It was a very, very hectic and busy day for Jason Francis, who had to make sure everything was ready and perfect for the launch dinner: from ironing the players shirts to securing a prize for the possible maximum, a Fabergé egg worth 28K … I wonder what he will do if there are two 147 over the week-end

It was all the more hectic because, for some reason, a lot of flights were canceled or delayed at London airport. Mark Selby’s flight was canceled, but he managed to get another one in tome. Kyren Wilson’s flight was delayed too and Michaela Tabb only arrived minutes before the dinner’s launch. But Ronnie didn’t make it in time …

Ronnie had a launch event on the previous evening to promote the “American Hustle” and his timing was probably a bit too tight to accommodate any unexpected delay.

Anyway, he’s the loser here, as he missed a great evening, some excellent food, great live music provided by Fallen Empire, with Mark Selby performing as a special guest, a quiz, a raffle, the captains revealing their line-up for tomorrow’s first session and  lots of laugher at the tables and on the dance floor …

Here is the pictures album on Facebook

Here is a small selection

Today the real action starts and there will be no quarters given. Both teams want this badly.

 

Whilst everyone involved is getting ready for The Decider in Goffs, Ronnie’s interview yesterday has caused some stirr … people on social media accusing him to give a negative image of his sport once again, and suggesting that he’d better shut up.

Well, there’s a few things I want to say about this:

• The media once again somehow twisted what he said: the main subject of the interview was the Irish Legends Cup, and his statement about snooker not being a career he would recommend to a young person right now, was only an honest answer to a question he was asked in the last minutes of the interview. Yet they made this the headline of the article, and, worse, some papers ONLY reported that bit, ignoring everything else he said in that interview. Baffling enough, some of the culprit are Irish media and he was promoting an event in Ireland!
• What he said is only the truth: many players have come out recently about how difficult it is to make any sort of living in snooker nowadays. Which parent would be keen to see their child take a route where they have next to no chance to earn  half decent money unless they manage to get at the very, very top of an extremely difficult and demanding sport? Only a handful will; would you take the risk? The nearly £ 1000000 earned by Mark Selby over the last two years is a case of a tree hiding the forest. Neil Robertson, on twitter,  came to Ronnie’s rescue with this: “I wouldn’t recommend this sport as a “career” while there is 128 on the tour either. Atm it’s top 20 or you’re better off flipping burgers”.  
• If the players say nothing, do nothing, it won’t change, that’s a certainty, if they do … it might … maybe. I’m not too hopeful though. Players should realise that they are the sports most valuable asset, without them, it’s nothing. But they aren’t organised, it’s an individual sport played by individualist people. And most are too scared to say a word anyway.

Meanwhile, the Irish Legends Cup decider promises to be a great event. Jason Francis has been posting some “appetizers” on twitter in the form of pictures, of the players hotel,  it’s practice room and a very special set of balls. I’ll be on my way tomorrow morning, with camera, lenses and everything … so expect a good few pictures of both the gala dinner and the event proper over the week-end.

Mark Selby beat Ronnie by 6-5 again yesterday evening in Plovdiv in another great night of snooker, winning the series as well. But Ronnie wasn’t too disappointed, coming to Facebook after the match with this:

Well played Mark, 2 great nights in Bulgaria, amazing fans. Got edged out 6/5 both nights but getting sharper.

The players were made very welcome and enjoyed a fantastic hospitality:

They also went to “christen” the first snooker table ever to be made available in a school in Romania, which prompted Jason to tweet:

Opening the first ever table placed in a Bulgarian school, I reckon cueing could be an issue

Here is how the match unfolded, thanks to Jason’s tweets as always:

Ronnie raced to a 4-0 lead, and probably didn’t want the MSI to come. But come it did and Mark rallied and went on a roll himself: he took 5 frames on the bounce. Ronnie forced a decider but it’s mark who took it, with a century, and won.

• And tonight we pack out this monster!!

• Officially just announced as the biggest ever crowd for a snooker match in Bulgaria

• Ronnie has started well, 77 and first frame 1-0

• Ronnie 2-0 in under 15 minutes… flying

• Frame 3.. Ros 9 reds 9 blacks…. and counting

• That’s 12

• Ends on 104!!! But it’s still 3-0 in 23 minutes

• Ronnie in again… 63 and counting

• It’s 4 zip ronnie in 40 minutes

• 2nd half underway, uphill task for the world champ but he is in the balls…

• Selby with 77 and it’s 1-4 race to 6

• Jester fighting back… 84 and it’s 2-4

• Selby wins another!! 3-4 now

• Selby 4 in a row!!! 4-4 now

• Jester going 5-4 up here, been ruthless since the interval… century?

• Big 138 from Mark

• Ronnie needs this frame for our second consecutive decider

• Ronnie forces the decider with a 77

• Selby has first chance in the decider…

• Selby has this, going to be 6-5

• Can we finish with a century?

• Yes we can!!! 113

• Looks like @markjesterselby may have to shell out for some excess baggage!! #huge (about the trophy)

• Thanks Bulgaria for two amazing nights. We will be back, even bigger #promise

Both players will now be heading to Bucharest, Romania where they will start their European Masters campaign tomorrow.

Mark Selby beat Ronnie by 6-5 in the first Eleven30 event in Sofia, Bulgaria, yesterday, in what seems to have been a terrific match in front of a terrific crowd.

I don’t think that Ronnie will be too disappointed with the result. In his latest radio show he had stated that what he wanted from this is a good competitive match and that’s certainly what he got. Also having played his qualifying match for the International Championship until late the previous evening meant he had little sleep: he had to travel about 350 km to the airport after the match and then catch an early flight. So going the distance against a player of Mark Selby’s calibre is certainly not bad!

Anyway, here is Jason Francis account on twitter, as usual:

• On our way! Eleven 30 series Ronnie v Selby leg 1 tonight in Sofia

• 220 mile drive from Preston to Heathrow last night but worth it to put on a show for the Bulgarian fans

• Welcome from the Bulgarian press

• So pleased to do this for Bulgarian snooker

• Too early for champagne? My partner here Oleg has it all under control

• As big as the champions league I kid you not (this about the trophy)

• VIP (this about the signing session)

• 1600 sell out tonight in Bulgaria!!! #eleven30

• Crowds #eleven30 #bulgaria

• Going 1-0 Selby here

• Selby century 2-0

• Rocket in frame 3

• Ronnie on the board 2-1 Selby now

• 3/1 Mark at the interval

• Back for the second half

• Ros 60 and counting

• Ronnie century…a big 133

• Crowd loving this battle, seeing their faces is exactly why I do these shows…. top players, top crowds.

• Ros looking stronger as the night goes on… at the table and chance for 3-3

• Jester fighting back, about to go 4/3 ahead

• 3rd century if the evening, 103 from Selby

• Could this be century number 4???

• It’s only 96 but it’s enough for Ronnie to make it 4/4!! Best of 3 now for this

• Ronnie in front now… 5-4 up. Looking fluent

• Ros made 80 in that last frame

• Great 92 from Selby and we are into a decider!!!!!!!

• Selby first chance in the decider…

• 58 and counting, looks like first blood jester on a fantastic night in Sofia

• Can we get our 4th century?

• 135 (Tc)to win 6:5 well played @markjesterselby

• Winner (about Mark Selby pic with the trophy)

• With the mayor of Sofia

• Trophy presentation

• Great night in Sofia! Brilliant crowd and snooker … Well done Oleg, Snooker Legends and everyone who made it happen  #number1and2

And the pictures (by Jason and fans on twitter)

Here are three short videos, by fans. Not a great quality but at least something…

MissingClip Exhibition (30.09.2016.): Michaela Tabb with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby

Exhibition (30.09.2016.): Ronnie O’Sullivan – Mark Selby intro

Exhibition (30.09.2016.): Ronnie O’Sullivan – Mark Selby (final frame)

Yesterday Ronnie played two more exhibitions in Bodmin, one in the afternoon, where he made back to back centuries, 119 and 110, and in the evening where, according to fans tweets he made two more centuries. He also enjoyed his stay … taking a walk around the place.

 

And now, it’s off to Shanghai!

The Legends arrived in Bodmin, where they have three exhibitions scheduled, the first of them, yesterday night.

But they are obviously mixing pleasure and work!

Michaela tweeted:

Having a ball in Cornwall! Could move here… lots of family and snooker mixed together – doesn’t get much better lol Bodmin tomorrow now!

Not much transpired about the exhibition itself, except that Ronnie made (at least) another century, a 123, and that the table he played on is very special! Ronnie also met the fans, some very young …