Snooker Club LIVE With Stephen Hendry, Mark Watson, Stephen Fry & Zhang Anda! 🎙🙌

SUBSCRIBE for the biggest and best videos from the only official World Snooker channel on YouTube

Website: www.wst.tv
Twitter: @WeAreWST
Facebook: /WorldSnookerTour
Instagram: @WorldSnookerTour

0:00 Intro
5:43 Hendry’s Masters Memories
12:46 2024 Masters Debate
21:27 Audience Predictions
27:31 Stephen Fry
46:03 Correspondence + Audience Q&A
58:44 Zhang Anda
1:06:33 Outro

Give it up cheers thank you Ro man who now as comfortable with a microphone in his hand as he is with a queue amazing to think 36 years ago he won the first of his 36 ranking titles and just last week a day after after returning from China he won the Stuka

900 live on Channel 5 he is an absolute Legend on and off the table ladies and gentlemen seven times he climbed the mountain in Sheffield the one and only King of The Crucible stepen Henry you very thank you very much everyone uh Rob Walker everyone and um

Thanks to him for reminding you of the much bigger crowds that will be here uh over the uh at the back wall there you can see me and Steven depicted uh by Lo very short notice commission they did an excellent job I thought um uh in case you’re not aware this is a

Recording of a a podcast it will be quite loose and like a real show but occasionally there’ll be bits where uh either we say things we’ve already said or um it seems like I’m talking quite a weird stilted away that’s just because uh we’ll have to say things like for

Example soon I’m going to have to say good evening I’m Mark Watson welcome to the podcast and you might well think but we’re already here uh but for the purposes of the podcast this isn’t even happening you’re not here well in those first couple of minutes I will

Occasionally sort of um force you to clap and cheer basically in fact we’ll do we we’ll do a practice one of those uh just so that well so that you feel warmed up this is not I’d say it’s not the most naturally warm uh space for a

Start it is literally are you War it’s warmer no no you you can chiping yeah it’s um don’t get me wrong the rest of the building is freezing yeah no at least it is habitable in here but like it is uh in in terms of a comedy

Are you you is it fair to say you’re a big Steven fan absolutely I think that was a suspenseful pause 10 seconds there where we all thought you were going to say can’t stand the man um uh yeah but in terms of a place to

Warm a crowd up it’s a slightly odd uh environment because you don’t normally get classical murals uh for a start so I’m going to let’s do a practice Round of Applause uh ladies and gentlemen welcome to the snooker room podcast that was good I actually said the wrong

Name it’s called the snooker Club but that was clever you you you you plowed through that and if nothing else good happens in the podcast they can use that as if it was real Applause as well so in a second I’m going to actually start things um we’re going to be chatting

About the Masters uh there’ll be chance to get involved ask some um questions which uh the majority of them will go to Steven I sense we’ve got at least one special guest and by at least one I mean two um one of them is a famous snooker fan

One of them is a snooker player that’s here at the M anyway we’ll cover all this on the podcast but I’m just letting you know uh this will be quite good I think um which I mean I can’t sell it any harder than that and if nothing else

We hand over to this woman and she yells at Henry for it so I said there’s nothing else though let’s uh let’s try and stick to plan a for the time being yeah I I’m from glasow I know you’re from Glasgow yes I um I’ve been to Glasco there was never any

Doubt uh are you guys ready I wouldn’t say happy but yeah yeah all right great um here we go hello good evening I’m Mark Watson and welcome to a very special LIVE edition of Nuka Club Alexandra Palace uh we’ve got a pat show for you this evening and we well we can’t get

Started without introducing my co-host that would be rude whoever he was but especially in this context because my co-host of course is none other than seven time champion of the world Mr Stephen Henry good even good evening everyone uh fantastic to be here at the Ali pal on

The Eve uh of the Masters uh looking forward to a great evening uh yes we’ll be obviously looking ahead to the Masters and we’re also joined uh in a little while by broadcasting Legend Mr Steven fry um we’ll also be joined uh by one of the players hoping to lift the trophy here

Alip P we’ll be taking questions from our live audience we’ll see how good night idea that is um the script says they look ready to go that’s an understatement in some cases uh so without further Ado welcome to Snooker Club live from alip Pali um how

You do I mean you know this place pretty well Stephen well I actually didn’t play here um I know well obviously working for the BBC and and and and being here as a a pundit and commentator but um it was wimbley in your day yeah it was it

Was the conference center um which held incredibly 2,700 150 people um I actually won it six times five in a row we know that Ste okay so sorry sorry to bring it back to me but the the only one that I’m famous for is the one that I

Lost in a black ball to Mark Williams yes although and I don’t know how many people here remember this but one of my memories of you winning the Masters at Wembley was that match against Mike halet oh yeah where you were unbelievably far behind and I was 7 N2

Behind that was that was that was for three in a row um who remembers Henry destroying Mike halet but the the the worst thing about that story is not only did I come back from 82 to beat Mike 98 and sort of devastate I think he lost 9

Nil the previous year to Steve he was the he’d been whitewashed by Steve Davis he comes up against Henry he’s to be imagine being 82 up and he’s not won many many majors either uh i’ won one or two tournaments but um he could let’s be honest he could have really done without

You ruining his life he could have done without it but also he found out that his house was broken into that night as well what that’s the worst part about that story were you behind that as well interesting yeah no not at all but I mean imagine you lost that family but

Your house has been b i i shouldn’t be laughing why am I laughing I mean it’s it’s pretty horrendous but um he would have got into the car home thinking well that’s the worst thing that’s going to happen to me today at least but yeah that that was a a pretty memorable final

Yeah memorable breaking as well by the S so when did so he only found that out when he when he come off off we we were actually back in the hotel um having a few drinks after it and he got a call yes how been brookly that’s a a tough night anyway great

Tournament start off it can all be cheery from here on in can after that story what are your memories of of playing it at Wembley did anyone go to to the original the Masters at Wembley yeah a couple incredible venue as I say 2750 people um I suppose the the

Memorable um matches there obviously playing Jimmy white cuz you’re playing Jimmy white a Londoner in front of pretty much 3,000 londoners yeah so it’s pretty safe to say that I didn’t have the majority of the support when did well ex exactly I remember one time I think I beat him two or three

Times and he beat me a couple of times but I remember one of the time he beat me um he’s put in the final balls and I could hear this and shall I do a cockney accent I so he’s po the last balls all here I’m

In my chair already Miserable as you can imagine I mean was miserable was winning already miserable slightly more miserable than usual taxi for inury I it was quite so that was um yeah yeah the support for white was always quite a thing it was incredible it was incredible Wy must have been incredible

Yeah it was uh yeah I mean it’s I mean I think here we’ve got pretty much close to 2,000 people I think I never thought they would ever replace that venue as a venue for the Masters but though this this Ali pal is the atmosphere is just

Phenomenal speak again I was here last year and it was isn’t it good it was first last year it was amazing never it is a fantastic atmosphere do you feel like people here are a bit more kind of uninhibited in C I think definitely we well I mean some people obviously yeah

But I mean this this lady is obviously from north of the Border but I mean when you play tournaments here in L for some reason there’s definitely more vifer there definitely more um they get involved more um so yeah is it maybe because The Crucible is a theater so it has that slightly

Rever yeah I I think so I I just think there’s something about this Tournament down the years it’s just brings that it’s just a completely different atmosphere to any other tournament um and and in a good way and and what obviously you know World Snooker and everyone’s done in terms of that you

Know the first snooker event I’ve ever been to it’s actually got Posh seats and you’ve actually got like a a VIP where you can have food and drink I mean it’s dangerous treating snooker fans like human beings but uh yeah it could still it’s incredible so if we

Go back to your earliest memories it was your winning streak was 89 to 93 is it yeah but when was your first one then uh I mean your first time you played in the Masters that well that was 89 first I play I Won it won it at for bringing it

Up fine fine fine see you won you won five on the bounds having not played the Masters before yeah it was um I mean it was very unusual for a Scotsman to have such success at I would I I would dare to say yeah um presumably you didn’t smash the goal

Post up and carry them off like didn’t I just I just love the tournament I love the fact that it was the top 16 players in the world so you’re putting your wits against the other best players um it was in an incredible venue um and yeah it

Was just I just felt so at home at the W Conference Center how does there’s not many people you could ask this question do how does it feel winning it compared with the worlds different the world championship is is the sort of um when you start playing snooker it’s it’s the

Ambition to be world champion it’s it’s the sort of the Pinnacle um of being a snooker player um the Masters I always sort of had for the season ahead goals it’ be the world championship be first and the Masters would be second the world championship because it is at the

Cruci bowl it’s the world championship the Masters because it’s against the other 15 best players in the world and you want to want to prove that you’re better than them yeah and so you won it John parrot for the first time yeah and the nerves are they comparable to to

Being at The Crucible or is it more like you already know you’re one of the elite cuz you cuz you’re playing here at yeah yeah and and I think part of being a top player as the nerves go you obviously you had to walk actually up it was a

Weird venue actually because you had to walk upstairs to get into the arena and then you walk in and it’s just this huge huge place um and you you obious have to walk so far from your seat to the table as well it was just everything about it

Was was huge and obviously then it was tobacco sponsored it was Benson hedges um which is weird because people still come up to me sometimes say when’s the embassy when’s in Benson hedge it’s it’s so weird it’s like so long ago but um so

It was it was very you know it was s such a prestigious event it felt prestigious some of you might be too young to remember but one time snooker was entirely sponsored by stuff that would kill you and um I’ve never had one drag of a cigarette in my life as well

Yeah they didn’t get to you did they didn’t get to me didn’t get to me um it is a special place obviously we’ve seen I mean some of you might have seen the darts last week that that shows you a different side to Ali pal great great

Clear up they’ve done anyway that must have taken a bit of a Christ knows how this place is even like fit for people to set foot in now after the uh yeah it’ll be a slightly different atmosphere from that I would imagine uh so Stephen obviously this this year’s Masters is upon us

Um well we’ve heard Rob Walker say every time Davis is asked he just says no idea who’ll win they’re also good um but but that is not that’s not pundit Tre so uh any anyone here could say no idea so um let’s put you on the spot a bit of you

Got a winner in mind I think um first of all I think it’s very difficult to to to make a case for Ronnie not winning it um because I think the way he played in the UK what what’s what’s different about Ronnie now I think is he used to be all

About the performance he used to say I’d rather play well than win now it’s the opposite he’d rather win but it’s all about the result and that makes him such a dangerous opponent the last thing he want is been try and win yeah I think I

Think I think if he if he bad enough when he’s just pissing about he’s uh yeah so I mean he’s he’s he’s probably he’ll be favorite and and for good reason um Jud Trump has obviously had uh an amazing season but I think Trump is the holder isn’t he yes

Yeah you’re right yeah be Mark in the final year yeah um it’s yeah I mean I understand what Steve’s saying but is you know uh it’s nonsense really yeah yeah like everything else Steve to take the easy way out typical St they make no effort whatsoever no too busy

With this music I I I think I think there’s the winner will come from maybe three or four players so are there some players that you reckon are be very interested to see a new Robertson plays um well yeah Robertson is remains a talking point obviously he it yeah must

Be in it new rob it would be interesting if he yeah it would be amazing if he won it but he’s not in yeah no because he’s dropped so far down the rankings there’s L of tournaments he’s not he’s not it’s amazing you have to stop and ask

Yourself whether Robertson is still but he is he’s here he’s he’s been in Australia for the for the last four or five weeks um yeah see how he plays actually was wondering NE we were having the same conversation actually privately yeah yeah Robertson is playing I mean it must be even after

Having had that break it must be hard for him though because you you playing in this level of yeah has he been practicing that’s the thing has he just been surfing and feeding and feeding kangaroos yeah now that’s that’s not not racist or anything he actually posted a

Picture of him feeding himself feing kangaroo many of you here would have seen the picture of Robertson feeding kangaro not anti- Australian or anything like that to be fair he hit the food into the kangaroo’s mouth from somewhere away I but um yeah so but I I I wouldn’t

Put Neil as one of my favorites to win no I mean it’s interesting actually we’ve talked about Robertson quite a bit on this uh podcast because of the the sort of strange year he’s had was there ever a time when you felt you were like him playing too much just burnt out did

Did you ever wish that you could take a break or it’s a bit different for him of course because part of his thing was he needs to go back to Australia and yeah yeah no no not not really but I mean there’s a lot more snooker these days

Obviously than there was in the ’90s a lot more tournaments um and and how how can I even begin to know how it feels like to his family’s the other side of the world um and he’s and he’s living here so I mean you know you ever have

You ever needed to feed a kangaroo or uh no not really it’s not one of my life’s Ambitions I to say it’s not up there just it’s crack on with it so you reckon they always say anyone can win this tournament but you’d say probably not

All I I say yeah three or four Ronnie and Jud are in opposite halfes of the draw of course which would be an amazing final so that would be a of amazing final Mark Williams won um in maau over Christmas uh quality field was in it wasowski Trump they’re all there mark

Won it um so he’s he’ll be full of confidence I mean speaking of people that have got form winning tournaments by the way I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the podcast but a running theme of it stroke joke is that Henry never plays anymore and can’t be asked and he’s more

Into golf and he can’t win a game to save his life but many of you will be aware that over the Christmas period he won the seniors uh T this is um thank you very much thank you very much yes we’ve had our fun with Henry been but

He yeah great fun great fun we we well we’ll have a we’ll have a moment where you can ask him questions but um so and that sort of ruined this whole strand of the podcast the whole joke was that you just couldn’t win the game anymore but

You not only won a match but it was my inspiration for doing it I thought I cannot do this live podcast I’ve got him come here as a winner I know how much pleasure you get by like this constant I was gutted yeah I every day I put St

Henry lost into the Twitter search bar and then it looked like real fun it was it was it was a great event um all all the obviously Legends were there um Jimmy again in the final which was great I mean if you get jimy in the final if

There’s only one winner I mean it’s still a great Buzz to play jimm finals he was he was I said the time he was my hero growing up U when I first started playing snooker and um until until he ruined his well yeah obviously we’ve had a huge history playing against each

Other at The Crucible and through through the 90s and stuff so it’s always cool to play him in a final and even cooler to beat him he’s not a Sentimental Man Stephen um what’s it like between you do you have a drink afterwards you sort of no

Jimmy left of course you did he left early yeah so where’s Jimmy he’s gone yeah it will still be furious no it’s true of course why doesn’t drink anymore sorry I’m you yeah you heavily involved remind you there are some uh bits where you’re meant to interact

Um you’re right you keep apologizing but you keep coming back um it is an interesting question Stephen obviously the the Masters reflects who the who the top 16 are um and quite a few of people people like like Williams that we’ve or Higgins that that been the

Same names for years if we if we’re here in another five years are there players that you reckon we’d be seeing in the Masters then that we only just seeing the best of now well I mean you talk about Williams like the class of 92 Williams uh Higgins a Sullivan I think

They’re all 48 now will they still be here at 53 in the masses it would be incredible um I would I would doubt whether all three will still be in the top 16 but then you look at you look down I mean obviously I watch a lot of

Snooker Now work on it and and I’m still struggling to see who’s going to take over for them because they still play so well yeah I mean Williams hasn’t Williams is getting better if anything exactly exactly and I think all three of them don’t practice the way they used to

Practice they basically turn up they maybe put some preparation before um the big events but they don’t put in the five six seven hours a day that they used they used to do so maybe that’s allowing them to to sort of prolong their career but I mean they’re still

Playing a standard that is just just you know I don’t see you know people say who’s the the youngsters coming along that that you think’s going to take over from the and and I’ve not seen many you got the likes to Stan Moody who’s looks a good Prospect but

Still going to prove himself yeah um who who else is coming along we wait to see yeah well I’m asking you I know and I’m asking you back it’s like but yeah I mean it’s it’s it’s will we be here in 30 years time and then 80-year-old Mark Williams is still

Boxing out please please God no please God no I wouldn’t be too surprised tur up in this sports car he’s no longer legally entitled to drive well we’ll see obviously we’ll see um is it is there a sense that people are players are Keen to find form in

This one as well to put down a marker obviously we’re not that far off from the cruiser ball and everything I I I think when you get to the the turn of the year um you start to as as far as I did I start to look ahead you know The

Crucible is always in the distance um you’re sort of what three three maybe four months away from from going there and you know you want to be obviously going there in your best form but this this this tournament in itself is is is is so big and I think um you know going

Back to Ronnie I think these are the tournaments he really wants to win the majors the Triple Crown events I think this is what he wants to win as many of these as possible before he he he finally you know hangs up his queue and we’ve reached the point where

And this may or may not be a good idea I uh ask audience members for their tips on who’s going to win um so anyone got a prediction and this involves me actually coming like with this mic up to you so who would like to uh make a case for

Who they think will win the AR right the back there almost couldn’t be worse for me um oh that could be horrible fine fine yes I don’t know if you will but I’d really like lowski to win like he was really good in that maau thing but I

Just feel like Neil Fon people who is down would just be really cool if he won yeah this conversation about whether lazarski is going to win one must be getting quite tiresome for him now yeah and I think he’s like a bit of a crowd favorite when he gets going like touch

Of the jimmies and stuff about him people like it it’s a bit more unpredictable it’s exciting yeah some of the recent ones been a bit more boring so I’d like it if he won I’d love Jack to winner to I mean he’s one of my favorite players to watch

He plays the game so beautifully um he hits the ball he’s Techni he hits the ball as well as anyone and basically I mean he left-handed basically hit it looks a mirror image of Ronnie when they’re down on the table the way the way the way they play but there’s

Obviously got to be you know it’s getting it’s getting harder it’s going to be harder and harder and harder for him to win because it’s just going on so long and everyone we’re talking about it everyone’s talking about it like I’m in studio tomorrow when he plays Luca brel

And we’ll be talking about it you know is this going to be the the one um you know I thought maau maybe in the final against Mark Williams I thought that was going to be the one I don’t think it matters what he wins it’s just he needs

To win something to get that feeling get that belief um because there’s no doubt if he wins one tournament He he’ll win many more um be amazing this week but I I would I would I would doubt it I think he’ll win tomorrow I think he’ll be Luca

But um whether he wins is is debatable I feel like I should tell you that Rob Walker said after I’ve introduced you you two I’m off to film lowski piece so he may for all we know be in the building here so we should just be careful about how we

Talk any snooker player could be prowling anywhere here I I will I will say one thing CU people people say to me um what why is jacket winning is is it is he is it his bottle is he bottling it and it’s not his bottle um he’s not

Throw it’s not like you know you’ll say all his b is choked there it’s not it’s just he needs to find some way of focusing concentrating it seems to disappear and it’s not pressure it’s just a thing that that he think he’s had and it’s in it that that’s what he needs

To look at anyone else got either a forecast for the Master’s winner or um a wish for someone to win it or yeah just any other business really it takes me precariously close to the glass Region um based on his performance over the last season or so uh I really thought that Ding Jam we seems to be back to his form yeah uh I was kind of dis disheartened when I saw that he Ronnie in the first round which obviously has

Been a hang up for him in the past yeah but if he could get through that first round match against Ronnie I’d P him to then just go through the whole thing yeah I mean I think ding still um I mean we’re we’re going to have Jang Ander as

A guest tonight who’s had an unbelievable season that was a secret um it’s looking a lot like it is Jang Anda now yeah so forget you heard that forget it forget that we’re kind of have a Chinese player of some kind yes well ding is still in my opinion by far the

Best Chinese player that’s ever been um and yeah in the UK he showed signs of getting right back to his best which is which is is great for for ding great for obviously snooker in China as well um and you’re right if he beats Ronny what

The confidence he’ get for that would be would be incredible but hand on out can he beat Ronnie in a first round situation he he’s been running many many many times um not not recently though that’s that’s the thing he’s beaten him in Sheffield he’s beating him in the UK Championship

6 nil I think last year um I think we all like we don’t really know what to expect with Ronny what how he’s going to play but I I go back to what I said before even when he’s not playing well he seems to want to find that Victory

Somehow so um tough draw for ding tough draw and this crowd obviously is going to be all for run as well you got to cut with that not only playing Ronny but cut with the crowd we’ll take one more non Ronny prediction well you could just say

Ronnie go there we go you’re the problem back up we go yeah he’s um he’s difficult to beat there’s no doubt about it would there be a surprise if Barry Hawkins came through and did it because whenever Barry Hawkins is is discussed everybody talks about how he’s

He’s a solid player he’s he’s reliable dependable he’s often under the radar we’ve seen great performances from him in finals in five or six centuries in the tour our players a few years ago been to two finals potentially out of form Robo to start if he got there how

Surprised would we be it wouldn’t be a surprise um it’s amazing to think that every tournament Barry is not considered as one of the three or four favorites because he’s got a great track record in in the in the Triple Crown events finals of the World Championship Finals here um

And he’s already won this season so he’s he’s got that confidence of having a victory under his belt and arguably as you say a decent draw in the first round pretty out of sorts maybe Rusty maybe a bit cold Neil Robertson so um no it wouldn’t be a surprise but um he’s not

One of the players I I I I think about at the start of these tournaments as a potential winner welcome back to Snooker Club live from Alexander palace with me Mark Watson and SE we keep talking about it seven time world champion Steven Henry I have to always say that as if

I’m not going to win seven and maybe I’m not going to win seven um it’s time to welcome our special guest now a man who well needs no introduction um but he does because if you’re listening to this you can’t see who it is um clearly he needs an instruction to

Podcast uh an actor comedian auth who came to prominence as one half this is a huge spoiler of the double act Ryan Lori um so we’re down to two people it could be now um uh left us in stitches with his performances in Black add and more

Recently this does narrow it down to one hosted Qi for over a decade also a very longtime snooka fan and a man familiar to all of you Steven FY thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you very much oh my goodness hello Stephen how are you I’m

Very well Mark I’m excited to be here to be honest yes your snooker fandom is genuine isn’t it it truly is almost as long as I can remember I mean I I remember watching documentaries about snooka before snooka was a television sport um you’d see John Spencer players

Like that um and uh um you know the the davises the Davis brothers Joe Davis and his yeah and and there’d be little things of smoke fied rooms in Leicester Square where where the first championships were uh no one else in the audience is old enough to remember any

Of that I’m sure but then slowly the news came out of Alex Higgins and John Spencer and he played and Ray Reen and he played and he became a story there was a famous Sunday Times magazine article about him and and people began to be curious and I was always curious

Because I played the game because I don’t know if anybody here agrees but there is a magnetic quality to a snooker table and and when you’re a child you see it you desperately want you just cannot wait to pick up a queue and and push it through and and make a

Ball move I mean it’s a thrilling thing to do it’s it’s a primal action and and it’s not natural it doesn’t exist in nature and yet somehow it it pulls on our brains yeah our cavemen forefathers weren’t playing s well when you think about it we’ve had the dance here and

The Dan is archery brought indoors for the for the winter because you can’t you know it’s too wet and cold to do a bow and arrow so you do a little version for the indoors and and snooker is bowls you know Francis Dres came brought indoors

With a the Green Lawn made of bays and and has to be pushed with sticks because you can’t bu it with your hands we’re going to be playing later with Steven and Jen and we might wish that we’d never had that impulse what what was it like seeing

Alex siggins for the first time cuz obviously he was completely different to The Establishment completely extraordinary and that was the story about him from the beginning that he was this Outsider from Northern Ireland people compared him to George best of course simply because he came from the

Same region um and he was looked lonely and haunted with his sucked in cheeks um but then you saw this Zar style this weird you know Q action with flying up in the air the shoulder he put into it and and the people who were playing with

Their Velvet Bow Ties Perrys people like I was wonder how they got the que passive because they were huge absolutely GI bats on their neck it was like they were weren’t they and and it was and he had frilly shirts there well right it was a yeah I mean the phrase

Breath breath of fresh air was always used about did you ever meet him um no I never did I never did I’m I’m sort of glad because you know have been awfully rude to me or something and and it’s hard to imagine two more different people than you and

Alex well actually now Steve Davis I mean and that then became yeah the Rival one of the stories about sport is always you know the classicist versus the Romantic uh and whether it’s Borg versus Mao or something you know you get this fantastic sense of a natural Talent explosive personality dangerous dark

A kind of machine who technically brilliant and who’s focused and and and you can support both you don’t you know it’s not like one is terrible you you were both yeah if you love stooker you you appreciate how both players play the game and you were both cuz you were

Attacking player but you were also immensely technical you know gifted and so that that’s what I guess made you were sorry that’s all for that one word sorry obviously not to now clearly well we’ll see we’ll see on the table out so you’ve witnessed wanting to make you

Feel old almost the the complete history of snooker as the the game that we know absolutely yes and how do you feel about the the health of the game now in that context it’s terrific what Steven was saying about the class of 92 is interesting because you also hear people

From inside snooker saying that there’s an extraordinary richness of young people coming through and again talking about the DTs we we looked at uh at Luke ller and thought not since Ronnie o burst into snooker has there been a young Talent like that and that doesn’t

Really seem to be yet no someone who is making us really sit up and take notice um it is worth talking about actually L obviously if you’re not aware got all the way to the World DS Final as a 16-year-old and we’ve talked quite a bit on this podcast about the fact that

There’s a lot of young talent but there’s is it more difficult in snooka for somebody to come from nowhere like that or could we see that happen do you think I think if if you’ve got the talent you’re going to come through and obviously the Luke ller is obviously

Outrageous talent and if someone comes through that young that talented a snooker they’re going to come through because they’re that good um i’ I’ve yet to see someone with that prodigious talent coming through in snooker um I mean I was I was 18 I think when I won

My first major tournament I I look younger than Luke lard did he’s not 16 he’s not 16 I’m not having it everyone looks younger than he yeah stepen the other Steven you’ll remember when you’ll remember witnessing Steven Henry’s absolutely and of course we’ve all seen the documentaries where you’re sulking with

Your with your I know manager well that was my default luk Tok even when I won I was sulk AB absolutely but no I remember you coming on and it was a remarkable but then I remember on pop black a sort of 10-year-old John parrot who looked

Like John John yeah his hair line has not moved yeah and I suppose the thing we saw with Luke ller and and and the thing we we recognize in great snook players is not only the talent for the game the the the way the ball is struck it’s the mental

Power to concentrate what you said about Jack mazowski and particularly with the worlds which is I mean how you that so many matches I can’t remember how many uh how many frames you have to play in order to win the World Championship it’s astonishment the thing about Luke ller I

Was going to say I mean apart from the talent he obviously has how he enjoyed the pressure how he enjoyed being up there that’s cuz that’s half the battle not just having the talent that’s I’ve heard throughout my whole snooker career people say oh you should see this guy

Plays 14 he makes 10 centuries a day I say oh I look forward to seeing him and you never it because they can do it there but they can’t do it that’s it where it matters I I used to play regular in the late ‘ 80s and early ‘

90s in a a private members Club in London called the grouo club and there was a group of us who were very sort of all that age I suppose there was the artist Damian Hurst who as you probably know is a very very passionate snooker lover and a great personal first friend

Of Ronnie and and a sort of adviser to Ronnie um and U Alex James from um BL was there Keith AB on the and a few others we would play night then afternoon we started about 2 in the afternoon go under 4 in the morning that still on everyone you sleeping under the

Table um but uh uh a thing that I will never forget because it’s so true and this is all about me but it’s all about my failure as a as a as a sportsman of any kind is that I was playing Damian and I was like 30 up and um and there

Were the colors only the colors maybe one red and Daman picked up his C and he looked at me he said you do know you’re going to lose don’t you I said what what do you mean he said you just don’t have the Killer Instinct really and I do and

I’m going to beat you I said don’t say that he did made his point know and he s me fell pieces absolutely fell to pieces and I mean this is just in a club with no audience watching but it was still that it’s that self-consciousness isn’t

It and you see it in Steve Davis fun enough as a play he was always self-conscious wasn’t he you always saw it when he was sitting that he knew people were watching him and you didn’t you went into your Zone and you you were just there yeah but and I was felt for

Steve for that but how could he snap out of it obviously he had a supreme career and didn’t need sympathy but it was a very noticeable thing and now a DJ I’m now a DJ F you mentioned blur he opened for blur at wble Stadium he did the most

Random thing I think I’ve ever heard we never stop talking about it it’s absolutely mad amazing it’s as if you heard that cold play had Tony Drago or something be less off way it would be yeah um is there a type of person you think even that that has that mentality

Like I’m I’m going to beat you I’m going to or is it something that you evolve over time I it’s it’s something you can’t practice obviously you can’t teach that I think is and it’s why it’s what separates the best from the rest you know if everyone could do it under the

Pressure then it would it would be easy um so yeah I mean and you can my finals with with Jimmy for example I used to always be able to tell that when he was under pressure and I could almost project my confidence onto him kind of

Thing and and and and it’s the whole psychology of the sport Talent sort of at that level at that stage of match goes goes out the window kind of yes and you can see it one of the glories of snooker is because the cameras are so

Close you can see the moment the the the the game face and the the being in the zone is removed from the play and suddenly they’re not concentrating properly or or that strange mixture that you you have to concentrate but you also have to be to some extent relaxed right

If you if you concentrate without being relaxed you’re forced if you’re relaxed without concentrating you’re all over the place when they come together and you can see it in the faces and you go oh my God he’s lost it or oh my God he’s got it back it’s really fascinating

Isn’t it there are very few other sports where you get that close into the personality and the the mood of the player and and where it goes on so long as well those world championship finals are real epics of psychology because in fact we’ve never talked about it

Directly but those finals with Jimmy especially one way you came back from one in particular where you came back from a long way back do you remember thinking uh I’m I’m in trouble here or did you always continue to feel that there is something here that’s going to

Yeah how much do you reflect on the situation in the match when you’re in it I mean 148 down and you think yeah you’re not really thinking about winning really because you’re just so far behind Jimmy needs four frames for victory but something in say you the beauty of the world championship the

Long frame matches is you is momentum plays a huge part I kind of win one you i i s of clung to the thing where if I can win one maybe two frames in a row I can kind of not only get momentum of my

Own but put doubt in his mind um and it came I think I won the last two three frames of the session to finish 1410 um and I kind of knew I could sense it I knew but then I still needed to win the first frame of the evening session um

Because if Jimmy woned then he would would have gone on but yeah momentum plays a huge part in the long matches I’ve noticed in the I noticed in the UK and a few of the other um matches that um uh there a new thing a lot of the

Players now just look the other way when when their opponent is playing they always make a point of pretending to look at another game going on at another table and rather transparently pathetic it’s it’s the thing about these multi-table venues um as as you can be distracted but I agree that they’re like

Pretend yeah yeah it’s completely false it’s like they’re so disgusted by their own they can you know the prot I don’t really care what’s going on but really they are absolutely human human and they’re listening to the timing of every on their own game yeah do you look into

The eyes of I mean did you sneak looks at your player or the body language yeah you would you would kind of try and do it very sneakily um with with jimy without well I I don’t give away too much it’s G now who cares it’s back in

The ’90s but I would always I knew he was under pressure he started hitting the balls a bit harder and I thought okay it just his timing would go first and then I think okay that’s that’s a good sign and he he would maybe sweat a bit more he’d be constantly doing this

And just little every player every player has had little as you say tails like in poker um not everyone I mean Steve was you get nothing from Steve nothing I mean at any stage you would get a hello I mean it’s like but um did I read the other day I’m imagining it

Just talking about the really great old players that Ray Ren got a cent unbelievable incredible he’s 90 something I think what incredible phenomenal unb Inc maybe he is a vampire maybe he is just cly one explanation yeah the reds are just blood I mean yeah to make to

Make 100 break in 90 I mean it’s it’s phenomenal phenomenal we’d all be happy with that I think in a match or just on the well I don’t think he plays matches in I don’t know but I don’t think he’s in the Masters for example I think I

Mean I’m glad to be alive in 19 I Mak Century braak remarkable yeah and I suppose that that again that mentality must never well he he was he was a serious um competitor Ray weird and he was I mean the St the stories the other sort of the

Dennises and the cliff thorman tell about Ray I mean he was his gamesmanship and everything was phenomenal disguised it with a sort of jokey but my goodness you could read under it ferocity phenomenal what sort of gamesmanship um he would sort of he would try and maybe

Start get the get the crowd involved um if he was oppression he maybe try and make someone laugh which you know would would make take you know maybe his opponent might laugh and then all of a sudden his concentration is broken um just just little tiny things clever very

Clever the games were so long in those days as well oh God I think he he played Alex Higgins in a final that was over five days and Alex conceded in the third day or something Still Still Still two days to go which yeah phen test Cricket phenomenal phenomenal the moners is best

Of 21 isn’t it uh this week best of 11 but first of 11 until the the final is best of 19 best of 19 best of 19 yeah you’ve not been to the master before have you student but You’ been to Crucible I met you the Cru I’ve been to

Crucible certainly here Wy yeah I used to when I was starting out in comedy the BBC used to have a Christmas party every year the light entertainment Christmas party and uh I remember going and you’d be very excited because you’d see The Two Ronnies or something and Ernie Wise

Or something and and it’ be really really thrilling but I remember I think the second year I went I saw John Vergo standing alone and being a snooka fan because I leapt up to him and he was at the Le party the light entertainment party because of big break you know the

The the Jim Davidson thing that he used to do and he very kindly invited me along to to Wembley for a few years in a row and I remember that atmosphere you were talking about when Jimmy came on it was absolutely astonishing astonishing and I can imagine it’s pretty similar

Here with with Ronnie there was there was one time at Wembley Conference Center I was playing Jimmy and um they had this MC who’s very well spoken Norman Deus or something his name was and it was very who was very proper of the introductions and he introduced and

Jimmy’s at the bottom the say Bas got 2,800 londoners waiting to roar I said and Steven’s opponent from London Jimmy Brown is that Jimmy it was fuming Jimmy hly he was fuming if that’s your job you’ve got to get the names big biggest anticlimax of what I was like Jo the so

What’s your view on the um the slow move towards the darts play on the the nicknames who who thinks up a new player comes on what’s his nickname going to be what’s their play on music going to be how much of a light show you know it’s

Getting more and more towards that I don’t mind it I mean I think it’s I yeah I I think I think tournaments like the world championship should be left alone because that is a world championship but I think there’s there’s there’s room for all sorts I think because every sport is

Going is moving forward and changing so Snookers is no different but the I think things like the Triple Crown events are special and should be maybe above yeah in the same way as a test match of keep your whes on it’s only the one day as you wear the pajamas yeah

Definitely yeah what would your nickname be Mark do you think on the back what would well some are quite tenuous aren’t they I remember from Bristol that you could do the pistol from Bristol or something but Trump has already pistol I know that’s the thing he’s a name I

Would want to bring up as a possible winner by the way like Allan when he’s Allan from nor he doesn’t even deserve to be called he doesn’t even rhyme with Bristol no he’s got he’s got no right to that but he’s also called Mark and with

All respect to the great Mark Selby I don’t think of him as a Jester no I just don’t no so uh it’s now time to open up the discussion once again to our live audience for yes for good or ill I was going to say but first a couple of

Emails uh thank you for being in touch at as always snooker club ws. uh we can’t read every email straight away so if if you don’t hear your message um be patient uh this email from Tom firstly a big thank you for the podcast it’s absolutely tremendous we we

Always start with one of those not not yet read one that said I hate this podcast but while you’re here a combin listen to this a combination of the Pod and step’s fantastic YouTube channel have stirred The Embers of an old passion I had there you go uh and then

This is quite a niche question I think but uh worth asking my question is this is from Tom during a match do you share a toilet with your opponent it must be awkward standing next to each other at the OS also do any of the top 16 not wash

Their hands reliably um well we’ve seen in Ronnie’s documentary he doesn’t wash his hands we’ve heard all about I will tell you the the UK Championship The Guild hole this was it’s not played the guil yeah so um Steve Davis before matches whether it was nervous or

Whatever would always go to the toilet and you didn’t want to go in there after him let’s just put it that way there we go there we go and there was and there was only one toilet so it wasn’t uh yeah wasn’t great yes very slightly run down venue that there we go

So I hope that’s what you asking too much information there really Just sh borderline too much information but it was sort of what Tom was asking there you go and that’s why they don’t use the guild hole anymore toilet ruined Forever by Steve Davis

Um I had the uh we often read out emails from people that have met Stephen or me and by step or me I met I mean uh Steven um no one’s ever boasted they’ve met me yet I had the pleasure of meeting Steven back in 2002 when he came to Spencer’s

Club in Sterling well that was your local to present the trophies to all the Scottish Juniors Steven was my idol growing up to meet him was a dream come true on the debate of greatest of all time five Williams four Davis despite his toilet stuff um I mean this person

Didn’t say that obviously three Higgins Two O Sullivan one Henry Steven came along this person’s up there with her in terms of fom Steven came along he completely changed the game into a version that no one had ever seen before to this day the majority of players

Break build and open the pack early because of Henry’s influence so there you are how do you respond to the charge that you you are the most influential sneer player of all time um yeah I’m I’m obviously very flattered um um yeah I

Think I think I I I I did play a game that was very very aggressive uh compared to the other players around at the time um but now all the players are just they’re just so aggressive in in the way they play do you think um you

Know famously have mastered the you know going off the blue into the pink to to to split the pack do you think with the slower cloths four or five years before you those shots would have worked as well um it’s a good question actually um the balls as well would have made a

Difference they might not have split open as as as the cloths are so super slick now the ball’s just open quite quite without much effort um but yeah you’re right I just think what I didn’t people say I invented the shot I didn’t Steve was playing that shot other

Players were playing it but maybe I played it earlier in the frame than other players would I think maybe that’s the way I changed it we now have a a moment where audience members can ask questions of um well either either of the Stevens uh anyone got a question we’ll uh we’ll go

Yes oh yeah sorry should I let you tee that one up and then and in the meantime we’ll go towards the back here yes hi hi Stephen hi that could be either step Mr Henry definitely seven times world champion you dominated the sport in the

90s is there a part of you though that would have liked to be in your Prime today with the big money tournaments in China and the way the crowns are now um there’s there’s obviously more tournaments now um there’s more more tournaments around the world I mean it’s

Incredible now if you’re a snooker professional now that the that the choice that you got to play um but no I think I came into the game at an incredible time it was huge on on TV um sort late 80s early 90s it was it was everywhere um snooker players were

Arguably some of the most famous Sportsmen out there it was so so high profile um and through the 0s I think it was it was a it was a golden age for snooker um so no I wouldn’t I wouldn’t change my time to me I mean I’d love

What I do miss I tell you I don’t I don’t miss practicing five six hours a day I don’t miss um a lot of the things but I do miss the the walking out I mean the players that get to walk out this Arena this week the atmosphere um you

You never miss you never stop missing that and now we’ve got your question over here have you seen Ronnie ovan’s documentary if so what did you make of it I I have seen it I was at the premier um uh yeah we discussed this on the previous episode uh he was almost the

Only famous person then not to get a shout out yeah it was um I enjoyed it yeah I thought it was great um some some of the stuff in it um was a was a Revelation to me I mean that that how how gone he was

In the dressing room um prior to the to going out the final session was was of the final was it was incredible um he was in bits basically so for him to turn that around and actually get the victory was was was phenomenal really um but yeah I thoroughly enjoyed it enjoyed it

Yeah and and the footage of his father and himself as a as a as a boy it was very moving it really was I mean because whatever I think about him and I’m sure some players must hate him sometimes because of the way he sucks all the

Energy into himself and the way the crowd are always behind him and the fact that he is a bit flaky sometimes and says he doesn’t care when he obviously does and all all those problems but you look at his childhood and you you you forgive him everything right I mean it’s

Just an extraordinary story yeah I read your review of his autobiography in fact oh yes quite some books it really is yeah yeah I think most people here will be well if you haven’t read it yeah other story as well with and then the documentary of course is is quite

Something yeah any more questions well yeah that’s perfectly located for me really I’d like to apologize to you for hating you Alex hiin fan um I’ve played Alex mom’s met Alex um okay I’m a Jimmy white fan I’ve played Jimmy um that’s my sort of game so when you were beating Steve

Davis I couldn’t stand him right and I couldn’t stand you it works out Steve Davis is a great DJ yeah thank not at all not at all it’s it’s it’s it’s incredible the am of people actually that that have said that dur during the the I’m sure Steve had

The same during the ’90s like they you know I wanted Jimmy to win so much and and you were the you were sort of the enemy it was the same with Alex I mean I tell a story when I turned pro at 16 Alex Higgins used to always want to

Practice with me come and practice and I was like my come practice hiin is incredible but then I started to win and then I became the enemy yeah um it’s like you say with the establishment of Steve it was the same thing he he didn’t

Want anything to do me then he hated me then it was like you know but um it’s a hint of WWE isn’t there you’ve got to have the heal in the wrestling you got things I saw Steve Davis stuck on um on a play beside Alex Higgins and he was

Absolutely beside himself destroyed my God heide yeah and I think that story I think he actually had a good time actually he was he was petrified I think they ended up having a good time and um Steve always tells a joke about that you know I was coming at a nightclub and

These three or four guys were starting sitting about me and beat me up he says for about five minutes then Alex comes around the car and say okay boys that’s enough Steve tells that story his Exhibition yes yes your moment has come after listening to let me honestly I read your book five 10 years ago and honestly from a Scot girl from a Scottish man it was phenomenal thank you very much down to a story and I was so proud

To be a Scottish girl to see a Scottish man do what he did and I was phenomenal thank you very much so much thank you very much wasn’t it Alan mcmanis who broke your run it it was it was yeah yeah it was yeah so if you just tuned in stepen is [Laughter]

Scottish um your que which you got broken was broken on the flight was it on yeah it was Thailand What affected that on your career um they St from kind quite I mean quite a big it shouldn’t really I mean you you would think you should be

Skillful enough to be able to lose a que and take another queue and and B just as well but I I I won 70 tournaments with that q and won five after um obviously all my world titles I think because it was such a bad queue I mean it was a

Cheap qu like was yeah it was it was it was it was Ben it was like I think my dad bought it was 30 quid um whereas now you can upwards of you can spend 5 six 7,000 pound on qes um they are rock guitarists like

That AR they who’s whose first guitar is the one they stayed with it breaks and then never it just it just it just when I got accused after it just felt different and and and when that happens it’s it’s almost in a t under pressure

And you go in practice table and you say this is a Century Century no problem but then when you face that first sort of pressure shot all of a sudden you think what is this man this doesn’t feel right um and and it and it’s and it’s it’s

More mental Than Physical have we even considered that Davis smashed it or Jimmy or one of these people it’s all a bit convenient uh I think we well yes um so we’re in a beautiful room in Alexandra Palace today as both a fan and a player

How much does the sense of venue the city the physical building you change how a tournament feels for you for both of you really I guess well well speaking for myself I mean I always venues were is quite important really um I always felt that theaters where we used to play

A lot on in the ’90s we used to have um it was like uh the assembly rooms in Darby the hexagon theater reading um it was always theaters where if you went to a Leisure Center which was the the seats would be put in it was like it just

Didn’t seem to have that aura to me um The Crucible theater obviously here it’s just it’s just different um so I don’t you need to get have that inspiration really I think to walk in the P all all actors and performers will talk about this theater being a good

Comedy theater uh but you know or a good straight drama theater there is something very special about places they have real qualities like people um and certainly as a um I don’t know if Mark would agree but in terms of theaters um rather pleasingly it’s the ones with a

Sort of little Circle which I call a smile um you know which is where you see the audience in a and and you feel a little bit closer to them rather than a more of a bowling alley or a square and there you really tend to connect and

There’s a much better atmosphere so so it’s a very good question because place has an enormous kind of there a Vibe it’s time now to welcome our second guest of the evening um not really clear which of these chairs he’ll sit on oh go next to Steve okay fine that’s

Taken that we off my mind um a man who has been in the form of his life this season uh winner at the International Championship in tangin leaving him third on the oneye list only behind Jud and Rono Sullivan also making his master’s debut this year Make some noise for Jang Ander

How are you doing not bad and that’s all we’ve got time for uh how was your Christmas did you have you been home or did you yeah just B China yeah see my family yeah great yeah and how are you feeling about the uh about the

Masters um first very happy now it’s top 16 and uh very happy first time being here yeah but you must have watched the Masters so many times on TV and thought I want to play in that event yeah I just remember [Laughter] your tell tell tell Mark about the your

The match you remember of mine the Masters not not it’s not the six victories by the way yeah I remember uh he play Mar William yeah he’s so happy just nice to hear about him losing sometimes you’ve had an amazing season yeah do you think you’re doing anything

Differently or why you know where has this form come from I don’t know yeah just every single day just do same just uh practice harder yeah maybe just my time coming shows how how confidence means so much in every sport and you must have by getting the wins become so confident winning The

International Championship how much losing getting to the final but losing to Jud Trump was that experience help to win the next tournament yes it’s very good is Paris and uh second time I play final second being the final I when I score lead mhm I still tell myself calm relax still uh

Concentrate the table Yeah Yeah so having played one final you just feel more like okay you know what to do here one one of Jang anda’s strengths is you you don’t show any emotion at any stage I’ve I’ve watched you but in the UK Championship enjo yeah yeah yeah when

When when I see someone just having that level and bad shot good shot doesn’t matter matter even you made 147 in the final in tangin you didn’t show much emotion because I like you I always say being happy is overrated yeah you know show Jo You’ paved the way for a generation of

Emotionless snooker players of course you two you two played in the cruci in 2010 and uh do you remember that game you must have my first SE and I remember ni seven up I just lost so [Laughter] sad another dream ruined by hry all through the match though um I kept on

Leaving Anda like long shots and he kept on dropping them in dead weight for the black course if you play it slowly you’re going to miss it if you you’re going to leave on if you miss and in the deciding frame again I left in the rer

Thought oh no he’s going to drop this in again for the back he put it so close and I just stayed over the pocket and I managed to make him to win I think I just potted that R I just moved my body say again it’s

Miss has has sing been a big influence cuz you play and live in Sheffield I think is that right like a lot of other players from from China and is he like a kind of Mentor a guide and inspiration for you yes he is yeah and he he helps

Does he you practice with him oh with him yeah no no you don’t wouldn’t dream of it different Academy oh it’s a different Academy have you spent time in China St I’ve been yes I’ve I’ve been to Beijing and to Shanghai and Y I love it absolutely love it fantastic how how how

Do you find being cuz you’re you’re you’re wife and son are in China and you have to spend so much time in the UK how does that affect you does affect you or uh just every day just FaceTime okay yeah but can cannot be easy yes very

Tough uh what are your predictions for the for the Masters and who do you think are the the big players big players yeah who’s going to win I mean I know you’re in the tournament so it’s Difficult John John John Higgin John Higgins is J and’s Idol yeah I’ve seen said that hiin is your hero I very very like it so if you have to play John Higgins how do you how do you stop the admiration you have to be serious no I just want to be him

Okay again a man after your heart but but now like 10 years is my Play Professional is 10 years but I never play with you never met hiin so it could it could happen here are you in the same half of the drawer I wonder

Um do you know the draw do you know if you but you played Shawn Murphy tomorrow night yes um you confident he because he plays quite an attacking game so you think you’ll get chances still be challenging for me mhm and uh I just try

Do my best M you’re in the other half of the of the draw from hi so it would need to be the final yeah imagine that I mean it must be very exciting the whole the whole thing yes when you you wouldn’t have imagined you would be at

The Masters well maybe at first first time final master final I can play my idol is amazing but at at the start of the season if someone had said to you you’re going to be final the English open yeah win International Championship make a 147 in the final you’re in the Masters

You’re guaranteed top 16 The Crucible you’re everything would would you say they were crazy or would you you think you expect it or not very crazy very crazy very crazy incred incredible season incredible season you didn’t begin the season thinking you’d be sitting next to St fry no one

Does ger Ander and all uh that’s pretty much all from us here at Alexandra Palace thank you to all of the audience uh who become immediate gold honorary members of snooker club and thank you to those listening to the podcast too if you haven’t already please make sure you subscribe to

Snooker Club wherever you get your podcast and you can head to W’s YouTube to watch the show back uh we’re back in our normal fortnightly Wednesday slot on the 17th of January uh but for now one last time please put your hands together for Steven fry dianda seven homeb Champion stepen

Hendry I’ve been Mar Watson this was snooper Club live from Alexandra par see you soon well done well done good luck tomorrow