Snooker

[Bully Wee Villa]

Ray Reardon the only other in "the modern era". Before that, finals were often contested as one-off boxing style "challenge matches" where the reigning Champion only had to beat one challenger to become Champion.

John Pullman was an eight-time World Champion but only won nine matches for those titles, one semi, one final, and seven challenges.

[printer]

Ray Reardon the only other in "the modern era". Before that, finals were often contested as one-off boxing style "challenge matches" where the reigning Champion only had to beat one challenger to become Champion.

John Pullman was an eight-time World Champion but only won nine matches for those titles, one semi, one final, and seven challenges.

Indeed.

I always find it a bit bizarre that Reardon is dismissed so easily by the modern snooker fan.

I suppose it's just ignorance.

[printer]

Never understand the Selby hate he seems a decent lad.
He could well go very close to breaking the record for winning the world championships. Still a fair amount of years ahead of him and he just seems to have that mental toughness that other players don't have.
Vicky wid get it suhing awfy tae.

Yeah, Selby comes across as decent. He's got the potential to go on and win several more world titles.

Vicky - wid.

[Oleksandr]

5 minutes ago, printer said:

 

Indeed.

I always find it a bit bizarre that Reardon is dismissed so easily by the modern snooker fan.

I suppose it's just ignorance.

 

Isn't helped by the BBC, always suggesting that snooker history began when they moved to the Crucible. I'm sure I heard Hazel saying that stat that Sooky posted on here

[Bully Wee Villa]

Maybe cos it wasn't on telly so much in those days? First televised Championship was in 1978 when he won his final one.

[printer]

I'm sure those are both reasons. Still ridiculous. Joe Davies and Ray Reardon should be a serious part of any debate on the greatest snooker players of all time. That's not to say playing at their standard they would beat a Hendry or Selby ar their peak, but they had the talent to do that if born later on.

It's a bit like Sky (and the BBC to a lesser extent) pumping out the line that proper football only began with the Premiership.

[Bully Wee Villa]

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Ronnie O'Sullivan
3 Steve Davis
4 John Higgins
5 Joe Davis
6 Ray Reardon
7 Alex Higgins
8 Mark Selby
9 Mark Williams
10 Jimmy White

IMO.

Although I'll have changed my mind again by the end of the week.

[John Lambies Doos]

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Ronnie O'Sullivan
3 Steve Davis
4 John Higgins
5 Joe Davis
6 Ray Reardon
7 Alex Higgins
8 Mark Selby
9 Mark Williams
10 Jimmy White

IMO.

Although I'll have changed my mind again by the end of the week.

Jimmy white?
That's like saying Montgomery is in the top 10 golfers of all time.
In my opinion if you haven't won a world championship you ain't in top ten. Yes I appreciate that snooker has other major ranking tournaments but based on scale the WC is the one that counts.

[Jamaldo]

Jimmy white?
That's like saying Montgomery is in the top 10 golfers of all time.
In my opinion if you haven't won a world championship you ain't in top ten. Yes I appreciate that snooker has other major ranking tournaments but based on scale the WC is the one that counts.

Only player to have a snooker game named after him m8.

[Bully Wee Villa]

Jimmy white?
That's like saying Montgomery is in the top 10 golfers of all time.
In my opinion if you haven't won a world championship you ain't in top ten. Yes I appreciate that snooker has other major ranking tournaments but based on scale the WC is the one that counts.

I'd say he's had more influence on the game than quite a few World Champions, Johnson, Dott, Bingham, for instance. You could make a case that Spencer, Robertson, Murphy, Ebdon and Thorburn might be ahead but I think his recognition factor gives him the edge.

As I said, could easily give a different list on any given week. Thorburn might have best claim given World title and first World Championship 147.

[meanmistermustard]

3 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

 

I'd say he's had more influence on the game than quite a few World Champions, Johnson, Dott, Bingham, for instance. You could make a case that Spencer, Robertson, Murphy, Ebdon and Thorburn might be ahead but I think his recognition factor gives him the edge.

As I said, could easily give a different list on any given week. Thorburn might have best claim given World title and first World Championship 147.

 

 

Not a chance in hell Ebdon, Dott or Bingham would be above White. All three shitfested their way to final victories whereas Jimmy reached 6 losing all*, 5 to Hendry when he was at his peak in the 90's. Ebdon v Dott must have been the worst final ever, the standard of play was absymal. 

*I'm aware Dott and Ebdon reached multiple finals but they are fucking dire.

[Bully Wee Villa]

I never said Dott and Bingham should be above White. I was using them as an example of how not being a World Champion doesn't automatically elevate one to greatness and, by extension, neither does not winning a World title preclude a player from being talked of as an all-time great.

Ebdon has a better claim. He had an impressive array of titles and finals when the game was it was its most competitive. Let down by the fact that he's a boring c**t. In fairness, he might not be perceived so badly had he played in the era when even slower players were at their peak.

I'd still put White above him, anyway.

[meanmistermustard]

I was commenting on the idea that any of those three would be ahead of White based on having won a World Championship. 

Ebdon is commended for never giving up, scraping him off the table was regularly said, which is fair enough but he had no flair and only won by turning matches into dire shitfests that bored the f**k out of opponents and most who watched. It worked so good on him but he is nowhere near the Top 10 list.

 

[printer]

 

 

Jimmy white?

That's like saying Montgomery is in the top 10 golfers of all time.

 

It really isn't.

 

[meanmistermustard]

White influenced so many snooker players to take up the game, i think that should have some effect on greatest ever. 10 ranking titles, 20 non-ranking titles and 6 world championship finals (losing to Davis once, Hendry four times and Parrot once)  isn't a bad haul over a career.

Edited May 3, 2017 by meanmistermustard

[Miguel Sanchez]

I can't even commend him for winding up Ronnie. Absolute torture watching that.

[Ludo*1]

I don't get why Ebdon is not included in the top 10 purely down to the fact he's a boring c**t. It's like saying Alex Higgins is the best ever purely because he was the most entertaining.

That said, I wouldn't personally have Ebdon in my 10 either and White would probably miss out too (Although White was one of my favourites)

[John Lambies Doos]

I don't get why Ebdon is not included in the top 10 purely down to the fact he's a boring c**t. It's like saying Alex Higgins is the best ever purely because he was the most entertaining.

That said, I wouldn't personally have Ebdon in my 10 either and White would probably miss out too (Although White was one of my favourites)

Struggling to understand why White would be in anybodys top ten tbh. His choking spectacular would immediately omit him. Did Hendry not beat him in one final with a broken arm?

[AUFC90]

2 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

 

Struggling to understand why White would be in anybodys top ten tbh. His choking spectacular would immediately omit him. Did Hendry not beat him in one final with a broken arm?

 

Not really choking getting pumped from the greatest player ever in his prime.

[meanmistermustard]

3 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

 

Struggling to understand why White would be in anybodys top ten tbh. His choking spectacular would immediately omit him. Did Hendry not beat him in one final with a broken arm?

 

 

Wasn't that the year White bottled the black?

A google search reveals it was,