The Wizard`s thoughts after comeback and Hearn`s new way

Higgins and Hearn at the press conference

Many of you hate him, many of you love him, but no matter what your feelings are towards John Higgins, no-one can deny the fact that he is a precious player for snooker and a terrific one, by all means! No, what he did, or didn’t do won’t be forgotten so easily...hell! maybe never, but from here to totally seeing him as someone who doesn’t mean anything for snooker... well, that’s just insane in my opinion.


After a six-months ban he made a wonderful comeback to win the EPTC 5 event in Germany and enter the final of the last EPTC event, a few day ago, in Prague. With one trophy under his belt, a runner-up "title" and a lot of practice, Higgins looks forward to the UK Championship.
In an interview given to the BBC, the ex-number one admits he is delighted to have won the first competition he played in and pretty disappointed to lose in the second one. But regardless of what happened he is happy to be back on track and to have been received good by the fans and his colleagues.


With the same easy face to read, Higgins told the reporter he feels nervous about the UK Championship, for he doesn’t know how he will be received by the fans considering that this type of events have a huge audience. Still, after all he has been through he is more determined then ever to fight back and regain his position.

The Wizard is looking forward to the UK Champ

"Before all this happened, I was No.1 in the world...I suppose you don’t lose that over night.", said the "Wizard of Wishaw".


Very conscious about his "condition", John said that the last six months have been the hardest period of his life and that there were times when the thought he might be taken away from snooker crossed his mind.
"It's something I'll have to live with the rest of my life - nobody needs to tell me. I hope the dark days are over, I just want to concentrate on moving forward."


You can check the whole interview here.


Along with John’s comeback, the chairman of World Snooker Ldt., Barry Hearn wanted to make clear a few things, one of them being the fact that he will take drastic measures against players who don’t respect the game of snooker.
After trying to inoculate the fact that him personally, as well as the company that he represents welcome “with open arms” John Higgins back in the race, Hearn reminded the media and the public that John had been trialed by an independent tribunal, he was banned and fined so this matter is "completely and utterly closed".
"No-one wants to go through what John went through and what snooker went through, but I feel there is a huge amount of benefit that has come out of this for the sport. I feel we have been awakened to the type of people who are out there and can cause problems."


But one of the most interesting an important matters that this Jean Luc Picard of snooker talked about, were the penalties that we will most definitely make a reality off for the players that don’t take snooker too seriously. He stated that this pattern of entering a competition and then not showing up for it will not be permitted anymore. Coming late for a match or having a bad temper around the snooker table won’t be allowed anymore.

Hearn has a new way of "making" snooker

"I'm going to do it with a balance of education and penalties, and my penalties will be draconian because I don't like to take prisoners. If I'm going to give as much time and commitment as I am to the increase in tournaments and prize money, I have to expect a similar return from my top players - and some of them are not delivering.", said Hearn.

A beautifully and energizing article about "Hearn’s way" had been written by Dave Hendon on his blog, so please be sure you take a look at it by clicking here.
Who ever thought that the snooker revolution meant only that there will be bigger prize money, more tournaments and better conditions for the players was totally wrong. A revolution means that some of the bad characters of snooker will have to be disciplined too and that’s what Barry intends to do. I totally agree with him, as common sense has to be the key ingredient of this sport.
With a bad attitude towards snooker, with no consideration whatsoever for what happens when you enter the arena, a snooker player won’t do justice to this sport. "The gentlemen` sport" needs a breath of fresh air and needs an army of full committed players who won’t "stab" the sport that made them who they are. Snooker can’t survive without its players, but its players can’t survive without snooker either.


So....you go Barry Hearn!!! :-))
And here`s a little song to go with this article, with the mention that NO "the end is NOT near" (as the song says), but "we`ve just begun". ;-)