Matthew Syed, who was recently named Sportswriter of the Year at the British Press Awards, has investigated the finances of the WPBSA for The Times.
You can read his findings here.
It makes for pretty astonishing reading for those who are not already aware of the facts.
It is astonishing reading. Especially when you read how much Walker gets for seemingly doing very little. How difficult can it be to get good sponsorship deals for the Masters, UK and Grand Prix? All of which are shown on the BBC and on Eurosport on the continent.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me as if the board are claiming finders fee commissions on any sponsorship deals they broker.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC deal is obviously not a new one so its hard to imagine any reason to claim a personal reward for a watered down new contract.
I hope the Players Assocation finds a way of kicking all those as corrupt and selfish as Rodney Walker out, and that the sport is allowed to grow for a change.
ReplyDeleteRead Clive Everton's book. When hasn't the WPBSA been corrupt and self-serving?
ReplyDeleteTime for Walker to walk. A greedy, self-important oaf who is running the sport we love into the ground. A question for Dave, what is this man's background? Did he, before his appointment, have any involvement in snooker or sport at all?
ReplyDelete10.02 Anon
ReplyDeleteSir Rodney came from a Rugby League background and was pivotal in the set-up of the Super League as it is today (IIRC).
He always comes over as a decent chap.
please remember the players keep choosing to pay out these massive commissions by reappointing the board every year. No serious business man would turn down such generosity. He must be doing something worth the money or his employers wouldnt be paying him it- well done Sir Rodney on making the most of the opportunities available in continuing to go against the flow and make lots of money in a time of recession- and if anyone criticises him for it I guess they would be doing exactly the same and being paid handsomely for their labours if in his position- unless they were worthy of sainthood as oppose to merely knighthoods
ReplyDeleteplease remember the players keep choosing to pay out these massive commissions by reappointing the board every year. No serious business man would turn down such generosity. He must be doing something worth the money or his employers wouldnt be paying him it- well done Sir Rodney on making the most of the opportunities available in continuing to go against the flow and make lots of money in a time of recession- and if anyone criticises him for it I guess they would be doing exactly the same and being paid handsomely for their labours if in his position- unless they were worthy of sainthood as oppose to merely knighthoods
ReplyDeletegoogle him and you will find on page 1:
ReplyDeletea pro-walker article with some background info: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20001231/ai_n14348339/?tag=content;col1
list of his two zillion chairmanships: http://www.sirrodneywalker.uk.com/index.aspx
As for the salary, I can't see him being overpaid. It's a fair amount of money for someone in that position.
'It's a fair amount of money for someone in that position'
ReplyDeleteThe WPBSA commissioned a report which found that directors should not take commissions from contracts
Walker ignored it
Yes, very fair
Are there any suitable candidates to replace Rodney Walker? And how do they go about taking his place?
ReplyDeleteAnon 11.55am.
ReplyDeleteUsually what happens is the players back someone then turn against him.
In this case Ebdon was very pro-Walker when he was in the frame.
Yet the players are never blamed for picking the wrong guy in the first place it seems.
@12.16pm Sergey wrote....
ReplyDeleteSurely commissions should be paid on sales regardless of who the salesman is?
If the WPBSA had factored the sponsorship sales to a 3rd party, I'd hazard a guess that they'd look for 30% minimum on the deal.
Will anyone have the temerity to claim a commission on the Betfred deal? Remember Betfred approached World Snooker not the other way round, so nobody can seriously ask for a finder's fee when the deal jumped into their lap by chance.
ReplyDeleteive said it for years...
ReplyDeleteWSA Board members past and present are in it for theire own financial gain without showing any return for the sport.
when altum came forward the WSA was not thinking whats best for the game but whats in it for us and we will lose out..
In terms of someone to take his place the obvious candidate is one Mr Steve Davis.
ReplyDeleteSteve Davis been on the board and even he was as useless as it gets...
ReplyDeleteSomeone who ticks all the correct boxes for me is Taxin Shinawatra.
ReplyDeleteHe could really help deliver the sport to the S.E. Asian audience and has a proven track record in UK sport with Manchester City.
He's also not short of a bob-or-two and mixes in the right circles plus, he's a huge admirer of James Wattana.
It's not really about who is on. The commissions issue aside, Sir Rodney Walker has been efefctive in certain areas.
ReplyDeleteBut the problem remains how the WPBSA is constituted and until that is properly addressed the sport will continue to punch below its weight.
You can't have a frontline sport controlled entirely by players.
If Rodney Walker was doing anything illegal I doubt very much he would be chairman of WS. Look at his CV - he's been in enough organisations long enough (and brought success to them as well) that implications of dodgy dealings look way wide of the mark.
ReplyDeleteBut surely there needs to be board representation from China as they are the biggest audience and we need to cater for them. The suggestion from a few days ago to start matches very early in the morning so that people in the far east can watch at their peak viewing times is one way to increase (Chinese) sponsorship, and therefore increase prize money.
Nobody has accused him of doing anything illegal
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteRon @ 9.24am insinuated as much, unless of course, corrupt doesn't mean illegal.
Sergey
ReplyDeletethats more a ill advised term .
it isnt illegal but its the same as politicians doing taking money from the pot without nothing to show for it.
why should the WSA get a x amount of wages each week for doing nothing...
they should be doing it for nothing until the sport back on it feet....
i love snooker i have passion for the sport if money comes before everything then we know just how much pasion for the sport they have absalutly nothing.
I must admit I was quite pleased when Rodney Walker was appointed as his track record is excellent. However, he certainly hasn't delivered what I expected of him and the game seems to be stagnating. It's so frustrating, and I expect I speak for the majority on here, to see the game struggle yet as the article points out it's got some fantastic television contracts that other sports would die for. I'd love to be involved somehow and push things forward as there is great potential out there but it seems nothing is actively being done from within.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, with regards that article, was quite suprised to see official quotes from World Snooker. It's good to see that they're now speaking to the press - that's a step forward.
If Walker is so bad at mismanaging things then why is he still there? Especially when the players vote each year to keep him in. And before anyone mentions the players who abstain; if that's the case, then the players need to take a long hard look at themselves. If they can't be bothered to effect change in the game (to protect their livihoods), then who are we to criticise Walker.
ReplyDeletestuartfanning wrote
ReplyDelete"Read Clive Everton's book. When hasn't the WPBSA been corrupt and self-serving?"
I remember the late 90's when The Mirror was right on top of all the corruption. I think I am right (actually I know I am right) that it went all the way to the High Court.
Now The Mirror don't even cover the snooker very much ...
is clive evertons book a financial audit or just his personal opinion based on what facts were available at time of writing?
ReplyDeleteVery good article that backs up everything said in Snooker Scene.
ReplyDeleteBy the way.
Has anyone seen the provisional world rankings on BBC text?
They are all over the place!
and now there is this
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thenational.ae/article/20090416/SPORT/295058896/1100
with this admirable quote from Sir Rodney ...
"Commercially, the Bahrain tournament was a success but we paid for it." uh?
Is that a real quote Monique? Wow... The Bahrain crowd were technically not even a crowd. Time for Europe to stage some events and leave the desert be.
ReplyDeleteReading this quote, I think it is time we considered that SRW may actually be senial, and by the way I am genuinely seroius.
ReplyDelete