Sheffield DocFest Podcast

Following a kaleidoscope of strong personalities around the table in the 70s and 80s, the realm of snooker became a somewhat homogenised place following the introduction of corporate sponsorship and media training in the 1990s. Enter Ronnie O 'Sullivan - the some might say maverick, all would say phenomenally gifted player, he won 5 World Championship titles at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre and refused to fit in to the neat little box assigned to sports personalities. Not one to rest on his laurels, O'Sullivan continued to challenge himself professionally - teaching himself to play left handed and winning and personally - expressing an interest in religion and spirituality which led to many a raised eyebrow in the media. Never hiding the fact that he had come from an imperfect background and daring to be critical of the snooker world at large, Ronnie The Rocket has always been both an incredible player to watch and a fascinating public figure to follow in the modern world of sport. Sheffield Doc/Fest was delighted to welcome Ronnie back to The Crucible in a completely new way: talking with Guardian Journalist Simon Hattenstone, Ronnie revealed for the very first time the documentaries that have inspired him throughout his life and snooker career.

Direct download: Ronnie_OSullivan.mp3
Category:TV & Film -- posted at: 12:00pm UTC

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