New world ranking tour announced

Plans Unveiled For New World Snooker Tour

London 26 November 2009: World Snooker Limited today announced plans for a joint venture with IMG, the world's premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company, which will create an unprecedented new World Snooker Tour.

The intention is to capitalise on the burgeoning interest in professional snooker in many countries around the world, and develop snooker’s professional circuit in a way similar to that of global sports such as tennis and golf.

The new concept envisages a minimum of 15 professional ranking tournaments, plus invitation events, being played throughout the first year, with the number of events to be increased in subsequent years. It is anticipated that the first World Snooker Tour events will be phased in next season (2010/2011).

World Snooker and IMG, who currently produce the BBC’s snooker coverage and manage World Snooker’s International Broadcast rights, will work closely with independent promoters worldwide in the planning of the World Snooker Tour and replicate the success of established tournaments in the UK and China.

World Snooker Chairman Sir Rodney Walker, who first met with IMG several months ago to discuss a roadmap for the future of snooker, said: “We have brought forward today’s announcement of the proposed World Snooker Tour in response to misleading, inaccurate and downright untruthful comments about the sport which have been made in the past few months. In the last five years, the sport has progressed from an uncertain financial position with a history of turmoil, to a sport with financial stability, renewed long-term worldwide broadcast contracts and new sponsorship agreements.

“Together with IMG we believe the time is now right to build on these underlying strengths to put in place a World Snooker Tour. We hope the players and promoters will recognise the opportunities of being part of this ambitious plan and help in bringing it to fruition.”

Graham Fry, Managing Director, IMG Sports Media Production, added: “I have long believed in the potential of snooker and IMG has developed a formula which should lead to major growth in the sport. This new approach will significantly increase the number of sanctioned ranking tournaments which in turn will improve both the earnings for players and promoters. This will also help in the development of new talent."

Adam Kelly, Marketing Director, IMG Sport Media, who is leading the project from a commercial perspective added "The strategy is founded on two major elements, profitable rights distribution and premier quality production. I believe we have something here that can unite the snooker community. With the support of the players and the World Snooker Board this approach can lead to a brighter and stronger future for the sport.”


15 ranking events plus a number of non-ranking events from next season onwards. This is the best news snooker has had in a long long time. Come on.

I was about to post the same thing. Look what happens when I press ctrl+v


Plans Unveiled For New World Snooker Tour

London 26 November 2009: World Snooker Limited today announced plans for a joint venture with IMG, the world's premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company, which will create an unprecedented new World Snooker Tour.

The intention is to capitalise on the burgeoning interest in professional snooker in many countries around the world, and develop snooker’s professional circuit in a way similar to that of global sports such as tennis and golf.

The new concept envisages a minimum of 15 professional ranking tournaments, plus invitation events, being played throughout the first year, with the number of events to be increased in subsequent years. It is anticipated that the first World Snooker Tour events will be phased in next season (2010/2011).

World Snooker and IMG, who currently produce the BBC’s snooker coverage and manage World Snooker’s International Broadcast rights, will work closely with independent promoters worldwide in the planning of the World Snooker Tour and replicate the success of established tournaments in the UK and China.

World Snooker Chairman Sir Rodney Walker, who first met with IMG several months ago to discuss a roadmap for the future of snooker, said: “We have brought forward today’s announcement of the proposed World Snooker Tour in response to misleading, inaccurate and downright untruthful comments about the sport which have been made in the past few months. In the last five years, the sport has progressed from an uncertain financial position with a history of turmoil, to a sport with financial stability, renewed long-term worldwide broadcast contracts and new sponsorship agreements.

“Together with IMG we believe the time is now right to build on these underlying strengths to put in place a World Snooker Tour. We hope the players and promoters will recognise the opportunities of being part of this ambitious plan and help in bringing it to fruition.”

Graham Fry, Managing Director, IMG Sports Media Production, added: “I have long believed in the potential of snooker and IMG has developed a formula which should lead to major growth in the sport. This new approach will significantly increase the number of sanctioned ranking tournaments which in turn will improve both the earnings for players and promoters. This will also help in the development of new talent."

Adam Kelly, Marketing Director, IMG Sport Media, who is leading the project from a commercial perspective added "The strategy is founded on two major elements, profitable rights distribution and premier quality production. I believe we have something here that can unite the snooker community. With the support of the players and the World Snooker Board this approach can lead to a brighter and stronger future for the sport.”





Am I in a dream? Is this the best news in history so far? Surely it can't be true. If so that's the biggest to Barry Hearn ever

omg i did post it

delete my post in gen snooker mate

the best news ive herd but ive herd it before 10 years ago and nothing came of it im a bit sceptical and ill wait for it to happen and wont be holding my breath.

I am still in shock, this is great. Some people are very sceptical but hey you have to roll with it sometimes and hope for the best.

I would say some of them will be low points and low prize money but so what. Snooker will become a monthly sport again, no more waiting 6-8 weeks for events. I am also looking forward to the non-ranking events, they might be like the old Irish and Scottish Masters.

I wonder will we get any player feedback soon.

It's fairly obviously timed to counter the talk of Barry Hearn getting involved in snooker again. But I would prefer this to any Hearn lead tour.

Your opposition to Hearn isn't based on logic or on what is best for the finance of snooker, it is bsed on your hatred to any altering of the game, modernising or otherwise.

Hearn is a far better leader and businessman than Walker can ever hope to be and you are swallowing his rubbish hook line and sinker.

Being anti Hearn does not make me pro Walker

http://snookerscene.blogspot.com/2009/1 ... vents.html

Being Pro Hearn hasn't made me over confident....I hope Hearn gets the job

im not over confident however its better news than this hearn rubbish.

he hasent got the balls to oust Walker he is just sitting back...he dont fill me with confidence either.

wildJONESEYE wrote:im not over confident however its better news than this hearn rubbish.

he hasent got the balls to oust Walker he is just sitting back...he dont fill me with confidence either.

He hasn't got the power to oust anyone. He isn't in the position to make demands.

Seifer island hatah wrote:

wildJONESEYE wrote:im not over confident however its better news than this hearn rubbish.

he hasent got the balls to oust Walker he is just sitting back...he dont fill me with confidence either.

He hasn't got the power to oust anyone. He isn't in the position to make demands.

ill be honest with you if barry hearn is incharge with thoes plans itll be just as good but theres talk in the pipeline Hearn would prefere a Tour of 32 players...

that defanatly fits the profile Hearn has. but would that be good for snooker ?

A tour of 32 players is probably not a bad starting point however there must be provision for other tournaments where anyone can enter such as the British Open darts (the FA Cup whereby decent pub team players get the chance to take on the pros).

If it starts with 32 it'll be easier to manage and then obviously the idea would be to expand from there. I can't see it being too popular either, especially with the quality of some of the players who wouldn't make it.

I think a tour of 48 or 64 would be wiser....but certainly not what we have at the moment (96?)

I would like to see what happens with that change first and then decide if it is good... What we do need is to look at things properly, and I think Hearn would do that.

Davis Backs World Snooker Tour Plan

Six-times World Champion Steve Davis believes that the plan unveiled for a new World Snooker Tour is "the best idea by a mile" for the future of the sport.
The plan announced today is for a joint venture between World Snooker Limited and IMG, which aims to capitalise on the explosion of interest in snooker in many countries around the globe.

The new concept envisages a minimum of 15 professional ranking tournaments, plus invitation events, being played throughout the first year, with the number of events to be increased in subsequent years.

Snooker legend Davis, who has been competing on the professional circuit for 31 years, told BBC Sport: "Should the proposal be realised, it could kick-start snooker again. Every player would love to have more tournaments. There will be a buzz in the season if they can go to new territories.

"World Snooker are obviously very happy because they were under pressure. The players have no choice but to accept it. It is a no-brainer because it is the best idea by a mile. It could be the start of a new era."

so Barry Hearn's bestest Friend and SPA President is Backing World Snooker ? you cant make this up

seifer over to you lol

Since this topic the landscape has changed in that Steve Davis is on the board and he's said some very positive things and I know his viewpoints on versions of snooker which aren't snooker so I'm now very relaxed about Hearn's leadership and looking forward to the future.

plus bottom line is the players themselfes likes longer matches so they get theire teeth in to them .....best of 5 or 7 wont appeal at all to the players.