Snooker ‘is stuck’

WORLD No 1 JUDD TRUMP has called on snooker to forget the past and get with the times. This week saw legendary duo Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White — with a combined age of 110 — battle in this year’s World Championship qualifying. Despite the pre-match noise, they played out a turgid affair. And Trump, widely-regarded as the future of the sport, believes snooker bosses have to invent new ways of attracting a younger generation of viewers.

‘Snooker is stuck in the 1980s and 1990s in some ways,’ stressed Trump. ‘It was really painful watching Stephen play Jimmy, they both looked like they were trying so hard.’

The 31-year-old suggested that players should be matching his rapid potting times, then proposed reviewing the sport’s trademark dress code of a bow tie.

He added: ‘I try and play the game the right way, but there are a lot of players who just plod along.

‘I also think the dress code can be looked at. Young people and people of my age don’t want to be wearing a dickie bow.’