The draw and format for the 2021 BetVictor Northern Ireland Open is now available.
The qualifying round will run from August 23-27 at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, followed by the final stages at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast from October 9-17.
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The matches involving the top 16 seeds, two wild card nominations plus local tour player Jordan Brown will be held over to the final venue.
Judd Trump will begin his quest to win the title for a fourth consecutive year against Andrew Pagett. Ronnie O’Sullivan will face Stuart Carrington in the first round, while World Champion Mark Selby will take on Mark Davis. Northern Ireland’s top player Mark Allen will meet Si Jiahui.
As I expected after Jason Ferguson’s interview , the China Open has gone. Also, the top 16 players will not be in action at all until the 9th of October. That’s as big a break in the course of the season as I can remember. Also there are a lot of qualifiers to be confirmed in this calendar, but only one “potential ranking event” is mentioned. Also, no sign of the “traditional” Championship League.
Finally there is this in the press about the “handshake” incident at the start of the Allen v Evans match earlier this week.
Reanne Evans escapes punishment for handshake snub in bitter clash with ex Mark Allen
Reanne Evans ignored her former partner’s attempt at a fist bump before their fiery first round clash at the British Open but will not be punished for her actions
Reanne Evans has avoided any official punishment for her decision to ignore Mark Allen’s fist bump before they played at the British Open on Monday.
The pair had formerly been partners but broke up, making for a very awkward encounter only exaggerated by Evans’ move.
The draw for the British Open, which is being played for the first time since 2004, threw up the feisty encounter in the very first round. The two players have a daughter together, born in 2006, but split-up just two years later.
Evans recently asked for more maintenance money from Allen to support their child.
Previously, players have been warned about conduct if there have been aggressive or angry exchanges, however given the relatively placid nature of Evans’ refusal of Allen’s peace offering, there will be no such action taken.
Reanne Evans will not be punished for refusing ex-partner Mark Allen’s fist bump at the British Open in Leicester
The crowd in Leicester were engrossed at the game, often becoming raucous in their support of the players.
While snooker players are expected to shake hands before any match, there is no strict obligation to do so. During the Covid pandemic such traditions have proved malleable given the obvious risks.
Evans is a 12-time women’s snooker world champion, and recently earned a two year professional tour card. Allen is a Masters champion and is currently ranked 10th in the world.
The pair put on a gripping contest, eventually going to a deciding frame in which Allen held his nerve to take the victory.
Both players commented on how unpleasant the so-called ‘Battle of the Exes’ was to play in after the match, with many onlookers also feeling the intensity of the duel.
Allen said after his victory: “It was horrible, and not something I really want to be doing again. I tried to stay professional and I think I did that and can hold my head up high.”
Evans was upset at her failure to convert a 2-1 lead in frames into a shock victory. She said: “No one wanted that match but you have to accept it, it’s sport and these things are going to happen.
“I am sick of losing these deciders. I couldn’t feel my arms or my legs by the end, with all the nerves and tension. I did settle a bit after the first frame and fancied the job.”
Stephen Hendry remarked while commentating on the affair: “Both players have shown great character. It’s been the most intense match I have probably ever witnessed.”
Allen takes on Hossain Vafaei in the second round of the competition on Wednesday evening.
This was basically a storm in a cup of tea over a non-issue. As the underlined part stresses, there is no strict obligation for the handshake and there was no aggression on either side.
The BetVictor Scottish Open world ranking event will be staged at Venue Cymru in Llandudno in December this year.
Part of the BetVictor Home Nations series, the tournament will run from December 6 to 12 in North Wales. Mark Selby will be defending the title against a field packed with the world’s leading players. Tickets are on sale now, for details CLICK HERE
WST had previously planned to stage the event at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where it was hosted from 2016 to 2019. However at short notice WST was informed that this was not possible due to a contractual issue.
A spokesman for WST said: “We were disappointed with this decision, particularly as it came one day prior to the box office opening. This left us unable to find another venue in Scotland to host the event – we exhausted all possibilities but none of the suitable alternatives had the relevant dates available.
“We realise this will come as a blow to Scottish fans and players to miss out on a tournament in their own country this season. We fully intend to return the event to Scotland for the 2022/23 season.
“Despite this setback, we are delighted to stage the event in Llandudno which has proved a fantastic location for a wide range of our events in the past and has always found great support amongst our fans in North Wales and beyond.”
Venue Cymru will also host this season’s Cazoo Tour Championship in Spring next year, and in the past has staged events including the World Grand Prix and Players Championship.
The BetVictor Scottish Open will be televised on Eurosport, Quest and a range of other broadcasters and streaming partners worldwide. It counts towards the BetVictor Snooker Series rankings, with the leading money-winner across eight events to bank a £150,000 bonus.
WST has led the sporting world in the post-lockdown return of live audiences, and will continue to work closely with the UK Government on Covid-19 regulation.
Now what is interesting, and not mentioned by WST, is the nature of this contractual issue, but it has been revealed by David Hendon on twitter:
So the venue is no longer permitted to stage events sponsored by betting companies…
It’s a first, it won’t be the last. I have said it for a long time, if WST wants to avoid another “tobacco” crisis they need to distance themselves from the betting/gaming industry and find more “ethical” sponsors. The bans are coming, and rightly so IMO. Gambling addiction is a huge issue and the gambling industry doesn’t do enough to ban unethical tactics aimed at the most vulnerable. That’s why I see this industry as “unethical”. Some measures are taken but it’s not enough. The numbers in those articles are frightening.
The new Turkish Masters world ranking event has been postponed until March 2022.
The tournament was due to take place from September 27 to October 3 in Antalya, but has now been put back to March. The qualifying rounds have also been postponed until 2022.
Turkey remains on the UK Government’s red list for travel, and the country is currently battling severe wildfires. Based on these factors, and in consultation with the Turkish Billiard Federation and Big Break Promotions, WST has taken the difficult decision to postpone the event.
The qualifying rounds of the BetVictor English Open and BetVictor Scottish Open tournaments will be brought forward to September, around the dates previously occupied by the Turkish event.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “It is a huge disappointment for ourselves and the Turkish Billiard Federation to have to postpone this event and I am sure the players will share that sentiment, as well as the fans in Turkey who had looked forward to seeing their heroes for the first time.
“We fully intend to be in Antalya in March. In the mean time our thoughts are with the Turkish people and those affected by wildfires in country.
“We are living through tough times, constantly facing the challenges of travel and commercial restrictions on a global scale. Our sport has coped much better than most over the past 18 months and we continue to strive to provide the best possible calendar of events for our players and fans. Despite postponing Turkey, we have a packed schedule for most of the season, while our worldwide linear and digital audiences continue to grow.”
Ersan Ercan, President of the Turkish Billiard Federation, added: “It is unfortunate that we have to postpone this event due to circumstances beyond our control. We look forward to welcoming WST, players and officials to the beautiful destination of Antalya in March.”
WST has agreed a four-year deal with the Turkish Billiard Federation and Big Break Promotions to stage the Turkish Masters every season until at least 2024/2025. Overall prize money will start at £500,000 and increase each year.
Antalya is renowned as one of Europe’s outstanding destinations, known for its culture, history and ideal location on the Mediterranean coast.
The revised WST calendar for the 2021/22 season will be announced shortly.
This is certainly the right decision given the circumstances. It’s no big surprise and WST had said that if this was to happen, there would be another ranking event in Barnsley instead, but they apparently changed their plans.
Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee has pulled out of next week’s British Open and has been replaced in the draw by the next available player on the Q School 2021 Order of Merit, Mark Lloyd.
Lloyd will face David Grace in the first round in Leicester.
Note that the afternoon session on Saturday 21 August will start at 1pm and not 12noon as previously advised.
This is unfortunate and is certainly caused by travel restrictions put into place by the Hong Kong authorities. On Yee was really looking forward to play on the main tour and there is no way she would miss the action if it was possible for her to travel.
Snooker fans in Belfast will be treated to an additional session of play at the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open on Saturday October 9th.
The event was set to run from October 10th to 17th at the Waterfront Hall, but a special extra session has been added, which will commence at 7pm on the 9th.
Tickets for the tournament are on sale now and fans are being encouraged to act quickly to snap up the chance to be there for a bonus Saturday night at the snooker. Click here to buy now.
Broadcast details for this extra evening of action will be released in due course.
This year’s BetVictor Home Nations Series will see a change in format, with round one being staged at qualifying venues. However, the first round matches of the world’s top 16, plus up to a maximum of four additional games will be held over to the final venue.
I suppose that we might see something similar in (some of) the other Home Nations. The additional games will almost certainly feature local lads.
The first news I want to share today is a very sad one: Jake Nicholson, an extremely talented amateur snooker player passed away last Thursday in the evening. He was only 28 years old. He died from cancer. He had been ill for four years, but had kept his illness “within the family”.
I have met Jake many times at events, PTCs and pro-ams and Challenge Tour events, but I won’t claim I really knew him. What I can say however is that he came across as a very nice person. He was well respected by his fellow players for the quality of his snooker, and very popular within the “snooker family”. Yesterday, social media was flooded with messages of sympathy.
Jake continued to play at a high standard well into his illness and nobody would have guessed that he was so unwell.
Talented snooker player Jake Nicholson has sadly died at the age of 28 after a battle with cancer.
Nicholson receiving the trophy from Brendan Moore at a Challenge Tour event in 2019
Nicholson, from Flamborough in Yorkshire, was a popular character on the amateur circuit and will be much missed by all of his friends in snooker.
As a junior, Nicholson represented England at under-21 level. In 2019 he won a Challenge Tour event, beating Andrew Pagett 3-1 in the final in Newbury. That got him into the 2020 Challenge Tour Play-Offs, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Allan Taylor.
Nicholson also competed in the World Championship qualifiers in 2020 and beat Brandon Sargeant before losing to Jak Jones, while in the English Amateur Championship in the same year he reached the last 16.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We are deeply saddened to hear that Jake has passed away. Our sport will come together to remember this very talented and likeable young man who had a great future ahead of him.
“I remember congratulating him when he won a Challenge Tour event two years ago and thinking he could be a star in the making, because he had so much ability. It’s so sad that he does not have the chance to fulfil his dreams.
“Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Jake’s parents and all of his friends and family.”
Many of Jake’s fellow players have paid tribute to him:
Oliver Lines: “Jake my bro I don’t even know where to begin, you knew how much you meant to me and our whole family! I hope you’re finally not in any more pain, I will miss you forever, until we meet again, I love you brother!”
Sanderson Lam: “You were my brother, my best mate, I can’t believe you’ve been taken away from us, you were so positive in life and we had so many memories together, and I wish I could have seen you before you left us, you will be missed very much and we all love you so much, you rest in peace.”
Peter Devlin: “Gutted to hear the news about Jake Nicholson. I will always remember playing a tournament in Leeds. I was about 16, and he was on the table next to me. He had three centuries in a best of seven, and I was inspired by that. Great player and nice lad. Life can be very cruel, RIP Jake.”
Steven Hallworth: “Devastated. Eight years to the day we were competing for England together at the World Under 21s in China. An extremely talented player, an even better bloke. Will miss your infectious and sometimes quite ridiculous laugh. Rest easy Jake, brother.”
Barry Pinches: “I’m devastated to hear the news today that Jake Nicholson has passed away. A promising young snooker player and a lovely lad too. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Jake.”
Jamie Curtis-Barrett: “Jake, we met many moons ago in Leeds and from day one we hit it off, we became good friends, travelled the world together sharing hotel rooms, flights and drives, practice sessions. We had some amazing times and you were such a character, class act on and off the baize. You will be sadly missed by many, my heart goes out to your parents and family. Now fly high, spread your wings and keep potting those balls.”
My thoughts go out to his family, his girlfriend and countless friends. I feel for his parents in particular. I don’t think there is anything worse, nor more difficult to come to terms with, than to lose a child.
The other piece of news is the new version of this season snooker calendar:
Changes, as compared to the previous version, are in red.
I’m not sure how we should read the bits about the Turkish Masters. What seems to be clear is that there is currently no certainty that the tournament will be held in Antalia end September. What is unclear to me is what will happen, should the covid situation or anything else prevent it to be held in Turkey at those dates. Will it be postponed or will it be replaced by the “potential ranking event” in Barnsley?
Also the Gibraltar Open is now marked as an “option” whatever that means.
BetVictor Extends Involvement with World Snooker Tour by Adding Home Nations Series to the BetVictor European Series
BetVictor, a leading global gambling company, will be title sponsor of all four of snooker’s Home Nations events during the 2021/22 season, plus all four events in the European Series.
In all, BetVictor will sponsor eight tournaments on the World Snooker Tour in the coming season. The player earning the most prize money across the eight events will earn a massive £150,000 bonus. The BetVictor Snooker Series rankings will run throughout the events, as players strive to top the list and earn the bonus.
BetVictor Home Nations Series BetVictor Northern Ireland Open, October 10-17, Belfast BetVictor English Open, November 1-7, Milton Keynes BetVictor Scottish Open, December 6-12, Venue TBC BetVictor Welsh Open, February 28 to March 6, Newport
BetVictor European Series BetVictor Shoot Out, January 20-23, Leicester BetVictor German Masters, January 26-30, Berlin BetVictor European Masters, February 21-27, Venue TBC BetVictor Gibraltar Open, March 24-26, Gibraltar
The BetVictor Home Nations series has been running since 2016 and brings the world’s top stars to four countries across the UK. Each event is broadcast across the globe.
Judd Trump has banked the £150,000 BetVictor bonus in each of the last two years
The BetVictor European Series is a quartet of world ranking events across the UK and continental Europe. All tournaments feature snooker’s leading players competing for prestigious trophies.
Broadcasters for the two series include Eurosport, Quest, BBC Wales, TrueSport, SportCast, Now TV, Sky Sports (NZ), Astro SuperSport, CCTV5, DAZN as well as a number of local broadcasters and digital streaming partners.
World number one Judd Trump won four of these titles last season: the English Open, Northern Ireland Open, German Masters and Gibraltar Open. Mark Selby lifted the Scottish Open and European Masters crowns, while Ryan Day landed the Shoot Out title and Jordan Brown won the Welsh Open.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We are thrilled to welcome BetVictor on board for a wide range of our biggest tournaments in 2021/22. We have worked with their fantastic team for many years and we are delighted to continue to build a successful partnership.
“These events have a vast audience across the planet as we continue to grow each year in terms of our international following. BetVictor are part of snooker’s success story, bringing tremendous exposure to their brand.
“We look forward to delivering top class events throughout the BetVictor Home Nations and BetVictor European Series in the coming months. The top players will have their eyes on the huge £150,000 bonus, giving them extra incentive to produce their best in every tournament.”
Director of Sportsbook at BetVictor, Matt Scarrott, added: “It’s a pleasure to team up with WST again and we’re really looking forward to what should be two fantastic series.”
This bonus system is clearly there to get the top players on board and to convince them to enter short-format tournaments carrying modest prize money. The short formats are a bit less predictable than the longer ones and it’s no surprise that they get the bookies interest and preference. I would rather have that money used to give the first round losers something to cover their expenses but I doubt that this idea would have the sponsor’s support.
Also those bonuses go to the ones who have already earned the most. It inflates the top earners “numbers”, allowing WST to boast about what the very top players earn. It’s all about the top 5, or even the top 3. It gives a misleading image of the sport as it quite efficiently hides the ongoing struggles of the majority of the tour.
The final list of players who will compete on the World Snooker Tour during the 2021/22 season is now confirmed
Due to the non-staging of several international amateur competitions holding tour qualification status over the past 12 months, there will be 122 professional players on tour. Remaining places at events will be topped up via the Q School Order of Merit, or with local wild cards for certain events such as the Home Nations Series, as in previous years.
These amateur tournaments will be rescheduled over the coming months, with places available on the tour for the successful players in time for the 2022/23 season.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “It is unfortunate that we have not been able to stage major international amateur events such as the World Snooker Federation Open and Junior Open over the past year due to the global pandemic. In the past, these events have seen young players such as Iulian Boiko, Luo Honghao, Ashley Hugill, Jackson Page, Aaron Hill, Gao Yang and many others show their promise and earn places on the professional tour.
“We are fully committed to bringing these events back as soon as it is feasible, bringing talented young players from many countries around the globe together to compete, and giving them a gateway to professional status. Internationally, in a vast number of territories across the planet, our sport is in a strong position in terms of participation and emerging talent, despite the challenges we have faced.
“The World Snooker Tour now has 122 exceptional players with a standard we have never seen before. And the leading Q School players who did not earn a card fully deserve the opportunity to compete in ranking events to top up the draws.”
The Top 64 (64)
These players finished inside the top 64 of the official world ranking list at the end of last season and so will retain their places on the circuit, with a one-yearcard.
End of season rankings:
Judd Trump
Mark Selby
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Neil Robertson
Shaun Murphy
Kyren Wilson
John Higgins
Ding Junhui
Stephen Maguire
Yan Bingtao
Mark Williams
Mark Allen
Barry Hawkins
Jack Lisowski
Stuart Bingham
Anthony McGill
Zhou Yuelong
Graeme Dott
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Joe Perry
Kurt Maflin
Tom Ford
David Gilbert
Ali Carter
Martin Gould
Zhao Xintong
Liang Wenbo
Ryan Day
Xiao Guodong
Matt Selt
Michael Holt
Ricky Walden
Gary Wilson
Scott Donaldson
Lu Ning
Matthew Stevens
Robert Milkins
Li Hang
Luca Brecel
Jordan Brown
Hossein Vafaei
Mark Joyce
Liam Highfield
Noppon Saengkham
Alexander Ursenbacher
Ben Woollaston
Stuart Carrington
Martin O’Donnell
Mark Davis
Elliot Slessor
Sam Craigie
Mark King
Lyu Haotian
Anthony Hamilton
Jamie Jones
Andrew Higginson
Sunny Akani
Tian Pengfei
David Grace
Chris Wakelin
Dominic Dale
Joe O’Connor
Jimmy Robertson
Nigel Bond
The Two-Year Cards (27)
These players competed on the main tour in 2020/21 and will start the 2021/22 season on the second year of their two-year tour cards.
Jak Jones
Pang Junxu
Jamie Clarke
Robbie Williams
Steven Hallworth
Ashley Carty
Simon Lichtenberg
Oliver Lines
Zhao Jianbo
Ken Doherty
Gao Yang
Fergal O’Brien
Rory McLeod
Allan Taylor
Aaron Hill
Lukas Kleckers
Ashley Hugill
Peter Devlin
Jamie Wilson
Ben Hancorn
Lee Walker
Fan Zhengyi
Zak Surety
Stephen Hendry
Farakh Ajaib
Iulian Boiko
Sean Maddocks
The Top Eight (One-Year Ranking list) (8)
The top eight players on the 2020/21 one-year ranking list, not already inside of the top 64 of the two-year ranking list or on the first year of a two-year card. They receive a fresh two-year tour card, starting on zero ranking points.
Chang Bingyu
Igor Figueiredo
Xu Si
Louis Heathcote
Chen Zifan
Jamie O’Neill
Andy Hicks
Gerard Greene
Q School (14)
A further 14 will be promoted from the Q School and again they will receive atwo-year tour card.
Jackson Page (Q School Event One semi-finalist)
Yuan Sijun (Q School Event One semi-finalist)
Peter Lines (Q School Event One semi-finalist)
Fraser Patrick (Q School Event One semi-finalist)
Michael Judge (Q School Event Two semi-finalist)
Alfie Burden (Q School Event Two semi-finalist)
Barry Pinches (Q School Event Two semi-finalist)
Craig Steadman (Q School Event Two semi-finalist)
Duane Jones (Q School Event Three semi-finalist)
Dean Young (Q School Event Three semi-finalist)
Ian Burns (Q School Event Three semi-finalist)
Lei Peifan (Q School Event Three semi-finalist)
Hammad Miah (Q School OOM)
Mitchell Mann (Q School OOM)
China Tour Qualifiers (4)
Four players have qualified via the CBSA China Tour. They earn a fresh two-year tour cards.
Wu Yize
Zhang Jiankang
Cao Yupeng
Zhang Anda
World Women’s Snooker Tour (2)
The top two players from the World Women’s Snooker Tour rankings will be awarded a two-year card.
Reanne Evans (No.1 Ranked)
Ng On Yee (No.2 Ranked)
Deferred Tour Card (1)
Andrew Pagett was due to join the tour for the 2020/21 season but this was deferred on medical grounds. He will begin a two-year card.
Andrew Pagett
Invitational Tour Cards (2)
Two players have been awarded a new two-year Invitational Tour Card for the upcoming season.
The part I put in bold in bold in the above quotes means that Sanderson Lam, Michael Georgiou, Si Jiahui, Soheil Vahedi, Michael White and David Lilley will have the opportunity to play in most events, maybe even all of them. They are handed what is effectively the equivalent of a one year tour card, without the pressure to defend their ranking. For some of them – and I’m thinking Si Jiahui, Soheil Vahedi and Michael White – this might be even better than a return to full pro status. They will have opportunities to play, and earn, with less pressure and should come into the next Q-School with the best possible preparation. They may even not need the Q-School if they do really well during the season.
All interviews are interesting and well worth the read. Michael, Zhou, Zhao and Tian all speak about some of the additional problems and difficulties oversea’s players have to face. The UK centric structure of the snooker pro tour puts them at a diadvantage at the best of times; the covid-19 crisis, the lockdown and the travel restrictions have magnified the issues big time.
Cazoo, the UK’s leading online car retailer, which makes ordering a car as simple and seamless as buying any other product online today, announces that it has expanded its partnership with Matchroom to become the principal sponsor of snooker’s Masters, UK Championship and Champion of Champions.
Cazoo has extended its deal with the World Snooker Tour (WST) and added the Masters, the UK Championship and the Champion of Champions to its current portfolio of snooker properties where it is currently the main sponsor of the Players Championship, Tour Championship and World Grand Prix.
The Champion of Champions, promoted by Matchroom Multi Sport, brings together 16 tournament Champions from the past year. The UK Championship is snooker’s longest running ranking event other than the World Championship, and is part of the sport’s Triple Crown series, as is the Masters in London which boasts an elite field of the world’s top 16 players.
Each of these prestigious snooker tournaments, broadcast to a global television audience of up to 500 million fans, will see Cazoo branding on the main set, players’ waistcoats and interview and media conference backdrops.
Cazoo has also become the principal sponsor of the Grand Slam of Darts, World Cup of Darts and European Championship. Under a new multi-year deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), the trio of high-profile darts events will see prominent Cazoo branding on the stage, players’ shirts, in the playing arena and on interview backdrops with extensive live TV coverage through Sky Sports and global broadcasters.
The Cazoo World Cup of Darts will take place from September 9-12 in Jena, Germany, where 32 nations will compete in two-player teams. The Cazoo European Championship, live on ITV4, and Sky Sports-televised Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts will follow as two of the highlights of the Autumn’s darting calendar.
Cazoo will also become the headline sponsor at this year’s FishOMania event, to be staged on Saturday July 24.
These latest tournaments add to Cazoo’s growing portfolio of sports sponsorships which now includes football (Everton, Aston Villa & the EFL), cricket (The Hundred), rugby (Welsh Rugby Union & 2021 Rugby League World Cup), golf (European Tour) and horseracing (Epsom Derby & St Leger).
Cazoo is pioneering the shift to online car buying and, since launching in 2019, has sold over 25,000 cars to consumers across the UK who have embraced the selection, transparency and convenience of buying quality used cars entirely online. Cazoo is planning to launch in France & Germany by the end of 2021.
Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder & CEO of Cazoo said, “We are excited to be expanding our partnership with Matchroom to launch the Cazoo World Cup of Darts, Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts and Cazoo European Championship with the Professional Darts Corporation later this year and to be extending our deal with the World Snooker Tour to launch three additional Cazoo snooker tournaments. This wider partnership with Matchroom will help to further grow our audience as we build Cazoo into a household brand and continue to deliver the best car buying experience to darts and snooker fans across the UK and Europe.”
Barry Hearn OBE, President of Matchroom said: “It’s fantastic to have a brand like Cazoo involved with us in both snooker and darts and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with Alex and his team, who have proven to be creative and innovative partners. We are now partnering with Cazoo on nine of the most prestigious tournaments and eagerly-awaited events on the snooker and darts calendars as well as for FishOMania. We look forward to introducing the Cazoo brand to our loyal fanbase and to a long and productive relationship.”
I believe that this is a really important announcement. This is Matchroom clearly taking action to reduce its dependence on the gambling and gaming industry for their events’ sponsoring. I have been saying it for a long time: relying on just one particular type of sponsors is never healthy, no matter how much they are ready to pay. The “tobacco ban” hit snooker very hard because the gouverning did nothing to find alternatives despite knowing that it was coming. A “gambling ban” is coming too, even if many don’t want to believe it the signs are there, and Matchroom is being proactive.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 