman, who has been a professional since 1991, is sitting out of the behind closed doors event in Milton Keynes because he does not want the country to rush out of coronavirus lockdown.
64 players will compete in the Championship League from 1-11 June and they will do so in a highly steralised environment, with all players, staff and officials requiring a negative test for coronavirus to enter the venue.
Hamilton is impressed by the steps taken to ensure safety by WST chairman Barry Hearn and his team, but he still feels that lockdown should be respected rather than pushing for a way out of it.
‘It’s just a personal thing, I just think it’s too early to be going back to semi-normality, playing sports,’ the world number 48 told Metro.co.uk. ‘I think we should be in lockdown for another few weeks, a month or two, because obviously we need to get rid of this pandemic as quick as possible.
‘I have got asthma so I’m semi into the danger zone personally, but I think I’d be the same anyway, it’s just too early.
‘It’s amazing what Barry’s done, how he’s got ahead of the curve a little bit, to get sport on the TV, I think it’s a bit of a genius move from him. He knows how much people are missing sport at home, so that’s good for the sport.
‘I’ve had the emails about all the procedures about all the testing, the isolation at the hotel, everyone in the venue has been tested and is clear, it’s as safe an environment as they could have got. I was very impressed. It took me an hour to read it all.
‘It did bring me round a little bit but I thought to myself, “I don’t need to play in this tournament, especially at my age, there’s no ranking points, so no losing out to the rest of the tour.” I thought it would be a little bit greedy of me to play in it, the position I’m in now.
‘I also had a little word with myself because when I went over to the Gibraltar Open in March, pre-lockdown but I thought we shouldn’t be going. I was sat on the plane thinking, “we shouldn’t be going, we should be in lockdown” because it was all happening in Italy and fate played a part because that’s where my cue got broken.
‘I don’t believe in fate, right, but that was fate saying I shouldn’t have been going. I’ve had that cue 30-odd years and it snaps on the one time I thought I shouldn’t have been on the plane. As soon as I got back from Gibraltar, I went into lockdown because we thought we should be.
’ Miraculously, master cue-maker John Parris has fixed Anthony’s cue after it’s heartbreaking snap en route to Spain and he is heading to pick it up for the first time in the coming days.
That will lift his mood which has been darkened by events over the last three months. Not usually a politically-charged observer, Hamilton has been riled by the government’s response to the global pandemic, which has strengthened his resolve to remain in lockdown.
‘It’s pathetic, the most pathetic governing I’ve ever seen, I’ll be honest,’ said the former German Masters champion. ‘The fact we had all the information previously and we didn’t react properly is an indictment on this government and how they don’t give a s**t about the public.
‘None of us are scientists, but we know how a virus spreads. You hoped that what they were doing was going to be right, but you knew in your heart they were making a massive hash of it, trying to save the economy.
‘That’s part of the reason I’m not playing in this tournament because I don’t want to add to that personally, add to that rhetoric of not doing the right thing.
‘I’m not shouting anyone down for playing in tournaments, it’s up to the individual circumstances, I just don’t want to add to it.
‘I try and steer as clear from politics as possible to keep you sane. I don’t see this as politics, because when it’s human lives it’s more than that, it’s your duty.
‘There’s so many vulnerable people that we’re losing, it’s scandalous and it’s more of a human thing than a political thing, for me. Whoever is in power, we rate them on their performance, which is a political thing, but I wish we had someone better so we would have lost less lives. I’m not left or right, we just need someone better.
‘I think it’s scandalous in the West because they’ve gone for money over lives. If it was young people dying they wouldn’t have responded this way, but the old and vulnerable have been sacrificed. I can’t believe the ruthlessness of it all. “Herd immunity” was the fancy word for culling off an older community, they knew who was going to be the herd.’
Hamilton has competed with the best on the baize for 29 years as a professional (Picture: Getty Images)
Hamilton has seen it all in his near-30 year playing career and is happy to speak his mind as an elder statesman of the game.
At 48-years-old he believes the tour is in as good a position as it ever has been, but still feels there are problems that can be ironed out, if players are listened to.
‘It’ll be good to watch something next week on the TV.. I’m often a critic of Barry and this and that, but there’s not a bad word to be said about the procedures they’ve put in place.
‘It’s just day to day issues on tour. Players don’t get treated that well these days, a lot of fines for no reason or very small reasons. I’ve got issues with pulling out of tournaments with a bad back and neck, which is chronic spinal erosion, but it seems that every time I do it’s taken on as a brand new case.
‘I’m blatantly trying to play in all the tournaments, I don’t want to pull out. I know why they bring in rules, because certain players have dropped out last minute taking the piss, big name players, but I think some common sense is missing.
‘It’s a stressed out situation every single time when you have to pull out of a tournament then you have to go to a doctor and get a new certificate every single time, send it off, wait to see if you get fined or not. It’s just a bit tiring,
‘The running of the game can be a little bit too harsh sometimes. But generally, if I was 27, fit as a fiddle and loving life, I wouldn’t believe how good things were, with all the opportunities.
‘There was a time when if you said things in the right way, things would be implemented and your views get across, but that doesn’t happen with Barry at all. He won’t listen to anything from individuals unless it’s something he wants to hear. But he gets the results in the end.’
The veteran has earned a huge amount of respect in the game (Picture: Getty Images)
Hamilton has one ranking title to his name after winning the German Masters in 2017, an emotional victory in Berlin after such a long wait.
Despite a lack of silverware in his cabinet, he is extremely well respected among other players and has come up over lockdown as snooker observers consider various debates with no sport to watch.
Three-time world champion Mark Williams considers Hamilton one of his favourite players to watch in the game, while Alan McManus picked him out as the player he has been most surprised never reached the elite of the sport.
The Sheriff of Pottingham (snooker’s single greatest nickname) is delighted to hear the praise from the people with opinions that matter to him.
‘I think we all know who gets respected between us, without ever hearing it first hand,’ said Hamilton. ‘You’re not going to go up to another pro and tell them how good you think you are, because you’ve got to beat them tomorrow.
‘It is nice, though, because it makes it worthwhile, getting recognised by your peers. I hear people in some sports getting bothered by what the public think, which I don’t understand, it’s like a brain surgeon getting upset about me slagging them off, I don’t know anything about it. So respect from your peers is great.
‘The way people work in sports is a bit weird because they think there’s only one or two winners. If you went to someone who’s broken their leg and said “this consultant is the 47th best in the world” they wouldn’t stop talking about it at dinner parties for years. Talk about the 47th best snooker player in the world and people think you’re a bag of shit.
‘Sports is like that, it’s the way people look at it. Rightfully so in a way, to revere the best ones. But I think anyone you see on TV doing what they do are absolute machines. There are levels above them that are semi-Gods, but everyone is brilliant.’
At 48-years-old Hamilton is still playing good stuff, despite his severely restrictive injury which limits his practice and sees him focus on stretching and fitness as much as potting balls.
More silverware is certainly not out of the question, but whether it comes or not, the veteran refuses to have regrets about a career which he has thoroughly enjoyed and is appreciating more and more as the years go on.
‘I’m not overly proud of my career when it comes to trophies, of course. But you shouldn’t have too many regrets,’ Anthony continued.
‘I lived a bit too much when I was in my prime, I was enjoying life. I don’t think you can enjoy it as much as I did and get the results at the same time.
‘As a cruel joke, as you get a bit older, more boring, more stable, and that’s when you get injured. It’s not gone perfectly for me but I’ve got no regrets because I’ve enjoyed it.
‘I’ve been in the top 10, top 16, 12 Crucible appearances and a few finals here and there. Also, just a lot of hard match snooker that you don’t see on the TV. A lot of my favourite matches have been untelevised in some sports hall round the corner.
‘World Championship losses and wins, things that haven’t been seen but will live with my till my last breath. That’s why I play snooker, for the competition. It’s for the good and bad memories, some of the bad memories are my favourite ones.
‘Some of my favourite memories are losses because the match itself was just amazing, both players at the top of their game and someone just has to come out on the wrong end of it.
‘There’s nowhere to hide, that’s why we love and hate snooker. It’s really medieval. Over the years I used to dislike a lot of snooker players but now I think they’re a dying breed of sportsperson, I think they’re really cool.
‘They work hard for not the most amazing prize money. It’s alright, better than a lot of jobs. But they work hard at a game that really doesn’t give you a lot of enjoyment.
‘It’s a tortuous thing to do and every single time they go to a tournament, all but one player comes away pissed off and you do that for 30 years. There’s no glamour, if you’re in the sport for that, you’re in the wrong sport. That’s why a lot of players don’t last that long, they get to a point and think it’s not enough.
‘The ones that last, like me, [Barry] Pinches, McManus are maybe a bit more crazy and sad than the ones that chucked it in.
’ As with many snooker players, Hamilton has a complicated relationship with the game that he has made his life. It is his chief source of frustration while also being his greatest passion and his job. After thinking about it, he does still have a great love for the game, forged through respect for the sheer difficulty of it.
‘Yeah I do, I do actually, I try and tell myself sometimes I don’t, but I do love the game. There’s nothing more humbling than playing this game, the game always wins, it’s so hard,’ concluded Hamilton.
‘That’s why we revere Ronnie [O’Sullivan] so much, because he makes this game look so easy.
‘If it was curling or something you couldn’t have the same admiration. Of course the best curler in the world is something special but there’s so many variations to this game, it’s unbelievable.’
Respect Anthony! Respect for saying those things, simply, and clearly, be it about the current pandemics and the way it’s (not) been tackled, about the current governance of the sport, the good and less good of it, about his own career, or about his sport that he loves and hates, a sport that tortures him whilst making him ecstatic, frustrates him but keeps him hooked. Snooker is a passion. It’s like a lover … the kind of lover you can’t live with without suffering, but can’t break away from because your love is too strong and they’re part of your soul.
Next time a player loses it in a post-match conference, minutes after being beaten, or maybe even after a win, but mentally and emotionally exhausted after a tortuous – or torturous – game, please remember what Antony says here, remember that they are human.
Thank you Anthony, and thank you Phil Haig too, for this fantastic piece.
Stephen Hendry was on Instagram, chatting with Alan McManus this time, and the question was raised, whether Ronnie can surpass Stephen’s record of 7 World Titles.
Hendry: O’Sullivan has ‘three or four more world titles in him’
Stephen Hendry is convinced Ronnie O’Sullivan can win “three or four more world titles” if he is determined to become snooker’s greatest Crucible champion.
The seven-times world champion Hendry insists O’Sullivan can still overtake him as the game’s most prolific winner despite celebrating the last of his five world victories in Sheffield seven years ago.
“If he wants to and his head is right, I think he can win another three or four world titles,” said Hendry during an Instagram chat with Alan McManus, who won the 1994 Masters with a 9-8 win over his fellow Scotsman.
McManus believes O’Sullivan, 44, has underachieved in his 28-year professional career despite drawing level with Hendry on 36 ranking event victories and becoming the first player to compile over 1000 career centuries.
“Probably (has underachieved). How many goes has he had at Sheffield? 27 goes or something. He’s won it five times which is good,” commented McManus.
“He looked like he was never being bothered properly until the early 2000s or something,” said Hendry.
He’ll always be a genius, but there seemed to be a time when he was suddenlythere to win.
McManus is slightly baffled by O’Sullivan’s recent comments regarding the length of the World Championship being too long for him and feels the Essex player should trust in the advice of sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters.
“With me, I’m such an emotional player and person, to try and hold it down for 17 days, I’m beaten before I go there sometimes, it’s just not a great tournament for me. It’s like asking Usain Bolt to run the marathon. It’s just not suited to his genes or personality,” said O’Sullivan.
McManus is adamant the duration of the event should not be an issue.
“I think we can safely say, can he win another world title? The answer is yes, of course he can,” said McManus.
“I don’t know about this 17-day thing he talks about. The first week you are only playing one match. I think he needs to get tuned in properly.
That guy Steve Peters seems to help him whatever he does. I would get him in tow and just get on with it.
Hendry says O’Sullivan cannot be blamed for not enjoying the challenge of the World Championship.
“Ronnie admits that he isn’t really interested in being there for 17 days. You can’t argue with that. If that’s how you feel, that’s how you feel,” said Hendry.
McManus feels a dream final would be an O’Sullivan showdown with undisputed world number one and world champion Judd Trump if the postponed tournament goes ahead behind closed doors at the end of July.
“He’s capable of doing it. Whether he can be bothered putting the work in to be able to do it, I don’t know it,” said McManus.
“It would be good if he gets to play Judd in the final. It would actually be interesting to see Ronnie being the underdog.
Robertson: O’Sullivan can still equal Hendry’s world record haul
By Desmond Kane
Ronnie O’Sullivan can still reach Stephen Hendry’s record Crucible haul of seven if he wants it badly enough, according to 2010 world champion Neil Robertson.
Australia’s greatest player believes O’Sullivan – world champion in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013 – has the ability to add to his total of five victories despite last winning snooker’s ultimate event seven years ago with an 18-12 win over Barry Hawkins.
Hendry’s Crucible record is arguably the last major one O’Sullivan has yet to topple having lifted seven Masters and seven UK titles, compiling over 1,000 centuries and joining Hendry on 36 career ranking event wins.
O’Sullivan last reached the world final when he lost 18-14 to Mark Selby in 2014, but has suffered several surprising defeats in recent times including a 10-8 defeat to amateur qualifier James Cahill in the first round a year ago, one of the biggest shocks of all time.
He has twice lost in the quarter-finals over the past five years being unseated by Stuart Bingham in 2015 – a year where he removed his shoes during a first-round win over Craig Steadman – and Ding Junhui in 2017.
There was also the infamous incident with Ali Carter in a second-round defeat in 2018 where both players bumped into each other at the table.
“Yeah for sure Ronnie could win seven. It all depends on his head,” Robertson told Eurosport. “Last year was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen.
“Ever since he lost to Selby in the final, every year since has been really strange. He lost to Barry Hawkins (second round in 2016) which was an unbelievable match.
A lot is expected of him. Not so much from the crowd. He just seems to attract a lot more attention from people away from the table. Nothing bad or anything, it’s just he is the superstar of the game so he has to deal with a lot of that.
“He was quite open and honest about how he has approached this season. He has been quite attacking and playing to enjoy it rather than not really enjoying it at all.”
O’Sullivan has vowed to commit to a full schedule over the next two years. “I do think for the next two years I might just focus and play in every event I can possibly play in,” he said on Instagram. “Give it one last shot and see if I can get my game to a level where I’m confident of winning.”
O’Sullivan’s five-year Crucible record
2019 Lost 10-8 James Cahill (first round)
2018 Lost 13-9 Ali Carter (second round)
2017 Lost 13-10 Ding Junhui (quarter-finals)
2016 Lost 13-12 Barry Hawkins (second round)
2015 Lost 13-9 Stuart Bingham (quarter-finals)
History suggests O’Sullivan will struggle to land even one more world title at the age of 44 at an event he admits he dislikes due to the elongated and exhaustive nature of it over 17 days in Sheffield. Six-times world champion Ray Reardon remains the oldest winner of the Crucible era aged 45 and 203 days in 1978.
This year’s rescheduled event is due to begin on July 31 and is likely to be played to behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic if it goes ahead. O’Sullivan is ranked 18 on the game’s one-year list. His last ranking event victory came in March 2019 when he beat Robertson 13-11 in the Tour Championship final in Llandudno.
Robertson feels O’Sullivan’s desire is the key to any future success.
“He has still played to a decent standard, but not really to the levels he reached over the previous two seasons when he won around 80 percent of all the tournaments he played in,” said Robertson.
“Which was an insane record. It all depends on what his mindset is, and what he wants out it. He has said he plans to give it a real good go.
“For the game, it would obviously be brilliant if he wants to compete again at most of the events. That would be fantastic even though it would lessen mine and everybody else’s chances of winning events including Ronnie’s too.
“It will be a fantastic challenge to see Ronnie playing more that we should all welcome.”
Desmond Kane
Well … personally, I would love to see Ronnie win ONE more. I would be delighted if he gets to six. Of course seven would be fantastic, but just one more would make me perfectly happy. Can he do it? I’m not sure. Does he still have the game? Definitely in my opinion. Does he have the desire? Probably. The real issue – in my view – is neither desire nor ability, it’s a combination of stress related to the expectations everyone puts on him, anxiety caused his own perception of the very high standard he is expected to deliver and the scars left by the 2014 defeat to Mark Selby. The latter are not to be underestimated. That defeat did hurt, very badly, and not just the defeat but the manner of it. Ronnie and Mark go along well nowadays, and there is huge respect between them, but the scars remain.
In my opinion, Ronnie’s best chance to win another World title would be to head to the Championship as an underdog, just like in 2012 and in 2013. In 2012 he had only just avoided to have to qualify after two terrible seasons, in 2013 he came as the World Champion but having just played one low key match all season, a match he had lost. If the focus and expectations are on other players, then he has a good chance to avoid the early rounds “banana skin” (*). Once we get to the one table set-up, the whole atmosphere of the Championship changes. It’s no more a cramped venue made even more claustrophobic by the curtain in the middle. It’s a proper arena. It’s still a bear pit, but that doesn’t matter: so was Goffs in Ireland, and it was one of Ronnie’s favourite venues.
(*) I know that many fans think that Ronnie must be a confident player, considering how much he has won so far in his career. Nothing is further from the truth. He’s an anxious person. He’s been open about his depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. He’s learned to cope with that better than in the past, but it’s not gone, it never will, it’s part of the person he is. When he can get in the zone – only him and the table in a bubble – he’s incredibly strong under pressure, but when he can’t … he’s vulnerable.
Another World Championship related question was also debated between Stephen and Alan: what would happen if Judd Trump was to face Steve Davis in his prime?
Generation game: Could Davis at his best topple Trump?
Stephen Hendry and Alan McManus agree that Steve Davis in his prime would have caused real problems for world champion and world number one Judd Trump with his superior tactical game.
Seven-times world champion Hendry believes Trump in top gear would win a world final “18-7 or 18-8” if the pair met at the peak of their powers, but added that his old rival’s “granite” safety game would give him a chance.
Three-times World Championship semi-finalist McManus points out that it would not be a foregone conclusion because of six-times world champion Davis’ ability to starve his opponents of chances.
“It’s tough. When you discuss different eras, you have to remember this: the day that Davis won his world titles, all the days between now and then hadn’t happened yet,” said 1994 Masters winner McManus on Instagram
“He didn’t know about Judd. He was playing the guy in the other chair.
“You’ve got to take that into account. I only played ‘The Nugget’ in the nineties, and I thought he was an unbelievable player.”
Trump produced the greatest performance in a world final with an 18-9 win over John Higgins in the 2019 final, a match that saw him make seven century breaks.
While Hendry feels Trump will carry snooker to a new level, he agreed with McManus that Davis – Crucible winner in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1989 – was a fearsome competitor in his pomp.
“There was time when you wondered: ‘How could you beat him?’,” said Hendry.
“I think Judd is possibly going to take the game to a new level. Judd would probably beat him, but I’d be interested to see.
“Judd would probably beat him 18-7 or 18-8. Something like that.”
McManus recalled the UK Championship final in 1990 when Hendry edged Davis 16-15 in one of the sport’s all-time classic clashes at Preston’s Guild Hall.
“The famous UK final between you and him in 1990. I know how well you were playing. He was playing good, wasn’t he?,” said McManus.
“The other thing you have to say is that Judd would need to play well to win otherwise ‘The Nugget’ would get him.
“Davis was an unbelievable player. I played him in my first final (Asian Open in 1992) in Bangkok. I never missed a shot, I played awesome, one of the best matches I’ve ever played.
“He beat me 9-3 and I was over the moon with myself.”
This, in my opinion, is an impossible question to answer. For a start, the conditions were quite different, notably because of the heavier cloth. This made some shots easier to master (I’m thinking massés f.i.) whilst others were much more difficult (splitting the pack wide open f.i.). I think that Judd would struggle with those conditions, despite his tremendous cue power. He developed as a player on much faster tables and he plays a lot of shots that have balls traveling the full length of the table. It’s one of his strength and those shots might prove more difficult to get right on a slower table. Conversely, Steve Davis started playing on those slower tables and he may struggle for accuracy on the ultra-fast ones. Why am I writing this? Because players develop and hone their game in a certain context: the conditions available to them in their time. I’m not sure that Judd would play the type of game he plays now if he was born 30 years earlier, and Steve Davis might have become a different player too if he had been exposed to nowadays conditions in his prime. They are both supremely talented, and very fierce competitors, and that’s who they are, no matter when they were born, but how they developed as players would probably be different. I believe that, each playing at their prime level, Steve would beat Judd on the 80th conditions, whilst Judd would beat Steve playing on nowadays tables. But it’s a completely academic question.
At the time of writing I haven’t listened to the chat yet… probably more on that tomorrow then.
50 Shades of Greats: Snooker referee Terry Camilleri
Simon Farrugia Sunday, 17 May 2020
Terry Camilleri was born on 19 January 1974. He hails from and lives in the small village of Kalkara. He is married to Elaine and has two children, Thomas and Emma. He made a name for himself and for our country through the game of snooker and today he is considered as one of the world’s best referees.
Contrary to nowadays childhood in the 80s was much different. Recalling his early days Terry, the sixth personality to be interviewed for this column, had this to say: “My childhood was very basic and normal at my time. I come from a family of three brothers of which I am the eldest. I grew up in the period when life was much easy and when we used to go outside to play with other friends for most of the time. It was when socialising was as it should be, playing physically with friends and meeting new friends and speaking to friends face to face. Unfortunately this is very different than the online world we are living in today, especially as children.”
Looking back at his school days, as was the normal practice, Terry attended primary school at his hometown in Kalkara. “The school was just round the corner from our house but then I moved to De La Salle College for my secondary school. I then continued my studies in finance which it is where I ended up working with a private company.”
But how did it all start? From where did this interest in the game of snooker begin? Camilleri gave us an insight of his love to this sport. “My interest in snooker started when my father, as a carpenter, made us a snooker table at home. I fell immediately in love with the sport, but never imagined myself reaching the position I have today! I also remember watching Pot Black, a UK production, broadcast on our local channel. We used to struggle a bit because at that time TV was black and white, until I remember my grandmother getting a coloured one and we used to gather to watch it on colour TV!
Apart from snooker, Terry also had a passion for other sports. “I was always a sport lover in general. I am a football fan and used to love playing as well, with village friends and at school. I am also fond of the national Regatta and also managed to take part in it, where I achieved a second and a third place in two races. Furthermore, I am also a motorsport enthusiast.”
Though playing the game of snooker was his passion Camilleri had an orientation to start officiating games. He recounts how all this happened. “My career started when as a youth, I used to play snooker at our local youth centre. Then in 1990, I heard that a tournament was going to be organised in Malta, which was the first ever Pro-Am Tournament, which had local players and Tony Drago as a professional player. For this tournament the Malta Billiards and Snooker Association was organising a rules’ refresher course to all snooker players by a senior referee from the UK. I decided to apply to get to know the rules better and at the end of the course there was an option to take a referee exam. I sat for the exam and qualified as a Class 3 snooker referee.”
The association wanted qualified referees to take charge of some matches in this tournament. “I accepted and this was the first step I took in my career. This tournament started being organised every year and I ended up being part of the referees’ pool. Year after year snooker in Malta was becoming increasingly successful, thanks to the Association and snooker promotions and the fact that more top UK players were coming over to participate in these tournaments.”
“Moreover, more UK referees were coming to Malta for their refresher courses. After being assessed by senior UK referees, I was asked to go to the UK to referee some matches at qualifying stages. And after a couple of years I was asked to be part of a team of professional referees and referee tournaments at the top level. After consultation with my wife and family, I decided to go ahead. It was not an easy decision as I had to spend a lot of time abroad without my family. My career continued to grow over the years and eventually developed me in one of the top referees in the world of snooker.”
In fact his experiences took him to the pinnacle of this sport. “I had a lot of experiences in my career which most of them are on the positive side. Some of them are obviously refereeing various prestigious finals of big tournaments, not just in the UK but all over the world. Obviously among various finals, some stand out in particular – the Triple Crown tournaments, the UK Championship and the Masters, which I fondly cherish.
Camilleri kept on going down memory lane. “I also have great experiences by being in charge of four maximum breaks, the famous 147. I was also lucky to referee the 100 centuries in one season of Neil Robertson and the 1,000 carrier centuries of Ronnie O’Sullivan, which are both unique in the history books until today. Obviously one also has some bad days. Although there are only a few of them I still consider them part of my learning curve.”
You made it to the top in the international field. How did you succeed in doing it? “I made it to the top with a lot of learning through the years. I have learnt a lot from my assessors. It was not an easy ride as I had to spend a lot of time abroad without my family. Sometimes you start missing them and your home country but you have to keep strong and show your determination. I have taken my success and opportunities gradually.”
Camilleri is very grateful to all those who helped him during his career as a referee which successfully grew every year and which developed him in one of the top referees in the world of snooker. This was achieved by sheer determination, professionalism, dedication, commitment and a lot of sacrifices.
Terry explains what it means for a referee from a small country like Malta being on the tour with the best professional snooker players. “As a Maltese to be in this position gives me unexplainable pride. I feel very proud and satisfied when I tell people on our circuit and all snooker fans from all over the world that I am from Malta. I feel that from a small island to be included in the top list of referees in the world is something special. A proud moment is when you are introduced as a Maltese referee in front of all the spectators in the arena and to millions of television viewers. Also a great feeling is when meeting people in the street which recognise me and tell me, we watch snooker because you are a Maltese like us, and we ended up enjoying snooker.”
But how is your relationship with the players and fellow referees? “Relationship with players and fellow referees is very good; we are very sociable between us off the table. For me it is my second family. We travel together and we are very close and ready to help one another.”
Snooker, like all other sports, was hardly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, among others the World Championships played at the famous Crucible in Sheffield.
How is the snooker world coping with the situation? “Yes at the moment, like all other sport, snooker is suspended. I think it was the best decision for everyone in the current situation. Obviously many tournaments were cancelled, among them, the World Championship, which hopefully some arrangements are being done to play the tournament in the coming summer, if things obviously get better.
Is the future of snooker, both in Malta and abroad, being hard hit by today’s technological life? “I think snooker at the moment is at its peak. We have a lot of tournaments being organised all over the world and also broadcasting snooker on TV has increased the followers drastically. In Malta, snooker is getting back to its glory days as we have passed a period where it was going downhill. Since the opening of the Snooker Academy here in Malta, thanks to a lot of people working for this with the help of Sports Malta, snooker is being developed in the correct way again and hopefully in the future we will have some players who will make it to the top professional circuit.”
Behind a successful man there is always a woman. That’s how the saying goes. But for Terry it’s not just a saying. “Family is my precious jewel. I really owe a lot to my wife who is very supportive and also with regards to me being abroad a lot of the time; she had a big responsibility in bringing up and caring for our children.”
Taking a more personal side I asked Terry what is his favourite food. “I like every type of food but I certainly would choose Mediterranean. With my condition as a celiac I cannot eat everything so I have to be very careful especially when we are travelling with regards to food.”
Snooker took him to different parts of the globe but which country does he consider as his favourite destination? “I consider the UK as my second home country now, but I like travelling to all other destinations. Every country has its own beauty and characteristics.”
Though Camilleri has a very hectic life, does he have time for hobbies? “I enjoy watching football and especially go to watch Manchester United playing when I can. Also I like to go and watch the Malta National Team matches. Having said this I enjoy watching any sport on TV. I consider myself a sports maniac!”
And when Terry has some free time on his hands, away from the world of sport what does he like doing? “I enjoy doing maintenance work at home which makes me relax a lot. Also going for a walk with my family around my home town Kalkara, which is part of the beautiful Grand Harbour, is also a must. I am also a member of a Scout Group. I enjoy doing voluntary work with our group which is one of the biggest on the island at the moment. I am a member of the committee, which takes care and helps out in organising fund-raising events, camps and other functions. Although it is not an easy job to do, it is very relaxing for me as I meet up with some true friends and also gives me an unexplainable feeling in doing voluntary work.”
One final word to the young generation. “My advice is to be dedicated and enjoy doing their favourite sport, in our case snooker. You have to work hard to achieve. Nothing comes easy and success has to be gained by your abilities, dedication and professionalism. Humility should be a priority in life and always to remain humble, then recognition and success will come your way.”
Here is the Instagram chat between Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams. Quite interesting and enjoyable.
Willo is bored out of his skull, has been a bit unwell, and isn’t looking forward to the prospect of playing the World Championship behind closed doors.
Mark Williams would prefer no World Snooker Championship than an empty Crucible
The World Snooker Championship is likely to go ahead this summer, but with the very real possibility of no fans being in attendance at the Crucible, Mark Williams would rather it didn’t.
The main event of the WST calendar has been rescheduled to start on 31 July and chairman Barry Hearn is confident it will go ahead, although it seems unlikely there will be anyone there to see it.
The Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy states that sport will be returning to broadcast from 1 June, but behind closed doors, making the July start date likely, but spectators unlikely.
There is to be another review on 4 July, which could see limited crowds let into the Crucible, but nothing is confirmed yet.
While some players will be keen to play the World Championships in any form, three-time world champ Williams would rather skip the event for a year than play in an empty auditorium, having played behind closed doors at the Gibraltar Open in March.
‘I’ve just come back from playing in Gibraltar when there was no one there and what’s the point?’ Williams told Stephen Hendry on Instagram.
‘There’s more atmosphere in the club, at least there’s someone at the bar or playing next to you. There was no one there, it was like “what are we doing here?”
‘It’s just going to be strange. Imagine paying in the Crucible, 9-9 in the first round, the visor goes up in the middle and there’s no one there, not one person.
‘If it does go ahead they’ll probably have the most viewing figures they’ve ever had because there’s not many sports going on
‘Would I prefer it to go on? Probably not if I’m totally honest, I’d rather not play if there’s no crowd, it’ll be so strange.’
WST have promised that the full prize money will be paid to players even if no crowds are present at the Crucible, and the financial issue will be bigger for some players than just overcoming an unusual atmosphere.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk when the coronavirus crisis first struck, world number 11 Dave Gilbert said: If the Worlds gets postponed then that’s a real shame, but if it gets cancelled it’s a disaster, we’re going to lose out on a fortune.
‘I’ve had a couple of good years, but I feel bad for everyone, there aren’t many players in our game who can not get paid for six-months plus.
There are a few, I don’t know the bank accounts of anyone, but if Judd and Ronnie and Selby start struggling for money then we all will be. There will be players down the rankings who might be really struggling.’
Hearn is expecting the event to go ahead and is pushing so, partly for this reason, as it is the biggest payday of the season for players involved, all of whom have seen their earning powers destroyed by the global pandemic.
‘I think we have every chance of at least staging it,’ Hearn told Metro.co.uk in April.
‘It will be with the normal prize money, it could cost us £2.5m in gate money, but that’s life, every battle comes with losses and it’s not an issue.
‘The prize money will stay the same, the players will be able to earn their money, because don’t forget most of my sportsmen are self employed.
‘They’re not contracted players like footballers, cricketers or rugby players where they’re negotiating how much to wave or defer, my guys aren’t getting anything.’
Hearn knows that losing the fans is a significant loss, but it would not be as big a loss as the whole event being cancelled.
‘It’s important for me that my players have the chance to earn money because this is the biggest one of the lot,’ he said.
‘It would be a tragedy to stage it with no one there, but if that’s the only thing we can do, that’s what we’ll do. We are talking about mitigating the size of tragedies.’
Answers to some questions:
Best win was his last World Championship win in 2018, with his family there, and proving everybody wrong.
The best decision was to give it another go when his wife convinced him not to retire and go to Steve Feeney to improve his game.
Toughest opponent? Ronnie or John Higgins
Favourite venue? Preston Guildhall. Names a few others but the Crucible isn’t one of them.
Williams doubts that Ding will not win the World Championship now. Too many expectations, and pressure. Ding is probably the best never have won it. He’s only 32 but Hendry thinks he’s past his best.
Rules change? Three misses and then ball in hand for the opponent instead of frame forfeited.
Turning to commentary when retired? Not really.
Remembering Alex Higgins and the little silver piggy charm he gave him. They got along well. He still has it.
The lockdown has got Willo so bored and frustrated about staying home all the time, that he now wants to play as long as possible, even badly. And when he drops off the tour … there is the Seniors tour.
Now back to the article above, yesterday’s post and my perceived negativity…
Let me first say that I certainly don’t want “to cancel everything”. I would love to see snooker return as soon as it can return safely. Barry Hearn brands the possible canceling of the World Championship a “tragedy”. The real tragedy would be if someone – a fan, a player, a referee, an official, a member of the BBC crew or the media … anyone – would get the disease because they attended the event, and dies, or survives but their health is gravely/permanently damaged, or they pass it to someone, maybe an elderly parent who dies… THAT would be a tragedy, not the cancellation of a sporting event no matter how prestigious. The canceled event can be staged another time, the dead person(s) can’t be revived. I don’t want that to happen, and I feel that nobody has right to take ANY risk about it if it can be avoided. That’s my view and nothing will change it.
Now specifically about the World Championship.
There is a possibility that it can be held safely, under closed doors, come the 31th of July. Anything else would not be safe. I read posts saying “The Crucible is less than 1000 people”. Yes indeed, but it’s a very intimate venue, people sit extremely close to each other, and some are close enough to the players to be able to touch them. The proportion of elderly persons in the snooker audience is usually quite high. Unless the crisis is totally under control NOBODY has the right to take such a risk, no matter how much money is at stake.
However, the qualifiers yield an even bigger challenge, as they involve a much higher number of persons and they need to start mid-July the latest. The qualifiers is the part of the World Championship that is ultra-important for the lower-ranked players, the ones who are currently suffering the most from the lack of earnings. They are also ultra-important because, for many players, it’s where their career could be revived … or ended.
Here are excerpts of the conversation I had this morning on Twitter with Phil Haig, the author of the above article, and Gary Moss a snooker blogger and journalist.
Those were my points
Here are the reactions.
Many of you may never have been backstage at the Crucible or at the EIS. I have, Gary has and Phil Haig may have. The logistic is extremely important in the current situation to keep everyone safe.
The Crucible is a great venue for the fans – especially when we get to the one table setup – but it’s actually too small for its purpose when it comes to snooker nowadays. There isn’t much room for anything, be it players/referees room, dressing rooms, media room, practice area, tournament’s office, or hospitality. Everything is small and cramped. And even if there are no spectators some very basic things may prove difficult. Ideally, the players dressing rooms should be cleaned/disinfected each time it’s reallocated. Well during the first two rounds it’s reallocated at every session… and if one session runs late, there might not be enough time for player one to undress, and pack their things, cleaners to do their job and player two get ready for their match. Unless the schedule is completely reconsidered, with an earlier start and bigger “gaps” between sessions. It would be possible – maybe – but probably not with an audience. I can’t see the theatre opening at 7:30 so that the snooker can start at 8.
The real issues are with the qualifiers really, and it’s not just logistics. It’s also about the travel restrictions, their possible consequences, and the fair treatment of all players whose livelihood is at stakes. That’s where the last of the above screenshots comes into the conversation, and you see Phil’s last answer. There is a lot to think about, and surely WPBSA is thinking about those issues. I trust Jason Ferguson about that: he’s a former pro, he will have gone through all the uncertainties associated with being a self-employed sportsperson and he loves his sport to bits. But he isn’t the boss, and he isn’t a businessman first and foremost. Barry Hearn is a businessman, and I’m not sure I trust him 100% here.
There wasn’t really anything that particularly interested me from Eurosport or WST over the last two days. BBC Crucible Classic matches though were good ones: the 2011 and the 2013 finals. I was fortunate enough to be there both times.
The 2011 World Championship was the tournament where Judd Trump really announced himself on the big scene. Granted, he had won the 2011 China Open a few weeks before, but somehow that didn’t have the same impact. Judd came to the World Championship as a qualifier, and, on day one, sent the defending champion, Neil Robertson, back home. He had no fear, little expectations on his shoulder, played ultra attacking snooker, and toyed with the “naughty, fashionable playboy snooker player”. The press lapped it! He, and his friends, were taking on social media … triggering mixed reactions. The match turned on one shot, the blue along the rail he missed, in frame 22. he could have lead 13-9, instead, it went 12-10. He was still in the lead but, being there, I remember how the whole atmosphere of the match changed. Somehow, from there, it seemed inevitable to me that John Higgins would win. Speaking of atmosphere, the tension in the Crucible when the players were introduced for the last session was incredible. I’ve never felt anything like it, before or after, neither at the Crucible in other years nor anywhere else. The Tempodrom came close at times, but not quite the same.
The 2013 World Final was an excellent match. Ronnie was playing at the highest level, and yet, for the best of three sessions, Barry Hawkins stayed with him. Between them, they had 24 breaks over 50, including 8 centuries (6 by Ronnie, 2 by Barry). But it was not just about scoring: both played hard match snooker and the quality of the safety exchanges was extremely high. You can enjoy the pictures I took at the Crucible that year here. Barry Hawkins is a massively underrated player: at his best, he’s very efficient and dangerous. He has been inconsistent in recent years though. And, of course, at the start of the tournament, nobody was giving Ronnie a prayer. He had only played one competitive match all season, losing to Simon Bedford in the first round of a PTC… Defending the World title in those circumstances was quite an extraordinary feat and probably one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time.
The most interesting bit for the snooker fans yesterday was provided by the BBC: their “Crucible Classic” choice on the day was the 2003 semi-final between Ken Doherty and Paul Hunter. Paul started the last session of the match 15-9 up and still lost, by 17-16.
Ken is a great, great player, he can score heavily, but his two main strengths are a very shrewd all-round game combined with a terrific temperament. He never gives up, and rarely cracks under pressure. In the last session of this particular match, both are on show.
Paul was only 24 at the time, it was his first semi-final at the Crucible. Clive Everton, in the commentary box, reflected that pressure and anxiety got at him in that last session. It’s not really surprising, but still, with such a big lead, he should have won that match.
Whenever a match involving Paul Hunter is shown on television, social media fill with “He would surely have been World Champion, had he lived”. Well, at the risk of being (verbally) crucified, beheaded, and quartered … I’m not so sure.
“Why?” will you ask me. “Paul had a fantastic temperament, look, he won the Masters three times, from far behind, he beat O’Sullivan in one of them”. Indeed, he did.
On the other hand, his record in multi-session matches in ranking events wasn’t great. Not counting his last season, when he was obviously very ill, Paul played at the Crucible seven times, and only won five matches. His record in the UK Championship – that was played as best of 17 from round one in those days, with the final being best of 19 – he reached the SF only once, lost in the QF twice, and otherwise never got past the last 16 in ten appearances.
The way he played in that last session against Ken, pretty much reminded me of Jimmy White. Both very attractive players with flair, entertaining to watch but struggling to get over the line when in front. Jimmy was expected to win the World Championship “surely”. He didn’t. Now I’m not saying that Paul Hunter wouldn’t have, I’m saying that I’m not as certain as most seem to be that he would have done it, had he lived. And now, sadly, we will never find out.
Barry Hearn explains his problem with ‘genius’ Ronnie O’Sullivan and warns him: ‘Judd Trump is the new king’
Barry Hearn and Ronnie OSullivan have had their ups and downs over the years (Picture: Getty Images)
Barry Hearn and Ronnie O’Sullivan have had a complicated relationship over the years which the WST chairman puts down to one reason, the Rocket’s genius.
The snooker supremo has known O’Sullivan for three decades, twice served as his manager and is in charge of the sport that has made the 44-year-old a millionaire and household name.
However, they have fallen out plenty of times, quite seriously last year with O’Sullivan threatening a breakaway snooker tour and Hearn responding in fairly heavy-handed manner.
The Rocket is never shy of criticising snooker’s hierarchy, with Hearn describing Ronnie’s regular moans as ‘deadly dull’ during this season’s English Open.
Hearn does have sympathy for O’Sullivan though, to an extent, as he sees the work of a genius on and off the table.
The five-time world champion conjures up brilliance on the baize, but his unique talent comes with a unique mind and Hearn has learned to expect the unexpected from the sport’s biggest star.
‘This might sound strange,’ Hearn told Metro.co.uk. ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan is a lovely, lovely person, he’s also a genius, and therein lies the problem.
‘A genius is not normal, they don’t say normal things and they don’t act normally, that’s one of the reasons they are a genius and we have to allow for that. ‘
Ronnie comes out with some outrageous things and I allow for it, in the same way that I allowed for Alex Higgins because he was a genius, Jimmy White, genius, Phil Taylor, I don’t expect normality from geniuses.
‘The sad thing, for me, is sometimes the errant ideology of a genius is counterproductive to their own personal welfare.
‘For Ronnie O’Sullivan, I love him, I’ve known him since he was 12-years-old, I’ve been his manager twice, we disagree of lots of things fundamentally because he’s got too much time on his hands and he likes a column inch so he comes up with outlandish statements, most of which are rubbish.’
After a quiet season so far for O’Sullivan, with his only trophy coming at the Shanghai Masters, the world number six is eyeing-up a much busier couple of years ahead as he tries to rediscover his best form.
The Rocket has not played in every event available to him for years and Hearn believes it would be a wise move for him to be more active while he still can.
‘The over-riding factor is Ronnie O’Sullivan was born to play snooker and I don’t want him sitting in his armchair when he’s 60 with any regrets,’ Hearn continued.
‘I’d rather see Ronnie O’Sullivan turn up and play with a smile on his face than almost anything in snooker.
‘The fact he didn’t play the Masters this year or enough events to get into the Coral Championship, that’s called a mistake, a mistake made by a genius.
‘Hopefully he says: “I’m just going to enjoy my life, I really love playing snooker and I’m going to play a bit more, whenever I want.” I want him to be happy, funnily enough, and I’m certain he’s happiest playing snooker.
‘Sometimes, like this crisis, whether it’s sport, a relationship, whatever, complacency is a killer and the day you lose something, it’s quite good because you realise how much you miss it.
‘We’re all missing sport and Ronnie sounds like he’s missing snooker and that’s bloody good news.
‘He might appreciate, both of us might, a bit more when we get back to normality. Sometimes we take it for granted and that’s not the right the way out of any relationship.’
O’Sullivan is undoubtedly still snooker’s biggest star and most popular character, but he is no longer the dominant force with a cue in his hand.
World champion and world number one Judd Trump currently holds that mantle, but Hearn believes O’Sullivan will love the challenge of trying to reach the top of the mountain once again.
‘Trump is the new king on the block, I think he’s an outstanding player and he will develop into one of the all-time greats,’ said the WST chairman.
‘The competition itself, to compete, wake up in the morning with a purpose is actually more important.
‘I think Trump would be a big price favourite to beat Ronnie currently. I’m not looking for Ronnie to make improvement, he’s in his mid-40s, he’s done remarkably well to be as good as he is.
‘But like the Steve Davis’ and the Stephen Hendrys, he’s still good enough to beat nearly all of them all the time. Go and enjoy yourself son, fill your boots, make a few quid, but more importantly, get that little adrenaline rush because don’t kid me, you love it. You love it!
‘And you don’t like to admit you love it. Of course you get disappointed when you lose and that’s because you love winning. Take a leaf out of Bazza’s book. Don’t waste an hour because you can’t get that hour back.’
Judd Trump won his first World Championship title last year (Picture: Getty Images)
Trump is unquestionably the best player on the planet right now, but he has certainly not reached the levels of popularity that Ronnie has enjoyed for years.
The world champ is well on his way to becoming a legend of the game, but can he become a star in the mould of the Rocket? Hearn believes so.
‘I do,’ said Barry. ‘I think Trump is an outstanding player. It’s going to be interesting watching his game and personality develop, which I think they both will.
‘I think Judd Trump is going to be one of the all time greats. I’ve got a lot of time for him.
‘He’s got a hunger which the best players have got. In any sport, as much as we say, “what would we do without Tiger Woods?” Then Brooks Koepka or Jordan Spieth comes along. Not the same, different, but still great and technical standards are moving ahead.
‘I’ve been watching the BBC archive and, not being cruel but, those players don’t look very good compared to what we see today. The way they stroke the ball, move on the shot, they miss miles more than today. Sport improves, progresses.
‘You can enjoy brilliance at any time, I can watch Ronnie O’Sullivan play all day. Left handed, right handed, cue in his teeth I think he can pot them sometimes. But lets’ enjoy the moment, make the memories, they won’t be there forever, that’s why we should enjoy it and that’s why we shouldn’t take it for granted today.
‘Would we miss Ronnie O’Sullivan? Bloody right. Would the game survive? Bloody right. Because that’s the nature of sport. People come through. Great fighters that looked unbeatable become normal and human after a while.’
I’m sure that Barry Hearn loves his problem dearly 😉
And I agree with him, watching those matches from the past, the standard wasn’t that great, although, conditions being different, it’s probably hard to compare matches from different eras in a fair way.
On the other hand, I’m not sure that Judd Trump will ever have the charisma that players like Ronnie and Jimmy White have. Stephen Hendry never had it really, and Steve Davis only got it when he no longer was a winner.
Also, although he looks unbeatable – or about – at the moment, only time will tell if Judd Trump can sustain that over a decade or more. Mark Selby looked almost unbeatable for four seasons – he was a runaway number one and three times a World Champion in those four seasons – then, suddenly, he started to struggle and his confidence deserted him. I’m not saying that the same will happen to Judd Trump, all I’m saying is – as Ronnie once put it on ES – that we should have this conversation in ten years time.
When Stephen Hendry announced his return to competition on the Seniors Tour at the Seniors World Championship 2017, there were a lot of expectations and his faithful fans predicted that he would wipe the floor with the opposition. He didn’t. Actually, he was very poor. In his first match, he only just beat Aidan Owens, an amateur, by 3-2, on a black ball shoot-out, and lost by 3-0 to Peter Lines in the next.
He competed on the WSS Tour in the next two seasons, but the poor form continued, and it was clear that he wasn’t enjoying this. But maybe, this is about to change…
Indeed, in an interview with Phil Haig, Hendry has revealed that he’s now working with Sightright and is already seing results:
Stephen Hendry teases coming out of retirement after work with snooker coach
Stephen Hendry is trying to get his love for the game back (Picture: Getty Images)
Stephen Hendry has teased the possibility of coming out of retirement, having worked with coach Steve Feeney and beginning to enjoy playing snooker again.
The seven-time world champion retired in 2012 after defeat in the quarter-finals of the World Championship and has not been tempted to return, only playing on the Seniors Tour in recent years.
The 51-year-old struggled to adapt to life in snooker’s chasing pack after dominating the game throughout the 1990s, and regular defeats eventually became too much for him to handle.
However, eight years after retirement, Hendry has been working with Feeney, the man behind innovative training technique SightRight, which has been credited with improvements in numerous players, most notably Mark Williams en route to his 2018 World Championship win.
Hendry is making no promises or plans just yet, but he sounds more interested in playing competitively than he has for almost a decade.
‘I’ve been doing a wee bit with Steven Feeney and I’ve started to get a bit of pleasure from hitting the ball back,’ Hendry told Ken Doherty on an Instagram Live.
I’d done about half a dozen sessions with him and I was getting quite into it, then obviously this [coronavirus] has happened.
‘Hopefully, Praise God if Sheffield is on, if he’s there, he’ll maybe give me a few hits.
‘He asked me what I wanted from it in the beginning and I just said, “I want to enjoy playing snooker,” that’s all. ‘The way I was playing, even in the Seniors. Not hitting the ball properly, it was just torture really, it’s the last throw of the dice.
‘If this thing works out with Feeney, I start to hit the ball properly and get a bit more enjoyment out of playing… ‘
The World Championship Seniors is hopefully going to be on in August. You win that, get in the Champion of Champions, you see what happens there and you never know.
‘I’m making no plans, I just want to enjoy playing then see what comes from there.’
Feeney has also worked with Ronnie O’Sullivan and has been a huge influence on Dave Gilbert’s vast improvements in his mid-thirties, which saw him reach the World Championship semi-finals for the first time last year.
The coaching is based on sighting and alignment and Feeney has also done substantial work with darts players and golfers.
After the rescheduling of the World Championship to run from 31 July-16 August, the World Seniors Championship is now set for 20-22 August at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
Jimmy White is the defending champion, but there will be even more attention on Hendry with a win potentially seeing the legendary Scot return to regular action.
It will be interesting to see where Hendry goes from here. In 2017, after losing to Lines, he admitted that he wasn’t handling pressure well anymore. In his bio he spoke of “yips”. A lot is about confidence in snooker and if confidence returns… who knows indeed? Not to play at his prime level, of course, but to play with pleasure and guve a good account of himself. I’m sure fans would welcome that.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan 