Ronnie: I Recognise Myself In Roy | Stick to Football EP 8

I recognize a bit of myself in Royal I was like I wanted to kill him I wanted to have it you know I was fuming I thought how would you do that to me you know when you stop enjoying it it's time to throw the tow you know I don't feel like you have to be laughing 24/7 cuz that's just some people like that it's you got me m m me off you went get the white there get the white there and if you got it there you can't get right there and if you put it there you can't dig down at the cuq I was like really like where's your red at I mean I'd never think like that if you practice hard enough to be able to be as good with your left hand as your right and other people are going to be vexed about that that's their problem this is it R on you Ry this is it go for it you know what can I get get freezing I can't drink C to me has to be pip and hot get we get fresh tea there a hot tea there Ronnie's complaining about there he says it's b c he wants it pipe and hot I sure best break what's your best break in snooker have you got a good break no chance look he's buzzing is he 4 by two Jimmy wa went on a tour years ago this is in his book Alex Higgins tour around Ireland where you're playing exhibition stuff and heway obviously on a piss whatever and they're about three or four hours late for this appearance in dun do somewhere like Sports Hall so they turn up there the guy a couple hundred in there waiting for you and they looked at Alex and went and where's the table you're supposed to have the [ __ ] table I thought wearing a table with him right right ready right here we go right welcome to stick to football brought to you by Sky Bet R an absolute privilege this week to be joined by one of the greatest Sportsmen of all time and certainly the greatest sneer player of all time Ronnie welcome to stick to football he's Gary and you brought a documentary out the edge of everything why did you decide to make this documentary now um one because I was playing and I thought it'd be easier to do a documentary while I was playing um cuzz then I could just follow me just doing what I normally do um and I just thought it was quite a bit of a buzz to have someone follow me and try and win the World Championships and try and do something good uh so it was kind of a way of incentivizing myself to get motivated to put a little bit of pressure on myself not too much but enough to sort of make me get in the Roy keing mode of come on let's have it you know did you did you feel they run when you had the cuz you was miked up all the time which was really quite um quite an insight was you ever thinking about the fact that you're miced up at first I was yeah at first you kind of think oh you know like you know got this microphone on me but after a while it was just no it was just normal you know I've done 17 days of it just playing every match every session so you just play in the end you know but you're obviously aware that you know they're picking up whatever you say but then I knew they wasn't going to put something out there that would get me into trouble hopefully not you loved it didn't you you said to me before it's one of the best documentaries you've ever seen it's easily for me because it's so raw and it's just you just felt it was just him and the mic and everybody else yeah you just s of heard voices but it was we was just with him all the time so you saw everything you could feel everything you could see everything and and one of the things one what got me more than anything wrong was the bit when um it's probably at the end when you said you can't do it anymore because then now I've been on a journey with you and seen um everything you've done so well I think is when you your kids came or you might have been with Jud Trump when you said you're done you know what I mean that for that that really got me yeah tell us tell us because cuz it was it just felt so roller coaster yeah it was just that tournament as well you know like the World Championships is 17 days you know if it was 12 days I could probably cope with it but at my age I just find I get to the semi-finals and I'm done you know like my legs are heavy my arms are heavy and I think this is only when the tournament starts to begin so it's like kind of went into like just survival mode um and then obviously playing Higgins in the semi was for me my greatest rival so that was a big match for me to win and then Jud in the final was a phenomenal player I mean like he's a beast you know he's just an animal and I knew I was have to like you know call on every bit of experience I had and then when I was I thought I can't do this no more as in like face this sort of situation I can play tournaments no problem and cruise through most of the torns but that one in particular it's like the Iron Man it's like you know it's just goes on forever and ever and you just think do I really need to keep putting myself through that you know it's um it's a tough it's a tough event you know I always think of that rivalry in terms of sort of the great snooker players of the past and you think of I think Steven Henry's on seven World titles I think you're on seven as well yeah is that on the back of your mind to sort of thinking I've almost just got to get that last one to just get over that line and sort of be the sort of number one in terms of prizes one there at the Cru not really cuz I never really was chasing records I was just happy to turn pro get on there play Henry my hero play Davis you know get you know just get on TV that was my that was my at one point that was my ambition you know I never had this belief that I'm going to be world champion I watched a lot of highlights snooker and every time I switched on it was like 1980 so they skipped all the bad bits in my head I'm thinking you got to play unbelievable snoo and then I went and watched a Live Match once and there was missing balls left right and center and I was like's going so highlights kind of like put my head in a bit of a funny space of like where you think you need to be at but Ste h a hero of your I always felt there was a a little bit of need total admiration for me he's my hero um yeah I I kind of yeah no he's my hero he's a machine is he he's a machine yeah he's like the Tiger Woods Michael schumacker just Relentless just cold ice phenomenal for me it's like he's everything I wanted to be I'm the complete opposite bit BR bit vulnerable bit fall apart but he never just you know I'm sure he did fall apart but you just never he' never show it you know it was just sort of like this it's like still you know there's a point early in the documentary where you're getting asked either or questions and I think the question was family or friends and you say neither yeah now do you know what it is when I yeah cuz when you're in world like they they ask you to do these interviews and I just you look like you didn't want to do it I don't want to do anything for them basically I try and just give them absolutely zero because they've given me zero over the years so whenever they ask me for something I think you're getting absolutely nothing out of me and um that was my whole point just he end up laughing at the end of it didn't you yeah cuz cuz I feel like I'm just sort of giving them I'm not giving them nothing think sweet and that's why I'm laughing I'm thinking you're hating it I don't care what you do I don't care what you say but let's just go you know go through the emotions he the man who's lived in snooker and sort of brought more eyeballs to Snooker than anybody what what is it that you just despise don't like about the author just not good about being told what I can and can't do you know and I think there's a kind of like a restriction on you though although they it's an individual sport they're more thinking of the collective like what's good for 128 players and sometimes what's good for 128 players isn't necessarily good for me so they want to treat you're all the same but then they want me to do extra work extra this and extra I'm saying you you want everyone to be equal but only when it suits you so you know that that's when it becomes a little bit difficult so me doing my own thing sort of doesn't sort of sit right with the with how they like you all to sort of stand in line I suppose what I enjoyed about the the the sh Ron it was your the the conflict obviously in your head and I felt really uncomfortable watching a lot of it which is good you know cuz usually documentaries as we know obviously edited to look all a bit upbeat and whatever that was edited I'm sure it was what really Samaritans but I enjoyed it because obviously people years ago particularly with sports people was about you you just want to see the best bits and as if top sports people don't have flaws yeah so I think it was nice to see all that side I know it was edited of course and but it's still I thought very very powerful you know what you know I loved as well Roy is the um cuz I cuz I I can't watch I I was saying I've done an interview last night and they said what what is it about and I said listen if I turn on the TV it's like like he's on like whatever is Euros sport whatever it is I I I will watch I watch I'm sucked in I'm I'm I'm I'm in you know what I mean I've watched a couple of these 147 I watched I even watched the one when you didn't put the black which I was like I was like wow how can he do that what was he going to get for something like three grand or five grand and so check with the referee how much it was I knew what the price was but I thought like how can I put my point across without like cuz you go in the media you stay explain it to people because it's it's 147 it's perfect to do that and Pro done it was it about 4,000 think but yeah yeah but the reason you didn't do it was because it was so low isn't it yeah we used to get cars every T used to get a car and I used to look at the car that's worth getting i' get it and then it was like a nice sort of prize and then they they stopped the one they stopped that and then they stopped the 147 break prize for Sheffield and well that's me out I'm not making no more Maxes I can't help it you know I'm just you know so um and then I was like so I knew it was for Grand and I went okay on the second red I went what's the 147 things cuz I thought you got to like kind of create a bit bit of a story lineing so when uh he said I don't know you better find out I was waiting around I was when I looked back I think the next red was right tricky red I but you just get this instinctive feeling s I'm having this this is on you know what I mean like everything can be going terribly wrong but I just thought yeah I fancy this little Max here so anyway he was wandered off and then I thought this I'm standing I said anyway I thought I start putting a few balls I'm have you found out yet and he's no I ain't so said well you better find out I I and he say me talking to the ref and then obviously the final black I was like I ain't parting it and um but then yeah no B about supps watching no no no no cuz I love the fans I love the fans you know it's not about the fans it's more more about valuing the players not I'm not on about it's just the players you know so sometimes I'm doing it more for the players because the the mid rank low rank players players have got it a thousand times worse and they kind of haven't got a voice and they don't really get valued for all the hard work and effort they get put in and that's what I find difficult so um but you know that's that's just did you feel almost because you are the biggest name in snooky you almost feels like to people like us you are snooker do you almost feel like it's your job to almost take the game on to fight for the other players coming through as well because you got such a big profile I think they should be treated better uh Fair more fairly in in a way you know given um better formats better sort of structure to all so they can be a bit more you know um it's more of a professional job rather than sort of you know not knowing when your next paycheck's going to come and sort of like being stuck at playing top players every you know it's destroying a lot of careers so but you know it gets to the point where no one really wants to say anything so you kind of have to then just take a back seat and go well I can't be the only one sort of trying to fight this battle you need a lot of people to come along so hence that's why about 8 years ago I just just decided to do my own stuff my own exhibitions cuz I love playing I love competing but just having my little bit on the side just makes me think okay I've got my own sort of thing going on there and I just use the snooker tournaments as like you know hello I'm here I'm still playing snooker and I still love competing I still like to win as much as anybody else does on the circuit but I'm not prepared to give them every little bit of sen of my body you know they can have a little bit but it's a good reminder as well cuz again everyone have this impression like yourself Ronnie people who really talented that you just turn up at weekends and it all happens out you know it's do they forget about we probably guilty of that as well you watch people who really talented go but again the pressure you're under the demands the sacrifices it's a good reminder to everyone that the sacrifice have to be made Talent certainly isn't enough no it's never enough when you're watching the documentary did you see a little bit of yourself in running in that wasn't that bad no not really but I can identify with people who you had demands and your pressure and your people pleasing and your pressure from obviously within pressure from family members and supporters yeah I could identify a lot of what he was going through absolutely that that mental pressure I'd I think we've all suffered some sort of mental pressure in different situations in our own careers but you know looking at the Su again maybe obviously we were part of a team and I've read stuff about you know sneaker player slightly different if you make a mistake you got to sit there and watch at least with football we can maybe react quickly but you have to sit there and take that punishment so I'm guessing mentally it must be a lot tougher I don't know that feels that feels like something cuz cuz when like I say I watch you a lot and when you miss I always watch you sit down and see what you say it's good to see you sitting down cuz like cuz I would be saying what you're saying [ __ ] and so when you sit down and then someone's in someone like Jud what do you actually think about when you're when you're seeing is he going to miss oh he he not missed what what do you think about um usually like when you're like involved in the game you don't care you just kind of go if you hit me with a barrage I'm GNA hit you with a barrage but in that one particular session where I got I went nervy nervy I I had stage fright and I've only had it twice in my life where I've got out there and I couldn't actually push the queue through wow and that frightened me and I thought this ain't going to go until I get out of this session and get back to my hotel room and regroup and then my worst fear was that I might do it again in the evening and it happened in the first world final I played in against John Higgins the first yeah it was the final session of the of the final and I literally thought you know just didn't know what to do I managed to get through it I don't know how um and then it was the next time was against Jud and maybe it's because it was my last potential final and I just had such a big lead you know 125 I was sitting there that's why I don't know what's happened here has he played terrible if I play I wasn't quite sure like how it had happened cuz I was thinking this is going to be a ding-dong battle and at 125 everyone's saying it's done it's dust it's seven let's get on to the E and I'm thinking this ain't done leads get like at the cruci bow leads get taken away it's a bit like you know when Liverpool played in the Europe Cup final 3 lead is 3-0 lead might be big in most matches but when it's the European Cup and you got it and it's all charged up one goal can really shift it and it's sort of like the intense the pressure just does weird things to I mean look at AC Milan a tough team but they crumbled mate you just was on them and it's like and that's what can happen at the cruiser it's well documented your relationship I think with Steve Peters when you when you're talking about obviously in game as well is is is he at the games is he someone you speak to if if you s of go to an intervie around there you speak to get through those moments for the first year he was in my dressing room the whole time we worked together cuz I I needed it really I needed to sort of have him there but then after that I was I was all right and I know he's a busy guy and I didn't want to take up too much of his time because obviously um you know I just and so we do a lot of stuff on the phone call and he said to me look he said I can only show you tell you he said if you're not prepared to do the homework then it's not going to make a bit of difference so I was like okay cool so i' done the homework and I still continue to do it when I need to do it um but yeah you know I feel right now the biggest thing was me was just realizing why I used to just throw matches away um I used to think I was doing it cuz I I didn't care but I really I did care it's just that I couldn't cope with playing badly so I'd be looking for the exit door whereas now I play bad and I just think no just grind it out just grind it out so it all it's done is added a bit of resilience to me you know and so I win a lot of matches now where I'm probably not the better player but I just dig in and kind of get it to the tight part of the match you know I think if it's first to five and I get to three or think oh okay right I'm I'm fancy my chances here you know we really I could have lost that match 5-1 pre Steve Peters so it was getting through them moments which has really helped with Steve and you know it's gave me a chance to sort of fulfill my potential if you like the first time I I watched you live you were actually losing I think the world Final 5 n or 51 yeah 5 nil down yeah yeah and I remember sort of seeing you in the interval a situ ation where your former coach who coached you was coaching you know the opposition player at the time yeah I didn't mind him coaching it wasn't that he was um coaching another player but at The Crucible obvious goes on for 17 days but my ex coach had about three or four players and they'd all got beat and he disappeared so okay he's gone didn't see him for 10 days and then 10 minutes before the final I've comeing and he's getting balls out for the fell that I that's a nice move just straight away I'm you know I recognize a bit of myself in Roy I was like want to kill him I I want it to have it you know I was fuming I thought how would you do that to me you know I was gutted and uh I went 5 no down I'm like Ray re's in the in the in dressing room he don't know what what's going on he's like what are you talking about calm down I was like calm down I said like it's anyway I got to 53 and I got him on the phone at the interval and I'm chatting to him I can see him talking down in the car par he couldn't see me talking to him he's walking around like now and I was like I was on him you know I had to say what I had to say and anyway my mate reminded me what I said to him as well well I said don't wor I'm going to bash him up as well he's going down there you know cuz that's just in me you know what I mean but I have to calm that down you know it's like as a snoker player you can't really but it's in me it's like I can't get it out but I have to sort of like recognize it you know know it's me but Park him up a bit you know it's uh gets you into trouble sometimes desert Ron can you remember your um can you remember your first real proper significant break when you was younger so you think wow yeah really good what was it um my first breakthrough when I was about 12 when I cuz it's like having the odd good frame you make a 100 or you make whatever and then like you play six or seven pathetic frames yeah um but then when I was 12 I was playing a prime and I went long red 80 next frame long red 90 next frame long red 100 and I went okay I'm a player right I thought I'm a proper player now cuz it's about doing it regular you know and for me it was like okay you were 12 then you I was 12 yeah yeah and that's when I thought and I end up winning the tournament which was like a pro amate it was like a mixture of amateurs professionals and then there was me this 12y old um beating beating pros and amateurs so it was um big turning moment in my career mentally belief wise you know because you you know the 5 minute 147 yeah what was your tell me your mindset then because you kind of mentioned something about almost like it was just happening and in slow modes you could feel everything you could see everything slower what was happening in that moment that is one of the greatest ever five minutes I actually say that I know it actually probably one of my worst it definitely was my worst one or S because it was all done out of fear you know I I had no confidence in my game snook is a very technical game and it's a bit like golf that when when you feel good you take your time you sort of you know I don't need to rush this but at that time my game I'd got a lot of bad habits and I didn't really fancy pot him a lot of balls but I know I had to go for him because it was the right shot to go for but to make the 147 I was so unconfident that I just F get this over and done with as quickly as I can so I didn't have to think about it and then i' done it and I was like oh thank God that that's over but I I wasn't capable of winning the World Championships because I couldn't do it frame after frame so I took my game apart in 2001 to to build it to become capable of winning the World Championship so my my technique changed a lot from the age of 19 to 25 I ruined it and then from 25 onwards I've I've always have to be diligent on just keeping my technique tight you know because if it goes then I can't make 20 you was talking about doing a getting your hip done yeah I was thinking a new hip yeah um because I wrong with your hip well cuz I thought I was I kept falling to this side so my body was facing over there but I was trying to Pop the ball there so all my weight was over there but all the weight should have been going down there and I thought is it cuz me hip sort of worn out a bit so I thought if I get a new ITP and keep it on I could just like pops all day long that's why I kept kicking in the St the hips out of line that's amazing Ron Yeah Yeah you sort of Ronnie we've got some clips of your documentary and okay I mean you're the greatest player of all time but you beat yourself up like you would even now today in which you you sort of analyze yourself and obviously the the documentary talks about I'm trying to work on it at the moment just a harsh on myself I didn't this is a really good clip yeah at this moment in my life I look back and I think wow how have I got through that cuz it was that bad the darkness and stress and addiction I didn't know how to live sober it's not healthy to wrap your identity up in what you do as your work and they tried to teach me that in the prior but I find it really hard and I realized that you know my addictions are good in many ways cuz it drives me on but just needs to be managed I used to have a mate of mine used to come pick me up and he brought me over we done like five six miles around here he weren't even out of breath I was dying that's when I got into the running I was already out RAB so I was in a decent place but this was just like the final piece I think the jigsa for me I mean just for like my mental mental health hashtag mental health been s it for 20 odd years mate that's the funny thing people got ah you know I was like not come off the table he's not he's this he's that he's not right now all a sudden it's cold I was 20 years ahead of the game mate 20 years ahead of the game mate and will jumping on the bail maker that's what I love you got the bmers oh mental wealth it's cool to be mental wealth you know [ __ ] does my what mental health is I get out have a bad day not enough likes I'm having a [ __ ] Mental Health crisis Jesus Christ what is it all about hey it was interesting last night because like alist Campbell yeah he was he kind of said something about almost pulled you up about that where where I you could easily see that it was tongue and cheek what he was doing which was somebody who's been able to deal with mental health and speak about it in a way he's had it in at such a period long before everybody's going on about it out which is quite a serious thing but I thought that you you dealt with that pretty well with him um I it was something as soon as he said that I was I felt I wanted to pull him up because I instantly got what you was on about now yeah I think it's all I tried to say to him it's just more about mental wellbeing because mental health I don't know if you probably know people that have got serious I've known people and they've like not come out his ass for 30 years and he's on 600 pills a month you know that's mental health you know like they serious you can't participate in society you know I don't have that issue I what I have is a an inability to deal with pressure from you know from that I put on myself and I'll get in such a bad place that I get get so down on myself that I then become quite a moody person I become like someone that I don't really like you know and and it's kind of like trying to juggle like trying to you know not let that lash out on people and so it's more like a well-being thing it's like can I play snooker and be happy so that's that's been the goal for me for the last 20 years since I come out of PRI like trying to be happy inside and kind of that be the basis of everything and then like you know if I put a few balls great you know but if I don't you know it's like trying be cuz like them six or seven years that I was unhappy I couldn't go at my house and there I had a yeah a chemical substance I my confidence you mentioned on there that that you've almost got to the bottom of it that maybe some some of the demons that you've got through your game It actually drives you on and I just think of us four here obviously when are playing an individual sport I actually obviously you've got a relationship with Steve Peters he was at Liverpool as well yeah and I he come in at the end of my time that and when I used to chat to him it was something very very similar and I'm sure we'd be the same in that it does affect you doesn't it your performance the sport that you're involved in and I used to get really sort of like if I'd had a bad game or made a mistake for the goal I find it really difficult to get over I couldn't just erase it and move on the next day I found it really strange when players could and I saw such Steve Peters I sto uh Bill bwick who used guy know as well and you're almost you're not fixing it you're almost accepting it that that's just you that's who you are that's that's what drives you on because that feeling that you've got of being down and being angry about the performance It actually drives you the next training session the next game it's just you can't get it out of your head I mean is that something similar for you right exactly yeah absolutely that's why we could identify what we were watching and uh and what you're talking about yeah the demand you put in yourself yeah you put yourself under huge pressure you can make yourself very very ill from it and then if you're not eating properly you're not there's a whole knock on effect we talk about mental health yeah identify with all of that listen people turn to want drink gambling drugs whatever women whatever it can be yeah and I think most a lot of top level Sports people have got them kind of flaws it is about accepting it obviously and trying to manage it but also that's part of your DNA and that's part of your personality you know but again you're run about there knocking yourself for the stuff you put yourself under but you also have to take it easy on yourself because that's just part of life isn't it maybe as you get a bit older there's no end there's no end game you know what I mean when you stop playing snooker you probably put yourself under pressure in different ways whether it be how you raise your children or whatever relationship that'll always be there as if I know what I'm [ __ ] talking about Lear accept it man yeah you're right yeah absolutely what you're saying lead on up it's the strongest portrait I've ever seen of the ups and downs of world class sport and you talk there about addictions are good they just need managing how do you manage them um you just have to I I I keep a diary now because I know that it can get out of hand so I I kind of go right I'm I'm I'm allowing myself 120 days away from home um I'm allowing myself to practice for 10 hours a week um so I do little things like that and if I go in at a tournament and I'm practicing I'll switch my phone on 50 minutes and once that alarm goes it's like cues away because what the temptation is is that you'll miss a ball and you go I better put another two of the three of them and you start to like you know drive yourself nuts you know cuz you become very obsessive so my way is kind of set myself little like that's it that's enough you know before I even go have have a plan once I've got a plan I stick to the plan and that's it and then I switch off and it's kind of like managing that obsessiveness to not get out I mean sometimes I'd play and I'd have blisters on my fingers in preparation for tour where I play hours and hours and hours I've got to get it right and my fingers would be so tall that when I come to playing a tournament I couldn't put me hands on the table and I thought so I was I was over practicing and and when I got to the tournament I was kind of like burnt out really so it's just finding the optimum level really and it's it's quite amazing what you can get away with I think there was lley king at Tottenham such a good player he's got these injuries but he could only train once a week but he's still perform for Tottenham it's like how do we kind of get him out on the pitch get the best out of him cuz he's still a fantastic player he still useful for us he can't do what the others or what he used to do but you know so it's kind of like working out you know how you can kind of still keep going without destroying yourself you have to remind yourself why you started playing snooker soccer we're talking about the fresher we see all the images of you as a kid playing snooker and obviously you're smiling a lot whatever because you were playing to enjoy it and we did soccer but then we're talking about pressure at Liverpool Arsenal big clubs United and that enjoyment goes doesn't it you find you could have been as successful without that intensity well no absolutely it's a balance act but it's just how much you kind of take home to your family and how much you suffer with it that's not really like we saw the clips of you really suffering I'm going that's extreme suffering really yeah yeah know yeah is it's not worth it we we we we all start playing the sport we love because we obviously we love it but then pressure comes from within your crowds uh obviously you're playing for big clubs expectations to win football matches and then the enjoyment goes and then you start overthinking the game you go why did I end up why did I start playing football enjoy it but the enjoyment goes different demands you're on a bu the interview there you the media put demands in you're like do I really need this today what does a low look like Ronnie for you now and what did it look like back then when it was at it it worst a low uh for me a low was I just felt like I couldn't I couldn't I wasn't the best player um and I believed I had the ability to be the best player but technically I was had so many faults and I play players and think I can't he could be like 30 ranked in the world but if he played with certain level I thought I can't beat him because he was just consistent and I was just to In and Out so that was a really bad low for me like I knew I couldn't win the big I had to rely on me flying or them not playing well and that felt really like bad for me cuz I knew I if I could get some consistency together with the ability then that wouldn't have been an issue so that was that was a horrible I I couldn't handle that and I but I wasn't prepared to really do anything about it so I just kind of buried my head in the Sands it wasn't until I got cleaner so but I thought I've got loads of time on me hands here I can't go out drinking can't go out clubbing how much were you going out at the time we going every night yeah V all the time yeah all every every day every night um yeah just constantly for about six years yeah I mean I'd have a time where I go right I got to clean up because I got a tournament coming up and I'd have to like lock myself away and home just cuz I couldn't I couldn't say no you know um was it easy to practice at the time cuz you easily practiced when you was in that mode not really no I'd go down yeah just I just not really know it was just sort of it was the worst time of my life really yeah I was just sort of like it was horrendous really when I think about it it was fun at the start first two or three years Keith Richards and Ron fantastic the last three years I thought Jesus this this isn't fun anymore I felt like you know I just felt like a bit of a I've let myself down you know I just hated myself I really did I think I think I was with you at that period of time as well I was in Manchester when I was ining the back of the car with you that was the bad time for me just that was one of where I was really suffering that was that time yeah I think I can't remember what year it was I came to watch at the Masters as well we funny old time G Neville in the the match magazine and it's a pot look here so snooker may seem like the most boring sport and the whole wild word not my words but my United Stars Gary Neville and David Beckham saw the better side when they went to watch a recent final between Steve Davis and Ronnie O Sullivan how could snooka possibly be good cuz the game was interrupted by a female streer that's how wow and Gary was pretty chuffed that was a bit different he said does that always happen at snooker matches I really enjoyed it so the only way Gary Neville enjoyed snooker was the streer I used to love snooker honestly I used to love it and but the picture of you with Ronny wood and Keith Richards at the bar I mean Jimmy as well wer he was Jimmy Jimmy was there as well Jimmy I mean that's a hell of a picture that what a night out that is we had some good times yeah we they yeah they were great great great nights well they turned into days in the end they they knew how to party I thought I was good I was just I was just Reckless but Ronnie and Keith they they had it down to a fine art they'd have a different drink for different times of the day they'd have a little little sleep for two or three hours is that dangerous to be amongst that kind of like caliber of Drinker uh no because I was worse than them it was like in the end Ronnie was saying you need to calm him down to my M went calm him down you know he's getting a bit out of bound and but obviously this was all um stuff that was revealed to me later on down the line you know um but yeah it just that's what happens when you got what was was the point where you just went that's it what was the point where you just stop and you go that's it I've got to change uh when I was yeah I just I just couldn't go and have a game of golf of that having a few drinks or couple of spliffs in me pocket cuz I just didn't have the confidence to just be myself you know and when I thought oh I'm bang in trouble here and then I had three ho I had three TVs in my hotel room once cuz I had one to watch a TV one for my PlayStation one for something else for videos cuz I just couldn't face Being Sober around people and I thought this is really bad you know and then I was kind of like thought I need to sort this out so that's when I found someone from the drugs hel line and boom got me in a prior got myself clean and yeah like you know I feel like just G toing yeah yeah through the toing yeah I had to yeah it was um yeah just yeah when you look back on it what do you feel like when you look back at do you feel like yeah I'm I'm somewhere I'm you you can't regret what you've done obviously you should never have regrets but do you feel like you've you needed that to be where you are no I did have regrets that's what I say when I say regret that that regretted picking up a drink and a substance to sort of get through my bad times you know um and it got out of hand and I just think that's why I feel grateful for everything I've got now CU I remember them six seven years and if someone said to me look we're going to get you out of this and you're going to be happy you're going to be you know you're going to be at a place you're going to be a bit of a misual to it you're going to like would you take it I go yeah I'll have that all day long cuz that's how desperate I felt at the time so I remember them times and go you know what you know just just be grateful and thankful that you've come out the other end cuz a lot of people don't you know you see a lot of other sports people a lot of people just you know they don't kind of get back you know it's just sort of keep going downhill how's how touch that decision when you I'm not drinking no more that's me well but like Ronnie said yeah you just try to tell him you think if yeah but like yeah but we're talking about getting to a certain place and you are drinking and you're doing it regularly and but now this day like today you've gone as it it might be a particular day for anybody it might just get to a stage where you're not enjoying it anymore you get to a Tipping Point you might just get to Rock Bottom you go not enjoying anymore you're upsetting people around you andless you go I've had enough of it it's just sometimes it is as simple as that but you have to get there yeah but I think you have to be go easy on yourself R you're on about there the regrets but you have to go to these places you have to go to these places again as if I know what I'm talking about you do you have to hit bottom to say listen this is not for me and you know you had some great times but when you stop enjoying us and it's time to F the to nice one you talk about happiness Ronnie what does happiness look like just contentment you know I don't feel like you have to be laughing 24/7 because that's just some people like that he me off if we could all be like in like there' be no issues in the world that's just a natural some people just naturally happy people it's sort like you love it but I think for me it's just about a bit of contentment is it it's just about being like content in yourself and just kind of going you know I'm the opposite I'm really quiet I go somewhere and I'm like I sit in the corner I'm like don't want to be see where like yeah you know what I mean it's like to have that personality is such a wonderful thing but I I I ain't like that so I have to sort of um blending if you [Music] like obviously it's in the documentary where you go out running a lot is that part of your management strategy of it I just like being fit I was never fit I was always a little fatty at school I was always like trying to duck out across country getting a cab to get me out of school I would like I'd only ever run for the bus so I can get to the snoo club I was I was Lively enough for that um but otherwise it was just like I was Burgers chips dumpy kid and I used to get a little bit of stick when I was younger like you the fat this and that and it did bother me a little bit so obviously I blew up a little bit and and I can still do that so for me just to find Fitness and and get fit you know you must know when you're in good shape you feel good you I feel all right you know what I mean just even if you don't feel right you think I look right you know what I'm saying so sometimes it's sort of like I do it for that reason so it is from probably an insecure place um but you know like you said there two options you go that way that way and for me it's so there's not really a middle Grand you know on certain things on certain things I have to be committed to it you know how you playing at a minute playing a right playing all right fancy an eth an eth could be on the way no no listen no I'm playing all right I'm playing I'm playing I'm playing okay which is is that dangerous because if Ronnie Sol's playing okay then it's probably very high level problem yeah and I think I'm playing a I find it harder though now to like put players away though whereas before i' like 61 62 63 semi-finals 93 in the final you think you know what it's still hard cuz you got to be on it you know but you're on it and you smother them and then you they crumble and you think oh that was that was an easy bit of work but now are sort of like the matches 6 fours or a 65 or a 97 you think I feel like I play right there but I'm not putting away as easy as I used to just cuz the standard is very very good and you kind of get a bit battle scarred and you think oh I won't take that one on really the right shot is to take it on and bust them open and get in there and grab the game by the Scruff of the neck but when you're 47 yeah you think wait a bit you know and that's that waiting thing of you talk Steve Peters about age how does obviously age is different in every sport but in snooker how is that how does it sort of it's difficult when you're playing someone that could be your son or your grandson and you look at him feeling like you know mean I feel like really old here you know it's sort of like it plays tricks through your mind you know you think like this don't feel right you know what is it that goals as a the Chim Carri we talking ear Steve Peter so put the chimp is it the chimp and the yeah I wish I had I had a gorilla you know I I was jealous of people who had a chimp Lucky Bastards yeah but what is it that start to slow down your reaction times or the sort of in Snookers obviously football at 35 36 your legs go if I was to sort of like look at like players that great players that went before me and think well what was it that I noticed in them that was that made them not the false they was they kind of um like with Hendry he would go for balls do you think yeah go for that and then he primary get it now for the first few years I played en play a shot and he look at that long red I think hope he goes for that and he po it and I think yeah but after that three years he kept getting them I thought this key is on another level do you know what I mean like so but then he started to miss them balls and he but he couldn't stop going for him he was like he still going then he'd leave you in you go bang bang bang and and is that ego Pride for players you think possibly possibly he could have reinvented himself sometimes you need to reinvent yourself and and he could have still been a force but I just think you kind of like you you lose your confidence you lose that spark you lose that you get a bit Twitchy you get a bit tight you sort of like Miss the crunch balls you know like cuz at the end of the day it's about poting the pressure balls and um and if you start to miss them your opponent will gain confidence and and then and then that's where you start to find I asked you before you know as you get older though and other things come into your life you know kids relationships other things you may want to do maybe go on holiday enjoy yourself a little bit more does the practce go out the window as much in terms of you hear about like sort of the top players when they're getting into snooker five or six seven hours a day does that go away um I think what like I said for what I do is um when I was young I play five six hours every day just religiously because I had nothing else to do um but I realized that that was kind of counterproductive for me so I kind of like I had a a mount that I play every week so I got about 10 hours a week and I said you know so if I can only play twice a week I'll do five one day five you know on the other day um or if I can only do one day a week I'll go in there and I'll try and do 10 hours and you know and just kind of get them 10 hours because I think it's just like time on your feet you know when you're a runner it's like you got to get to like 60 mes a week how you get there it doesn't really matter sometimes and so that's the same with the Snookers as long as I clock the hours up I can't have it's in the bank you know but if I go and play it's it's all a bit of touch and feel but you you sometimes you just play out of guilt sometimes like Steve Davis said I practiced out of guilt in the end because I thought if I'm not doing you guilty so that's where Steve Peters really helped like get rid of that get rid of that you know cuz I was got superstitious as well same shirt same this walk there that toilet that dressing room drive your nuts and then he went stupid what are you doing he went like we don't go like that it's just you know you start having a bit of belief in yourself and I was like okay that sounds that sounds a bit better I like that one you know I was going to Ron you know like when you um you're getting into that last frame and and it's the break now you're in a break and you're getting in and around the 50s and 60s and it's the one to win does the pressure Come Harder then because like you know if I sink these three now I've I've won it like I like that situation I always enjoy that situation um more because got the commentator says oh he's in now this could be it yeah I mean cuz you put like the whole match of thinking like give me that I want to be in that position and it's not easy like I said you know when I had that big lead against J every time you didn't kind of put him away you think oh you know yeah is this going to be like you know if I lose this match they're all going to say oh he battled it is this and that that all goes through your mind but I always find that once I get to that one frame I think oh we just need that one knock out now it's like let's go for it you know and um do people underestimate your safety play do people take that for granted with you because they think you're just obviously brilliant the pot and balls pot and balls yeah I you think yeah your safety's you're yeah I had to be I got coached by Ray Reen um had to play proper safety um these to remind me of a vampire when I was Drac me Drac me his hair was unbelievable but he he was graned mate he was so like you know what I mean like I had two years of him M he blew my mind every practice session I was like I'd want to to pop balls and he was showing me Safety First do I really need to know this he said I'm going to make you impregnable I went what does that mean you the no weakness he said you can pop balls make break said but I'm going to make you the best technical safety player in the world and it like once he RI down an eight shot sequence if there was a resp spotted black he went You'll Play This You'll Play that you'll play this you'll play I've done it once and he was right he done the you're too much he just told you certain things you went get the white here get the white there and if you got it there you can't get right in there and if you put it there you can't dig down at the cuq I was like really like where's your red at I mean I'd never think like that at least you were open to learning R you know mean you didn't just depend on again you pot and balls you yeah I was fascinated I was like you know so in the end we' go into the practice session and I I said I don't want to pop balls just show me safety show me what to do here I want to know and need go like four or five Christians and go Nest go and sometimes I couldn't do it and he go give me the queue and he was like 85 and he'd do it first time I go D me how does it come about with playing both handed that's something lefted yeah I don't know I just got so frustrated like I said from that period of 19 to 25 where I couldn't I was trying to self coach and I and I messed my game up so much that I couldn't in the end I didn't know where to start and put it right so I started playing left-handed and I thought oh this feels how I used to feel when not could you could you in felt easy yeah well it sanded right I hit the ball and it sanded right and I thought it was just the sand that kind of I enjoyed it was like a fud oh yeah that's that's that's that's going to that's that's the players get annoyed with you I would yeah Robbie dud got fuming with he didn't shake my hand but a piss yeah he thought you wer taking a piss no it was really hard because i' been PR a little bit if if you come on if you practiced Jame if you practiced hard enough to be able to be as good with your left hand is your right and other people are going to be vexed about that that's their problem it's not taking the P I think you didn't feel bad when you scored a goal your left thought of course not I I was so natural I didn't even remember I scored with it I think it was when I played the odd few shots Robie dude took it really and I can see why he thought I was it might have been was that the first time that was the first time and um and then a year later I was playing Peter Edon in the semi-finals of the Premier League and it was just after the World Championships but I've been playing all year left-handed I was really like wanted to do it but I thought about the Robbie do thing I thought no maybe this is like not the right thing to do and then I went one n down to Edon in the semi-finals and I was so bad I thought oh I don't care I'm going to get beat 61 and don't matter so I thought I'll play left-handed anyway I beat him 61 with your left I went 60 70 and it was good I play the odd shot right handed cuz I thought you know what there's certain shots righted that I felt more comfortable but 90 90% of it was left-handed and then I had Hendry in the final I thought this has worked for me so far but this is the ultimate test you know what I mean so but I could only do it probably about 60 70% against hry cuz he's flow was so good that I felt quite pedestrian so I had to mix it up and then I beat Henry in the final as well so I think once that happened everyone was like oh maybe it's all right now you [Music] know you're an unbelievable Entertainer and there's a point in the semi-final against John Higgins I think you go back to your change your you said I'd rather lose playing winning game the win playing a losing game do the do the slow players the sort of like I mean we when I was growing up the those players existed those on to AG over a shot they walking around the table do they drive you crazy um they do drive you crazy until you find a way to unlock and nullify what they do you know it drives you crazy when it stops you from playing the way you feel like you want to play so it's finding that how you deal with that and cuz you can't stop it and and it's and that's that's what's been the fun part is is going okay well I've got you know well I know how to play him I know how to play him I know yeah I can deal with that and deal with that because like you're saying snooky you are sitting there in your chair and there's you can't have an effect you know you got to hope the ref goes look mate hurry up you've been tur two three mon falling asleep like but they don't so you kind you say anything to them do you have ever said come on get a shift done um you can't you can't you you you you can't yeah you want to but what you what you can do is you can you can play in a way which makes them feel old on I've they need to come you know like so so if I'm playing like I can't remember where I was playing last time there was a bit slow and you get sucked into their play so I just up the tempo bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang even like if it's a Sav your shot go bang quick yeah but if I start playing at his Pace it becomes oh they're both playing at but once you start they start oh it's on me here and then they start to feel a little bit uncomfortable so it's about making your opponent feel you know like I'm not comfortable with this and sometimes you just got to you know it's all done through body language if you like you know just sort of who's your biggest inspiration um in just in life your whole life who's been the biggest influence on you what that's helped me you mean or just who's influenced who you are today um it's hard really I suppose I suppose my dad had a big impact to me in the early days but I think obviously I'd say Ray Reen and Steve Peters really the two people and I can't miss him out Frank and frankson was such he was the guy that I went to see when I went right building me a new game and he went oh I'm a bit scared you know you like you know don't worry I said I'm useless like you know like we need to like you know I know you coach Steven Lee I love his creaction if you can turn me into him we're going to win tournaments so it took us a year and I used to go and see him every two weeks in Bristol and we spend like hours and hours and it wasn't until a year of working I went okay I'm feel comfortable now we're kind of like we got a chance of playing and we won the World Championships in the first year so Frank Henson was like the perfect coach for me cuz he's we sort of got me back on track while your flaws you've done all right Ronnie don't worry yeah I think you got flaw sometimes to achieve it's sort of like if you feel like you're comfortable it's sort of like you get a bit like lazy I think you know sometimes you think oh I've got a bit of a weakness here it makes you work I mean you look at Ronaldo and people like that you think like that Geer never wants to stop moving forward you know slow down mate I mean but it's that intensity I think that makes do you look forward to almost retiring and Snook up not being a big party life or is that a fear that you couldn't sort of live without it I used to I used to think like I can't what I don't want to keep playing and having this life but as I've got older I've started to appreciate and think you know it's actually listen a lot of people out there it's very hard times for you know they get up in the morning they have to go and get a job they have to like work all day they got a boss ring them up you know you like you're not on time you're not doing and bills are getting high and it's it's a tough times for people um just to survive so I'm sort of very grateful that I'm able to go and do something that you know is something I love and I just have to manage it but you know you know so I appreciate it now more and see it as a job um and sometimes I don't have to play brilliant it's just when they go there the fans have bought the ticket they just want to see you and they go right and you know and that sometimes that's just enough and if I play great that's a bonus if I play mediocre still a good one if I have a stinker you know I'll try and make up for it and do something where you pick and choose your tournament do you have to go to like is there place you go out can be B Trav yeah you can pick and choose you can pick and choose but you're obviously sort of you want to keep your ranking high enough so you have to play enough to sort of keep it up there but um I prefer to play in Asia because of the tournaments are they've got the Scout they've got the resources they do it properly you know if you're going to have 128 players you need a lot of resources in that in the UK it's it's they haven't really and so it's kind of all a bit all over the show so I try my main thing is to play as much abroad like in Asia because they just they just better events you know well you talk about retirement you could be retiring today cuz we've got a pool table over there we're going to have again if you lose to be fair it's you and Cara against Ro beat you together L that game you finished I'm under pressure now If I Lose I'm I'm a great pool player no like I'm not he has to be got a one sport doesn't it I'm not going to sound bad at any I'm this could be your early retirement so let's Wander over to the pool the I'm going to [Music] commentate right it you're away game over game over carry your On Carry Your on oh no we on don't we he's fouled on the first yeah but I I tried toit advice we going here do the Reds what's wrong is this a two shot carry no no no no because run playing it's only car no cheeky little side he's grown up in a pub hasn't he look yeah that yell first I'm trying think of a good scout Saker player oh right only a world champion John par oh John par good sorry John put himself on the cushion why am I going after like Ron's going after me are we allowed to employ m games Ronnie yeah yeah go a told it's over you done well there nice one beautiful we go oh yeah I'm using same as [Laughter] runs warmed up I want to talk up every time I being like the like the top boys I want to make sure I talk up and just serious looking what are you thinking racy nothing I'm just trying to pose right oh there it is you know what I need to get so Ron I need to follow through this one do I nice nice of it he talks himself up he talks himself up and he's delivering I don't know I just yeah I need to hold this one a bit because look at this oh no see I wanted to kiss that closer cuz I wanted it to be closer today sometimes I'm not I'm the pocket lot ofers coming I hope this goes in oh really bad shot finger see honestly I'm really trying to really impress you man it's over after this I don't like look his serious face serious face we won't get back in oh lucky tell you what yes Roy we've done it chance to finish no not from there plent of Snookers coming you know what Bo not leaving me nothing plane can you just shush please sake him you okay see yes oh now oh can't we're fine we're fine can't see anything can't see anything who's theow slowest all time honestly oh look at that oh problems problems see if I could right if I can eat that off there so I could get between there no I just make sure you you hit it okay no I I never miss all up against it no yeah what about that shut made criticize Jesus see look I've left him nothing again look we're not getting back in here no he's to be honest yeah it was over for us indecision there oh he's going for the high he's overthinking it the chimp is out the chimp is out yes yes look what he's done look at he's look look what he's done that's nowhere near enough that's nowhere near enough back in I'm tell you against you a oh know what to do now save don't play save I not oh nice I see oh it's over Roy you should have left you should left that yellow there [ __ ] should have left that yellow there two ped it a [ __ ] told you that yellow is your [ __ ] safety what's your safety net oh what's he do a big b this is it R Sullivan's [Applause] next gorilla's coming out shitro you got R he's going to go enough was close he's on it he on it he it don't don't go put him off you was right the first time nice one unlucky Goa I use Run's Q it'sing my pressure does isn't it Jes this is it that first black you had it right when you was lying up I thought you going to PO that yeah and then you roll it don't do it hard they won't get that one in oh we will we'll roll that straight onto the top there I can't big pressure roll it no not rolling It Go 40 thanks thanks I'm just so pleased I just you're here to see it are you in best of three or should finished there I think we finished there do you yeah I think well done amazing writing Roy well than you very much cheers thank you Jame you didn't hug me come on don't be like that well done who need Tome bar but to be honest that was really good shot finish shot really TP because I wanted to stepen Andrew like you said yeah I can't your ego kicked in yeah my ego kicked in and I'm never going to never my fcking after Steve Peters brilliant thank I'll do a picture on here I should be holding a queue yeah a trophy should be holding a trophy M yeah right get my [Music] ego [Applause] w

Channel: The Overlap

Views: 1,777,634

Keywords: Sky Sports, Sport, Football, Premier League, Manchester United, Gary Neville, MNF, Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher, the overlap, overlap, g nev, interview, Edge of Everything, David Beckham, Stick to Football, Ronnie O'Sullivan, 5 minute 147, Snooker, Ronnie, Ronnie O'Sullivan Documentory, Stephen Hendry, The Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Ronnie O'Sullivan Roy Keane, Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Snooker World Championships, Ian Wright playing pool, Drugs, Addiction

Id: XQj8NZ3-h7E

Length: 57min 31sec (3451 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 29 2023