World Snooker Championship star ‘can’t stand’ watching it and admits he’d rather be in the pub
A SNOOKER star has told Stephen Hendry that he “can’t stand” watching anyone else play and that he would rather be in the pub.
The 40-year-old Tom Ford has been a firm fixture on the World Snooker Tour for the past two decades.
But last week the Englishman finally ended his wait to win a World Championship match at the Crucible.
The No.14 ranked bowed out of the tournament after a 13-7 defeat to Judd Trump on Saturday.
He is currently ranked higher than at any other point in his career but it seems unlikely that he will be tuning in to see if Ronnie O’Sullivan can claim a record eighth title.
Ford appeared on the legendary Hendry’s Cue Tips YouTube channel where he answered a number of questions from the joint-record seven-time world champ.
And when the Scot asked him if he thought snooker was a good sport to watch, he replied: “I strongly disagree, because I just can’t stand watching the game.
“I hate watching the game. If I get beat, you’ll find me in the pub. Even as a kid, I just never enjoyed watching the game.
“I don’t know if it was Willie Thorne and Cliff Thorburn who put me off when I first came here, but I’ve never been one for watching the game.
“Even when a couple of friends have been playing, I might watch the last ten or 15 minutes of it.”
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Ford added: “It’s horrible to say, but I find the game boring.
“I can’t sit there and watch a full game, because I’m thinking I just want to put the football on. Just get me away from it all.”
Luca Brecel has been outspoken in the past about ditching tradition and players being allowed to get rid of bow ties and waistcoats.
Hendry, 55, is vehemently against that – but Ford also disagreed with the icon on that.
He added: “To be honest, I don’t enjoy the way it looks but it also hampers how well I’m able to play.
“I don’t feel relaxed enough, I feel a bit uptight – the suit is very tight and things like that.
“So I think my standard goes up when I’m not wearing it in other events. It doesn’t appeal to me.
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“I’m someone who has always been of the mindset that I want to get fans more involved.
“So if you’re able to wear a shirt supporting your favourite player, rather than just one individual as a sport, if you’re able to wear like Trump, O’Sullivan, Hendry, I feel that would bring the game more up to scratch.
“I can certainly see your point of view as well. When you were at your prime, it was the whole identity of snooker.
“I don’t mind if the waistcoats and that stay for this one competition – the World Championship has always been special – but I would like to see a bit more of it away from other events.”
