Snooker is played across the country but struggles to reach anyway near the participation numbers of football.
It’s rare you’ll hear a group of lads collectively say ‘let’s go down the snooker this weekend.’ There is not the same mentality that surrounds snooker compared to football. The latter is the national sport, and by far the most popular in the UK. That’s not to say snooker isn’t popular; it is, but it’s far, far off football. Buy why is this the case, and will it change in the future?Just how popular is football in the UK?
Football is more than just a sport, it is a culture in the UK. An accumulative total of over 14.5 million fans attended live Premier League matches last season, with millions more watching at home on TV. That’s not to mention the many leagues below the top division.
It’s not only popular in a spectating capacity, but also a playing capacity as well. Thousands of leagues exist across the UK, offering players of all ages a chance to be a part of the game. A recent figure stood the tally at 11 million footballers currently playing in the UK. Simply put, there is a far greater opportunity to kick a ball about than to knock some balls around on the felt.
…And snooker?
Snooker peaked in the UK in the 1970s and 80s. A massive 20 million viewers watched the World Championship Final in 1985 between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. Football’s rise in popularity in the early nineties, not to mention the inception of the Premier League, had a direct effect on snooker in the UK.
It’s popularity declined, despite greats such as Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan being new to the scene. China took the baton as the nation that would drive the sport on. Nowadays, 60 million players play in China, but that instigates timing problems, as many of the latest top players will be competing in Asia at an unfavourable time to the general snooker fan in the UK.
In terms of recreational play, many pubs or bars will have a snooker table. However, it can be difficult to actually locate a local club.
Why is snooker not as popular?
There are a few reasons at present why specifically snooker cannot match the popularity of football. Football’s popularity comes down to its marketability. One way in which it is marketed is through the fantasy football game, which is hugely popular among millions of fans. There are many reasons why people watch football, but fantasy football alone is enough for fans who play the game to invest interest in the sport and keep them watching every week.
The ideology behind supporting a team is also a big factor behind the popularity of football. It is far more difficult to get behind one (snooker) player as opposed to an entire team who are representing an area or specific place. In supporting a team, you are part of something. You are instantly connected to thousands of complete strangers simply down to the fact you want the same group of people to do well.
Snooker players do not encourage that same cult following. People spectate snooker just for the quality of the matches. With football, a match could be the most boring on paper, yet supporters will still attend games to simply follow their team. Other aspects such as atmosphere and the whole experience of visiting an iconic stadium also come into play.
Will snooker ever become as popular?
It is difficult to see snooker ever being on football’s level in the future. The latter is far too ingrained into society now, in many different ways. Match of the Day alone is one of the most popular television shows of all-time.
The commercialisation of the sport, with the likes of Super Sundays and Monday Night Footballs being very successful marketing ideas for the Premier League, have only propelled its popularity by embracing football’s marketing potential.
Snooker has failed to implement a snooker-equivalent to the Premier League that can emulate the success that football has seen as a result
For snooker to ever reach the levels of football, something catastrophic must happen in football to deter millions from not only following it, but ensure they completely eradicate it from their lives. But snooker doesn’t have to challenge in terms of popularity, participation or viewing figures. The two sports are about as different from one another as you can get. As long as snooker continues to appeal to the core set of fans who truly admire the sport for the skilful art form that it is, it will continue to enthral and excite us regardless of how popular football becomes.