KEN DOHERTY has retired from professional snooker – but no doubt will still be promoting the game long after he packs up the cue for good properly.

However, what has drawn so many to the game over the years, has been the role models like KEN DOHERTY, who I remember watching in 97 win the World Championships. Some of the greats are still there, but, the game at the moment feels like it is slowly losing the best role models and the not just the “best players”. I for one have been a fan of Doherty since the year dot. I know there are lots of players that people enjoy watching, but, Doherty has been an inspiration to the game and still is, but it will be sad to see another player retire from the Tour and another one of the greats going.

The game is in transition I guess. But it is important that the game does keep the role models of some of the older players – who can keep the game in check. I for one believe there is a balance between the good old days and also moving forward into new times with new ways of promoting the game and also ensuring the game doesn’t descend into the farce of premiership football where money is the only focus of it. I turned off from watching football years ago due to exactly that. Not because I am not into football, because I cannot stand the obsession that comes with money and the outlandish wages that players are earning.

However, snooker’s big problem (at the moment) and I still say it, isn’t money in the PRO GAME – the big problem has always been in promoting better grassroots snooker – the WPBSA might have a load of coaches, but I rather doubt there’s a load of players ganging up to play – I know this – because I have played the game for years, and I know clubs are thin on the ground (especially in Surrey) – and improving and introducing the game on a wider level. I feel the UK (particularly England) has failed on that. Sorry to say.

Where are the clubs? Where is the better marketing of them (not just promoting it on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM?

Where is the creativity? Where is the marketing offline – get it out there in the streets – in the shops, get it out there somehow on BILLBOARDS. THE GAME has a lot to offer but doesn’t seem to be doing that.

SIMON SQUIBB once said in a video that it was about marketing offline in “open spaces” that provided ideal ways to get more footfall.

The game needs new ways to do that. FOOD. MUSIC. ENTERTAINMENT IN THE CLUBS. AT EXHIBITIONS.

WHY CAN’T CLUBS WORK WITH OTHER FOOD OR ENTERTAINMENT VENUES AS A WAY OF ADVERTISING?

I play at the OXSHOTT CLUB now.

My point is not that there aren’t clubs, it’s more that there aren’t enough of them that cater for enough! In Surrey, there’s only two clubs I can think of with more than two tables. That’s it.

It’s also the marketing of it in the open community that needs better thinking. COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARDS. PLACES WHERE PEOPLE GO REGULARLY THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN A MUTUAL PARTNERSHIP. HEY, if you don’t try these things you will never know!

GET KEN SINGING. GET RONNIE COOKING. GET SELBY SINGING. GET WILLIAMS COOKING. GET THEM ALL DOING SOMETHING AT EXHIBITIONS AS WELL AS PLAYING SNOOKER…

AT THE SURREY SNOOKER ACADEMY for an exhibition I went to a few years ago, there was an interlude with a MAGICIAN. Now, that’s entertainment and creative thinking in terms of not just watching snooker for four hours, but having some light entertainment in between. Something new. Something that has not been done before.

OR HIRE THE KING OF WOKING…PAUL WELLER…

People want an experience – not just another 147 as great as they are and watching top players make tons needs more creativity – GET A WOK – GET THE FOOD ON AND ENJOY THE FOOD AND THE SNOOKER…

HERE’S KEN SINGING…

WELL DONE KEN…