Why are there no professional black snooker players?

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Or are there? I can't think of any. Wonder if there's a reason for this.

Ditto darts.

― , Monday, 21 February 2005 12:52 (twenty years ago)

they're waiting for the green, brown, blue and pink players to join in first.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha! Of course Ken! Now I'm kicking myself for not having figured it out.

― Rumpy Pumpkin, Monday, 21 February 2005 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Black Men Can't Pot, a screenplay by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, opens this Summer, starring the black guy from Love Actually setting out to prove all the nay-sayers wrong. Hilarious cameo from Alex Higgins I'm told.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Monday, 21 February 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

It's because there are no black Irishmen.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 21 February 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

Best guess:

Social clubs and working men's clubs have had almost exclusively white membership for decades. This is where people traditionally learned to play darts and snooker.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

It's because there are no black Irishmen.

are you saying Clinton Morrison's never kissed the Blarney stone?

Snooker being a sport that NOBODY else in the world seems to play apart from the British, the Irish and a couple of Thais - makes it seem more hostile/unappealing to them I guess.

The question can be applied to all sports except football and boxing in the UK to be honest. Again it seems primiarly based on class factors (hence no strong presence in cricket, rugby, tennis etc.).

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Snooker's pretty popular in Hong Kong too. (and also now china) see Marco Fu + Ding Junhui. And there was the canadian guy. And the Australian guy.

Anyway, didn't Jame Brown enter the UK Masters this year??

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

The question can be applied to all sports except football and boxing in the UK to be honest.
You missed athletics.

Again it seems primiarly based on class factors (hence no strong presence in cricket, rugby, tennis etc.).

But snooker and darts are working class games.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, they reckon that Chinese domination of snooker is about seven years off, maximum.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

That seems like a reasonable explanation.

About time someone broke the mould. I'm shit at snooker so it won't be me. I'm a woman too. Are there professional women snooker players or is it mainly a mans reserve?

― Rumpy Pumpkin, Monday, 21 February 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

Hong Kong, Canda, Australia = (formerly) British Commonwealth

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

Why are there no native american cricketers?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:16 (twenty years ago)

There are women professionals and they have their own tour. I think some of the top women players were campaigning to be allowed to play in the mens tournaments a while back.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

they've only just brough in female referees in snooker from what i can tell. long way to go!

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

But snooker and darts are working class games.

snooker seems pretty split between those who grew up playing in clubs and those who grew up with a full size table in Dad's garage. but i don't really know about this.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

It's sad, really. I think snooker would be just perfect 0Oo-!! with a hot little cherry on top !!-oO0 for black people q8-) (re:

― LeCoq (LeCoq), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

they've only just brough in female referees in snooker from what i can tell. long way to go!

well there's still no female referees in men's football as far as i recall, yet there's already an established women's league..

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Phil Lynott?

― lukey (Lukey G), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

but you mean for men and women to play together?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

there's just too many "getting in amongst the balls" jokes to be made

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

ronnie o'sullivan being the player to cross the divide, ie dad had snooker table in house, but was "common".

good piece on the former women's world champion in the OMM last month (she nows plays pool in america and is doing very well).

there was a black british guy on the verge of the world champs/main circuit, maybe two years ago? but i agree, it is unusual that there aren't more...

ken, there are female refs/line-os, one officiates in the league, although not the prem.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

There are some female referees but none have yet officiated a top level game.

The Albion Rovers manager was sacked last season after comments about a lineswoman (or 'referee's assistant') along the lines of "She should be at home making the tea for her man"

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

clarification: R O'S dad common = owned p0rn shops

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:45 (twenty years ago)

i believe the gender neutral term should be "line-o" ;)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

Ron's dad:
T/S Proper Posh People vs Rich Villains

xpost

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

xxpost

there's just too many "getting in amongst the balls" jokes to be made

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

also .. from a young age ronnie had studied videos of the mistakes people make when their jerky cue action caused the white to come off the black ball into the pink pocket, etc.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

this is from watching "Big Break" obv.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 February 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

MOVE FROM SANDBOX PLZ:

http://ilx.thehold.net/thread.php?msgid=34685&showextras=true

CURRENT GOD OF SPORT, and that 147 I've just watched was something else.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Sunday, 14 January 2007 13:27 (eighteen years ago)

Ding for SPOTY?

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 13:30 (eighteen years ago)

He's gotta be in with a shout for overseas SPOTY if he wins the World Championship.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Sunday, 14 January 2007 13:32 (eighteen years ago)

Why doesn't the blacks like to snook?

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 14 January 2007 15:50 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Rory Mcleod
Born March 26, 1971 (1971-03-26) (age 38),
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire England
Nationality England English
Professional 1991–
Highest ranking #39
2009/10 ranking #39
Career winnings GB£103,655
Highest break 145 2007 888.com World championship (qualifiers)
Best ranking finish Last 32 - 5 times

ILX in non-fact-checking blanket-statement shocka

― 102. LJ: British. 5. (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 19:42 (fifteen years ago)

just saw him play last night in fact.

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 19:55 (fifteen years ago)

me too. he isn't bad. just makes weird decisions

― 102. LJ: British. 5. (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 19:56 (fifteen years ago)

Thought this thread was revived for the new movie with Dwayne Johnson as a hockey-player-turned-tooth-fairy.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4098799935_400e5340dd.jpg

― Nuyorican oatmeal (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:05 (fifteen years ago)

First response hall of fame itt

― Dark, promiscuous five-year-old (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:07 (fifteen years ago)

seven years pass...

Rory McLeod makes headline writers and internet comedians' day by:

1) Being black and Muslim
2) Defeating a man called Trump
3) Being sponsored by a company called ISIS.

― ailsa, Wednesday, 19 April 2017 23:17 (eight years ago)

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