Is Snooker 'dying' In Scotland? Or Is It Just 'different'?

John Higgins' Crucible exit astatine nan quarter-final shape not only ended Scotland's hopes of a 5th world title for different year, but halted his nation's practice astatine nan Crucible altogether.

Higgins, who turns 50 successful a fewer weeks, continues to compete astatine nan highest level successful a profession of astonishing longevity.

'The Wizard of Wishaw' , though, was nan only Scottish subordinate to compete astatine nan World Championship this year.

For a federation which has delivered 12 world titles successful nan past 35 years, it is simply a perchance worrying statistic for those who emotion snooker.

So will location beryllium different Higgins aliases Stephen Hendry? Or has Scotland has its time dominating connected nan greenish baize?

More than 4 decades ago, Jim Donnelly entered nan iconic Crucible to go nan first Scot to return his spot successful nan historical theatre of world snooker.

"Players successful Scotland were making period breaks, but didn't judge successful themselves," he told BBC Scotland of nan absence of compatriots successful nan years before.

"As soon arsenic Scottish players saw me, they thought 'I've beaten him earlier and if he tin spell professional, truthful tin I'."

Donnelly mightiness person mislaid successful nan opening information successful nan 1982 tourney - to finalist Ray Reardon - but it was conscionable nan start.

He roseate to 29th successful nan world rankings, but mislaid his nationalist title successful 1987 to a young Edinburgh player.

Three years on, that rising prima became nan youngest ever world champion astatine 21 - a title he still holds - pinch nan first of 7 victories that earned Hendry nan nickname 'King of nan Crucible'.

Higgins followed suit - claiming 4 world titles - and continues to beryllium astatine nan apical of nan crippled arsenic he nears his 50th birthday.

Graeme Dott won nan 2006 title. And Alan McManus, Stephen Maguire and Anthony McGill person each reached nan semi-finals.

Donnelly sewage his first glimpse of Higgins erstwhile he coached him aged 9 aliases 10 successful Wishaw, and knew aft conscionable a mates of hours he was "something special".

But while hopeful, he thinks it will beryllium a difficult task to find personification to return connected nan mantle of Scotland's starring player.

"The problem successful Scotland pinch snooker is it's dying," says Donnelly, who besides coached McManus and McGill. "We don't person anyone tin of doing what nan remainder of america did.

"They are bully players, they put nan activity in, they emotion snooker. But they don't get nan champion of their expertise out. They curtail it by refusing to play definite shots, to beryllium a spot much attacking.

"Quite a fewer group don't realise what's involved. The unit and magnitude of clip you person to walk astatine a array connected your own.

"People deliberation it's great. It's not. I utilized to beryllium six, seven, 8 hours a time successful a nine pinch nan doors unopen successful nan backstage room practising myself. And you are doing that time aft time aft day. It's what you put into it."

There is nary mobility snooker arsenic a full faces different challenges than successful nan highest of its fame successful nan UK successful nan 1980s and 90s.

Access to different sports has improved, location are much leisure activities for illustration gaming disposable to young people, and location are less snooker halls crossed nan country.

These are challenges those moving successful nan athletics are keenly alert of, though not fatalistic about.

"It's decidedly not a dying sport; it's conscionable different," insists Anne Totten of Scottish Snooker.

Totten - whose boy Chris mislaid successful nan world title qualifiers this twelvemonth - volunteers pinch nan governing assemblage moving to turn nan sport.

She points to nan nonaccomplishment of cigaret sponsors and nan Covid pandemic arsenic factors successful really things person changed, pinch nan closure of clubs during lockdown hitting hard.

Rising costs for and nan deficiency of halfway backing is besides taking its toll.

"A fewer years ago, our academies were performing really well," she explained. "Our numbers had accrued immensely, it was increasing and connected nan up, but past Covid [hit]."

"It was 1 of nan worst-hit sports because of licensing and authorities reopening times aft lockdown, truthful really it was 18 months mislaid and wherever young group recovered different things."

Despite that, Totten insists snooker is Scotland is recovering and is much inclusive than ever.

There is simply a caller circuit for nan over-55s, different for women, and players connected different tours from "very divers backgrounds".

Approximately 40 aliases 50 kids are attending inferior academies successful Scotland, pinch betwixt 10 and 20 young players playing connected tours from nether 14s to nether 21s, and immoderate competing crossed property groups.

Snooker, though, is pushing to go a much world athletics and China, pinch a organization of astir 1.4 billion, is astatine nan forefront of nan crippled pinch six players making it to nan past 16 of this year's world championship.

So while Totten believes location is talent successful Scotland, nan level of title makes it progressively difficult to break done connected nan world stage.

"I deliberation sometimes it's overlooked that location is simply a number of young group coming done successful what is really, really fierce competition," Totten said, citing nan likes of Dean Young, Liam Graham, Ross Muir and Scott Donaldson.

"Conditions are incredibly difficult for young people. Although nan opportunities are there, those opportunities are location crossed nan globe and everyone's competing for a mini number of spaces."

It remains to beryllium seen whether immoderate of those spaces connected nan master circuit will beryllium taken by a young Scot, aliases whether Higgins will proceed to beryllium nan modular bearer.