Ronnie O'Sullivan compares playing every event at Milton Keynes to being in PRISON

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan compares playing every event at Milton Keynes to being in PRISON and says players’ bubble is ‘lonely and horrible’

  • Ronnie O’Sullivan is not enjoying playing each of his events at Milton Keynes
  • Measures are in place to keep players in a bubble during the Covid-19 pandemic
  • O’Sullivan compares the experience to when he visited his father in prison
  • The six-time world champions says the experience is ‘horrible’ and ‘lonely’ 

Ronnie O’Sullivan has slammed the new system of playing every snooker event within a players’ bubble in Milton Keynes, saying the experience is like being locked up in prison.

Snooker players are kept apart and asked to remain within the enclosed facilities, so as to minimise the potential risk of coronavirus infection.

And this has not sat well with O’Sullivan, who recently booked his place in the semi-finals of the Northern Ireland open where he will meet rival Ali Carter; the man he once clashed with by the side of the table in 2018 while being beaten in the World Championship.

Being cooped up and playing all snooker at Milton Keynes is getting to Ronnie O'Sullivan

Being cooped up and playing all snooker at Milton Keynes is getting to Ronnie O’Sullivan

After the victory, O’Sullivan outlined exactly what he thought of snooker’s new set-up and did not mince his words. 

‘This is like prison – an open prison,’ O’Sullivan said.

‘I used to go and visit my dad quite a lot and I watch players who are here now who aren’t playing until next week.

O'Sullivan will meet his rival Ali Carter in the last four of the competition

O’Sullivan will meet his rival Ali Carter in the last four of the competition

‘They have their little bit of food and going up to their room and it’s lonely, it’s horrible.

‘It’s like you could go out and get a little job in a charity shop and that’s your privileges.

‘Otherwise you are in here hitting a few balls and having a chat with the lads.’

Sullivan grew up with his father spending life behind bars for killing the driver of gangster Charlie Kray – the brother of twins Ronnie and Reggie.

He was sentenced in 1992, when O’Sullivan was just 16-years-old. The snooker obsessed youngster would then spend time visiting around his hectic playing schedule.

As usual, O’Sullivan has been making all sorts of headlines at the Northern Ireland Open, and was caught up in a hilarious moment after breaking wind during his last-32 win.

O'Sullivan recently loudly broke wind in a hilarious moment in his win against Matthew Stevens

O’Sullivan recently loudly broke wind in a hilarious moment in his win against Matthew Stevens

He joked to the referee 'Was that you?!' before owning up, saying he'd 'had a bad stomach'

He joked to the referee ‘Was that you?!’ before owning up, saying he’d ‘had a bad stomach’

The reigning world champion loudly played his trump card early in the fourth frame of his match against Welshman Matthew Stevens, which he went on to win 4-2 in Milton Keynes.

O’Sullivan appeared to apologise to Stevens by saying ‘terrible guts’ before turning to embarrassed referee Ben Williams and joking: ‘Was that you?!’

Williams had immediately taken a large step to his left away from O’Sullivan and the referee went bright red, with Stevens also laughing hysterically. 

Later, O’Sullivan told Eurosport: ‘I dropped my guts – I am taking full ownership of that! I have had stomach problems for a couple of months.

‘I did say “Was that you” to the referee but I am proud of that one!’

source: dailymail.co.uk