If there is an Australian ranking tournament

Hey Monique, How many top 16 players do you know that fly economy?. So that essentially doubles the cost too. Also what about the qualifiers who for whatever reason can't get the money together. Will the Association front them the money from their minimum prize?. Valid questions I feel.

snooky147 wrote:Hey Monique, How many top 16 players do you know that fly economy?. So that essentially doubles the cost too. Also what about the qualifiers who for whatever reason can't get the money together. Will the Association front them the money from their minimum prize?. Valid questions I feel.

Absolutely snooky147. TBH I would NOT fly economy over a 22 + hours if I can afford the business ticket. Nobody would. It's painful enough as it is. Not to mention that it's not that easy to find Logo sponsors for those events. The usual - mainly UK based - sponsors will have little interest in an event that will likely not been watched by many on their usual market and limited broadcast+time difference won't help. The "local" sponsors will have little interest in what is still in many countries, an in Australia, a minority sport.
It was hard enough already to find logos for the German Open...
But I'm sure you know that.

Monique wrote:

snooky147 wrote:Hey Monique, How many top 16 players do you know that fly economy?. So that essentially doubles the cost too. Also what about the qualifiers who for whatever reason can't get the money together. Will the Association front them the money from their minimum prize?. Valid questions I feel.

Absolutely snooky147. TBH I would NOT fly economy over a 22 + hours if I can afford the business ticket. Nobody would. It's painful enough as it is. Not to mention that it's not that easy to find Logo sponsors for those events. The usual - mainly UK based - sponsors will have little interest in an event that will likely not been watched by many on their usual market and limited broadcast+time difference won't help. The "local" sponsors will have little interest in what is still in many countries, an in Australia, a minority sport.
It was hard enough already to find logos for the German Open...
But I'm sure you know that.

This is the first year that the players have to fend for themselves flight and hotel wise without the WPBSA subsidising it. The prize money for each foreign Tournament needs to be increased to reflect that fact. And dont bother with the blythe comment anyone about the total prize money being increased to £6m, because if the money in the foreign ones are not raised to cover the travel then going anywhere abroad will simply not be worth it if you lose first round........Waits patiently for the first smart ass comment about "dont get beat in first round then."

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All views expressed are my own and not that of any player.

The total number of tournament has been increased also and with "globalisation" the travel costs, not subsidised anymore, have increased even more. To start with it's sheer nonsense that PTCs in Europe have a lower prize money than those in UK! (same figures but in Euros instead of £). Actually in those you might have to win 3 matches just to cover your expenses.

Snooky

i know its tough but tough is the word this is the real world the WSA is not a charity if they want to make it big and be the best they will have to do it off their own back or not bother....

what are we saying do we want snooker to get bigger so that future players can have a better opportunities and then maybe WSA can afford to subsidize them or do we want it to remain British Based and get nowhere. everything has a price nothing is for nothing.

its time to put up or shut up.

Wild wrote:Snooky

i know its tough but tough is the word this is the real world the WSA is not a charity if they want to make it big and be the best they will have to do it off their own back or not bother....

what are we saying do we want snooker to get bigger so that future players can have a better opportunities and then maybe WSA can afford to subsidize them or do we want it to remain British Based and get nowhere. everything has a price nothing is for nothing.

its time to put up or shut up.

Morning mate, I have absolutely no objections to the players NOT being subsidised, providing it's actually worth their while. I am quite aware the real world is tough but and the end of the day it's supposed to be a members association and that means treating its members in a fair and consistent manner but what are we getting instead a groundswell of opinion amongst those running the game to shorten Tournaments to farcical lengths and essentially blackmail the players into playing via the ranking system and THEN kick them in the nads by actually paying for it themselves when at times the money involved means it's not worthwhile going.


PS.....Still think he will leave the Majors alone??? What I hear about the UK it looks like he isn't.

snooky

its not blackmail its called Helping Barry Hearn put this sport on it feet if Rankings meant players did not have to go there how inspired would that be for the growth World Wide if Top Players stayed at home.

Mate, I want the players to go, I do. But I want them to go out there and get involved in matches, not lose a best of 5 before their ice melts in their glass. As Monique says, all that way for possibly no more than an hour.

snooky147 wrote:Mate, I want the players to go, I do. But I want them to go out there and get involved in matches, not lose a best of 5 before their ice melts in their glass. As Monique says, all that way for possibly no more than an hour.

What do you suggest then ? and whatever you suggest will have to mean the same in this country when players from overseas has to do the traveling.

Make it a proper best of nine. That's what I suggest. I can't see there being many who will actually relish the thought of going out there when they find out the matches up until the quarters are best of 5.

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All views expressed are my own and not that of any player.

snooky147 wrote:Make it a proper best of nine. That's what I suggest. I can't see there being many who will actually relish the thought of going out there when they find out the matches up until the quarters are best of 5.

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All views expressed are my own and not that of any player.

Australian Open is Best of 9 mate...

Best of 9 up to the semis
Best of 11 the semis
Best of 17 the Final

This all started because Prosnooker blog quite clearly states best of 5's mate. Looks like a misunderstanding somewhere.

The World Open location is yet to be announced, maybe Matt got confused with that event.

snooky147 wrote:This all started because Prosnooker blog quite clearly states best of 5's mate. Looks like a misunderstanding somewhere.

it might be a misunderstanding on format but the points you raised are still the same it is going to be extremely tough going on players with the amount of traveling involved from now on all im saying is players has to be forced to go one way or another.

last season a EPTC was moved from europe to Gloucester because top players was playing power snooker and interest in the event wasn't there because of it......well that was the excuse anyway.

so if players AT THE MOMENT can pick and choose events we really are on a hiding to nothing im afraid.

Wild wrote:

snooky147 wrote:This all started because Prosnooker blog quite clearly states best of 5's mate. Looks like a misunderstanding somewhere.

it might be a misunderstanding on format but the points you raised are still the same it is going to be extremely tough going on players with the amount of traveling involved from now on all im saying is players has to be forced to go one way or another.

last season a EPTC was moved from europe to Gloucester because top players was playing power snooker and interest in the event wasn't there because of it......well that was the excuse anyway.

so if players AT THE MOMENT can pick and choose events we really are on a hiding to nothing im afraid.

Don't get me wrong mate, I am all for forcing them as much as possible to play as long as in the full foreign ranking events, where they now have to pay that they dont actually lose out financially through doing so. Other than that, get the damn whip out and flog them till they go.

i know its easier said than done.

but i think thats the hole over many years of mismanaged snooker find itself in and it will take hardship and all hands on deck to turn it round to a position of strength.