Dave Gilbert wants to see snooker livened up in hope of attracting a younger audience to the game, with shorter formats and an end to what he says is ‘the worst rule I’ve ever seen.’
The 43-year-old first turned professional in 2002, with two World Championship semi-final runs and one ranking title to his name, he has experienced plenty in his time in the game.
The Angry Farmer is also seeing the sport from grassroots level as owner of Potters in Swadlincote, where pool is proving a more popular game than snooker, especially among youngsters.
Gilbert would love to see a few changes, starting with short formats in every event other than the World Championship, all the way to the end of tournaments.
‘I think best of 11 is the bang on format for any match,’ Gilbert told the Talking Snooker podcast. ‘I don’t think we need to play any more than that. I like the short formats because snooker’s boring!
‘You can’t change the World Championship, never, but I’d change the qualifying back to best of 11. No one needs to play best of 19, I prefer it as a best of 11.
‘I can’t believe that some of these people want to play best of 19s. The World Championship [qualifying] changed to best of 11, there was a lot of screaming and moaning but for me it was far better. I wouldn’t want to be a ref for hardly any of them matches of best of 19, I feel sorry for them.’
The Farmer likes the idea of finals staying the same length as the first round of events, giving lower-ranked players a better chance of success. From the Home Nations, which start at best of sevens, to a tournament as prestigious as the UK Championship.
‘UK is perfect, best of 11s, but don’t change the final from best of 11. Whatever it starts as in the first round, that should be every match, you keep the same format every game,’ he said.
‘In the Home Nations how many times do you see a lower-ranked player get through the draw, they can win to four, everybody can play well for four frames, but they can’t win to nine, impossible.’
Gilbert also wants to see the miss rule scrapped and fouls result in ball-in-hand, which he reckons would speed the game up and encourage players to try and hit a ball at the first attempt rather than take on trickier, more advantageous shots on multiple occasions.
‘The miss rule is the worst rule I’ve ever seen!’ Gilbert said. ‘When there’s 14 reds on the table and you’re playing someone like Mark Selby, an incredible player, if you say, “Mark, here’s £10,000 to hit a red,” then he’ll hit a red.
‘Snookering somebody now is almost pointless because they’re basically trying to miss the ball for three or four goes. A foul is not enough to try and encourage somebody to hit the balls. They’re trying to get the thin edge, flick it safe. I do it, I get it, you use the rule to your advantage, but there’s no point to a snooker anymore.
‘It takes forever to put the balls back, it slows the game up. If you just made it foul, ball-in-hand, bang, people will hit the ball. And if they don’t then the geezer who played a good shot to get a snooker has a reward. The amount of times there is zero reward…
‘I hate the miss rule, so I’d definitely change that.’
One way of modernising snooker that is often suggested is a move away from the traditional dress code, but while Gilbert is happy to see new ideas tested out, he would rather see players improve their standards with the current attire.
‘I have no problem with the dress code,’ said the world number 21. ‘I’d like to see more people make an effort with how they look because a lot of people are very scruffy.
‘It’s your job and place of work, I think you should make an effort to look as smart as you can, get a tailored suit and actually have clothes that fit you.
‘The silly Judd Trump dickie bows should be banned, apart from Judd because he actually has one that fits him properly and looks smart, there’s so many of them with the top button undone and look a shambles.
‘But it would be cool to have a better dress code in other events. The Home Nations we’ve got trousers and a boring black shirt. Judd Trump said something years ago about the dress code and he was spot on. Liven it up for the kids.’
Another player who goes for one of the ‘silly Judd Trump dickie bows’ is Si Jiahui, who has become probably the brightest young talent in the sport.
The 22-year-old is yet to land his first big title but has been to two ranking finals and the World Championship semis in 2023 and Gilbert reckons he is going all the way to the top.
‘I think Si Jiahui is going to be the first Chinese world champion,’ he said. ‘He looked like he could be the youngest world champion at one point.
‘He’s got a great technique, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before that lad wins one and I can see him as world number one, one day.’
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