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If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 22 Jun 2018 Read

If Hearn resigned tomorrow, what state would the sport be in?

Obviously, he's done many good things. Made more tournaments, brought in more sponsors.

But those sponsors are often people he had a working relationship with anyway. Would they stay around if Hearn left? They are connected with Matchroom as much as snooker.

Also some tournaments, like the English Open still have very poor sales.

What would Hearn's legacy be if he retired tomorrow? He's improved the sport hundred-fold since coming. Is there more to do? Or could the sport survive now without him?

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Wildey » 23 Jun 2018 Read

Barry Hearn is 70 if he retires and his son Eddie takes over snooker wont be high on his agenda


What ever you think of Hearn he is passionate about Snooker his first step in to sport promotions. Without looking for property investment and buying a snooker club that led him to meet Steve Davis. Hearn life would have been so different today and he knows it thats why he took control of snooker in 2010 any other business man would not have even considered it snooker was on its knees.

Any Sport that has a Asset like Ronnie O'Sullivan and struggling commercially is not something to take on but he did so we owe him a lot.


Hes cocked up some things no getting away from that hes virtually killed off the UK Championship as a Major asset and the Shoot Out doesent help the sport to get non Betting firms interested in sponsoring the sport it just cheapens everything but overall hes done more good than bad and today snooker could servive without him 8 years ago not so sure.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Cloud Strife » 23 Jun 2018 Read

Wildey wrote:Barry Hearn is 70 if he retires and his son Eddie takes over snooker wont be high on his agenda


What ever you think of Hearn he is passionate about Snooker his first step in to sport promotions. Without looking for property investment and buying a snooker club that led him to meet Steve Davis. Hearn life would have been so different today and he knows it thats why he took control of snooker in 2010 any other business man would not have even considered it snooker was on its knees.

Any Sport that has a Asset like Ronnie O'Sullivan and struggling commercially is not something to take on but he did so we owe him a lot.


Hes cocked up some things no getting away from that hes virtually killed off the UK Championship as a Major asset and the Shoot Out doesent help the sport to get non Betting firms interested in sponsoring the sport it just cheapens everything but overall hes done more good than bad and today snooker could servive without him 8 years ago not so sure.


You just had to squeeze in a dig at Ronnie there, didn't you? Lol, you just can't help yourself. <doh>

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Iranu » 23 Jun 2018 Read

I read that as Wild meant snooker was struggling despite having an asset like Ronnie, to be fair.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Wildey » 23 Jun 2018 Read

Iranu wrote:I read that as Wild meant snooker was struggling despite having an asset like Ronnie, to be fair.

exactly

i am pleased we do have members on snooker island that has a brain <ok>

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Dan-cat » 23 Jun 2018 Read

Wildey wrote:
Iranu wrote:I read that as Wild meant snooker was struggling despite having an asset like Ronnie, to be fair.

exactly

i am pleased we do have members on snooker island that has a brain <ok>


Haha. Handbags!

:bags:

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Alex0paul » 23 Jun 2018 Read

SnookerFan wrote:No dig at Hearn.

More, I meant, what is the state of the sport?

Would it survive post-Hearn?


Yes. Dont underestimate the job Jason Ferguson is doing

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 23 Jun 2018 Read

Alex0paul wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:No dig at Hearn.

More, I meant, what is the state of the sport?

Would it survive post-Hearn?


Yes. Dont underestimate the job Jason Ferguson is doing


Fair point.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Dan-cat » 26 Jun 2018 Read

SnookerFan wrote:No dig at Hearn.

More, I meant, what is the state of the sport?

Would it survive post-Hearn?


Yes defo. There's an army of fans willing to part with money to watch their favourite game.

Apart from you tight gits who won't even cough £4.99 for the Eurosport Player which televises every tournament on any device you want.

I don't think Eurosport get enough credit for the support they've shown our sport.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 27 Jun 2018 Read

Dan-cat wrote:
Yes defo. There's an army of fans willing to part with money to watch their favourite game.

Apart from you tight gits who won't even cough £4.99 for the Eurosport Player which televises every tournament on any device you want.

I don't think Eurosport get enough credit for the support they've shown our sport.


I spend hundreds of pounds a year watching snooker, thank you very much. rofl

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 27 Jun 2018 Read

Joking aside, is there an army of fans that are willing to part with money to watch snooker?

There is when it's The Crucible or The Masters. But what about something like the English Open. I was there at Manchester, when there was only a maxium of 25% of seats sold for the first session of the final. Barely that for either of the semis. Barnsley was a bit more, but even then not full.

I do think that marketing for the lesser known events is something that needs to be worked on. World Snooker just assume that fans will seek out snooker and attend.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Badsnookerplayer » 27 Jun 2018 Read

I agree SF but this is common across many sports where often people go to be able to say 'I was there' rather than because they are interested in the sport. Hence in many sports, smaller events are struggling whilst the prestige events are selling out for bigger and bigger prices.

Judging by ticket prices at smaller snooker events, they won't be making a great deal from them anyway. However, I agree with you about marketing. Better to sell tickets for £2 than have an empty venue on TV. It looks bad and furthers the impression of a sport that is 'boring'.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 27 Jun 2018 Read

Badsnookerplayer wrote:I agree SF but this is common across many sports where often people go to be able to say 'I was there' rather than because they are interested in the sport. Hence in many sports, smaller events are struggling whilst the prestige events are selling out for bigger and bigger prices.

Judging by ticket prices at smaller snooker events, they won't be making a great deal from them anyway. However, I agree with you about marketing. Better to sell tickets for £2 than have an empty venue on TV. It looks bad and furthers the impression of a sport that is 'boring'.


I've told this story before. And it was a few years ago, so pre-Hearn. But I still think it slightly relates to today.

I was in Telford for the first rounds of the UK Championships. I watched a few games over the first couple of days. After finishing the second session in the afternoon, I'd decided I'd watched enough and went back to my hotel for dinner. The hotel bar was open to the public, so wasn't just hotel guests.

Anyway, I had my dinner, was having a couple of beers, and somebody put the evening session on BBC on. Some guy was watching it with his drink, obviously interested in the match. He turned to me and asked if I knew where it was being played. I told him The Telford International Center. It took a minute for the penny to drop. He was like; "That's only up the road." I told him I'd been watching it. He had no idea it was being played locally.

Obviously, this guy hadn't watched any of it previously. We were on day 3. If he'd have watched any at home, he'd have clocked. But the point is, he has an interest in snooker enough to enjoy watching it. It's unforgivable that he didn't know the seconded biggest ranking event on the calendar was being played in the town he lived in. Everybody with a passing interest should know. Is there anybody in Sheffield who doesn't know when the snooker is being played?

Just to put this into perspective, I'd seen several posters around town advertising that The Krankies were in pantomime in Wolverhampton. Not one thing about the snooker.

Snooker have improved a lot under Hearn, but I'm not sure this is particularly being addressed. Getting people into the "lesser" tournaments. Don't expect people to search out where the tournament is. Let them know.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Badsnookerplayer » 27 Jun 2018 Read

That is an illuminating tale.

I would have thought that the marketing was the easy part once you have organised all other logistics.

There is little immediate financial gain in filling a venue but for the long term health of the sport it is essential.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby SnookerFan » 28 Jun 2018 Read

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Hi SF

Just to be clear, does this question still hold or was it referring only to the possibility of Mr Hearn resigning on 23rd June?

Thanks


As far as I am aware, there was never an actual possibility of Hearn resigning.

It was a hypothetical, what if question.

Re: If Hearn resigned tomorrow....

Postby Badsnookerplayer » 28 Jun 2018 Read

SnookerFan wrote:
Badsnookerplayer wrote:Hi SF

Just to be clear, does this question still hold or was it referring only to the possibility of Mr Hearn resigning on 23rd June?

Thanks


As far as I am aware, there was never an actual possibility of Hearn resigning.

It was a hypothetical, what if question.

Thanks for clearing that up.
It was making me a bit anxious.
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