The magic of The Crucible

It's1991, a staggeringly cold -20C and I'm on way to watch England play Cameroon in a meaningless friendly.

And then I see it; an image that will stay with me until the day I die: Wembley lit up in all its majesty.

I was only 12 but remember thinking this was a dream come true. Here was this stadium I had seen on TV so many times, but never got close to it.

Fast forward 18 years and I'm standing outside The Crucible in Sheffield embarrassing my wife and son by taking dozens of pictures.

Going to the 'theatre of dreams' for the first time felt like that Wembley experience as a child - but here I was, a 30-year-old man.

Like Wembley, I'd grown up with this place, lived its history but never got the chance to see it.

Now I'm kicking myself for leaving it so late.

The magic of The Crucible is in the simple things: standing outside its famous sign to walking into the warm, stuffy arena.

But it's also getting the chance to walk past the professionals in the street - and even finding yourself propped up next to them at the bar.

It's not just the English who have a love for The Crucible. Last year a Dutch gent in a bright orange top was in the front row of almost every session. And a student from China flew over for just the opening match - such is its appeal.

So if you've never gone to The Crucible, put it on the Bucket list. One thing's for sure if you do, you'll keep on going back.

Who can be top of the world?

The World Championships are just a few days away and no-one looks to be a runaway favourite.

It's so open there are possibly up to eight players who have a chance of lifting the famous trophy.

Here's my opinion of the top eight favourites, according to odds from William Hill, and how far I predict they will go.

Judd Trump 5-1

Last year's runner-up has been a breath of fresh air for the sport, but he's had a patchy season.

He won the second biggest title, the UK Championship, last December but since then hasn't reached a semi-final.

He's been knocked out in the quarters of the German Masters, Welsh Open and the recent China Open and couldn't get past the second round at the Haikou Open and PTC Finals.

So it's fair to say he hasn't been firing on all cylinders in the run-up to the Crucible, but his draw isn't too bad.

I expect him to dispatch whichever qualifier he's drawn against, and think he'll have an easy game against Ali Carter should he proceed to the second round.

A tough quarter final awaits against potentially either an in-form Stephen Lee or Shaun Murphy, but I suspect he'll have enough to overcome that hurdle.

However I fear his attacking game could be his undoing when it gets to the latter stages, and maybe Stephen Maguire or John Higgins might just raise their games.

Prediction: semi-final

Ronnie O'Sullivan 8-1

It's been said countless times before but if The Rocket turns up with his A game, he has to be a contender.

But with his well-documented struggles with illness - he suffers from severe bouts of tiredness due to glandular fever - it has to be a black mark against any chance of winning a fourth World title.

He's like a Denman or Kauto Star - a thoroughbred who the paying public adore, but potentially may not be able to win the big prize.

Having said that the win at the German Masters, semi-final spot at the Welsh Open and quarter final of the China Open will give Ronnie's fan some hope.

Prediction: Quarter final

Mark Selby 8-1

The world number pulled out of the China Open with a neck injury so there are doubts about his fitness ahead of the worlds.

Selby is a funny character (and not in the Jester from Leicester meaning).

He performs consistently well and regularly reaches the latter stages of tournaments, hence his top spot ranking.

While winning the Shanghai Masters and Wuxi Classic, he has a seemingly mental block when it comes to clinching major ranking event wins (which is why he wasn't in the Premier League this year despite being number one).

I fully expect him to reach the quarters but believe his Crucible run will come to end against Mark Allen or Ding Junhui (who he lost to at the same stage last year).

Prediction: quarter final

John Higgins 8-1

The Scot played phenomenally well to win the tournament last year, with Steve Davis describing Higgins as the best player ever. So you'd be a fool to right him off completely, but for me he is a player struggling for form. He's had a nightmare season and I cannot see him getting past Stephen Maguire if they meet in the quarters.

Prediction: Quarter final

Neil Robertson 8-1

Like Judd Trump, the Aussie has had an indifferent season. He won the Masters in January, but since then has faded away at tournaments, losing games he shouldn't.

But he's gritty, loves the longer format and I think he can make it to the semi-finals at least.

Prediction: Semi-final

Ding Junhui 9-1

It might just be the Chinese player's year. He's in the same half as Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Ronnie O'Sullivan, but he's in fine form this season, having won the Welsh Open in convincing style over Selby.

Prediction: Final

Mark Allen 14-1

His performances this year have been far better and more consistent. He reached the final of the UK Championship and played fantastically well, eventually losing to Judd Trump who simply potted more balls.

He slaughtered Stephen Lee 10-1 in the Haikou Open and so comes to Sheffield high in confidence. And if he can overcome Ding Junhui in the second round he's got every chance. But Ding will probably have that bit more quality to see him through. However, expect a close game if they do meet.

Prediction: second round

Stephen Maguire 16-1

The Scot has lived up to his nickname - 'on fire Maguire' - with some thrilling performances this year. He's reached the final of the German Masters (losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan) and the China Open (losing to Peter Ebdon). So at 16-1 he's definitely worth a bet and the draw looks promising. But if he does reach the final, his ability to finish off matches could come back to haunt him.

Prediction: Final

Ebdon's the ultimate grinder

HIS game has been described as boring, dull even. And all those criticisms of Peter Ebdon are 100 per cent right - he can make snooker look the most tedious game on the planet. But do you think he cares? Not a jot. And why should he? He's just picked up his ninth ranking event win of his career after a marathon 10-9 win over Stephen Maguire in the China Open, not to mention the small matter of £75,000. But while many may criticise his tactics and slowness around the table, it's that ability to concentrate 100 per cent - to give it his all on every shot - that many players envy. The great Alex Higgins freely admitted he would often take on ridiculous shots and play up to the crowd, and often then lose the frame and possibly match. But Ebdon is content to take extra time to think about a shot, no matter if the audience are getting restless. He has what football pundit Alan Hansen regularly bangs on about: 'grit and determination'. Ebdon can also still play to a high standard - he hit four centuries in the China Open final. I would certainly not want to see every player in the top 16 play his way - it would probably be the death of snooker. But every sport has its tactics and different ways of playing a game. And remember, snooker has always had its fair share of grinders with Cliff Thornburn and Terry Griffiths. Now we will have to wait and see if this is a one-off and whether Ebdon can get back into the top 16. We might have a long wait, though....