Latest news with #snooker
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Snooker legends meet seaside care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. "Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before. "A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment." The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said. "I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More related stories Disabled snooker player 'blown away' by donations 'Snooker really saved my life' Snooker hopes to secure Paralympics return for 2032


BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Snooker champions meet Great Yarmouth care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield."Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before."A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment."The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said."I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.


BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Maguire wins 2025 Championship League
Stephen Maguire has won the first ranking event of the season, beating Joe O'Connor 3-1 in the final of the 2025 Championship League in Leicester. It is the 44-year-old Scot's seventh career ranking title from 15 finals and his first since winning the 2020 Tour Championship. The tournament, which takes place over three stages and began at Leicester Arena on 30 June, reached its finale on Wednesday, with just eight of the 128-strong field remaining. Maguire booked his spot in the final after topping Group 2 in a best-of-four frame round-robin. The 15th seed beat Matthew Selt (3-0) and Ben Mertens (3-0) before losing to China's Pang Junxu (3-1). Leicester-born O'Connor, seeded 16th, only dropped two frames to finish first in Group 1, beating Ricky Walden (3-1), Xu Si (3-1), and Tom Ford (3-0). In the best-of-five frame final, Maguire took a 2-0 lead before O'Connor pulled one frame back with a 99-point break. However, Maguire produced a match-winning 89 to secure the title with a frame to spare.


The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals plan to become world champion in different sport after retiring from snooker
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN has got his eyes on conquering another sport after already becoming one of the greatest snooker players of all time. The Rocket, 49, is widely thought of as the best player to ever grace the baize and he reckons he can reach the top in another sport too. 2 Despite not retiring from snooker just yet, O'Sullivan has his sights on becoming pool world champion when he does finally call it quits. The seven-time world snooker champion has said he will give Chinese eight-ball pool a crack when the day comes, but has vowed to give snooker at least another two years to rediscover his form. Speaking to the South China Morning Post at the opening of a new snooker club in Hong Kong, JJ8 Club, O'Sullivan said: "Chinese eight-ball is very, very popular now in China. "Many players play in big tournaments in China, and for someone like me, when I finish playing snooker, then I will play Chinese eight-ball. "It's a big sport in Asia, especially China, so when I retire from snooker, I want to become world champion in Chinese eight-ball." It comes after O'Sullivan revealed he has put a two-year plan together to help him return to form and start enjoying snooker again after chatting with psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters. He said recently: "I said I wanted to at least do two proper years. "Put everything I was doing on the back burner. I don't feel like I have that luxury anymore to do other things and try and compete. 2 "I think I owe it to my career to focus just on playing for the next two years, at least, and just see if I can rediscover some decent form. "Try and finish my carer on a good note and not how it's felt for the last three or four years. That's my main goal." Zhao Xintong's classy act towards Ronnie O'Sullivan revealed after knocking legend out of World Snooker Championship O'Sullivan has described his play as "awful" and "a struggle" in recent times, but still sits fifth in the world rankings and earned himself a spot in the World Championship semi-finals despite missing a slew of tournaments in the buildup and binning his cue. Now the snooker icon is preparing for next week's Shanghai Masters, where he will face Barry Hawkins or Wu Yize in his opening clash next Wednesday. FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight. The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it. O'Sullivan has three children - two daughters and a son. And the Rocket's on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines. He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction. While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard. Despite being worth £14million, O'Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars. His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded 'snooker's greatest feud'. And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous 'Snotgate' row.


South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Ronnie O'Sullivan sets sights on Chinese 8-ball pool as he opens snooker club in Hong Kong
Ronnie O'Sullivan has returned to Hong Kong to attend the opening of a snooker club he co-funded in the city, in his first such move since being granted residency under a migrant scheme. And the seven-time world champion suggested at Wednesday's ceremony that when he retires from snooker, he could set his sights on becoming the best in Chinese eight-ball pool. Speaking at the JJ8 Club in Kwun Tong, O'Sullivan said that he was looking forward to returning to the city as part of his tournament preparation in the future. The Chinese eight-ball pool and snooker club occupies 13,000 square feet and has professional tables, party rooms, leisure facilities and O'Sullivan's private practice room. 'Chinese eight-ball is very, very popular now in China,' O'Sullivan said. Ronnie O'Sullivan wants to become Chinese eight-ball world champion when he retires. Photo: Jonathan Wong 'Many players play in big tournaments in China, and for someone like me, when I finish playing snooker, then I will play Chinese eight-ball.