World Snooker Championship: Disgusting or amusing? Stephen Maguire EATS fly off table before shot at Crucible
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/09/16/image-2dfbf386-2e00-4190-b54b-f567fdb17e56-68-310-310.jpeg)
By Dan Quarrell
Published 02/05/2024 at 10:16 GMT+1
Seeing a professional player eat a fly off a table was not exactly what the fans would have had in mind for entertainment when they sat down to watch Stephen Maguire take on David Gilbert in their World Snooker Championship quarter-final at the Crucible Theatre. Maguire surely surprised everyone. It was just one flashpoint in a wild outing for Maguire, who also punched the table in his 13-8 loss.
Watch as Maguire eats fly off table during quarter-final at Crucible
Video credit: TNT Sports
Stephen Maguire made a very questionable decision during his quarter-final defeat to David Gilbert at the World Championship - one that did not even involve a shot with his cue.
The Scot was trailing 11-8 at the time in the tense encounter and was at the table looking to stamp his authority on proceedings while down 23-0 in the early stages of the 20th frame.
As he settled over the baize ready to take on a long safety shot on a red, he suddenly rose after realising that there was a fly on the table.
Understandably, he immediately slammed his hand on the table to kill the fly and removed it. But what followed shocked everyone inside the Crucible Theatre.
Rather than dropping the dead fly on the floor, putting it in a nearby bin or flicking it into his opponent's glass of water, Maguire instead opted to eat it.
The dubious act prompted a roar of laughter from the surprised fans, who probably did not know quite how to react.
"Well, he has shown no mercy there, and that has been his general approach today!" joked Dave Hendon, on commentary for Eurosport at the time. "Here we go!"
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/04/30/3959622-80387153-2560-1440.jpg)
'That must have hurt' – Maguire punches table after miss
Video credit: TNT Sports
- 'Ouch!' – Maguire PUNCHES table after error in quarter-final
- 'Can't believe it' - White reacts to cue whack and 'easy' miss from 'angry' O'Sullivan
The sudden injection of fuel did not exactly help Maguire as he proceeded to completely miss the reds with his shot to concede a foul.
What made it all the more tough to watch was the fact that he was still chewing on the fly as he missed the shot and sat down in his chair.
Stream top snooker action, including the 2024 World Championship, live and on-demand on discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement