A PAIR OF “stinky old shoes” proved just the job for Ronnie O’Sullivan on his way to a 10-3 first-round victory over Craig Steadman at the World Snooker Championship.
After becoming uncomfortable in Tuesday’s opening session, the five-time world champion decided to remove his own footwear and borrow a pair from tournament director Mike Ganley, but not before playing in his socks for a short period.
“I’ve got no fashion sense at all,” O’Sullivan was quoted as saying by BBC Sport on Wednesday. “I had the last ones for 10 years and just didn’t want to get rid of them.
“But I lost them and had to buy a new pair but they were bashing my feet. I had to take them off, I couldn’t wear them
“I didn’t want to play in my socks but I didn’t want to play in those shoes either, so I was just happy for anyone to give me any footwear that felt comfortable. I got a pair of Mike Ganley’s stinky old shoes but, you know what, they felt great.”
O’Sullivan escaped punishment for a breach of dress code, while a young fan took home the most unusual of Crucible souvenirs – a smart pair of size-eight shoes.
Originally published at 18.18
