Snooker Betting: Over to you Mr Hearn

Snooker / Jaymes Monte / 06 January 2010 /

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Barry Hearn has been charged with replicating the popularity that darts has endured across to snooker.

"At this stage it doesn’t seem viable to start playing in huge arenas with raucous crowds, loud walk on music and scantily clad women accompanying the players to the table. Talk of bringing razzmatazz to the game needs to be fulfilled but in the right way."

Can Barry Hearn's induction as Chairman of World Snooker provide the much needed injection of life that the sport needs? Jaymes Monte reports...

'Snooker loopy nuts are we, me and him and them and me...' It was May 1986 when those words first graced the UK top 40, charting at a high of number six. Back then the words rang true across a nation which was besotted with the sport and its many individual characters.

The snooker boom peaked throughout the 1980's as players like Steve Davis, Alex Higgins, Dennis Taylor and Jimmy White captured the imaginations of the nation. And in 1985 an estimated 18.5 million people watched the concluding frame of the World Championship final between Davis and Taylor.

However, recent years have seen the popularity of the sport decline rapidly and with sponsorship money drying up, at the turn of this decade a big shake up was long overdue. An AGM in December concluded with the old guard of Sir Rodney Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn not being re-elected and consequently Barry Hearn and Steve Davis were co-opted onto the World Snooker board.

Hearn who is almost single-handedly responsible for the darts boom of recent years will now be tasked with reviving snooker to its past glories. However, that mission may not be nearly as easy to accomplish as it was for darts.

At this stage it doesn't seem viable to start playing in huge arenas with raucous crowds, loud walk on music and scantily clad women accompanying the players to the table. Talk of bringing razzmatazz to the game needs to be fulfilled but in the right way.

Although Hearn has been Chairman of World Snooker for less than a month the wheels have already been set in motion and the signs are positive. The wild-card given to Jimmy White - [2.7] to win his first round match - for the upcoming Masters tournament is a step to bring back the casual viewer whilst I suspect Ronnie O'Sullivan's appearance at the final of the PDC World Championships may have more to do with raising his and the sport's profile than anything else.

These sorts of stunts will bring in the TV viewers, but once they have tuned in the next challenge is to make sure that they stay. Here snooker can take a few pointers from darts. Hype and anticipation are major selling tools which enthral viewers and sports fans alike. The rivalry between Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld became one of the biggest in sport and the Sky Sports propaganda machine goes into overdrive whenever these two meet. If snooker can develop a similar rivalry between two players - perhaps O'Sullivan and John Higgins - which pits two sets of fans against each other then this can only be a positive thing for the sport.

On opposite sides of the draw this year's Masters would be a perfect time for the pair to meet in the final, O'Sullivan is favourite to win the tournament at [4.0] and Higgins is second favourite at [6.6].

The majority of the players are happy with Hearn's induction recognising the need for a face lift. O'Sullivan has been the most vociferous in his support and it is likely that he will be used as the catalyst in the same way Taylor has been in darts.

An increase in the variety of tournaments has also been alluded to; the introduction of shot clock competitions and six reds tournaments to the ranking system are possible avenues to pursue. And with many players complaining of big gaps between tournaments it is likely that a pro-tour circuit similar to darts will be introduced sooner rather than later.

Only time will tell whether snooker can scale the popularity heights of the past and it may be the case that viewers that now have a greater choice of televised sport just don't need the game as they did in the 1970's and 80's.

Whatever the outcome Hearn's induction as Chairman is a positive move, and although there may be many new ideas that the traditionalists do not like, snooker desperately needs a revamp to get the casual fan back involved. Sit tight snooker fans because if this guy can't do it, then I fear nobody can.

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