Miss the Miss Rule?

You can be sure that there is one rule in snooker that will divide opinion, and that is the miss-rule or the various interpretations of it. Sadly in my opinion this rule is ruining the game I love.

There was some healthy discussions on the rule when I took the opportunity to express my opinion on the current miss rule to the various referees of all nationalities at our European event this week.This is how I see it.


The Referees viewpoint

"We only enforce the rule, the player can choose to accept the miss or not" was one of the views expressed by a very senior tournament referee. All well and good, however I have witnessed players lay a good snooker, then sit back and wait for the points to role in, irrespective of (a) how close the opponent came to getting out of the snooker or (b) being left a simple pot but refusing to take the shot as he full well knows (c) the points will continue to accrue while the referee enforces the rule. Laughable.

The Players viewpoint (AKA my viewpoint, I can't speak for other players)

In the scenario above, following a foul stroke and the obligatory 'miss' call, I have witnessed players turn down laughably easy shots and with that frame winning opportunities, just to have the ball replaced so their opponent can 'gift' them another four easy points, one step closer to getting over the winning line.

Two points on this. Who decides whats an easy shot? In my opinion, the referee needs to make that call. We are all international players, with a better than average degree of skill around the green stuff, and I for one would appreciate some input from my match referee on this other than "it's up to the player"....no, its up to the referee, take the decision making ability from the player by not calling a 'miss' in the first instance.

Lets give our hard working referees more authority other than..."I just enforce the rules" and allow them, no encourage them, to take a more proactive role in our game.

Think on this. I know for a fact if my opponent tried and failed to get out of one of my fiendishly difficult snookers, and left me an easy chance to mop up the frame, I wouldn't for one moment question the referees opinion that I've been left an easy chance....

"Sorry Ref, I'm only here as I'm the best my country has to offer, and that easy red hanging over the middle pocket I've been left? Don't think I can make it, replace the balls please, its a miss".

Second point, same scenario. I'm for one not traveling thousands of miles around Europe to deliberately try to deceive or con my opponent or the referee by playing a deliberate miss. I'm playing the game for the love of it, and unlike the professional game there is not thousands of pounds riding on the outcome of one frame of snooker.

It galls me that currently, in any frame I play, utilizing the skills (or not) developed and honed over years of practice, I can build and develop a healthy frame winning lead only to see this decimate 4 points at a time because (a) the referee is 'enforcing the rules' (b) my opponent just wants to use the opportunity he has been given to accrue as many easy points as possible or (c) its somehow implied that I am deliberately giving away my hard fought lead, I've just missed my last attempt and left a ball hanging over the middle bag for $%& sake.

Don't get me wrong folks. There is a need for the miss rule in our current game. However we need to differentiate between the pro and amateur games and the level we are currently playing at, and not loose sight of why the rule was called for in the first place.

I for one don't want this rule ruin the sport I love. What do you think?

PS...In my blog post yesterday I praised our Belarus referee Tatiana. And rightly so, here's why.

I did leave Frank (my opponent) one of my fiendishly difficult snookers, which he attempted once to get out of, and failed.
"No Miss..." well done Tatiana, again.
Another referee and it could have been a very very long night.

Tournament exit

My tournament ended on Tuesday afternoon after a tough match against fellow 'leftie' Frank Sarsfield from Ireland, the first time I have played him. The match, and my tournament ended with a 4-2 defeat in the last 16. Ces't la vie.

Another first for me was having this match refereed by Tatiana Kuziomkina, a very experienced and polished referee from Belarus. One of the special things about this tournament is knowing that whoever you play, the games will be played in a fair and friendly manner, and the officiating has been top notch. Well done Tatiana.

Left Hand XRay

Following the game with Frank I decided to seek some advice from tournament organizer Sergey about my left hand, which hasn't been right all week following an incident in my hotel room. He kindly arranged for Helen from the Olympic Sport Centre (our venue) to take me to the hospital in Daugavpils where an x-ray confirmed a fracture and a dislocation to some fingers. Nice.

The strange thing is there has been very little pain all week, and apart from some swelling, and I was able to continue my tournament. So it was a shock when Helen interpreted the doctors advice that I need an operation straight away and then would be in a plaster cast for 5 weeks. The hospital also provided me with the x-ray as a souvenir.

Yvan Van Velthoven - Belgium

Back to the tournament and the Masters division threw up a few surprises last night. First was the elimination of Enland's Phil Mumford, who lost to talented Belgian Yvan Van Velthoven 4-3 who then proceeded to knock out 2008 winner Alan Trigg by 5 frames to 3.

Very well done Yvan, it demonstrates that European Snooker is in good hands.

Into the last 16

Today all of the masters players took to the tables for the start of the knockouts, with a place in the last 16 at stake.

My opponent Kevin McMahon from Ireland is a quality player and was making his debut at the event this year. Despite losing the first frame, I slogged out a 3-1 victory, and really enjoyed the match. Although I have an injured left hand, for the first time today I began to see the angles better and was happy with my long game. It's now into the last 16 tomorrow, where I play another Irish Player, Frank Sarsfield over the best of 7 frames.

Verses Kevin McMahon (Ireland) at European Snooker Championships 2012

As with all of the Irish players, Kevin has a very sound game overall and doesn't look out of place playing in a major European event, I am positive it won't be his last.

In the hotel lobby last night I had the pleasure to discuss some of the finer points of our game with top referee Dmitry Savenkov from Ukraine, who refereed my final group game. Dmitry has a clear love of snooker, and has a very commanding presence at the table, which all referees need.

Amongst other topics, we discussed the miss-rule or the interpretation of the rule deployed by some (not all) referees. Such was the debate I have decided to create a new blog post on the miss-rule, outlining my own personal thoughts. Watch this space.

Final Group Standings

Sunday 10th June, early start for the final group matches in the Masters section. A really tough match against the unforgiving Israeli player Yakov Shaashua who beat me comfortably 3-1 to take second spot in the round robin stage. 

I finished in 3rd place which gives me a tough the draw in the last 32 being played tomorrow. Unfortunately only four players went through to to group, and it was Marc Choullier from France and local player Vilnus Mainulis from Latvia who failed to make the knockouts.

Daugavpils really came alive last night, with the festivities getting into full swing. Having had a quick walk around on my way back from the venue, it appears tonight is gearing up for something similar, even though the Irish boys and I are on the lookout for a suitable venue to cheer on the boys in green in 'the other' European Championships...

Festivities begin in Daugavpils

Match 4 in the group stage of the Masters event provided the second win of the championship, and boy did I need it. It now sets up an intriguing final group match Sunday 10th June, which is a very special day on its own...Happy Birthday Honey :)

On my return from the Olympic Sports Centre I was pleased to find the promised festivities in fully swing. Almost every corner of the city has some form of stall, stage or attraction with thousands of local people all making the most of the opportunity and good weather.

Another Beautiful Day

The sun is really shining today as I prepare for my fourth group game of the tournament. Although I have had no snooker for the last two days, I am really kicking myself for not taking the opportunity to further explore this great city. 

 Much of Wednesday evening was spent in the company of fellow snooker players  Darrren Paris (Switzerland), Frank Sarsfield and Kevin McMahon (Ireland) and Darren Morgan (Wales) as we dissected our game and the week in general, good craic. I also had a brief chat with 'Team Holland' at the hotel patio, great bunch of people.

Enjoying refreshments at Hotel Latgola

I was feeling particular tired after having to play two matches on Wednesday, first against Latvia's best mens player Vilnis Laiilus and then Phil Mumford from England, two very tough matches and I was disappointed to loose both by the narrowest of margins, both 3-2 defeats. It now means I really need to win my remaining two matches.

Back to Daugavpils and from my bedroom window you can see in the distance our venue, The Olympic Sport Centre to the left in the distance, while St Peters Church faces the back of the hotel. Over the the far right from that, in the distance again you can just make out another Church of sorts, with the gold shimmering in the morning sun. My next excursion, get the snooker finished first though.

Let the competition commence

So the competition began today in earnest at 10:00am with eager cueists keen to get off the mark with a victory, referees hoping there would be some quick matches and the organisers just hoping for a trouble free day.  

 As my own match wasn't scheduled until 16:00 I had the opportunity to explore again a little of what Daugavpils has to offer. Before that however I took the opportunity for a swim at the Olympic Village, a special rate of L2.80 for players, and very enjoyable it was. If you are tempted gents, what I would say is leave the 'Budgie Smugglers' at home...not a good look before lunch.

For lunch today I stumbled across 'HessBurger' which seems to be a popular and very affordable fast food joint, judging by the queues at 2pm. To find it, simply walk past St Peters Church (behind Hotel Latgola) its on the end of Rigas Iela. The staff also speak very good English which is a bonus, ideal if you are looking for a quick meal on the go.

L-R Marc Chouillier, Me, Johann Hansson

Back to the snooker and I came through with a 3-1 victory, my opponent Marc Chouillier from France a very noble and gracious competitor, with a very solid cue action to boot which will take him a long way.

In the hotel lobby last evening I met my good friend Veikko Hannula or 'Victor' from Finland, top notch referee and great craic to boot. It reminded me that the team of referees from EBSA give up a lot of their time to participate in these events, and clearly get as much enjoyment from their participation as the players do. Respect.

Official Opening - Go Daugavpils

This evening all of the players, referees and volunteers attended the opening ceremony of the 2012 European Snooker Championship, also attended by dignitaries from Daugavpils in the impressive Olympic Sports Centre.

Olympic Sports Centre, Daugavpils

It was great to once again meet up with friends of old, and make new acquaintances. Speeches were well received by all present, and the EBSA Chairman Jim Leacy pointed out during his contribution that in a way he had brought Snooker into the Olympics, and there is no doubt about it, this venue is fitting for an Olympian event.

Slightly embarrassed with the role call when it came to Northern Ireland, it's unfortunate that there is only one competitor from our wee country this year to fly the flag for Northern Ireland, but that's the way it is.
Speaking of which Simon...where is my Northern Ireland Flag? Only jesting buddy. Really though?

So this year it's just me on my own. It would have been good to see my old sparing partner John McIntyre make an appearance, but it wasn't to be....that didn't stop us regaling stories of past events (John you have been missed, so many people asking about you) but that is for another time.

I'm really impressed with the venue this year, no expense has been spared by the organizers and everything looks ship shape for the start proper tomorrow (Tuesday) I can't wait...my tournament rota looks like this:

• Tue 5th: verses Marc Chouillier (France) Table 9 @ 16:00
  Wed 6th: verses Phil Mumford (England) Table 16 @ 16:00
• Fri 8th: verses Vilnis Mainulis (Latvia) Table 6 @ 10:00
  Sat 9th: verses Mindaugas Maisiejus (Lithuania) Table 9 @ 13:00
• Sun 10th: verses Yakov Shaashua (Israel) Table 16 @ 10:00

Referee Training - Through the paces

 A few early starts, but thankfully no 19:00 matches which I don't particularly like as it eats into most of your day and subsequently there is less time to explore this wonderful city.

Its been a great day. The only negative was missing the 5/1 odds offered by renowned snooker coach PJ Nolan that the tournament would start proper with a 'miss-cue'...which it did. 
Kicking myself for that slip up, coaches really do no best.

A Long Journey

My 2012 European Event began in earnest with a two hour drive along the M1 Motorway towards Dublin, in time to catch the 17.20pm Ryan Air flight to Riga. Only after I had said a tearful 'see you soon' to Joanne, Megan, Kiefer and Theresa who I am going to miss terribly while I am away, even if there is Skype.

The Approach to Riga - Sunset

The flight itself was very enjoyable, arriving in Riga in very good time. From there we had a brief wait at the Airport before catching the bus that would take us to the Latgola Hotel in Daugavpils, a long and often bumpy 4 hour drive.
Tired and exhausted,we checked in at around 3.30am, just in time to get a few hours sleep, boy did I need it.

The Search for Flags

Some of the players received an email from Maxime this week, advising that the organizers had difficulty obtaining some flags for the venue, Northern Ireland being one of them.

Now you would think coming towards the 12th of July or 'The Twelfth' here in Northern Ireland you would be in a position to obtain said flag anywhere. Not so. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty attached to the lamposts in certain areas, but I for one wasn't reaching for the ladder.
A quick call to the local council who advised they couldn't be seen to supply flags, an email to a local radio station (no reply) a tweet on twitter (thanks for the offer Jason) and another phone call to a local flag shop in Belfast who seemed to be closed constantly. It appeared that this was going to be difficult. A request was even made to the local DUP office, again no success (thanks for the help anyway Johnny).

Northern Ireland Flag (and some well known Golfers)

Anyway, I was in Dublin on Friday evening to pick up my passport, which is another long story, more of that later. Before making the long journey from Cookstown to Dublin I decided to source some flag suppliers 'down south' and was fortunate to come across O'Regan Flags in busy Pearse Street, Dublin.

The owner, a lovely man welcomed me at the door to what looks like a private residence, before beginning the search for a solitary Northern Ireland flag, advising that he hasn't received many requests of late due to the National team 'not doing very well'...which I thought was funny.

A few frantic searches in what is obviously a busy shop saw the proprietor present the needed flag, with relief. So one Northern Ireland flag to take to Latvia with me for the tournament organizers, even if I had to travel to Dublin to purchase it.

European Snooker - Group Stages

Just checked the EBSA website this evening and it appears the round robin groups have been decided and the draw made. Group F reads as follows:

• Phil Mumford (England)
• Marc Choullier (France)
• Yakov Shaashua (Israel)
• Mindaugas Maisiejus (Lithuania)
• Vilnus Mainulis (Latvia)
• Michael McDonald (Northern Ireland)

A very interesting group and an opportunity to again cross cues with Yakov Shaashua from Israel, having been beaten 3-2 by him in last years group stage despite taking a 2-0 lead then. As his compatriot Doran advised at the time, remember the story of the tortoise and the hare!

This years event promises to be as competitive as ever. A quick review of the Snooker Breaks in last years event shows that the player who consistently scores with 50+ breaks will be a hard man to catch. The eventual winner Steve Judd (England) managed a total of 9 breaks over 50 on his way to the title,with beaten finalist Alan Trigg (Ukraine) hitting an impressive 11 breaks over 50 points each. Nice snooker.

As far as my own game goes, I managed to get in some practice time today, an enjoyable couple of hours at the Pot Black Snooker Club, in Cookstown. The Pot Black is the longest established Snooker Club in Cookstown and it was good to catch up with Ivan, who hasn't aged a day. The practice went well, I will be using my late Uncle Harry's snooker cue at the event this year, so it was good to get some time on the baize with it.

The only other piece of business to complete before the flight on Sunday evening is the drive to Dublin, to pick up my new passport. Odds are that the old one will turn up before then.

Hello Latvia! It's that time again, The European Snooker Championships of 2012 have come around so quickly. 

It's difficult to believe just under 12 months ago we were in Sofia, Bulgaria for the 2011 EBSA tournament. If this one is half  as successful then we all should be in for a very good tournament.

I'm in a very fortunate position to be again representing Northern Ireland at a major European event, one that I enjoy tremendously both for the competition and the camaraderie, although it will probably be my last, as family, work and severe lack of playing time are taking their toll. I will surely take this opportunity to savor the event for a final time.

So once my participation was confirmed by NIBSA Chairman Joe McGonnell and Secretary Brian Richmond it was a case of getting the Atlas off the shelf, book flights and start practicing (well, think about practicing, can never get around to it!)

This year Tournament is held in Daugavpils, Latvia at the grandly titled Olympic Sport Centre which reminds me a bit of the Ice Hockey stadium we competed at in the 2008 Championships in Poland. Time to start doing some 'research'.