Jimmy White - doh! He failed to qualify again. I keep hoping he can get the title that has eluded him despite 6 finals.
.[/QUOTE] Great. I've decided to give this year a miss and roll the tickets onto next year , hopefully back to normal by then
Would you believe in the early years of the Crucible I saw Fred Davis play Perrie Mans live? (I know - I don't look that old!)
When my lads were members of the Dennis the Menace Fan Club, DING was short for Dennis Is Never Good. DONG stood for Dennis Owns Naughty Gnasher.
I don't mind who wins it (so long as they all have fun), but I reckon Yan Bingtao is a good outsider bet. Widely available at 20/1. Kyren Wilson likes the big tournaments too. He's available at 18/1
I read an interview that O'Sullivan has been using the other tournaments at Milton Keynes for table time to test his B game and sparring practice and really wants that 7th World Title. If he doesn't do it this year he doesn't reckon he'll do it at all.
I'm still concerned that if any Chinese player won it, it would revive the money greed machine in Snooker. Calls would be made again with millions thrown behind it to prise the World Championships away from its spiritual home at the crucible. It will only take X number of millions before the organisers fall into line. Similar to the ESL in footy. I'm a real traditionalist when it comes to things like this. I know it's Sheffield but the World Champs should never be moved away. It would spell the death of snooker over here due to the time difference. Imagine the Davis v Taylor 1985 final finishing at 7am UK time. Millions would have missed it, that final inspired a new generation of players.