The Seniors’ World Snooker Championship heading to Bradford is a reminder of the sport that captured the nation’s heart.

The days when TV viewers were gripped to the green baize of Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

So the opportunity to see some of those great names of the past, including this city’s very own Joe Johnson, should not be missed by snooker buffs.

But the glittering guest list also highlights the dearth of superstar talent in the modern game.

They may be fantastic players but the likes of Graeme Dott, Ali Carter and new champion Neil Robertson could walk past us in the street without anyone batting an eyelid in recognition.

They will never come close to Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor in terms of public personality.

Robertson’s claim that his title will encourage a new breed of Australian players sounds laughable. Why waste all that glorious sunny weather stuck in a gloomy snooker hall?

Sadly the only time that snooker is guaranteed front-page coverage these days is over the bribe scandal involving John Higgins.

He vehemently denies taking a £261,000 bung to lose frames but has been banned pending a full inquiry.

Snooker has suffered from this before and, let’s face it, the opportunity to throw a result is far clearer than in most other sports.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, it is terrible publicity. An indifferent general public has become a suspicious one as well.