So ends a night of extraordinary drama in which John Higgins...just...has booked his place in the Pukka Pies UK Championship final with his 9-8 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Higgins won the first world ranking title of the decade, the 2000 Welsh Open, and if he beats Ding Junhui tomorrow he will win the last.
Right now, he’ll just be relieved to be through.
Leading 8-2 he was playing superbly but O’Sullivan was at 92% pot success at the time which tells you that although he had been largely shut out, he was still playing well.
They came back after the interval at 8-4, Higgins still confident of victory. Then came an incident which symbolised the turnaround even if it didn’t directly cause it.
After being called for six successive misses while snookered on all colours, O’Sullivan inadvertently touched the black with his hand.
Higgins asked for him to be put back in but the referee, Jan Verhaas, stated that it could not be called a miss because no stroke had been played.
On Eurosport commentary I agreed with him, but it was clear that this is a grey area and nobody seemed to know for sure.
Verhaas thought it over and called a miss. O’Sullivan intervened and Verhaas changed his mind and reverted to his original decision.
This is one of those arcane areas that needs to be clarified. I’m sure any referees reading this will have their own views.
I'm not for a minute saying O'Sullivan did this, but what is to stop a player being called for misses getting out of the situation by deliberately fouling a ball?
The match continued and Higgins grew edgy – understandably. Even at 8-2 he would know, somewhere in the back of his mind, that the one player in the world today capable of coming back from so far behind – apart from himself – is O’Sullivan.
And he did. All the way to 8-8.
He was in the balls in the decider but missed a pink and Higgins made what was, under the circumstances, an excellent 56 break to leave him a ball from making frame and match safe.
He later potted it to lead by 47 with 43 on. O’Sullivan chose not to play on. Considering he had fought so hard from 8-2 down this surprised me.
Perhaps by then he believed he didn’t deserve to win. Who knows? It was a night of high drama where anything was possible.
It was also a great advert for snooker: two world class players locking horns before a packed audience in one of the game’s biggest events.
The match lived up to the billing. It was superb entertainment.
12.12.09
LIFE OF PIE
I always enjoy reading Simon Barnes in The Times.
Here's his take today on the UK Championship:
It is rare that a sponsor can itself be an attraction to a sporting event. But the Pukka Pies UK Championship is a glorious thing, quite impossible to say without a smirk. It’s not exactly Asprey’s, is it? It’s snooker, of course, and it reminds me of my days at Fisher’s snooker hall in Wimbledon, eating bacon sandwiches and drinking stewed tea as I and my colleague on the Wimbledon News played for the Pot White championship.
Snooker’s great beauty is that its greatest tensions and its toughest battles are gloriously soporific: hypnotising the viewer into a Zen-like state of empty-mindedness. The patterns, the collisions, the colours; all the rivalry, all the anxiety, all the desperation is refined into a calming click-clack of dancing spheres.
Snooker is an enthralling game, and perhaps the only one in which one might find enlightenment. It’s all about calculation, about mathematics in action. It comes down to the impossible: who could ever calculate the square root of Pukka Pie?
Here's his take today on the UK Championship:
It is rare that a sponsor can itself be an attraction to a sporting event. But the Pukka Pies UK Championship is a glorious thing, quite impossible to say without a smirk. It’s not exactly Asprey’s, is it? It’s snooker, of course, and it reminds me of my days at Fisher’s snooker hall in Wimbledon, eating bacon sandwiches and drinking stewed tea as I and my colleague on the Wimbledon News played for the Pot White championship.
Snooker’s great beauty is that its greatest tensions and its toughest battles are gloriously soporific: hypnotising the viewer into a Zen-like state of empty-mindedness. The patterns, the collisions, the colours; all the rivalry, all the anxiety, all the desperation is refined into a calming click-clack of dancing spheres.
Snooker is an enthralling game, and perhaps the only one in which one might find enlightenment. It’s all about calculation, about mathematics in action. It comes down to the impossible: who could ever calculate the square root of Pukka Pie?
10.12.09
RAISING THE BAR
Some incredible snooker from John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan today has set up what will be their first ever meeting in the UK Championship.
They've been the two outstanding players of the decade so it's fitting they should meet in its last ranking event, even if it's in the semis and not the final.
Standards have improved over the years but so have conditions. The balls split far more easily than they once did on these super-fast cloths, which makes break building easier.
But the key word there is 'easier' - they still have to be knocked in and Higgins and O'Sullivan today produced between them some really outstanding stuff.
Bring on Saturday!
They've been the two outstanding players of the decade so it's fitting they should meet in its last ranking event, even if it's in the semis and not the final.
Standards have improved over the years but so have conditions. The balls split far more easily than they once did on these super-fast cloths, which makes break building easier.
But the key word there is 'easier' - they still have to be knocked in and Higgins and O'Sullivan today produced between them some really outstanding stuff.
Bring on Saturday!
DING IN THE SWING
I was very impressed by the way Ding Junhui completed his 9-8 victory over Ali Carter in the Pukka Pies UK Championship last night.
He didn’t flinch and he didn’t falter as two sizeable breaks from 8-7 down got him through to the semi-finals.
The 22 year-old Chinese was in the doldrums for a couple of years but his run to the Grand Prix final in October has brought about a huge injection of confidence.
Ding was knocked back by two heavy defeats to Ronnie O’Sullivan: in the 2007 Masters final and later at the Crucible.
And his road back to full snooker health can surely only be achieved if he beats O’Sullivan on a big stage – Sunday’s final being the perfect time – to truly exorcise those demons.
But O’Sullivan first has his work cut out today against Mark Selby, who started the season slowly and was 8-4 down to Jamie Cope in the first round but fought back to win 9-8 and played much better to see off Stephen Hendry 9-5 in the last 16.
The Leicester Jester is difficult to play against because of the various facets to his game. He’s a very heavy scorer – only John Higgins made more centuries last season – but also possesses a rock solid tactical game.
Selby is also prone to making jokes and some players, keen to concentrate, can find this off-putting.
O’Sullivan was undone from 8-5 up in the 2008 Welsh Open final when he allowed himself to become frustrated by Selby’s more methodical approach.
However, the Rocket had learned his lesson by the time the pair met in last season’s Wembley Masters final, which O’Sullivan shaded 10-8.
He was also the model of patience in beating Peter Ebdon 9-3 in the second round but although he was generally solid, Ebdon made a lot of mistakes.
So O’Sullivan will have to raise his game to see off Selby, who is full of confidence and returning to form.
Selby’s hotel room was burgled while he was playing Hendry, resulting in his car being stolen.
With trademark nonchalance he seems to have shrugged this off. Nicking a place in the semis might be a consolation.
He didn’t flinch and he didn’t falter as two sizeable breaks from 8-7 down got him through to the semi-finals.
The 22 year-old Chinese was in the doldrums for a couple of years but his run to the Grand Prix final in October has brought about a huge injection of confidence.
Ding was knocked back by two heavy defeats to Ronnie O’Sullivan: in the 2007 Masters final and later at the Crucible.
And his road back to full snooker health can surely only be achieved if he beats O’Sullivan on a big stage – Sunday’s final being the perfect time – to truly exorcise those demons.
But O’Sullivan first has his work cut out today against Mark Selby, who started the season slowly and was 8-4 down to Jamie Cope in the first round but fought back to win 9-8 and played much better to see off Stephen Hendry 9-5 in the last 16.
The Leicester Jester is difficult to play against because of the various facets to his game. He’s a very heavy scorer – only John Higgins made more centuries last season – but also possesses a rock solid tactical game.
Selby is also prone to making jokes and some players, keen to concentrate, can find this off-putting.
O’Sullivan was undone from 8-5 up in the 2008 Welsh Open final when he allowed himself to become frustrated by Selby’s more methodical approach.
However, the Rocket had learned his lesson by the time the pair met in last season’s Wembley Masters final, which O’Sullivan shaded 10-8.
He was also the model of patience in beating Peter Ebdon 9-3 in the second round but although he was generally solid, Ebdon made a lot of mistakes.
So O’Sullivan will have to raise his game to see off Selby, who is full of confidence and returning to form.
Selby’s hotel room was burgled while he was playing Hendry, resulting in his car being stolen.
With trademark nonchalance he seems to have shrugged this off. Nicking a place in the semis might be a consolation.
9.12.09
CENTURY OF CENTURIES FOR CARTER
Ali Carter today became the 32nd player to compile a century of centuries in professional competition.
He had been on 98 since the Welsh Open until coming to Telford this week.
He had been on 98 since the Welsh Open until coming to Telford this week.
8.12.09
TORTOISE V HARE: THE REMATCH
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object something has to give. But who will win out between the fast, attacking Ronnie O’Sullivan and the gritty, grinding Peter Ebdon in the second round of the Pukka Pies UK Championship today?
Famously, indeed controversially, the tortoise beat the hare at the Crucible in 2005 when Ebdon mounted a rearguard action to recover from 8-2 down and win their quarter-final 13-11.
Ebdon denied that he had slowed the pace of play down deliberately – at one point he took five minutes to make a break of 12 – but, all the same, he got under O’Sullivan’s skin and did a proper number on him.
Ebdon has won 11 of his 28 meetings with O’Sullivan, not a terrible record by any means against the world no.1.
But O’Sullivan demonstrated great patience in beating Matthew Stevens 9-3 yesterday, exhibiting some sublime safety play and gradually getting better as the match went on, winning nine of the last ten frames.
O’Sullivan may not look forward to playing Ebdon but would enjoy beating him.
Looking for a fifth UK title, O’Sullivan has arrived in Telford in cheery form fresh from turning 34 last weekend.
He is in a good mood following the coup that saw his friend Barry Hearn installed as chairman of the WPBSA.
And though his game is not at 100% yet, he’s not a player anyone wants to draw.
Ebdon had a good win over Judd Trump in which he won all five frames played in the final session. O’Sullivan, though, is a different prospect entirely.
Ding Junhui certainly has the game to end Shaun Murphy’s title defence but has only beaten him once in six meetings.
Ali Carter was delayed until midnight through a combination of a stubborn opponent in Rory McLeod and the roll on/roll off format whereas his second round opponent, Stephen Lee, has had a day off between matches.
Rank outsider Peter Lines is appearing in the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in ten years but twice champion Mark Williams surely represents a match too far for him.
Famously, indeed controversially, the tortoise beat the hare at the Crucible in 2005 when Ebdon mounted a rearguard action to recover from 8-2 down and win their quarter-final 13-11.
Ebdon denied that he had slowed the pace of play down deliberately – at one point he took five minutes to make a break of 12 – but, all the same, he got under O’Sullivan’s skin and did a proper number on him.
Ebdon has won 11 of his 28 meetings with O’Sullivan, not a terrible record by any means against the world no.1.
But O’Sullivan demonstrated great patience in beating Matthew Stevens 9-3 yesterday, exhibiting some sublime safety play and gradually getting better as the match went on, winning nine of the last ten frames.
O’Sullivan may not look forward to playing Ebdon but would enjoy beating him.
Looking for a fifth UK title, O’Sullivan has arrived in Telford in cheery form fresh from turning 34 last weekend.
He is in a good mood following the coup that saw his friend Barry Hearn installed as chairman of the WPBSA.
And though his game is not at 100% yet, he’s not a player anyone wants to draw.
Ebdon had a good win over Judd Trump in which he won all five frames played in the final session. O’Sullivan, though, is a different prospect entirely.
Ding Junhui certainly has the game to end Shaun Murphy’s title defence but has only beaten him once in six meetings.
Ali Carter was delayed until midnight through a combination of a stubborn opponent in Rory McLeod and the roll on/roll off format whereas his second round opponent, Stephen Lee, has had a day off between matches.
Rank outsider Peter Lines is appearing in the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in ten years but twice champion Mark Williams surely represents a match too far for him.
7.12.09
TABLE TALK
It's been an entertaining start to the Pukka Pies UK Championship.
The snooker has been exciting - Selby v Cope, Maguire v Holt, Hendry v Davis and Higgins v Walden in particular - there have been large crowds and the conditions look excellent.
Steve Davis and others reckon the middle pockets on the Star tables, in use this season, are a bit tougher than the Riley Aristocrat tables in use last year. It may only be fractions but that's what the game often comes down to.
Still, we've had 17 centuries in the first two days and with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ding Junhui and Ali Carter all in action today we may well have more.
Watch out for Carter: he needs two to get to 100 for his professional career.
The snooker has been exciting - Selby v Cope, Maguire v Holt, Hendry v Davis and Higgins v Walden in particular - there have been large crowds and the conditions look excellent.
Steve Davis and others reckon the middle pockets on the Star tables, in use this season, are a bit tougher than the Riley Aristocrat tables in use last year. It may only be fractions but that's what the game often comes down to.
Still, we've had 17 centuries in the first two days and with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ding Junhui and Ali Carter all in action today we may well have more.
Watch out for Carter: he needs two to get to 100 for his professional career.
6.12.09
HENDRY V DAVIS
Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis first contested the UK Championship final 20 years ago.
The following year, 1990, they took part in what remains one of the best finals ever played.
Hendry won both matches and leads Davis 43-18 in career meetings but the two players are arguably more closely matched now then they have been since those two Preston finals.
There's no doubt Hendry is struggling to follow a good performance with one equally as strong. He still plays very well in spells but at other times things are just not happening for him.
Davis remains a battler, as he proved in beating Michael Judge 9-7 to qualify, and beat Hendry the last time they played in a ranking event, in the semi-finals of the 2005 UK Championship.
It's a classic pairing between the two greatest players of all time. The snooker they produce may not live up to the billing but it is still a match to relish.
The following year, 1990, they took part in what remains one of the best finals ever played.
Hendry won both matches and leads Davis 43-18 in career meetings but the two players are arguably more closely matched now then they have been since those two Preston finals.
There's no doubt Hendry is struggling to follow a good performance with one equally as strong. He still plays very well in spells but at other times things are just not happening for him.
Davis remains a battler, as he proved in beating Michael Judge 9-7 to qualify, and beat Hendry the last time they played in a ranking event, in the semi-finals of the 2005 UK Championship.
It's a classic pairing between the two greatest players of all time. The snooker they produce may not live up to the billing but it is still a match to relish.
5.12.09
DOTT GONE
Graeme Dott has withdrawn from the Pukka Pies UK Championship after experiencing dizzy spells during the first session of his match against Mark Williams.
Dott trailed 6-2 after Williams compiled six half century breaks.
He had felt unwell during the afternoon, went back to his hotel for a meal and decided he could not continue.
Dott trailed 6-2 after Williams compiled six half century breaks.
He had felt unwell during the afternoon, went back to his hotel for a meal and decided he could not continue.
4.12.09
ON TO TELFORD
So enough of the off table stuff...
The Pukka Pies UK Championship starts in Telford tomorrow and the standout tie of the first round pits world champion John Higgins against the dangerous Ricky Walden.
Walden currently sits 13th in the provisional rankings having won last season’s Shanghai Masters. He has played Higgins twice before and beaten him on both occasions.
Higgins, though, has been very consistent this year, reaching the semi-finals at least of the last four ranking events.
Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis have 11 UK titles between them and contested the final in 1989 and 1990.
They are meeting yet again in the first round, with Davis well placed to get one over on his old rival who, in Davis’s words, “has bashed me up down the years.”
Hendry certainly has a good record with 43 wins against him to Davis’s 18 but is struggling for form and Davis has a victory under his belt, having beaten Michael Judge 9-7 earlier this week to qualify.
It’s a first round with several matches that are tough to call, but Grand Prix champion Neil Robertson should beat Tom Ford and Ding Junhui will be heavy favourite against Mike Dunn.
Where will the shocks come?
Well, Crucible semi-finalist Mark Allen, rusty through lack of matches, could be vulnerable against the experienced Stephen Lee.
And Stephen Maguire, who like Allen hasn’t played competitively for two months, won’t have it all his own way against Michael Holt, who played well to beat Dominic Dale 9-4 in the qualifiers.
Mark Selby, who has fallen to 15th in the latest rankings, faces a tough opening test in the shape of Jamie Cope, whose long potting and all out attacking game can be very effective.
Peter Ebdon, the winner three years ago, will have to call on all his years of experience to handle another dangerous young potter, Judd Trump.
World no.6 Ryan Day is also up against it as he tackles Liang Wenbo, this season’s Shanghai Masters runner-up.
The outright market makes Ronnie O’Sullivan favourite for the title but he has his own problems having drawn Matthew Stevens, the 2003 UK champion, in the first round.
The Pukka Pies UK Championship starts in Telford tomorrow and the standout tie of the first round pits world champion John Higgins against the dangerous Ricky Walden.
Walden currently sits 13th in the provisional rankings having won last season’s Shanghai Masters. He has played Higgins twice before and beaten him on both occasions.
Higgins, though, has been very consistent this year, reaching the semi-finals at least of the last four ranking events.
Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis have 11 UK titles between them and contested the final in 1989 and 1990.
They are meeting yet again in the first round, with Davis well placed to get one over on his old rival who, in Davis’s words, “has bashed me up down the years.”
Hendry certainly has a good record with 43 wins against him to Davis’s 18 but is struggling for form and Davis has a victory under his belt, having beaten Michael Judge 9-7 earlier this week to qualify.
It’s a first round with several matches that are tough to call, but Grand Prix champion Neil Robertson should beat Tom Ford and Ding Junhui will be heavy favourite against Mike Dunn.
Where will the shocks come?
Well, Crucible semi-finalist Mark Allen, rusty through lack of matches, could be vulnerable against the experienced Stephen Lee.
And Stephen Maguire, who like Allen hasn’t played competitively for two months, won’t have it all his own way against Michael Holt, who played well to beat Dominic Dale 9-4 in the qualifiers.
Mark Selby, who has fallen to 15th in the latest rankings, faces a tough opening test in the shape of Jamie Cope, whose long potting and all out attacking game can be very effective.
Peter Ebdon, the winner three years ago, will have to call on all his years of experience to handle another dangerous young potter, Judd Trump.
World no.6 Ryan Day is also up against it as he tackles Liang Wenbo, this season’s Shanghai Masters runner-up.
The outright market makes Ronnie O’Sullivan favourite for the title but he has his own problems having drawn Matthew Stevens, the 2003 UK champion, in the first round.
BROADCASTER AND SPONSOR FOR SIX REDS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The first ever Six Reds World Championship later this month will be shown on Eurosport, who are covering the last two days live.
And the tournament will be sponsored by 888sport.com.
A host of big names are taking part in the event in Killarney, which runs from December 15-18, including John Higgins, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Alex Higgins.
And the tournament will be sponsored by 888sport.com.
A host of big names are taking part in the event in Killarney, which runs from December 15-18, including John Higgins, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Alex Higgins.
BARRY HEARN TO BE CHAIRMAN
Barry Hearn and Steve Davis were today co-opted to the board of the WPBSA by remaining board members Lee Doyle and Hamish McInnes.
A meeting on December 16 will install Hearn as chairman.
I think everyone will agree that Doyle and McInnes have acted responsibly in listening to the players' wishes and resolving this as quickly as possible.
It means we can start the Pukka Pies UK Championship tomorrow with the focus only on the play on the table.
Things are certainly going to change - we all hope for the better - because Hearn is not a fan of how the WPBSA is currently set up.
Hopefully everyone in the sport will pull together to give him the support he needs.
A meeting on December 16 will install Hearn as chairman.
I think everyone will agree that Doyle and McInnes have acted responsibly in listening to the players' wishes and resolving this as quickly as possible.
It means we can start the Pukka Pies UK Championship tomorrow with the focus only on the play on the table.
Things are certainly going to change - we all hope for the better - because Hearn is not a fan of how the WPBSA is currently set up.
Hopefully everyone in the sport will pull together to give him the support he needs.
3.12.09
MAGUIRE'S GRANDFATHER DIES
Very sadly, Stephen Maguire’s grandfather, Paddy, has died on the eve of the Pukka Pies UK Championship.
But for Paddy, Stephen may never have become a top player. When he was a boy, he practised at his grandfather’s house after Paddy knocked down a wall between two rooms to install a full sized table.
He was a charming man and understandably very proud when Stephen won the UK title in 2004.
Sadly, Stephen will have to miss the funeral to play in Telford.
“My granddad told me he wanted me to go to the UK Championship. That’s what he wanted me to do, and I will be carrying out his wishes,” he said.
“Naturally this is a sad time. But I can console myself thinking he did see me win and about how much he enjoyed being in York that night I won this title.”
Everyone at Snooker Scene sends our sympathies to Stephen and his family.
But for Paddy, Stephen may never have become a top player. When he was a boy, he practised at his grandfather’s house after Paddy knocked down a wall between two rooms to install a full sized table.
He was a charming man and understandably very proud when Stephen won the UK title in 2004.
Sadly, Stephen will have to miss the funeral to play in Telford.
“My granddad told me he wanted me to go to the UK Championship. That’s what he wanted me to do, and I will be carrying out his wishes,” he said.
“Naturally this is a sad time. But I can console myself thinking he did see me win and about how much he enjoyed being in York that night I won this title.”
Everyone at Snooker Scene sends our sympathies to Stephen and his family.
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
Yesterday's AGM has brought coverage and comment in UK newspapers and other media outlets.
Here is a selection...
Phil Yates in The Times.
Clive Everton in The Guardian.
Ronnie O'Sullivan gives his reaction in the Daily Express.
Hearn talks to The Sun.
He says he wants to keep the World Championship at the Crucible in the Daily Telegraph.
Comment from the Daily Mail.
And from the BBC.
Report from Sky Sports.
Account of Walker's exit from Eurosport.
More from the Mail.
Hearn promises a new era of openness to the Press Association.
Here is a selection...
Phil Yates in The Times.
Clive Everton in The Guardian.
Ronnie O'Sullivan gives his reaction in the Daily Express.
Hearn talks to The Sun.
He says he wants to keep the World Championship at the Crucible in the Daily Telegraph.
Comment from the Daily Mail.
And from the BBC.
Report from Sky Sports.
Account of Walker's exit from Eurosport.
More from the Mail.
Hearn promises a new era of openness to the Press Association.
2.12.09
BARRY HEARN STATEMENT
Barry Hearn has issued the following statement following the AGM:
"Obviously I am delighted with today’s decision of the voting Members of the WPBSA and I relish the opportunity to revitalise the sport of snooker in the ensuing months ahead.
"There is a lot to be done and I can’t wait to get really involved, but there is still the question of my actual appointment to the Board being legally resolved.
"I am sure this will happen in the next few days and then the fun starts!
"At this stage all I can promise the membership of the WPBSA is total transparency, coupled with a regular supply of truthful information.
"Today is the beginning of a new era in snooker – we start NOW."
"Obviously I am delighted with today’s decision of the voting Members of the WPBSA and I relish the opportunity to revitalise the sport of snooker in the ensuing months ahead.
"There is a lot to be done and I can’t wait to get really involved, but there is still the question of my actual appointment to the Board being legally resolved.
"I am sure this will happen in the next few days and then the fun starts!
"At this stage all I can promise the membership of the WPBSA is total transparency, coupled with a regular supply of truthful information.
"Today is the beginning of a new era in snooker – we start NOW."
THE WAY FORWARD
So Sir Rodney Walker has been deposed as WPBSA chairman but – and far be it from me to water down the widespread jubilation there appears to be in the game at this moment – the road ahead may be rocky.
Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn have indeed been voted off the board of the WPBSA. However, Walker and McMahon remain directors of World Snooker Limited, the commercial body that runs alongside the main board.
I think they should both resign from it because the players clearly don’t want them...but that doesn’t mean that they will.
The WPBSA board now has only two members: Lee Doyle and Hamish McInnes.
The constitution apparently decrees they co-opt a professional first. This should not be a player associated with either rival camp.
I would suggest an experienced, uncontroversial player who commands widespread respect, like Alan McManus or Nigel Bond.
They should immediately co-opt Barry Hearn to the board. The players have made it clear today that they want Hearn in as chairman. Failure to co-opt him would destroy the game's credibility and lead to an EGM to remove Doyle and McInnes.
Once in place, Hearn and his fellow board members should co-opt other responsible members and begin the process of renewing this bruised and battered sport.
There should not be recriminations or triumphalism. Sir Rodney should be thanked for his efforts as chairman and we should look only to the future, not the past.
Hearn’s first priority as chairman should be an independent financial audit of the association to discover its true position, because only then can he put together a business plan.
There should also be a review of senior staff to see if the WPBSA is getting value for money.
There should be a review of the tournament structure, with input from players, and of how to expand the ranking system.
There should be meetings with private promoters, many of whom have been ignored by the outgoing administration, to try and start up new events.
There should be an investigation into the financial position of the World Snooker Academy, the accounts for which have never been disclosed.
There should be a review of the WPBSA’s media strategy – assuming it has one – to ascertain how to return the sport to the newspapers.
There should be meetings with broadcasters and sponsors to reassure them as to the way forward.
In effect, the entire sport should be relaunched.
Make no mistake, miracles will not happen overnight. Tournaments will not magically appear, but one of the things that certainly helped tip the balance in favour of Hearn was a declaration from IMG today that they would be happy to work with him on the new world tour plans announced last week.
Hearn has great energy. He relishes a challenge and I have no doubt he and his team will roll up their sleeves and get stuck in almost immediately.
Not everything they will do will meet favour with everyone, but with Steve Davis acting as a guiding hand, I think any fears that snooker’s integrity will be threatened are unfounded.
This is a day of hope, a day many feared would not come.
Professional snooker is still a relatively young sport. It’s already had one boom, who is to say it can’t have another: in Europe, the Middle East and Asia?
It’s still morning in the snooker world and there’s still much that our game can accomplish.
And it starts today.
Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn have indeed been voted off the board of the WPBSA. However, Walker and McMahon remain directors of World Snooker Limited, the commercial body that runs alongside the main board.
I think they should both resign from it because the players clearly don’t want them...but that doesn’t mean that they will.
The WPBSA board now has only two members: Lee Doyle and Hamish McInnes.
The constitution apparently decrees they co-opt a professional first. This should not be a player associated with either rival camp.
I would suggest an experienced, uncontroversial player who commands widespread respect, like Alan McManus or Nigel Bond.
They should immediately co-opt Barry Hearn to the board. The players have made it clear today that they want Hearn in as chairman. Failure to co-opt him would destroy the game's credibility and lead to an EGM to remove Doyle and McInnes.
Once in place, Hearn and his fellow board members should co-opt other responsible members and begin the process of renewing this bruised and battered sport.
There should not be recriminations or triumphalism. Sir Rodney should be thanked for his efforts as chairman and we should look only to the future, not the past.
Hearn’s first priority as chairman should be an independent financial audit of the association to discover its true position, because only then can he put together a business plan.
There should also be a review of senior staff to see if the WPBSA is getting value for money.
There should be a review of the tournament structure, with input from players, and of how to expand the ranking system.
There should be meetings with private promoters, many of whom have been ignored by the outgoing administration, to try and start up new events.
There should be an investigation into the financial position of the World Snooker Academy, the accounts for which have never been disclosed.
There should be a review of the WPBSA’s media strategy – assuming it has one – to ascertain how to return the sport to the newspapers.
There should be meetings with broadcasters and sponsors to reassure them as to the way forward.
In effect, the entire sport should be relaunched.
Make no mistake, miracles will not happen overnight. Tournaments will not magically appear, but one of the things that certainly helped tip the balance in favour of Hearn was a declaration from IMG today that they would be happy to work with him on the new world tour plans announced last week.
Hearn has great energy. He relishes a challenge and I have no doubt he and his team will roll up their sleeves and get stuck in almost immediately.
Not everything they will do will meet favour with everyone, but with Steve Davis acting as a guiding hand, I think any fears that snooker’s integrity will be threatened are unfounded.
This is a day of hope, a day many feared would not come.
Professional snooker is still a relatively young sport. It’s already had one boom, who is to say it can’t have another: in Europe, the Middle East and Asia?
It’s still morning in the snooker world and there’s still much that our game can accomplish.
And it starts today.
WPBSA STATEMENT
The WPBSA has released the following statement after today's AGM:
"Following an AGM, held in Sheffield today, at which Sir Rodney Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn were not re-elected to the board of the WPBSA, and at which no other individual stood for election, the remaining board members, Lee Doyle and Dr Hamish McInnes, will now co-opt further individuals to the board, as a matter of priority. The first such appointment will be a professional player, as governed by the constitution of the WPBSA."
Two points:
1) Why are the WPBSA not announcing the actual voting figures?
2) They'd better not co-opt Peter Ebdon, a player associated entirely with the board that has just been rejected (he stepped down earlier this year with Sir David Richards to save the WPBSA money).
"Following an AGM, held in Sheffield today, at which Sir Rodney Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn were not re-elected to the board of the WPBSA, and at which no other individual stood for election, the remaining board members, Lee Doyle and Dr Hamish McInnes, will now co-opt further individuals to the board, as a matter of priority. The first such appointment will be a professional player, as governed by the constitution of the WPBSA."
Two points:
1) Why are the WPBSA not announcing the actual voting figures?
2) They'd better not co-opt Peter Ebdon, a player associated entirely with the board that has just been rejected (he stepped down earlier this year with Sir David Richards to save the WPBSA money).
WALKER 'DEFEATED' AT AGM
Unconfirmed reports from Sheffield suggest Sir Rodney Walker has been defeated in his bid to remain WPBSA chairman by 32 votes to 24.
More follows as I get it...
EDIT: World Snooker has confirmed Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn have all been voted off the board of the WPBSA.
UPDATE: It seems the actual figure was 35-24 against all three board members but the WPBSA is refusing to disclose them.
Why? This is indicative of the needless secrecy that needs to end. Now.
More follows as I get it...
EDIT: World Snooker has confirmed Walker, Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn have all been voted off the board of the WPBSA.
UPDATE: It seems the actual figure was 35-24 against all three board members but the WPBSA is refusing to disclose them.
Why? This is indicative of the needless secrecy that needs to end. Now.
1.12.09
ELECTION DAY
There hasn’t been a WPBSA AGM so eagerly anticipated by the snooker world in a decade.
Tomorrow at 12pm in Sheffield, a city more used to on table battles, players will meet to decide whether to keep things as they are now and hope for a turnaround under the current regime or take a chance on a new way forward.
The last crucial vote was an EGM to remove the board shortly after the rejection of the Altium deal in 2002. The board survived 48-36.
Prior to this there was a period where there seemed to be a crunch vote every few months.
These were not always straightforward affairs. There was one AGM in a hotel in Birmingham held just before Christmas that descended into farce when the scrutineers, on their way to count the votes, found their path to the lift blocked by a conga of old aged pensioners.
Many of these votes were close with all manner of promises and misinformation having swirled around for weeks, as is the way of political campaigning.
Indeed, in the lead up to the current AGM a rumour went round that Barry Hearn, who has said he would be prepared to become chairman if Sir Rodney Walker is defeated, was planning to cut the professional circuit to just 32 players, something Hearn categorically denies.
There’s no evidence this was sanctioned by anyone high up in the governing body, although it could be an example of what Walker meant by ‘misleading, inaccurate and downright untruthful’ comments he alluded to last week.
Both sides have been crunching the numbers and there are indications the vote will be close.
It’s hard to see how it can’t be considering the constituency of voters is just 72: the top 64 from the past two seasons plus the five current WPBSA board members.
It’s not known whether Jimmy White sent in a proxy form before heading into the Australian bush. In such a small group of voters, it could ultimately make all the difference.
Walker, as incumbent, started favourite but there has been a groundswell against him in recent days.
Many players are simply fed up with the way things stand now and the ‘time for a change’ mantra is a difficult one to resist.
Then again, the only figure I will believe is the one that comes tomorrow. The BBC exit poll from the 1992 British general election forecast a hung parliament. In the end, John Major’s Conservatives won with a record vote.
But the exit poll wasn’t wrong – huge numbers of people had simply been unable to admit they were voting Conservative.
Walker is apparently behind right now, but that’s assuming everyone is telling the truth about their intentions. In a secret ballot, you never really know.
The great irony is that Walker was not under any obligation to stand for election this year. He was due to next year but said he brought it forward because he wanted to show the BBC and others that the sport had firm leadership and stability as key contracts were renegotiated.
This is commendable but his administration’s refusal to recognise the newly formed Snooker Players Association has brought us to this point. It was the SPA who persuaded Hearn to effectively throw his hat into the ring.
After becoming WPBSA chairman in 2004, Walker very quickly set about bringing stability to snooker, both financial and political.
Rows continued, as they do in all sports, but snooker’s fortunes appeared to be turning around.
Walker helped bring in replacement sponsors for the game’s three biggest events – the World Championship, UK Championship and Wembley Masters.
He presided over the renegotiation of contracts with the Crucible, the BBC and a new deal with Eurosport that has brought the game into the living rooms of a legion of new fans across Europe.
Walker’s administration also secured the long term future of two ranking events in China, both financially underwritten by the Chinese.
He proved to be a first rate front man, always poised in public, particularly in the moving speech he gave at Paul Hunter’s funeral.
However, 888.com and Saga both exercised early termination clauses in their sponsorship agreements and Walker was forced to dip deep into the reserves of money he had spent so long building up.
Prize money has fallen and there are only six ranking events currently on the schedule for this season.
Controversially, Walker took money in the form of commissions on contracts he had negotiated in his salaried role as WPBSA chairman, despite an earlier WPBSA report by renowned sports lawyer Mark Gay labelling such commissions unethical.
Steve Davis has said he is voting against Walker “for this reason alone.”
Hearn is a gregarious, energetic, what-you-see-is-what-you-get figure who first got involved in snooker in 1974 when he bought a chain of snooker clubs.
As manager of Davis, he was one of the leading figures of the 1980s boom. He is often credited as being behind it. This isn’t true, but he was one of the first to spot the sport’s off table potential and made fortunes as boss of the Matchroom stable through endorsements, exhibitions and, of course, prize money.
He deserves credit for trying to expand snooker’s global appeal, taking tournaments to China, Thailand, Dubai, Hong Kong and various other parts of the world.
He was treated with suspicion by the snooker establishment and gradually came to concentrate on boxing, pool, football, darts and even fishing.
Hearn’s great talent is in making something out of apparently very little: identifying niches and marketing them with vigour and enthusiasm.
I have no doubt that if he became chairman he and his team would at least inject a bit of fun back into the sport and certainly improve its standing in the media, which has ebbed away over the last five years.
But Hearn admits snooker’s fortunes cannot be turned around overnight. The sport’s reputation will have to be built back up and its image updated before a string of new high profile tournaments appear.
Hearn isn’t making a desperate bid for power. He’s happy to help if asked; happy to carry on with his other commitments if not asked.
The truth is, Barry Hearn doesn’t need snooker.
We’ll find out tomorrow whether snooker feels it needs Barry Hearn.
Tomorrow at 12pm in Sheffield, a city more used to on table battles, players will meet to decide whether to keep things as they are now and hope for a turnaround under the current regime or take a chance on a new way forward.
The last crucial vote was an EGM to remove the board shortly after the rejection of the Altium deal in 2002. The board survived 48-36.
Prior to this there was a period where there seemed to be a crunch vote every few months.
These were not always straightforward affairs. There was one AGM in a hotel in Birmingham held just before Christmas that descended into farce when the scrutineers, on their way to count the votes, found their path to the lift blocked by a conga of old aged pensioners.
Many of these votes were close with all manner of promises and misinformation having swirled around for weeks, as is the way of political campaigning.
Indeed, in the lead up to the current AGM a rumour went round that Barry Hearn, who has said he would be prepared to become chairman if Sir Rodney Walker is defeated, was planning to cut the professional circuit to just 32 players, something Hearn categorically denies.
There’s no evidence this was sanctioned by anyone high up in the governing body, although it could be an example of what Walker meant by ‘misleading, inaccurate and downright untruthful’ comments he alluded to last week.
Both sides have been crunching the numbers and there are indications the vote will be close.
It’s hard to see how it can’t be considering the constituency of voters is just 72: the top 64 from the past two seasons plus the five current WPBSA board members.
It’s not known whether Jimmy White sent in a proxy form before heading into the Australian bush. In such a small group of voters, it could ultimately make all the difference.
Walker, as incumbent, started favourite but there has been a groundswell against him in recent days.
Many players are simply fed up with the way things stand now and the ‘time for a change’ mantra is a difficult one to resist.
Then again, the only figure I will believe is the one that comes tomorrow. The BBC exit poll from the 1992 British general election forecast a hung parliament. In the end, John Major’s Conservatives won with a record vote.
But the exit poll wasn’t wrong – huge numbers of people had simply been unable to admit they were voting Conservative.
Walker is apparently behind right now, but that’s assuming everyone is telling the truth about their intentions. In a secret ballot, you never really know.
The great irony is that Walker was not under any obligation to stand for election this year. He was due to next year but said he brought it forward because he wanted to show the BBC and others that the sport had firm leadership and stability as key contracts were renegotiated.
This is commendable but his administration’s refusal to recognise the newly formed Snooker Players Association has brought us to this point. It was the SPA who persuaded Hearn to effectively throw his hat into the ring.
After becoming WPBSA chairman in 2004, Walker very quickly set about bringing stability to snooker, both financial and political.
Rows continued, as they do in all sports, but snooker’s fortunes appeared to be turning around.
Walker helped bring in replacement sponsors for the game’s three biggest events – the World Championship, UK Championship and Wembley Masters.
He presided over the renegotiation of contracts with the Crucible, the BBC and a new deal with Eurosport that has brought the game into the living rooms of a legion of new fans across Europe.
Walker’s administration also secured the long term future of two ranking events in China, both financially underwritten by the Chinese.
He proved to be a first rate front man, always poised in public, particularly in the moving speech he gave at Paul Hunter’s funeral.
However, 888.com and Saga both exercised early termination clauses in their sponsorship agreements and Walker was forced to dip deep into the reserves of money he had spent so long building up.
Prize money has fallen and there are only six ranking events currently on the schedule for this season.
Controversially, Walker took money in the form of commissions on contracts he had negotiated in his salaried role as WPBSA chairman, despite an earlier WPBSA report by renowned sports lawyer Mark Gay labelling such commissions unethical.
Steve Davis has said he is voting against Walker “for this reason alone.”
Hearn is a gregarious, energetic, what-you-see-is-what-you-get figure who first got involved in snooker in 1974 when he bought a chain of snooker clubs.
As manager of Davis, he was one of the leading figures of the 1980s boom. He is often credited as being behind it. This isn’t true, but he was one of the first to spot the sport’s off table potential and made fortunes as boss of the Matchroom stable through endorsements, exhibitions and, of course, prize money.
He deserves credit for trying to expand snooker’s global appeal, taking tournaments to China, Thailand, Dubai, Hong Kong and various other parts of the world.
He was treated with suspicion by the snooker establishment and gradually came to concentrate on boxing, pool, football, darts and even fishing.
Hearn’s great talent is in making something out of apparently very little: identifying niches and marketing them with vigour and enthusiasm.
I have no doubt that if he became chairman he and his team would at least inject a bit of fun back into the sport and certainly improve its standing in the media, which has ebbed away over the last five years.
But Hearn admits snooker’s fortunes cannot be turned around overnight. The sport’s reputation will have to be built back up and its image updated before a string of new high profile tournaments appear.
Hearn isn’t making a desperate bid for power. He’s happy to help if asked; happy to carry on with his other commitments if not asked.
The truth is, Barry Hearn doesn’t need snooker.
We’ll find out tomorrow whether snooker feels it needs Barry Hearn.
DRAGO'S MILESTONE
Congratulations to Tony Drago, a professional for 24 years, who has become the the 31st player in snooker history to compile a century of competitive centuries.
Drago achieved this milestone during his match with Mark Davis in the third qualifying round of the Pukka Pies UK Championship last Saturday.
Few players have as pure a love for the game as the Maltese, who returned to the pro circuit this season after one year as an amateur.
Drago achieved this milestone during his match with Mark Davis in the third qualifying round of the Pukka Pies UK Championship last Saturday.
Few players have as pure a love for the game as the Maltese, who returned to the pro circuit this season after one year as an amateur.
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