FANS RETURN MAKES CRUCIBLE FINAL A TREAT
Another week of lockdown but it has to be admitted there is certainly light beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel. On Monday night last, as the biting cold wind and torrential rain raged outside (a great night for outdoor dining and drinking!) I sat beside the fire and watched the final of the World Snooker Championship unfold at the Crucible Theatre.
It was a magnificent spectacle in so many ways.
Mark Selby was the deserved winner against Shaun Murphy who actually lives in Dublin but it was a tremendous match with Murphy refusing to lie down until the very end.
The players were interviewed after the final frame was played and both men came across as really nice people, humble and down to earth which was a welcome change from listening to some of the sporting superstars who are as far from the real world as it is possible to be.
It was the first sporting event played before a capacity crowd anywhere in these islands for 14 months and it made for a magnificent occasion as the supporters of each player roared their favourites on.
It proves that sport at any level thrives on the enthusiasm and passion of those who follow that sport. The quicker we can have the crowds back at GAA, Soccer and Rugby matches the better not just for those sporting organisations but for the players themselves.
It was said more than once on the BBC last night-‘Sport is nothing without the fans’