Indo Sport
Ken Doherty | Practicing with Ronnie, Mark Allen's miss & the Chinese takeover
06 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is an Irish Independent Podcast.
everyone so Ken Doherty's on the way we have recorded the chat already with Ken very good very good lots of good stuff with Ken Doherty on the way Will Slattery here in the studio William Hi Joe Ken interesting because he's playing in the World Senior Championship which gets underway tomorrow and if Ken wins his first round match he plays Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Crucible in the second round so he's keen to do that so that's on the way very good Ken always a brilliant chat Ronnie dropping into the seniors is just fantastic
I'm assuming he'll ramp to victory, but I thought you can never take anything with Ronnie O'Sullivan for granted. But yeah, hopefully Ken gets that marquee match in two days' time. It's funny, Ken is very well placed to talk about how dramatic this championship was, particularly, obviously not withstanding that he's a world champion, but his 0-3 run to the final against Mark Williams was...
was as dramatic as it gets and had the hallmarks of a lot of the games that we saw over the last couple of weeks. I have a vivid childhood memory of playing a match and my dad frog-matching me from the pitch into the cab because Ken Doherty has cut it to 16-14 versus Paul Hunter in the semi-finals and racing back to watch the last couple of frames there to see him win into the finals.
So, yeah, he had lots to say on the drama.
It's hard to overstate for... younger listeners, of which there are so many. When Ken, 97 through to 03, 04, was in his pump, which was a good six, seven years all in. It really was like national occasion, world championships. Once he got to quarter semis final, I can see your dad, I need to get home.
I'm not exaggerating.
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Chapter 2: What insights does Ken Doherty share about his practice sessions with Ronnie O'Sullivan?
He came onto the pitch. He manhandled me. I was an 11-year-old and he manhandled me off the pitch. Steady. I mean, he just said, well, come on. No, no, it was hands on. But it's a funny thing. As a child watching that, you got to stay up late. You know, Ken Doherty, Mark Williams was finishing around midnight. It felt like, oh, this is a huge occasion.
When I was looking at the numbers, I think seven million watched that, you know, three, four million this year. So it's funny even then, like, so Ken was getting a really big reach and audience then even, you know, compared to what the guys would have gotten on Monday, which was an epic final as well. So, yeah, it was big business then.
It was big. And always, then as you got that bit older, teenage years and beyond, I mean, summer exams where I should be studying, but like, I'm not, you know, got to watch this. Yeah, it was great. And I used to play a good bit of snooker in our local snooker hall in Selbridge.
Really?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like that thing of with your mates after school. Let's head down the quarry, as it was called. I don't know what the official name for it, but in South... It's a good name.
It sounds good.
It's near a quarry, yeah. And it was near one. And it's a great snooker hall.
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Chapter 3: How did Ken Doherty feel about the recent World Snooker Championship final?
I'm still going to this day. And yeah, it was a really exciting time because Ken was there doing his thing and you'd be there. And it was, you know, people watching it and someone, it wasn't the TV, obviously, where all the tables were, but someone, he's back to 11 Hall. oh, right, let's have a new frame. Snook was just big then.
It was. And it's funny that it didn't spawn like another. No, it didn't. Because you often think when you have that one identifiable figure, can that be the spark for the next generation? It hasn't really happened. To be fair, Aaron Hill from Cork has reached the final qualifying round the last two years. And also David Gilbert both times.
So he's been knocking on the door of maybe getting back in. Even having someone on BBC first round would be good. That's how kind of a start we would be for an Irish representation. So that would be a great moment if Aaron can keep on that trajectory.
I feel tennis and snooker, we deserve some representation at the big time. This country has neutrally supported these events for the last 20 years.
Especially the snooker. I feel like we're crying out for another late night. Were you good at snooker? I know you like to brag about you're sporty, you're so good and an all-rounder. I was not good at snooker. What?
I know that's hard to believe.
You were good at tennis. I feel like, you know, it's like a... And golf.
Yeah. No, snooker's... That's tough. That is tough. We had a little six by three in the house for a while, you know what I mean? Oh, yeah. I could see you in the bow tie, actually. You kind of looked the part.
I could see you sitting in the seat and like, oh, Maloy, Maloy. He's sulking. He's not happy. Maloy, Mr. Blue into the middle.
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Chapter 4: What does Ken think about the pressure during a World Snooker final?
No. I can see that. I had a small table in the house. I usually used to play pool on it, to be honest. I didn't have the patience to learn the more technically difficult sport.
I'd say the top break would have been like a black, a pink, oh my God, and a blue. But I mean... No positional play going on. It's outrageously difficult.
You even see a full-size table in the flesh. It is outrageously big. It makes the long pot seem like absolutely outrageous if you see a snooker table in real life. On TV, it actually does not do it justice in any way, how big it is and the distances they're traveling.
Yeah, no, very impressive. But it was a great shot with Ken. To be good. So Ken's on the way. Ken's on the way. We should mention we don't have a Champions League offering today. We will very much have a Bonanza Champions League offering tomorrow. But Arsenal are in the final. They were 1-0 winners last night against Atletico. Saka scored relatively early on and Arsenal go through.
I would say they were relatively comfortable. We had a slightly different take on the game just chatting briefly outside. You didn't love this game last night.
No, I just felt Arsenal always had the game somewhat at arm's length. I know they only scored the goal right in half-time, but I always thought they were pretty comfortable. I was expecting the kitchen sink moment where Atletico would at least have a little purple patch towards the end.
Because Arsenal, obviously, as we've talked about a lot in the show, have been quite nervy in the Emirates in the closing stages of some games, closing them out. I thought they were quite comfortable last night. Once the ball went in from Saka, didn't detect... Much jeopardy in the game. Yeah, you seemed to enjoy the first half more than I did.
I thought the first half was brilliant, yeah. I thought it was really, really, really good. It wasn't bad. Lively. I mean, the atmosphere was extraordinary. Yeah, no, it was a great atmosphere in Ashburton Grove.
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Chapter 5: How is the dominance of Chinese players affecting the future of snooker?
Indeed. I think... The antagonism around Arsenal from pundits and from other fans has been very good for the fan base of Arsenal and the team. There's a proper siege mentality. I think all the acrimony around them fed into the atmosphere pre-game last night. I think it's us against the world is the feeling.
It kind of is. I actually feel like the negativity around Arsenal has probably unfairly clouded the reaction to the game. They haven't been in the Champions League final since 06, only their second ever. That is a big achievement. I know Atletico aren't maybe the big beast of the tournament. If they get to the final, they're playing one of them in the final, whoever that comes out of tonight.
That is worthy of marking in a meaningful celebratory way, I think. The celebration police are out. Because it was big. It was a big kind of outpouring of emotion and euphoria. But I'm like, is that not warranted? Like when Liverpool overcame, say, Chelsea in 05, when it would have been the first time they would have been in a European final in 20 years.
Jesus, it was huge celebrations at Anfield. It felt like a parade almost. So I feel like people are being a little harsh on that point.
Yeah, same. Because there was the initial euphoria. They all ran on the pitch and jumped around each other. And they went down one end. And then they went up the other end. The fireworks, obviously. They're putting on a show, the stadium. That's maybe a bit much. The players can't control that. But I... They looked to me like a very together unit in a good way.
Because I always remember a Leinster player once said to me they saw the Ulster players celebrating their semifinal win where they did like a big lap of honour in 2012. And they thought, yeah, we're going to win the final. I don't think it was that.
I think they would have won that anyway to be fair.
Well, that's the other thing. This is all... Superfluous stuff, you know. Oh, did they celebrate too much?
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Chapter 6: What challenges does Irish snooker face in nurturing new talent?
Does that give an advantage to someone in the final? It's obviously a complete irrelevance.
And it's become a very populist thing to knock the celebrations. You know, anyone celebrates a little too much, it's become very...
kind of de rigueur to be like oh that's just like so inappropriate god their heads are not in the game oh it's so small time to celebrate this like you haven't even won anything yet it's like well like they got to the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years and like the pressure on this club in particular in front of their home fans for the last you know
eight weeks in particular has been so intense I would forgive them that celebration last night even though it was there was a lot of it yeah because Jamie O'Hara I saw on Sky Sports News he has reached he's an honest broker he has reached for that low hanging fruit he has been celebration police but I thought it was kind of a joyous thing because they've had so much criticism they've had so many wobbles laid on and I think the Fulham game was so kind of authoritative and convincing and then this was like it was a very assured as a semi-final where there's only one goal in it
performance goes it was very like mature and so I think there was a sense in the stadium as well of celebrating the win and also we're back on track here you know there was that kind of a I think this is going to be okay kind of a feeling in the stadium
That's a significant point the way they saw that out because like three weeks ago even I feel like that would have been Helter Skelter and Atletico maybe because maybe it's Atletico's fault that they didn't press the issue a little bit more but Arsenal were far more comfortable than they ought to have been considering where they were at in similar situations in the league like where they were recently.
And I would say as well for Arteta, and again, you know, all the criticism or different accusations you can make at Arsenal, obviously it's a changing picture all the time.
So the caution which he's been attacked for for a lot of the season, I think you have to look at that team selection last night and say it was incredibly brave in that on the basis of one admittedly excellent performance against Fulham in midfield, this is Miles Lewis Skelly I'm talking about, Arteta took that and said, I'm plunging you into a Champions League semi-final where it's one all.
And that was an incredibly brave thing to do. And he was there alongside Declan Rice. Zubimendi was out. And it meant they went with three attacking players ahead of those two. And behind Jokeres, they went with Saka. Obviously, Saka being back is massive. They went with Eze through the middle. And Trossard out left. Trossard, he's a good workhorse.
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Chapter 7: How does Ken Doherty view the current state of snooker clubs in Ireland?
And Arsenal are just so good defensively. They just saw that off very well. The odd moment, but really... I watched it in a peculiar way in that I watched, you know, the first 50 minutes, hour live and then had to pause and go and do something. I came back.
And so when we got to the 80th minute, I was saying to you earlier, that's where I should have been like, oh, my God, they're throwing the kitchen sink. Why? This is electric, you know, 10 minutes plus at a time. And actually, I found myself doing the thing of, oh, this game hasn't broken out of its Arsenal pretty comfortable pattern. Flicked on a minute. Flicked on a minute.
Flicked on a... Oh, we're done. There was no...
you know last stand the keeper's coming up yeah but you know if you cover the clock you should be able to watch the last 10 minutes of a champions league semi-final one goal in it and detect a pattern of impetus from the away team but if you had covered the clock you would have you couldn't you wouldn't have been able to distinguish i don't think doing what part of the game it was in so yeah i agree with you on that one it never rose me out of my seat really towards the end no
It's a testament to Arsenal in some ways as well. In some ways it is, and it's a testament to the fact that this Atletico team are 15 points behind Barcelona in fourth. They're just not what they were. And I know Atletico have often not done brilliantly in La Liga and have that cup mentality, but they just didn't last night. So that's Arsenal through.
Who does, speaking to CBS, who does Bukayo Saka want to see in the final?
I'm sure you'll be watching tomorrow. Bayern, PSG. Oh, yes, for sure. Who do you want to go through? Who would you like to face in the final?
Come on, man. You can't ask me that. You know I'm going to have to give a mediator an answer to that question. But you know deep down who we want to face. That's what I'll say. Ooh, go on, go on, Mikael. No, don't. Leave it there, man.
I don't usually say this, but I had the exact same reaction as me. That was a saucy answer. My first thought was... But who, though? Yeah. I mean, I think PSG are marginally better than Bayern, but it's not like a you know deep down.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of the recent changes in snooker coaching and training?
They beat Bayern 2-0 in the Emirates.
Yeah.
Remember the rotation? That's where the... Tell me about these rotations, on Hagrid's ass. That's where that came from. And Declan Rice went, oh, man. Oh, mate. Bayern are probably the best team. Yeah, it's like... So I'm assuming that's what it's to do with. Because he's like, you all know. You all know what I'm thinking. But like...
Either way, you're not favourites. It's not like you beat them 2-0 in the group stages. God, you're nailed on here.
I'd make them decent underdogs against either of them in the final. But betting-wise, it might be tight. I don't know because it's a cup final and Arsenal are definitely capable of winning 1-0. But just in my mind, I do think whoever comes out tonight, I would just think is a strong favourite. I think a strong favourite. But that might not materialise.
Well, I think you can pitch it as whoever wins tonight, even against Arsenal, who may be the best defensive side in Europe when they put their mind to it. You'd say whoever wins tonight is going to score two, if not three in the final, very conceivably. Will Arsenal score two? Will Arsenal score... I mean, it's hard to see Arsenal scoring three. So I agree with you.
I make whoever wins tonight favourites. So I was just such a curious... I was thinking, do they beef with someone?
I love how he teased it up as, you have to give the media trained answer and then gives the opposite to a media trained answer. Such a juicy answer.
The best answer I've heard in a while. Because if you had just said, oh, look, there's not much between them, maybe, Byron, but there's not much, that would have been one thing. I love, I imagine, yeah. Another scenario, someone saying something. We both know deep down. We both know.
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