White fails to qualify for World Snooker Championship

by user Alex Holowczak

He once wowed nearly 20 million British fans with his game, and the public connected to his series of defeats to Stephen Hendry. This week, only 40 could get in to see Jimmy White as he tried to qualify for the 2007 World Snooker Championship.

Time has really passed Jimmy by. He has seen the snooker boom receed that he once helped to create. Since the 1980s, snooker and White have been synonymous with the big screen. He lost six World Finals in his career without ever winning the big one, and now 44, has begun to slide down the rankings. He is now at Number 61 next season at the moment.

Yet his passion for the game is still there. His endeavours to finally become World Champion have always passed him by. His qualifying match was against Jamie Burnett a Scot who is famous for making a break of 148 - more than a maximum - but has done little else in his career. Quite ironic that White, snookers nearly man, is now playing against so many "nearly men" on the lower tier of snooker's main tour.

White was trailing 1-0 when the fire alarm went off, and the players evacuated Pontins Leisure Resort in North Wales. Whilst they were out there, the storm clouds gathered. Whilst everyone was spared the weather, when they got inside the game became bleak.

The White of old would have won easily against an off-form opponent. But White's continued bad play left him 6-3 down after the first session, and in need of a boost that evening. Sadly, he went further behind, and Burnett strolled away to win 10-4. White had missed out on qualification for snooker's Theatre of Dreams for only the second time since his debut in 1981.

Such is White's status, that even Burnett was sad to see Jimmy lose. He claimed "he was as big a Jimmy fan as the next man". That says a lot in the rough and tumble world of professional sport.

Yet White's hunger is still alive. Many pundits think White will bounce back next season as he has gained experience from the qualifiers this year. He did qualify for the China Open later this year, and will want to do well to get his ranking in the top 48 for next season, which will make qualifying for tournaments easier.

There will be a big hole at The Crucible in April, and Jimmy will want to fill it more in 2008 than ever before. His dieing dream may be to win the World Championship, and it is something he will never stop believing in. But 13 years after his last final appearance, it will be a big ask. But every snooker fan wants to see him try.