WHAT is it about top level snooker that breeds the biggest bunch of bores in sport?

The Embassy World Snooker Championships got underway for another painfully dull year this week and one look at its major players makes you wonder why they bother to stage it, let alone televise it.

No wonder they wait until midnight before screening it. Although if they put the highlights - that's a laugh - on a little earlier, at least it could serve a purpose for insomniacs.

I remember staying up well into the early hours in the 1980s to watch the characters of the game lock personalities as well as horns around a green baize that created all the intrigue and rivalry of any sporting venue.

Not only were people glued to more than 20 million televisions until well past their bedtimes but they looked forward to the clash of the titans all day and talked about the inevitable drama the following day.

These days nobody's interested and who can blame them?

Stephen Hendry has got a lot to answer for. A brilliant player he undoubtedly has been but the game has never been the same since he started winning everything with his quiet, efficient style and empty personality.

Twenty years ago, every player had a gimmick, a character and a personality as well as a superb game.

You either loved or loathed Alex Higgins, Jimmy White was the people's favourite, Cliff Thorburn the housewives' choice, John Virgo had his jazzy waistcoats, comic one-liners and television show with Jim Davidson, Dennis Taylor had his big glasses and bigger smile, Kirk Stevens and Tony Knowles vied for who was the biggest heart-throb.

Then there was Ray Reardon the Dracula lookalike, Terry Griffiths with his haircuts and Bill Werbenuick with his medical condition that meant he had to drink 17 pints of lager a day. Quality gimmicks and the nation loved it.

Even Steve Davis had an angle. He was Hendry before Hendry, boring and unbeatable. But at least he had a sense of humour and played up to his Mr Boring tag, constantly appearing on TV and radio taking any amount of stick that people wanted to throw at him for his deadpan manner around the table.

Now it's like watching paint dry and nobody but the tiny minority of hardened snooker fans would even notice if the world championships were scrapped completely.