O'Sullivan v Robidoux - insane 10 minutes of snooker

Flukes, fouls, in-offs, O'Sullivan taking the piss, Robidoux getting pissed off, nobody wanting to finish the frame. . .

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

The highlight of robideux's career

[@lfc_40]

Until his cue got smashed when he was actually good....and we still get 40 years of Ronnie

[@azapro911]

This is a level of pettiness that I can truly admire.

[@thomasjermy4816]

Robideux is the kind of guy to read 8 pages of terms and conditions then click ‘No’

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

6:39 "i dont think the spectators want to watch much more of this" - yet were glued to your screens 30 years later!

[@tonestones9445]

He didnt mean Ronnie he meant watching the bullshit from Robidoux

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

@@tonestones9445 he meant from both players

[@tonestones9445]

@@TheJohnCooperShow Were not glued to our screens 30 years later because we watched Robbidouxs shambollic response. Were glued to it because of Ronnie. Robidoux caused the impasse and Ronnie just joined in the game. I think the commentator was digging at Robidoux cos he could have ended it and he kept playing on like an arse.

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

@@tonestones9445 I think commentator was digging out both players, as they commented it’s all gone a bit silly, straight after Ronnies shot. Clive Everton is old skool and comes from that generation. So inevitable he has aversion to some naughty antics on table

[@tonestones9445]

@@TheJohnCooperShow OK but your point was to say that 'but were still watching it 30 years later' as if you felt there was some merit in Robidouxs antics. I think everyone would would have done the same as Ronnie when confronted with an idiotic responce to playing left handed. Initially to save using the rest.

[@AngrierGorilla]

And now, after all these years, nobody knows who this O'Sullivan is, instead Robidoux is the acclaimed and beloved champion we all know. He was right to make a point there!

[@henryj8363]

Hes somewhere with a baguette up his ass while Ron is now 6 time world champ and GOAT.

[@madzmidz]

As someone who doesn't follow snooker, O'Sullivan is the only persin I know. Ask any other non snooker followers. We know O'Sullivan. Not to praise him, just a name that is known.

[@rildank5557]

Good one bro 🤣 And regarding the first 2 replies, come one guys 🙈

[@madzmidz]

@@rildank5557 I'm sure the other guy is great, but to say "no one knows who this O'Sullivan guy is" is pure trite. Ask anyone to name a snooker play; most won't be able to, those who do will name O'Sullivan.

[@AngrierGorilla]

@@madzmidz www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony

[@LouiseTaylor-ub5zq]

Robidoux is the type of guy to lose 7-0 on fifa then report them to EA to try and get them banned

[@brianlillis5652]

If Ronnie hadn't ended that frame we'd still be waiting now for Robidoux to find those snookers

[@chakko007]

I don't think he was really out for Snookers. Just wanted to break Ronnie's rhythm. Didn't quite work.

[@evilelf5967]

robidoux went on to lodge a formal complaint against ronnie,citing unsportsmanly conduct,he said he shouldn't play left handed in a professional match......if he can play with both hands and win then that's not an unfair advantage,its down to practice and talent........the rest is history.

[@nuntana2]

I think Ronnie hit back with that he could beat Robidoux solely by playing left-handed and offered to prove it. It was a bit of a p-take at the time (remember watching live), but Robidoux was also a bit naughty by not shaking hands. He also lost to Ronnie in the '96 German Open final, probably the highlight of his career, but was a pretty good player and they were friends by then.

[@johnsrabe]

It was just a nonsensical objection, and it’s embarassing to snooker it was given any credence.

[@mattmurdoch4345]

O’Sullivan the massive troll 😂

[@seanatkinson770]

Ronnie has gone on to win many titles playing the greatest snooker ever by playing both left and right.

[@a.tanner8524]

Alain Robidoux always struck me as a weird pedantic arse.

[@_witsd]

In his defence, he just seems to be a fiery guy. He got annoyed at two perceived slights (the lack of handshake at the start and what he thought was Ronnie showboating). I understand he also apologised to Ronnie later on, so I'm sure Ronnie considered it finished with at that point.

[@Glozboy22]

This so reminds me of playing snooker against my brother, descending into stupid safeties and one-handed shots but having a brilliant time :)

[@tonemc6047]

That’s like saying in Football if a naturally left footed player scores with his right foot it should be disallowed.

[@seanscanlon9067]

No it is not and that analogy is not even close to what happened here. A better analogy would be a golfer winning easily in matchplay and then deciding to putt left-handed against his opponent.

[@richardhanson1744]

@@seanscanlon9067 Notah Begay putted right and left handed with a bullseye putter all depending on which way the putts broke. If Ronnie is talented enough to play right and left handed then well done him. If Robidoux is offended by that talent and ability, then that’s just tough. Not good enough to get near beating someone holding the cue the wrong way!

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@richardhanson1744 Yes I remember him, wasn't he a native Indian? Either way though, he was the exception to the rule and I was merely giving what I deemed to be a better comparison than the football one.

[@ferencnagy1205]

⁠@@seanscanlon9067no, golf is a worse analogy than football. The first pink would have been a tricky shot right handed, easy to reach left handed

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@ferencnagy1205 Not really sure how me comparing two sports played where the object of the game is to hit a small ball into a small 'opening' using additional equipment held in the hands, is a worse analogy than a comparison with a sport where the object of the game is to put a much larger ball into a much larger opening with an actual body part rather than addition equipment (other than boots) where all body parts, bar hands can be used to do so. Regarding the shots themselves, I made no judgment either way and was just pointing out the analogy used was a poor one, and to be honest I have no idea behind your logic to think golf was a worse analogy than football, considering all of the reasons I gave above.

[@chunkylafangaa]

This frame went down in snooker history as one of the best ever.

[@darrenp2225]

Let's be fair, this O'Sullivan lad was just too good.

[@davidblack3021]

Yeah, I wonder what happened to him

[@AngrierGorilla]

@@davidblack3021 LOL!

[@zainsyed9811]

​@@davidblack3021 he's actually world champion now.

[@tonemc6047]

@@zainsyed9811Have you ever heard of sarcasm?

[@zainsyed9811]

​@@tonemc6047 I'm serious. Google his name if you dont believe me.

[@delboy9234]

Alain played Ronnie twice later that year, and gave him much tougher matches, including when the pair met in the final of the German Open. Robidoux also reached the World semi finals the next year. He was a good player in the 90's, this was a one off incident.

[@tonestones9445]

And?

[@squodge]

It seems to me that Robidoux is upset over nothing. It's like telling a footballer that they can only score with their nominated foot.

[@d4ve19]

Also in the 90th minute when their team is 6-0 up, Ronnie had already won the frame when he started playing left handed so it was completely irrelevant.

[@evilotis01]

yeah, or like basketball players getting pissy when their opponents score in garbage time. it's nonsense

[@RB747domme]

Alain Robidoux had a legitimate chance of making some snookers when there were a good few balls left on the table - it's been done before. He just chose not to. And in that case, should have just conceded the frame earlier on when he had no chance realistically of doing so, and less getting upset about Ronnie showboating. Ronnie had every right to play any way he liked, or wanted. Alain was taking sometimes up to 1 minute to play a ball during that last frame, deliberately, to try and knock Ronnie out of his natural rhythm. But when it is 8-2 and your opponent is playing really well, there is a borderline between sportsmanship, and throwing your toys out of the pram. Alain couldn't frustrate Ronnie, and so started to throw his toys. Sore loser. And now he's retired with no Majors, and Ronnie is a highly decorated world champion.

[@InYourHeadChangedMan]

True but it was probably the way he did it smiling and taking the piss he might as well have given him the two fingers

[@BigShaun]

Not really, it’s more taking the ball to the corner flag and doing Around the Worlds as many times as possible 😂, Ronnie was taking the piss a bit but I’m not mad over it lol

[@tanikazeno3087]

During that era, Dennis Taylor also used alternate hand occasionally.

[@seanscanlon9067]

Yes because Dennis Taylor does not like using the rest and I do not think Alain Robidoux would have had any issues with Ronnie O'Sullivan playing the odd shot left-handed to avoid using the rest, but he seemed to take offence when O'Sullivan was doing it on every shot when the rest was not needed.

[@jaseettridge4802]

Any time I watched Alain play I kept expecting him to bring out Peter Sutcliffes hammer.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Gotta chalk the hammer, of course.

[@anaitali8256]

😂😂😂

[@anaitali8256]

Proper laugh-out-loud!

[@AndrewAHayes]

He was a dead ringer for Sutcliffe! Pissed myself at this comment!

[@LouiseTaylor-ub5zq]

This is the only match robidoux is famous for 😂

[@zaynsfortnite]

He got to the semi finals of the World Championship in 1997 I believe. Show some respect

[@bobharristhebag]

So first loser.

[@pech3617]

@@zaynsfortnitehe did, but he is not famous for that.

[@francisfox9171]

It's funny to think that back then, playing shots left handed might have been interpreted as showboating. But knowing what we know now, Ronnie is so good left handed that he can use it to his considerable advantage playing the full range of shots close/parallel to the cushion on either side of the table.

[@captainunwashed1308]

Your wrong I could watch this for a lot longer, Ronnie's cheeky grins amuse me!

[@amitsidhar]

To add insult to injury, Ronnie had a post match w@nk with his left hand.

[@nickfernandez2096]

😂😂😂

[@laganas2008]

I love how they still had more frames to play after this one. 😂

[@50kk4]

My brain hurts so much when I try to figure out Robidoux's logic. When right handed players use theit left hand it is unsportsmanlike, according to Mr. Robidoux. But to play on when you are 53(!) points down... That's.... He's... If... wuuuuut

[@johnbell4431]

Why do you get to decide when a player should concede?

[@renerpho]

Looking back at this, we are often forgetting that, from Robidoux's perspective, Ronnie was doing something unprecedented. O'Sullivan had, in fact, never played left handed in a match before this, and it wasn't known that he was ambidextrous. To Robidoux, it looked like Ronnie was saying "look how bad you are, I can beat you with closed eyes and my hands tied". Conceding a frame is a bit like resigning in a game of chess: You acknowledge that your opponent is good enough to beat you from the current position, and that there is no point for you to continue. Again, looking at it from Robidoux's perspective, Ronnie was playing with a handicap, and was behaving disrespectfully. Why should he acknowledge that?

[@seanscanlon9067]

Robidoux was not suggesting playing the odd shot left-handed when the lay of the balls might have called for it was unsportsmanlike, his problem was Ronnie taking the piss when doing it constantly, as if he was saying 'I can even beat him left-handed' which Robidoux obviously saw as disrespectful. He then did not concede in order to try to get back at Ronnie.

[@osirisgolad]

​@@johnbell4431 Why do you get to decide when a player should play with his right hand?

[@Stanislav.Cerovsky]

What do you know about Robidoux besides this Ronnie thing? :D

[@renerpho]

He wants to kill the man who smashed his favourite cue.

[@4lifecuba]

We in Canada know that Alain always acted like a gentleman.

[@Vortigan07]

So then, according to the commentators, it's "perfectly valid" for Robidoux to play on and try to shake O'Sullivan off his game (despite already being 8 frames behind) but it's not cool for Ronnie to respond by saying "OK, if you wanna play like that, I'm up for it"! Years later, of course, nobody bats an eyelid at Ronnie playing left handed, we just know it as one aspect of his genius, he wasn't mocking Robidoux at all (at least not when Robidoux first took it that way)

[@seanscanlon9067]

Leaving aside that the commentators said that it was getting childish and all a bit silly, them highlighting why Robidoux played on to try to shake O'Sullivan off his game is just them suggesting that he was allowed to do that. It does not necessarily mean that they approved of it though.

[@stevehigton5167]

Something was hurting back then Robi-Ducks... but which part of the cue was it ?? 😂

[@johnathonhutchinson1105]

“I don’t think the spectators want to watch much more of this. “ here’s me fuck know how many years later. Putting the video specifically on.

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

He was teaching the young Ronnie a lesson A lesson he’s surely learnt

[@shaund4155]

Is it a rule that a snooker player has to state which hand he will play with and if he switches hands he gets penalized? No? Then wtf is that daft Canadian upset for? Must be a shame when you're only known because you show up on someone elses highlight reel embarrassing you with their weekend hand 🤣🤣

[@Pro_Skillz]

One person down voted this, is that you Robidoux ? Lol

[@stansolo4138]

yeah .... whatever happened to Ronnie ?

[@badninja1971]

Imagine trying to intimidate a kid who turned into the GOAT. 😂

[@Andy-Bodhi]

Don't all kids grow up to be goats? Boom Pearls before swine

[@lingolarker9318]

@@Andy-BodhiPriceless!

[@crooty9]

Alain used to HATE it when Ronnie played left handed. Thought he was just showing off. By the way, love how Ronnie is lining up his escape from behind the black before the blue has even come to rest!!

[@DanXYZ7]

No one was stopping Robidoux from using his left hand

[@JR-1983]

He couldn't pot with right

[@richardkirkham8064]

I’d say robidoux is a little embarrassed by this video these days. He should be :)

[@0flan]

If someone wants to play left handed what difference does it make? It's like saying you can't swerve the ball. Save it for exhibitions?

[@nomchompsky3012]

In that era, players only played shots with their weaker hand in exhibitions or when the rest was impractical. It was unheard of for a player to be elite level with his other hand, hence Roubideaux felt insulted. Thing is, Ronnie is the only totally ambidextrous player in snooker history. He could win tournaments left-handed.

[@seanscanlon9067]

@0flan - It is not even close to saying that.

[@tonynaccarato4751]

Ronnie was a child, acted like a little brat, thank god he grew up, and became the greatest champion snooker has ever known.

[@barringtonsmith9147]

The guy is ambidextrous tough!! nothing to get up tight about

[@HELL-BENT74]

What happened to Robidoux's Snooker career?

[@al_5655]

Robidoux wouldn't have liked playing Judd Trump ...

[@vratarportirgolman]

When Ronnie fouls the blue, well for the first time anyway at 2:00 mark, he looks at the scoreboard (the "before" face) then the ref stands in the way and then we're treated to the "after" face, the "are you kidding me that you're playing on so far behind, ok i'll give you pettiness" smirk followed by a shake of head in disbelief.

[@brianiswrong]

The only person potentially affected by playing with either hand is the player himself when he misses a pot or position.

[@GroundHOG-2010]

For those that don't know, Ronnie was known at the time only for his right handed play, he didn't actually play left handed. A right handed player who can't play left handed nearly as well would essentially be saying to the opponent "You are so bad that I can beat you playing with a handicap", otherwise known as taking the piss, which is why the commentators are commenting on it. That said, no one knew that Ronnie could actually play left handed and enjoys playing left handed at the time, which as why we look at this the complete opposite way today.

[@rsb8380]

The hilarious thing is in the interview at the end Ronnie doesn’t even try to defend himself. We all know now playing left-handed on certain shots actually has its advantages. But he’s just like, nah I was bored 😂

[@sapete1936]

Robidwho?

[@paulofarrell6498]

Robidouche

[@sapete1936]

@@paulofarrell6498 😂 oh him! 😂

[@MAH-tu1xz]

Robideux given taste of his own medicine and he doesn’t like it

[@Camberwell86]

This was jokes 😅 Robidoux sinks the white off the brown. Ronnie nearly fluking the brown next shot. Robidoux ACTUALLY fluking the brown next shot. Ronnie in off on the blue giving away five points and a respotted blue. Frame that kept on giving 😂

[@grencart]

Alain who?

[@LIVERNIL723]

Pissed each other off; one for not conceded followed by the other for then exhbiting.

[@weeroger7048]

2:48 a young bean face

[@Cumulus1989]

I remember Ebdon, he was was as They was on this match :)

[@shellsbignumber2]

Sometimes in life you just got to take your medicine.

[@davidstevens3934]

This story got twisted in my mind over the years. I thought Ronnie played the whole match left handed. Just a few shots. Shows how much the game has changed.

[@stevenpenten8297]

I think it's more petulant playing on needing 43 with 13 remaining than someone showing he can comfortably play with either hand where others would have to use the rest. O Sullivan just brilliant for decades 👏

[@DavidChild-ty2od]

That was pretty ridiculous. No point Robidoux carrying on needing that many snookers.

[@kevinprior3549]

RIP Clive Everton! 🙏

[@shazanali692]

I was real young when i watched this, i just didn't realise what was going on.

[@dadson4017]

This o sullivan guy seems good, with a bit of practice i think he could win a title or 2

[@worldnotworld]

Practically no deliberation between shots. Strange frame!

[@thesupercoach]

Robidoux is the world's biggest crybaby. All of this was his doing and nothing came of his complaint because there was nothing to answer. Just because Ronnie responded to the petulance of his opponent, doesn't mean he's bringing the game into disrespect.

[@jonescrusher1]

The arrogance of Robidoux, making the audience watch pointless snooker because his feelings are hurt.

[@UXB-p5u]

Alain was from a time when if an opponent did do what Ronnie did during a frame it would indeed be seen as an insult....Ronnie was just about to grab snooker by the balls and literally blast it into the future and playing both right and left handed would be something that would take him to the very top of the game everywhere!!

[@RenegadeRanga]

Robidoux is the other half of ebbo. Instead of takingbno shot at all he just forever do nothing with all the shots. Robidoux should have been sanctioned for this fucking drivle.

[@dale333]

I didn't like that the announcers were fine with Robidoux trying to frustrate Ronnie but when Ronnie did the same thing it was 'childish'.

[@seanscanlon9067]

Who said that they were fine with it? They highlighted the reason why Robidoux was doing it (as in not conceding) but that is not the same as being fine with it.

[@Mike-1000]

*It's never been in the rule book that one has to use the same hand all the time*

[@ocn14s]

It was obvious O'Sullivan was needling Robidoux - but from Robidoux's angle - he should not have given O'Sullivan the satisfaction of seeing that he had got under his skin - he would have been better served to ignore it - that would have spoiled O'Sullivan's fun and games - by the way O'Sullivan was very tubby and fat in those days wasn't he ?

[@alanunaiomen5306]

O'Sullivan hater spotted. Yeah, O'sullivan was in the wrong in all of this. :)) I hope you just hate him that much and are not actually that dumb, although neither one is good.

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

6:00 id be throwing rotten cabbages at this stage

[@Jer0867]

Ron was being a bit cheeky, but Alain was being a typical, stroppy Frog, by not being able to take it. Both were at fault, in different ways!

[@Sam_Green____4114]

The referee should have stepped in and awarded the farme to O' Sullivan !! Robidoux wasn't even trying to pot the pink !! He could win any way !

[@InYourHeadChangedMan]

Why didn't he get him to take it again when he had him in the snooker? He probably would have won if O'Sullivan failed to hit a red at the third attempt?

[@joshhfletchh4841]

what...

[@vvvictoriav5958]

At the snookers required stage you can’t put them back in to play it again

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

Basically Alan couldn't cope with Ronnie being a far superior player!! Proof of that is their record of achievements. ..or lack of for Robidoux 😂 Ronnie is just a genius on the table both left & right handed. JG.

[@robsatoz]

Wikipedia reports that after later learning that Ronnie was ambidextrous he did apologise.

[@infinitel00p94]

Robideaux is a bad sport. If Ronnie can beat you left handed...take it like a man

[@zielaq87]

Poor Robidoux, what a sore loser

[@panpeter8234]

Robideux had made himself one of the biggest fool in snooker.

[@stevieo9754]

Fast forward to the 2020 Northern Ireland Open and it's Ronnie playing for 9 snookers in a frame. The irony!

[@JungleNation333]

You need to look up what irony is

[@andycoleman4842]

I could watch ronnie on form all day, but robolox well he should be show instead of adverts.

[@zellhaufen8583]

from wikipedia: "Robidoux reached the semi-finals of the 1997 World Snooker Championship, defeating Brian Morgan, Stefan Mazrocis and Lee Walker before losing to eventual champion Ken Doherty. He subsequently slid rapidly down the rankings.[3] Robidoux blamed his decline on the destruction of his favourite cue,[3] which he referred to as "the Eel". When Robidoux returned the cue to the man from whom he had bought it to have it mended, the man objected to Robidoux having fixed a sponsor's logo to the butt and smashed the cue to pieces. Several years later, Robidoux was asked whether the passage of time may have eased his anger towards the cue maker; he responded "I want to kill him."

[@kevinprior3549]

In other words he beat worse average players than him before he got beat by a world class player who went on to win the championship?

[@zellhaufen8583]

@@kevinprior3549 No, it means he owed his success mostly to a queue that he arrogantly lost because he covered the name of the maker (supposedly French) with the sticker of a big American brand and then sent it to him for repair. He paid the price for too much being an asshole.

[@pa-mo]

Is this true?!

[@kevinprior3549]

Ronnie should have won 1997 title. That fast 147 certainly merited it.

[@ThomasEdison-gt5hp]

​@@pa-mo Why don't you just check for yourself. It's easily done. 🤦‍♂️ That's what I did.

[@porkyparry1]

Robidooooo dropped his duds and showed his spuds

[@X_Paul_X]

Alain Nobodydous. Shit here but looked great as the big guy in Superman 2😉

[@richarddavey7884]

Ultimately Ronnie got it spot in reference to Robidoux moaning about Ronnie playing left handed "im better left handed than he is right" Robidoux was a boring old school type snooker player that used score 30 and run to the baulk cushion. If wasnt for the likes of Alex Higgins, hendry, white, drago and ronnie dragging snooker kicking n screaming into the 20th century, it would still be played like that....small mercies

[@ksportz66]

Ronnie should have conceded the frame and carried on.

[@seanscanlon9067]

He could not concede the frame when he was winning it.

[@bobbyknox9258]

Who tries to get 45 points off or more from 3 balls!

[@kira1143]

He wasn't trying to do that , he just missed on purpose , because Ronnie was playing left handed

[@Singh415]

That was shameful from this robi guy. He should embrace that opponent can play with both hands. Rather getting jealous and being a kid. And commentary said ronnie being childish. Comon man ..

[@guntersaxenhammer6526]

At the end of the day, all these matches are fixed anyway.

[@jwslijm7278]

When you look at the Wikipedia page of Robidoux, than he has almost nothing achieved. And Ronnie is still present.

[@DaveDexterMusic]

even better than that, he retired because he was so average and blamed it on his preferred cue being broken. what kind of player can only perform with a single cue? it's not gandalf's staff for fuck sakes

[@jackbuchanan2]

Tbf. Robidoux achieved becoming a professional sportsman for a decade or so, more than 99.9% ever achieve in sport. But then I'm being a pedantic little twat and the point is Ronnie is way better and Robidoux still acted like a little tart over not much.

[@_witsd]

Sixth ever 147, and reached the top ten of the world rankings. Sure, it's nothing compared to Ronnie, but he was a better player than most people give him credit for.

[@Zac0827]

That guy looks good. Might be world champion one day…

[@jackcarter5101]

5:00 Ronnie should have potted the pink left handed

[@spleeeen4it]

One of the nicest guys in snooker was Alain.

[@geotj58]

Imagine all them people paying good money to watch Robidoux waste their hard earned cash..what a knob

[@robmcguire7534]

Player A has no right to dictate or comment on how player B plays. You play the shot that if left to you, should you be so lucky to have a shot left to play.

[@spartybrearly7221]

Robidoux is annoyed that O’Sullivan is playing some shots left-handed? 🤔

[@johnmc3862]

He was just being an eejit.

[@ashtakmetoza5689]

yes sherlock 😂

[@glynknox4089]

He could probably have won with one arm tied behind his back.

[@dannypriestley1978]

Huh he's a Canadian haha This is an outrage buddy 😅😅

[@IHFM2024]

The GOAT against a nobody. That O'Sullivan chap never did make the grade.

[@toomuchsauce1664]

Caught in his feelings

[@belalmiah980]

Why would Ronnie disadvantage himself on some shots with his right hand when he can play it comfortably with his left? Robidoux is salty

[@raynsirhanchannel1536]

He's hardly accept the beat.

[@alunchurcher7060]

this is why the French have a bad reputation of sulking.

[@l0wk3y10]

And being racist cunts

[@chiplawson5491]

He's Canadian

[@alunchurcher7060]

@@chiplawson5491 French Canadian

[@chiplawson5491]

@@l0wk3y10 Non of the French people I know are in any way shape or form racist.

[@l0wk3y10]

@@chiplawson5491 the French are widely known to openly discriminate against Muslims 🤷