Halloween Spooks in Monday’s Thrilling 900 Snooker 2022…

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HALLOWEEN MONDAY saw the opening of the elite Champion of Champions snooker on ITV4.

Thanks to everyone who tuned in tonight, we tried something a bit different. 900 is about entertainment on and off the table. Hope you liked it… it’s musicals week next week!! 😎#jokes #leeaslionkingrachelasmatildareanneassandy pic.twitter.com/985ZV5LQj5

— Snooker Legends (@Snookerlegends) November 1, 2022

But later on into the night after a marathon match between Mark Selby and John Higgins in Bolton, while young trick-or-treaters were rambling around in the cold outside, snooker fans were tuning into the Halloween Special of the popular new Snooker Legends 900 in Reading.

A spooky dressed-up team led by Rachel Casey, were in for a treat as the BIG BEAST the Hitman Michael Holt was in the building.

HOLT, winner of the 2020 Snooker Shoot Out having been runner-up the previous year, was the favourite for Week 7 in the 900 Snooker Legends which got underway with a Halloween special from 10pm Monday on SportyStuff TV and online.

Holt faced a tough opening assignment though in the last of the opening round matches against fellow former pro Martin O’Donnell, nicknamed the Ministry of Defence, who is the second favourite for the week.

The opening match saw Aaron Busuttil, who travelled from Malta to win a 900 qualifier, a narrow favourite over Stuart Parnell.

The 31-year-old Maltese reached the final, proving yet again that in this fast and furious amateur snooker equivalent to the Snooker Shootout, you cannot predict anything as Busuttil defeated the BIG BEAST Holty the Hitman in the final for Monday.

Malta is yet another country providing yet more talent.

Legend Tony Drago, another Maltese, and still playing the game in his 50s, was famous for his fastest century break of over 3 mins at the UK Championship.

As the 900 goes into week 7, it continues to provide enjoyable entertainment and a buzz for the amateur game, which has needed it in years. Here’s what Neal Foulds said when he was working on the show.

Former World no 3 Foulds told The Sporting Life about the 900: Before I sign off, I do want to touch on the Snooker Legends 900 which I’ve been covering this week.

I must say, it’s been so enjoyable to be involved with and I think it’s been a big boost to the amateur game which has been struggling a little bit over the last few years.

We’ve had such a diverse group of players, from 79-year-old David Taylor to Jasmine Bolsover (22 from Woking), a very good female player who impressed.

Taylor did brilliantly to win a match and then played an opponent 60 years his junior in another match. In fact, that opponent was Alfie Lee (19), son of former professional Stephen Lee who many will remember as being a top player.

It’s an unconventional format, but there’s lots of interest in it and it has been great to be a part of.

Ant Parsons landed the Week 6 title to join previous weekly winners Andrew Norman, Aaron Canavan, Andrew Higginson, Alfie Lee and Philip Williams in the £10,000 Grand Final.

In all the 900 Snooker Legends, it will see 25 sessions of snooker broadcast Monday to Wednesday every night at 10pm with £6,000 per week in prize money – the eight weekly winners will then contest the £10,000 to the winner Grand Final on 16 November in a one-off special.