Crucible History Created
By
David John Stevenson
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Cliff Thorburn’s epic 147 at the Crucible theatre. Since then there have been seven maximums made at the world snooker championships but one man has become Sheffield’s maximum king.
Steve Davis may have dominated the event in the 1980s and Stephen Hendry in the 1990s but it is the 2001-2004 World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan who has dominated the stage with the magic of the maximums.
In 1997 as a raw talent against Mick Price he compiled the first of his maximum hat trick at the theatre of dreams. To this day it is the fastest recorded televised 147 compiled in 5 minutes 30 seconds.
Then in 2003 in his first round match against Marco Fu he made the second of his triplets, the surprise was that he walked away with £157,000 for the highest break and a maximum but he was knocked out by Fu in the last 32.
Now in 2008 he did it again this time in the last 16 against former World Champion Mark Williams in the frame to give him the match.
Also by adding this new jewel to his maximum crown it brought the ninth game of perfection to his professional career surpassing seven time world champion Stephen Hendry who is now second in the list with a respective 8.
As well as this he pocketed £157,000, but created history again by being the first man to make three maximums in a season. The first being against Ali Carter in the Welsh Open, the deciding frame against Mark Selby in the Semi-Finals of the UK Championship and finally topped off with his maximum glory against Williams at the world championship.
In his post match interview O’Sullivan played the praise down saying: “It’s a great feeling and I’m very happy but to get one at Sheffield is fantastic.”
One other historical moment O’Sullivan has put in the record books is that he is the first man in ranking tournaments to knock in the magic number twice in a season to clinch the match winning frame. The first time was against Mark Selby to win 9-8 to reach the UK Final which he won but also at the Crucible to defeat Mark Williams 13-7.
Also this year Cliff Thorburn has come across from his native Canada to Sheffield to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of his maiden 147 at the crucible. It seems rather fitting that twenty five years on that the magic 147 has come around yet again.
Maximums at the Crucible
Cliff Thorburn (1983)
Jimmy White ( 1992)
Stephen Hendry ( 1995)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (1997)
Ronnie O’ Sullivan (2003)
Mark Williams (2005)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2008)
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Restaurant Guide
Restaurant Guide
Studying in Sheffield? Not much money? David Stevenson discovered you can still eat well and not break the bank.
Here is just a small taster of what you can find. Let’s start at the heart of the student community Ecclesall Road, which runs parallel to Collegiate Crescent campus. You will find numerous bars, restaurants, delis, cafes and takeaways within a short walking distance. This is my guide to some of the best places where you can have a wide variety of choice without breaking your budget.
Italian
Firstly Nonnas is a high quality authentic Italian restaurant situated on the left hand side of Ecclesall Road. The restaurant is pricey and rarely has student offers but it is still one of the best places to eat authentic fine Italian cuisine in Sheffield.This month they have extended a special offer for April. Between Sunday and Friday you can eat freshly cooked pasta for £5 in between 5-7pm. This will give you time to digest your meal before an evening of debauchery or at least fill you up with your daily dose of carbohydrates.
Also to accompany this offer their bar is offering 'buy one get one free' on cocktails and large glasses of house wine.Although, Nonnas isn’t the cheapest restaurant to visit its high quality food, clean and has a vibrant environment, making it a meal to remember.
Indian
If spicy Indian cuisine is more your style there is a little diamond in the rough. Ashokas is a small restaurant at the city centre end of Ecclesall Road. The average price of a meal including drinks is just £12. It is an offer few students can resist.
Even better, when you spend over £10 you get10% discount. Added to the good quality food, this deal allows students to have a good night out as well as a great meal in one of Britain’s top 50 ranked Indian restaurants.
Spanish
If your pallet is craving something European then why not try the Spanish restaurant La Tasca near the city end of Eccy Road. At first this rustic restaurant creates the atmosphere of being in a small Spanish tapas bar where you can sit, relax lay back and perhaps take a siesta. The food is tremendous and well within the student budget.If you feel peckish after your morning lecture the restaurant currently has an offer students can’t refuse.
At lunchtime they serve three tapas for £6.95. This will give you all the energy you need for the rest of a hard day in the lecture room and will get your taste buds sizzling. La Vina also offer students a 20% discount providing you have a valid NUS card.
French
One other alternative is the French café/restaurant directly across the road from Collegiate Crescent, Café Rouge. Again it offers little in way of offers to students, but if you get a First and want to treat yourself there is nothing better than a taste of a French delicacy. A favourite treat for me is their traditional crème brûlée, definitely a recommended and must try if you visit the cafe.
More restaurant reviews and suggestions next month.
Studying in Sheffield? Not much money? David Stevenson discovered you can still eat well and not break the bank.
Here is just a small taster of what you can find. Let’s start at the heart of the student community Ecclesall Road, which runs parallel to Collegiate Crescent campus. You will find numerous bars, restaurants, delis, cafes and takeaways within a short walking distance. This is my guide to some of the best places where you can have a wide variety of choice without breaking your budget.
Italian
Firstly Nonnas is a high quality authentic Italian restaurant situated on the left hand side of Ecclesall Road. The restaurant is pricey and rarely has student offers but it is still one of the best places to eat authentic fine Italian cuisine in Sheffield.This month they have extended a special offer for April. Between Sunday and Friday you can eat freshly cooked pasta for £5 in between 5-7pm. This will give you time to digest your meal before an evening of debauchery or at least fill you up with your daily dose of carbohydrates.
Also to accompany this offer their bar is offering 'buy one get one free' on cocktails and large glasses of house wine.Although, Nonnas isn’t the cheapest restaurant to visit its high quality food, clean and has a vibrant environment, making it a meal to remember.
Indian
If spicy Indian cuisine is more your style there is a little diamond in the rough. Ashokas is a small restaurant at the city centre end of Ecclesall Road. The average price of a meal including drinks is just £12. It is an offer few students can resist.
Even better, when you spend over £10 you get10% discount. Added to the good quality food, this deal allows students to have a good night out as well as a great meal in one of Britain’s top 50 ranked Indian restaurants.
Spanish
If your pallet is craving something European then why not try the Spanish restaurant La Tasca near the city end of Eccy Road. At first this rustic restaurant creates the atmosphere of being in a small Spanish tapas bar where you can sit, relax lay back and perhaps take a siesta. The food is tremendous and well within the student budget.If you feel peckish after your morning lecture the restaurant currently has an offer students can’t refuse.
At lunchtime they serve three tapas for £6.95. This will give you all the energy you need for the rest of a hard day in the lecture room and will get your taste buds sizzling. La Vina also offer students a 20% discount providing you have a valid NUS card.
French
One other alternative is the French café/restaurant directly across the road from Collegiate Crescent, Café Rouge. Again it offers little in way of offers to students, but if you get a First and want to treat yourself there is nothing better than a taste of a French delicacy. A favourite treat for me is their traditional crème brûlée, definitely a recommended and must try if you visit the cafe.
More restaurant reviews and suggestions next month.
O’Sullivan Maximum marches him into the quarter finals
Ronnie O’Sullivan maximised his way into the last eight of the 888.com World Snooker championship with a 13-7 win over former world champion Mark Williams.
The afternoon session at the crucible had started with O’Sullivan leading 9-7 over night. However the fight back that was anticipated did not occur but that was mainly down to O’Sullivans magic on the baize.
In the first frame of the afternoon he notched up 71, followed by 60 in the next and then a century to lead 12-7. Then one long straight red to corner. Followed by the remaining 14 reds and 15 blacks with all the colours and O’Sullivan was £157,000 richer. The maximum marked O’Sullivans hat trick of 147’s at the World Championships and nine maximums in his career - one more than Stephen Hendry.
After the match O’Sullivan said: “It felt great, especially to get one at Sheffield it’s fantastic. Also it’s great to break one of Stephens (Hendry) records”
He did admit that after knocking the first red in he was going for the maximum saying “Sometimes you have to make things happen, I’d made my mind up” But when questioned about how he would spend his new earnings he replied: “I don’t know I don’t spend that much, I might think about it when I’m running.”
Although after making the 147, 888sport.com made O’Sullivan the bookies favourite to take the 2008 title cutting his odds to win the championship down to 6/4 ahead of Stephen Maguire who was the tournament favourite on Sunday Afternoon.
It does seem that the Rockets mindset may make him a good bet for his third world title, especially with him saying: “I just enjoy playing the game and my heart is massively in it.”
He also said: “Where ever I go around the world I get great support and I try to give them value for money, but it means everything to make another 147 at the crucible.
After the match Williams said: “If he plays like the last four frames for the rest of the tournament he will be difficult to beat.” Although he added “I lost about five frames on the black and Ronnie had struggled but there is only Ronnie who could make the 147 look that easy.”
The Rocket is now due to play Liang Wenbo the new Chinese star who on his first visit to the theatre of dreams has taken the scalps of the 1997 world champion Ken Doherty and Belfast's Joe Swail to reach the quarter finals.
By
David John Stevenson
The afternoon session at the crucible had started with O’Sullivan leading 9-7 over night. However the fight back that was anticipated did not occur but that was mainly down to O’Sullivans magic on the baize.
In the first frame of the afternoon he notched up 71, followed by 60 in the next and then a century to lead 12-7. Then one long straight red to corner. Followed by the remaining 14 reds and 15 blacks with all the colours and O’Sullivan was £157,000 richer. The maximum marked O’Sullivans hat trick of 147’s at the World Championships and nine maximums in his career - one more than Stephen Hendry.
After the match O’Sullivan said: “It felt great, especially to get one at Sheffield it’s fantastic. Also it’s great to break one of Stephens (Hendry) records”
He did admit that after knocking the first red in he was going for the maximum saying “Sometimes you have to make things happen, I’d made my mind up” But when questioned about how he would spend his new earnings he replied: “I don’t know I don’t spend that much, I might think about it when I’m running.”
Although after making the 147, 888sport.com made O’Sullivan the bookies favourite to take the 2008 title cutting his odds to win the championship down to 6/4 ahead of Stephen Maguire who was the tournament favourite on Sunday Afternoon.
It does seem that the Rockets mindset may make him a good bet for his third world title, especially with him saying: “I just enjoy playing the game and my heart is massively in it.”
He also said: “Where ever I go around the world I get great support and I try to give them value for money, but it means everything to make another 147 at the crucible.
After the match Williams said: “If he plays like the last four frames for the rest of the tournament he will be difficult to beat.” Although he added “I lost about five frames on the black and Ronnie had struggled but there is only Ronnie who could make the 147 look that easy.”
The Rocket is now due to play Liang Wenbo the new Chinese star who on his first visit to the theatre of dreams has taken the scalps of the 1997 world champion Ken Doherty and Belfast's Joe Swail to reach the quarter finals.
By
David John Stevenson
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Snooker Stars at Sheffield Station
As Sheffield prepares to host the 2008 World snooker championships former world champions John Parrott and Shaun Murphy were on hand at Sheffield station handing out top tips and coaching sessions.
John Parrott the 1991 champion and Shaun Murphy the last Embassy champion in 2005 were on hand at Sheffield train station on Tuesday April 5th, to give commuters and passers by tips to improve their game and entertain the public before the championship starts.
The coaching session which took place from 9am-11am was a chance for the BBC to record footage which will be used in between matches at the crucible and before play starts. But the event didn't finish in the morning.
On hand in the afternoon from 4pm was crucible hot shot Mark Selby, playing members of the public in the crowded station. Also John Parrott had stayed round from the morning and was still coaching under the expert eye of the BBC camera crew.
After a few quick tips and a frame with Selby his first opponent Christopher Lucas, 18 a first year accounts student at Sheffield Hallam University said:' I live in Beighton and play at club baize alot, so the advice Mark and John gave me about playing off the side rails is very useful.'
He demonstrated the useful tip by potting a long red from off the top cushion into the opposite corner twelve feet away, although he added 'I still hit it too hard and was a little lucky but I will practice what Mark has told me'.
After this Selby played more passers by and also showed Joanna Ragsdell, 16 a student from Derby who had been shopping in Sheffield, how to line up and pot a snooker ball.
After she had managed this task with a black off the spot she said:' I think I'll scream if I see myself on the BBC during the world championships I didn't realise that's what the cameras were here for.'
So far this season Selby is the only man to have won two events back to back and has become a hot pick out of the 32 man field this year.
All his success this year has stemmed from his run to the World final last season where he lost 18-13 to John Higgins, but since then he has captured the Masters and Welsh Open.
The World Snooker Championships are Sheffield bound from April 19th to May 5th and full coverage is available on BBCi and British Eurosport.
John Parrott the 1991 champion and Shaun Murphy the last Embassy champion in 2005 were on hand at Sheffield train station on Tuesday April 5th, to give commuters and passers by tips to improve their game and entertain the public before the championship starts.
The coaching session which took place from 9am-11am was a chance for the BBC to record footage which will be used in between matches at the crucible and before play starts. But the event didn't finish in the morning.
On hand in the afternoon from 4pm was crucible hot shot Mark Selby, playing members of the public in the crowded station. Also John Parrott had stayed round from the morning and was still coaching under the expert eye of the BBC camera crew.
After a few quick tips and a frame with Selby his first opponent Christopher Lucas, 18 a first year accounts student at Sheffield Hallam University said:' I live in Beighton and play at club baize alot, so the advice Mark and John gave me about playing off the side rails is very useful.'
He demonstrated the useful tip by potting a long red from off the top cushion into the opposite corner twelve feet away, although he added 'I still hit it too hard and was a little lucky but I will practice what Mark has told me'.
After this Selby played more passers by and also showed Joanna Ragsdell, 16 a student from Derby who had been shopping in Sheffield, how to line up and pot a snooker ball.
After she had managed this task with a black off the spot she said:' I think I'll scream if I see myself on the BBC during the world championships I didn't realise that's what the cameras were here for.'
So far this season Selby is the only man to have won two events back to back and has become a hot pick out of the 32 man field this year.
All his success this year has stemmed from his run to the World final last season where he lost 18-13 to John Higgins, but since then he has captured the Masters and Welsh Open.
The World Snooker Championships are Sheffield bound from April 19th to May 5th and full coverage is available on BBCi and British Eurosport.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)