Potters puns and Derby Day loom - a killer weekend

I love snooker. Listening to a game being played, like golf, is pretty relaxing.

And then there is playing the game yourself. Back in the day, six of us would head down to Clarke’s Snooker Club near the city centre for three hours on the baize, before walking to Carrow Road and watching Norwich struggle to draw against Tranmere et al. Heady days.

Sadly, like my skills at most sports, I’m not very good at playing snooker.

Six weeks ago I spotted the first flyers for this weekend’s snooker fest. The Premier League Snooker semi-finals and final will be held at Potters in Hopton on Saturday and Sunday respectively, and it is damn exciting to have the likes of Stephen Hendry, Joe Perry, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan working their magic in Norfolk.

If you’ve bought an EDP recently, you are bound to have seen one of my snooker pieces - I've written enough of them.

I've spoken to almost all of the four finalists – including the game’s greatest ever player, Stephen Hendry.

And no, he was a thoroughly decent, cheerful bloke.

But one of the four has eluded me, the first one I requested to speak to more than two weeks ago - Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Still no word yet, and I don’t expect there to be – it’s his birthday today.

But I have the golden ticket to cover the weekend’s events at the aptly named Potters, so good things come to those who wait.

It’s a definite sports feast this weekend. Beyond two nights of world class snooker is one of the biggest games of the season for any Norwich fan.

As usual, it almost feels like a death sentence beforehand (not literally, of course). Whether that transpires to be the case or not, 90 minutes of going through the wringer awaits.

There have been some classic derbies at Carrow Road over the years, as David (Cuffley) featured during the week – most with floodlights.

Unless the sun takes a real turn for the worst on Sunday, the latest Norwich v Ipswich encounter will be played in daylight.

And it doesn’t need to be a classic.

But for all us Yellows, it needs to be worth it. Keep those fingers crossed.

posted on 05 December 2008 14:51 byMichael Bailey - Sportsdesk

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