‘I’m doing it my way…’
On the 9th of February 1997, weeks away from my 10th birthday, for the first time in my life, I made the informed decision to sit down and watch snooker by choice. The reason? Ronnie O’Sullivan. The Rocket’s reputation as an entertainer was so universal that word of his exploits had spread to the primary school playground. Why do I remember this date so vividly? I’ll be honest, dear reader, not just for the scintillating snooker. This was also the day that 22-year-old secretary Lianne Crofts decided to run around the table naked on live TV – a formative moment for everyone involved…
While Ronnie wasn’t directly responsible for the snooker streaker, it’s safe to say that it fits his reputation as an entertainer. When you watch Ronnie O’Sullivan, literally anything can happen. He might pull off the world’s fastest 147 or he might walk off halfway through a frame. Either way, watching Ronnie is always a treat. Undoubtedly the best snooker player to ever pick up a cue, he’s also a troubled individual, something that is well documented, not least by himself in various post-match interviews. Ronnie has threatened to quit snooker so many times that nobody takes much notice of him anymore but one day he will actually quit and we will all realise we took him for granted.
The Edge of Everything from director Sam Blair attempts to unlock the enigma that is Ronnie O’Sullivan through the lens of his World Championship title attempt in 2021. We are treated to long interviews with the man himself but perhaps even more fascinating are conversations with everyone from O’Sullivan’s parents to Ronnie Wood to Jimmy White. He is clearly adored by those around him but he is also acutely haunted by numerous personal demons that never seem too far from taking over entirely. The footage of Ronnie’s torment throughout the 2021 World Championship final against Judd Trump is both palpable and hard to watch and it also casts all his previous achievements in a different light. Sure, he is the most naturally talented snooker player of all time but at what cost?
The Edge of Everything isn’t quite the definitive Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary that is surely waiting in the wings but it is a fascinating glimpse into one of the great sportsmen of the modern era.