John Higgins - Photo from WorldSnooker.com
World Snooker recently carried out a pool on Worldsnooker.com and from 600 respondents John Higgins was named fans player of the year for the 2008/09 season.
The ‘Wizard of Wishaw’ no doubt achieved the accolade through winning his third world title but he was the only player to lift two world ranking events in the season.
World number 1, Ronnie O’Sullivan, came in second after wins in the Northern Ireland Trophy and the Masters, but probably receives a lot of votes not for his achievements but for his popularity.
In third place was World Championships semi-finalist and Bahrain Championship winner, Neil Robertson.
The full results:
John Higgins 178
Ronnie O’Sullivan 109
Neil Robertson 90
Mark Selby 65
Mark Allen 41
Ali Carter 32
Stephen Hendry 22
Shaun Murphy 21
Judd Trump 8
Ricky Walden 7
Steve Davis 6
Graeme Dott 2
Michael Holt 2
Stephen Maguire 2
Marco Fu 1
Dominic Dale 1
Martin Gould 1
Liang Wenbo 1
Jimmy White 1
Ryan Day 1
Joe Perry 1
Matthew Stevens 1
Joe Swail 1
Mark Williams 1
Vincent Muldoon
Source: World Snooker
World Snooker
john higgins, neil robertson, player of the year, ronnie o'sullivan, snooker, World Snooker
The semi finals of the 2009 Betfred.com World Snooker Championships started yesterday afternoon with twice former World Champion, John Higgins against rising Northern Irish talent, Mark Allen.
Allen has been playing some of the best snooker of his career after already having dispatched Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ryan Day. This session started well, Allen winning the first frame, however Higgins came back and handn’t even looked as if he was playing at his best. He lead 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
In the interval the players spoke to the tournament director about the less-than-adequate table conditions, aparantly caused by increased humidity. This led to a very hot iron and a complete change of balls at the halfway point in the session.
The table played better in the latter half and Higgins extended his lead to 6-2, this match continues this morning from 10.00.
Honours Even With Robertson and Murphy.
The other World Champion still in the draw, Shaun Murphy, had a very tight session against Australian Neil Robertson. The match will continue at 14.00 today with the score at 4-4. There were six breaks over 50 with Murphy winning this stat 4-2.
World Snooker
john higgins, live, mark allen, neil robertson, professional snooker, results, scoring, shaun murphy, snooker, World Snooker, world snooker championships
I have recently got into a blog written by Dave H (not sure what the H is for!!!), the deputy editor of Snooker Scene magazine.
The latest post is about the ever controversial Ronnie O’Sullivan commenting about the logo space on players waistcoats. According to World Snooker rules, during the World Championships players can only wear one logo in addition to the tournament logo. This rule according to an article in the Mirror Newspaper last April cost Neil Robertson an £80,000 deal with Burger King.
O’Sullivans point in the Snooker Scene blog was that players should concentrate on earnings on the table rather than what they are getting paid for wearing a certain logo.
Although the point is a valid one insomuch as Snooker is about competition it is difficult in this day and age for players outside of the elite to earn a decent living solely from prize money. Tournament prize funds have dwindled and so have the number of official ranking events, reducing potential earnings even further.
Players in the top 16 are protected by seedings so are automatically in the money positions in every tournament and as a result of seedings are on TV and command massive logo deals and endorsements.
I do not think we should consider detracting from the snooker, the sport and competition is what it is about, and I also think that a limit to a number of logo’s should be in place so as not to create an advertising farce. What I disagree with though is the way in which professional players are forced into a corner over what they can and can’t earn. Careers, on-the-whole, are limited in snooker and it is about entertainment so why shouldn’t players be allowed to earn large sums for TV appearances and within reason maximise the revenue available through a number of logo positions.
World Snooker
neil robertson, professional, ronnie o'sullivan, snooker, snooker scene, sponsorship
