Recently i got a chance to chat with Nigel Bond. He´s a proper old school potter whose had a long and respectable career. He was nice enough to do this interview with me which i thought was very kind of him, considering i´m a Finnish blogger with a tiny blog. He talked to me about many things, for example about the possibility of continuing his career, and about the love he still feels towards snooker, a game that got him hooked more than 30 years ago.
Lets start with the latest news (which at the time was German Masters qualifiers). You suffered what I imagine was a pretty painful defeat against Aditya Mehta. You led 3-1 after the interval but in the end lost the deciding frame. Based on numbers it was a pretty long match, quite a few scrappy frames and lot of safety game. How do you feel about that match?
The German masters was pretty much like it's just been in the Scottish open. It's difficult when you are suffering with a lack of confidence, you tend to play less aggressive and frames can go scrappy like you say. I started the match well to go 3-1 up but as the match went on I got worse. I did have the chances to win 5-3 against Adiyta.
Your season so far has been a bit of mixed bag: great run in India (semifinal) but after that it´s been quite tough for you. Tell us a little bit about how you´re feeling right now about your game and the season so far?
I feel I'm playing OK in practice against the Chinese boys at the academy in Sheffield, which has been good for me but losing a lot of first round matches dents your confidence and you get on a downward spiral which is hard to get off.
Last season you talked about the strong possibility of retirement after the season, but then decided to continue. What kept you playing?
I think practicing at the academy has given me a spark. All the Chinese players work hard and put the hours in, it's a great set up and makes you want to play. I did well in the World Championship qualifiers and when you've devoted your life to something it's hard to just stop.
You´ve slipped in rankings a bit now, and your pro-card expires after this season unless you can get back to the top64, or finish in the top eight outside of the top 64, based on prize money won during the 2016/17 season (tricky stuff this!). And actually your situation is pretty good on the latter scenario. How do you fancy continuing your career after this season if it´s possible?
If I was to drop off the tour there´s no way would I go to Q-School. I've had my time but if I stay on then I will see how things pan out.
You´ve had a long and successful career. You started your professional career in 1989. Many things have changed since then. How do you see snooker as a sport now opposed to what it was when you started?
The game has changed massively. The tour has become worldwide. When I turned pro the game was mainly British based with a couple of tournaments overseas. There was a lot of dead wood on the tour with the same faces on the TV all the time hence why they became household names. Now even down the rankings the standard is so good. The players are more professional, practice more and more disciplined which you have to be. Sport in general is so much more competitive nowadays.
Can you tell us about how you feel about snooker these days? I mean you´ve played snooker for such a long time, and i'm sure you started out like most of us, simply because you loved the game. How much of that love is left? Is it still more about the love for the game, or is it more professional thing, just something you have gotten used to doing? How much of that old magic is still left in your eyes, do you still love the game?
Absolutely yes. I got hooked on the game and you couldn't keep me off the table. It's harder to love it when you are on a bad run but the highs far out way all the lows. To reach a ranking semifinal this season in India for the first time in 14 years was a massive buzz and that's what drives you as a player. It proves to me that I can still do it at 51!
Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O´Sullivan and Mark Williams, to mention a few, have all said that in the 90´s the standard of playing was higher than today. Everyone knows there are more players now than ever, who are able to win tournaments, but i presume they mean that the top players were better in the 90´s. How do you feel about that?
Some of the top players from the 90's are still up there which shows just how good they are. It was a golden era for the game. There was a club in every town and everyone played. They certainly set the bar high. The standard at the bottom has gotten closer to the top, that´s why there aren't really any shocks these days as you know how good everyone has become. There are more players now capable of winning tournaments than ever.
During this long career you´ve had some great moments like World Championship final (1995), winning British Open (1996), Shoot-out (2011) and World Seniors (2012). Of course you´ve had disappointments as well. What do you consider the high points and low points of your career so far?
My high points are obviously the World Championship final and winning the British Open but any tournament win is a high point. I suppose the lows for me are when I play poorly and don't perform to the standard I know I can.
You are coaching at the Victoria Snooker Academy these days, which I hear is an amazing place for practicing snooker. Can you tell us a little bit more about your involvement? How much you coach, who you coach? Are you planning to turn into a full time coach after your snooker career ends?
My involvement was from the outset. I had asked Victoria with her contacts in China about the possibility of doing some coaching over there. That´s when she mentioned about setting up her own academy in Sheffield. We looked at a few possible properties to set an academy up. Any enquiries we receive regarding coaching will go through myself but they are mostly amateur players. I think coaching is the right way for me to go, I've done some coaching in Germany, Macedonia and Russia. I think in the UK to be a full time coach is difficult so it would be nice to coach all over the world as I enjoy the travel, seeing different places and meeting new people.
Ronnie O´Sullivan has, or at least had, his own show on the EuroSport. If you had your own show, The Nigel Bond Show, who would be your first guest and why?
If it was a fellow snooker player it would have to be Darren Morgan. He was one of my best mates on tour and we're still good friends, although he never shuts up but I'm sure it would be funny and entertaining!
*****
CuePower Snookerblog would like to thank Nigel Bond for taking time to do this interview. I hope his career will go on and he will get the results I feel he deserves. Class act, on and off the table.
