Snooker fan attends each session of Sheffield World Championships

For 15 days in a row Jennie Bancroft has watched on as snooker’s prime gamers go face to face within the World Championships at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre.

However, having gained a contest to attend each session of the event, is the 37-year-old from Irvine beginning to go snooker crazy?

“At first, I used to be like ‘is it a joke?’ I had that second of ‘is it a hoax? this is not actual’ however I used to be over the moon, I used to be thrilled. I do not win issues usually so it was wonderful,” she says.

“Fortunately the seats on the Crucible are fairly comfy, however they don’t seem to be designed to be sat in for eight hours a day. It has been slightly bit laborious on the again and the knees. Particularly approaching 40, there’s lots of creaks, lots of cracks.”

Ms Bancroft first obtained into snooker as a baby, watching alongside her dad, grandma and brothers.

Then, after a hiatus from the game as a young person, the 2008 match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter drew her again in.

That yr, O’Sullivan beat Carter 18-8 to take his third World Championship Crown.

To have the ability to see each body of each match, Ms Bancroft has been sat in the midst of the Crucible, turning her head forwards and backwards between tables – so she’s grateful the championships at the moment are right down to only one sport.

“It is simpler on the mind,” she says. “As a result of, with the concept being you watch each match, each body, I have been in a position to see each tables, so it has been a bit like Wimbledon. Which is enjoyable, however I could not maintain observe on who was on a deciding body, who’s successful, so it is good now it is calmer.”

And, whereas the remainder of Sheffield has been having fun with unseasonably heat climate, she has seen little or no of it.

“It has been bizarre, the previous couple of days, the place it has been so sunny exterior and I’ve been caught inside having to place my jacket on as a result of the air-con will get too chilly.

“But it surely’s not been too dangerous. It is not going to stunt my progress at this level. I’ve not obtained rickets,” she says.

Very similar to Wimbledon, snooker is known for its quiet, hushed audiences, which means at instances Ms Bancroft has needed to keep silent for hours at a time.

“Individuals who know me can be shocked at how straightforward it has been to remain quiet,” she says.

“I am normally fairly loud. I’ve grow to be actually delicate to noise although, as a result of as quickly as somebody rustles or whispers I am like ‘shhh shut up’ and get offended. So I would want some noise remedy afterwards.”

Ms Bancroft went into the event hoping for a win for Mark Selby – her favorite participant – however sadly he went out of the championships within the first spherical.

“I used to be very unhappy when he went out within the first spherical, I cried,” she says.

“I met the man who beat him, Ben Woollaston, the opposite day and he was actually candy.

“He stopped for an image and I mentioned to him ‘I forgive you, I used to be very offended with you for beating Selby’ and he mentioned ‘everybody was’.

“Selby is fairly straightforward on the attention and he is such an fascinating participant to me as a result of he can bash within the balls and make centuries.

“Individuals say he is sluggish however he may be very quick however then he is obtained this wonderful tactical mind. Simply watching that’s the magic of snooker.”

This yr’s event has been overshadowed by the announcement from Barry Hearn that the competitors might depart Sheffield.

So, after spending virtually three weeks within the metropolis, how would Ms Bancroft, who runs a snooker podcast known as Wine Rack, really feel if it left and she or he needed to go elsewhere?

“Terrible. It might be the dying of it,” she says. “It might be the worst thought on the planet.

“I perceive the place they’re coming from that they suppose ticket gross sales are the be all and finish all however there are different methods to generate income that they’ve not thought of. It is that lack of creativeness that will kill off snooker.

“The Crucible is synonymous with snooker. It is like Wimbledon or Lords. So to take it away from right here could be the largest mistake.

“It’s small however due to that it makes life more durable for the gamers. It is making their job harder as a result of they’re underneath a lot extra scrutiny.

“Whenever you’re speaking in regards to the pinnacle of any sport that needs to be the toughest issues that you just do. It needs to be the hardest not the largest and that is what it’s right here.

“It is a incredible place for stay snooker. There’s nothing like this place, so whereas it’s right here, if you happen to get the possibility, take it.”