If you asked the average person to name some cue sports, the likelihood is that snooker and pool would both get a mention ahead of billiards.
That isn’t a slight on billiards, but a simple fact that both pool and snooker are more accessible in terms of TV coverage, with betting sites offering fans the possibility to place bets on their favourite players. Unfortunately that has never really been the case with billiards, but could those running the game take a lead from pool to give the sport wider recognition?
This May will see former professional footballer Troy Deeney feature in the UK Open Pool Championship as a wildcard, in front of the Sky Sports cameras. He might not have a cat in hell’s chance of progressing deep into the tournament, but his mere presence has undoubtedly captured the imagination of many, with The Sun, The Independent, Sky Sports, and even the BBC amongst those reporting on his participation, and raising the sport’s profile in the process.
So should billiards follow suit? Well, purists might prefer it if their game is left exactly the way it is, but surely the sport would benefit from having TV money available to support the future of billiards.
And who could billiards target? This may be a stretch of the imagination, but an increasing number of snooker’s biggest names are seemingly falling out of love with the game, with at least three former world champions hinting that their futures may lie away from the game.
In the aftermath of a recent defeat, John Higgins spoke about trying to “get some good practice and go there and give it a final go, maybe.”
When asked about his future after suffering a first round defeat at this year’s Snooker World Championship, Mark Williams said, “Who knows what will happen? I cannot keep coming to this venue. I am 50 next year. I look around and I have loved every minute of it. If I will be back next year, I don’t know. Who knows? You cannot keep going on forever.”
Mark Selby is another to have cast doubts over whether he’ll continue playing after an early exit from the Crucible, stating, “”You may see me next year, you may not.”
Whilst each of their circumstances are different, could a new challenge be what at least one of them needs, without the expectation and weight on their shoulders of having to reach former glories? A complete career switch may be unlikely, but one-off appearances would give the trio a new focus. Sky and TNT would inevitably jump at the chance to see how they get on, giving billiards the chance to finally benefit from the unprecedented coverage and money that would follow.
It may seem a long shot, but following the lead of pool and Troy Deeney should at least be a topic of discussion from the high ups in the billiards world.
