New snooker format backed by Ronnie O’Sullivan solves legend’s pet hat | Other | Sport

Ex-Crucible king Joe Johnson would have welcomed some of the innovations from the Snooker 900 competition in his playing days. The format has been given a major boost by the launch of Pluto Snooker 900, a dedicated channel showing 18 hours of live sport every week.

The 900 format sees 15-minute frames with a 20-second shot clock. A ball must touch a cushion on any shot, unless it’s a pot, while any foul gives the opponent ball in hand. It is giving amateurs, including disabled players, the chance to play live on TV, with more than £600,000 in prize money to be handed out over the next 12 months. Snooker 900 is the brainchild of sports promoter Jason Francis, who manages Ronnie O’Sullivan. The Rocket is one of the faces of the channel and has even hinted he could take part himself if his schedule allows.

Johnson, the 1986 world champion, was involved as the new channel launched with a Legends Week at Francis’s Crucible Club in Reading. He said: “I like it, very much so. It’s fantastic that people who might never have played on TV are getting that chance.

“I like the 20-second shot clock. I like the fact that if there’s a foul, you can pick the white up and put it wherever you want. That’s a new one on me but you get used to various ways of playing the game. It’s an exciting prospect.”

Asked if he would have liked to have played under such rules, he said: “Absolutely, anything that speeds the game up is good for me.”

On his bugbear slow play, he recalled: “When I was playing at my best, there were always good players that could slow natural players down, like Terry Griffiths and Cliff Thorburn. They were very, very good at it. They could frustrate players.

“Otherwise, Jimmy [White] would have won a lot more than what he has done. That was certainly a factor. It [slow play] got on my nerves but you have to cope with that.”

Another star of the 80s, Tony Knowles, also has high hopes for Pluto Snooker 900. He said: “This [the channel] is going to be very good for amateur snooker, especially playing in the 900 format.

“It throws up different scenarios compared to the usual snooker game and it’s quick. Ball in hand makes a big difference. It’s going to be exciting.”

***Watch Pluto 900 Snooker online at **pluto.tv, via your smart TV or by downloading the Pluto TV app.