Here is my new Sporting Life column - can Ronnie O'Sullivan really win an 8th world title at the Crucible this spring? www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news... Please do have your say on here or across social media, including on Reddit. #Snooker

'Geniuses don't care much for logic. O'Sullivan could well blitz to the title and hold the trophy aloft with a grin that says, I told you so. But how likely is that?' I've written about Ronnie O'Sullivan's Crucible chances for a new Sporting Life column. It's coming for you this weekend.

It has to be said, this Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is a total delight. I honestly wondered if I had lost some of my love for the Winter Games over the last decade or so, but can see now it was down to some odd hosts. Best Winter Games since Vancouver 2010 for me.

Happy New Year everyone The Talking Snooker podcast will return for our first episode of 2026 on Wednesday, when one of snooker’s great voices Neal Foulds will join Phil Haigh and I to preview the Masters. Your views would be most welcome - message here or email [email protected]

Here's our Snooker Podcast Christmas Special, as Phil and I from Talking Snooker join up with Jennie and Chloe from The Wine Rack. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... We very much appreciate your company throughout 2025 on Talking Snooker. We'll be back with lots more in the new year. #Snooker

I feel I must report to you that Spotify - with their very useful labelling of different parts of my broadcasts - refers to the Tempodrom as the ‘Temper Drome’. #Tempodrom #Templedrum #TemperDrome #RadioSnooker #Snooker #147sf

I've just recorded my final Radio Snooker broadcast of the year, and here it is. Memories of the year here, from me and you. Some philosophy too. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c... Many thanks for listening to Radio Snooker throughout this year. It's been great to have you for company.

Here's my review of the snooker year for Sporting Life: www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers. Even if you don't read me, I wish you a nice Christmas too. #SportingLife #Snooker

“I'm firmly in the camp that believes snooker will be just fine when O'Sullivan hangs up his cue, but that doesn't mean we won't miss him immensely when he's gone. Of course we will.” Well said, Nick. 🥰

Here’s my special piece for Sporting Life on Ronnie O’Sullivan as the seven times world champion turns 50. www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news... #Snooker

Neil Robertson tells Radio Snooker, ‘when balls are missed they still go in’ at the International Championship. But he says pockets this season have overall been ‘very good’. WST: ‘Our table fitters work tirelessly in delivering best possible conditions.’ podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...

Neil Robertson tells Radio Snooker with Nick Metcalfe that the pockets at the International Championship in Nanjing have been ‘very disappointing’ and says the table fitters have ‘cut them wrong’. Here’s an exclusive from me: open.spotify.com/episode/5lMQ... #RadioSnooker

Radio Snooker is back on the air and I’m delighted to be joined again by @kathi.break-off.com to reflect on the WST Steve Dawson interview. There’s plenty of chat here about a number of key issues and your reaction would be welcome - [email protected] open.spotify.com/episode/6pMM... #147sf

Love how I am blaming WST for rogue pigeons and @nickmetcalfe1974.bsky.social beautifully puts things back into perspective 😁😇 #147sf

Wow, that might be the funniest , most explosive and most non-controversial conversation I'll ever listen to. (When I'm back at home.) #Snooker #147sf #WeLoveSnooker

Radio Snooker is back on the air and I’m delighted to be joined again by @kathi.break-off.com to reflect on the WST Steve Dawson interview. There’s plenty of chat here about a number of key issues and your reaction would be welcome - [email protected] open.spotify.com/episode/6pMM... #147sf

'Man of the people' image for Williams is relatively new - and it serves the Welsh great brilliantly Here's a new Sporting Life column from me on Mark Williams, as he becomes snooker's oldest ever ranking event winner. www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news... #SportingLife #Snooker

I tell you what the Matchroom documentary reminds me off - when the Fowlers went to Ireland in EastEnders. It was the most unfair and dated portrayal of Ireland possible - goats on every street, not a single person in the pubs sober. That’s how Matchroom sold snooker.

‘Why didn’t we see the Crucible? Or at least Ally Pally for the Masters. To me we saw none of the things that make snooker a great advert and all the things that don’t.’ We’re talking about the Matchroom documentary on @TalkingSnooker: youtu.be/wz7wXchA_uc?... #TalkingSnooker

Well, if a 21-year old can win a trophy out of nowhere last season, possibly another player can do the same again. Why not? The ages of our last 3 world champions: 28, 32, 28. Snooker is not like tennis, I can't see the early twens dominating, but I think the change of the guard is happening.

I'll be saying that there's no reason snooker's young stars can't win trophies... starting immediately. A new column is on the way and I'd be interested in your views. Is it just too competitive in snooker now for the younger players to win silver? Or is it time for a proper changing of the guard?

'It feels like we've been sucked into some kind of strange vortex where we've become conditioned to think only experienced, battle-hardened competitors can pick up the trophies in snooker. We need to get out of it frankly.' My new Sporting Life snooker column, coming soon.

Snooker fans are having their say after Kathi Hartinger talked to me on Radio Snooker about the loss of events in mainland Europe. I’ll be recording a new broadcast soon and you can be part of it. Message me here or email [email protected] #RadioSnooker

Radio Snooker returns and I've been joined by a really terrific guest, @kathi.break-off.com‬ from the Total Clearance podcast. So much great stuff here from Kathi on the state of snooker in Germany, the loss of events in mainland Europe and Saudi. open.spotify.com/episode/2faO... #RadioSnooker

🤣 The Food! I can literally hear @nickmetcalfe1974.bsky.social rolling his eyes. (But they have a point, though.) #Snooker #147sf #WeLoveSnooker

#147sf #snooker #WeLoveSnooker metro.co.uk/2025/08/18/p...

thank you so much for the question and for the nice feedback 😊 hope to see you in Berlin!! 😊

Thank you for all the kind words about the latest broadcast on Radio Snooker. I have to say Kathi was truly excellent value and she deserves all the compliments coming her way. #RadioSnooker

Thanks @kathi.break-off.com for your insightful response to my question. I'll keep an eye on the players you mentioned. The Tempodrom beckons!

Radio Snooker returns and I've been joined by a really terrific guest, @kathi.break-off.com‬ from the Total Clearance podcast. So much great stuff here from Kathi on the state of snooker in Germany, the loss of events in mainland Europe and Saudi. open.spotify.com/episode/2faO... #RadioSnooker

If you'd like to ask Kathi any questions or have anything to say about snooker in Germany, I'd love to hear from you. Message me on here or email [email protected]

Radio Snooker with Nick Metcalfe will return later this week and I'm delighted to say I'll be joined by @kathi.break-off.com from the Total Clearance podcast. We'll chat about the success of the pod, Kathi's own love of snooker and the state of the sport in Germany. #147sf #Snooker

We've had some terrific voices so far in our Talking Snooker summer season. *Aaron Hill: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... *Irene Sriharan podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... •Michael McMullan: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... #TalkingSnooker

We're back after our break on Talking Snooker. And we have loads to catch up on, including glory for Bai Yulu at the Women's World Championship, all the dramas of Q School and the retirement of Anthony Hamilton. Please do join us. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... #TalkingSnooker

One of the great survivors. Me I mean, not the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim has only been here since 97. I’ve been around since November 1974. #Bilbao25

It is my understanding that ITV is set to lose its snooker rights from 2026 and Channel 5 is poised to show at least some of those tournaments. Plenty of fans are reacting with disappointment to the news and you can see why, as ITV has covered the sport brilliantly in the last decade. #Snooker

The era of ITV Snooker is ending soon. Per @nickmetcalfe1974.bsky.social [who announced this on the other place, rather than here :/], Channel 5 is set to take the ITV Snooker tournaments next year, see image @totallysnookered.bsky.social @snookerhq.com @snookerorg.bsky.social #welovesnooker

Good to see some #Snooker content coming over from the other place more regularily.

Our final episode of the season at Talking Snooker reflects on glory for Zhao Xintong at the World Championship: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... My final broadcast of the season on Radio Snooker catches up with your views: open.spotify.com/episode/6MLf... #Snooker

It’s good for politics/current affairs stuff. Beyond that, though: nothing. It’s very noticeable in the account I use for my line of work; the discussions just aren’t there. I still feel justified in killing my Twitter accounts, however.

The funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday morning.

You just don’t get the traction needed on here do you? I very much understand the deep concerns over Twitter and the awful characters running it. But punters need engagement and so far this place doesn’t really generate enough. Is it just a case of being patient?

Fittingly, the theme Pope Francis picked for the Jubilee Year 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope”. #nichestat

Tremendous piece of mishearing in my local coffee shop. I mentioned 'The pope has died' to a young lad in there, who replied, 'What, hope has died?' Hope died years ago my old mate. That ship has long since sailed.

Stephen Hendry is masterful at spotting the little nuances during matches. He's across everything in the arena. The way the players look, how they move and behave. I'd say there are very few that can do it to his level. It's perfect television punditry really. #Snooker

There's an extra frisson about this fourth afternoon of the World Snooker Championship. The sport's one true genius, Ronnie O'Sullivan, enters the arena. O'Sullivan definitely divides opinion - maybe more now than ever - but nobody could dispute his pure artistry.

Snooker people don't always agree on everything but here's one thing that will have us all linking arms and singing Auld Lang Syne long into the night. It's been an outstanding start to the World Championship. Easter weekend joy for committed fans and casual observers alike.

Tremendous piece of mishearing in my local coffee shop. I mentioned 'The pope has died' to a young lad in there, who replied, 'What, hope has died?' Hope died years ago my old mate. That ship has long since sailed.