Post a reply

next season's calendar

Postby csprince

Monday 3 Aug 2020 09:32AM
The World Snooker Tour continues to lead the way to the return of regular live sport with the announcement of a packed calendar for the first half of the 2020/21 season, with nine tournaments between September and December.

Snooker has set the pace in recent months with a pioneering approach towards the return of live events. The Betfred World Championship was selected as the first indoor sporting event in the UK with a crowd, then following a revision of Government guidelines it reverted to being behind closed doors at this stage.

And despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the tour continues to thrive, with a packed pre-Christmas calendar.

As China has announced that international sporting events will not take place in the country until 2021, WST’s intention has been to reschedule certain UK tournaments into the slots usually taken by events in China.


Luca Brecel won the Championship League in June

The 2020/21 season will begin with the Matchroom Multi Sport promoted Championship League. Previously an invitation event, this has now been expanded into a full ranking event for all players on the tour.

This follows the ground-breaking success of this tournament when it was staged at the beginning of June, becoming the UK’s first major post-lockdown sporting event.

The Championship League will take place over three legs: the first from September 13-20, the second from September 28 to October 5 and the third from October 23-27.

The second ranking event of the season will be the European Masters to be played from September 21-27.

As usual, three of the Home Nations series tournaments will take place before Christmas: the English Open (October 12-18), Northern Ireland Open (November 16 to 22) and Scottish Open (December 7 to 13).

The quick-fire Shoot Out takes place from October 29 to November 1, followed by the Champion of Champions from November 2 to 8.


The York Barbican will once again host the Betway UK Championship

The first Triple Crown event of the campaign, the UK Championship at the York Barbican, runs from November 24 to December 6. And the first event of the Coral Series, the World Grand Prix, has been brought forward to December 14 to 20.

All venues for these events will be confirmed in due course, with decisions pending as to whether tournaments will be played with a live crowd or behind closed doors, depending on Government guidelines.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to announce a full calendar. In recent months there has been uncertainty for all sports in terms of future events but we have worked alongside all of our partners to find solutions. Our players and fans will be thrilled to see that we have a packed schedule for the first half of 2020/21.

“For the players there are plenty of opportunities to compete and I am delighted to confirm that there will be no reductions in prize money for the above events, despite the current Covid-19 crisis.

“We are excited to be working with our broadcasters including BBC, Eurosport, ITV, Discovery, DAZN, Matchroom Live and many other television companies, bringing top class sporting action to many millions of fans across the globe.

“Developing the Championship League into a full ranking event underlines the success of that tournament in terms of its viewing figures and its popularity among the players.

“We are working towards confirming plans for the second half of the 2020/21 season, with full details to be announced later this year.”

World Snooker Tour dates for remainder of 2020

September 13-20
Championship League

September 21-27
European Masters

September 28 to October 5
Championship League

October 12-18
English Open

October 23-27
Championship League

October 29 to November 1
Shoot Out

November 2-8
Champion of Champions

November 10-14
German Masters qualifiers

November 16-22
Northern Ireland Open

November 24 to December 6
UK Championship

December 7-13
Scottish Open

December 14-20
World Grand Prix

Re: next season's calendar

Postby McManusFan

They're surely going to have to massively change the championship league format - loads of people will enter it now.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby SnookerFan

The Championship League being a ranking event is hella stupid.

As much as I've whined about the Shoot-Out being a ranking, I reluctantly see why it is. It gets huge crowds, but bugger all television crowds. Hearn doesn't want to get rid of an event that has a packed crowd, so tries to get the big names involved in it.

The Championship League doesn't really have that justification.

Still at least it's actual snooker, so I suppose it's fairer that it affects a players rank than the Shoot Out.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

SnookerFan wrote:Where's that from?

I can't see it on the World Snooker website.


world snooker click on news.
Last edited by csprince on 03 Aug 2020, edited 1 time in total.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby The_Abbott

SnookerFan wrote:The Championship League being a ranking event is hella stupid.

As much as I've whined about the Shoot-Out being a ranking, I reluctantly see why it is. It gets huge crowds, but bugger all television crowds. Hearn doesn't want to get rid of an event that has a packed crowd, so tries to get the big names involved in it.

The Championship League doesn't really have that justification.

Still at least it's actual snooker, so I suppose it's fairer that it affects a players rank than the Shoot Out.


The Shootout without a crowd potentially. Will it work without the drunk shouting of Rick Astley and YELL-LOW

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

The_Abbott wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:The Championship League being a ranking event is hella stupid.

As much as I've whined about the Shoot-Out being a ranking, I reluctantly see why it is. It gets huge crowds, but bugger all television crowds. Hearn doesn't want to get rid of an event that has a packed crowd, so tries to get the big names involved in it.

The Championship League doesn't really have that justification.

Still at least it's actual snooker, so I suppose it's fairer that it affects a players rank than the Shoot Out.


The Shootout without a crowd potentially. Will it work without the drunk shouting of Rick Astley and YELL-LOW


i think astley's dropped of the tour.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby HappyCamper

Is the European masters on the mainland. Or will it be UK this year.

The championship leave will be open to all 128 pros on an equal basis now, so fair enough it can give ranking points.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

HappyCamper wrote:Is the European masters on the mainland. Or will it be UK this year.

The championship leave will be open to all 128 pros on an equal basis now, so fair enough it can give ranking points.


looks like the uk given there's no qualifying rounds mentioned.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby The_Abbott

Cloud Strife wrote:I'm all for the Championship League becoming a ranking event.


Its basically paid practice

Jimmy flies in practice

Could Jimmy win this ranker?

Re: next season's calendar

Postby Cloud Strife

snoopy2608 wrote:think they've done a good job - interesting they haven't mentioned Saudi event (wonder if that's planned for 2021 or permanently dropped)


Wouldn't be the first time the Saudis have pulled out of a sporting deal.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby Cloud Strife

The_Abbott wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:I'm all for the Championship League becoming a ranking event.


Its basically paid practice

Jimmy flies in practice

Could Jimmy win this ranker?


Jimmy needs to retire NOW. Enough is enough.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

snoopy2608 wrote:think they've done a good job - interesting they haven't mentioned Saudi event (wonder if that's planned for 2021 or permanently dropped)


they signed a 10 year deal so it hasn't been dropped.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby Iranu

They’ll have to change the CL format because at the moment you get more money if you don’t win the group and keep entering the next ones, right? Not sure how that works with money ranking points.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

Iranu wrote:They’ll have to change the CL format because at the moment you get more money if you don’t win the group and keep entering the next ones, right? Not sure how that works with money ranking points.


i think it will be more like the recent edition but they will have to give different money/points for the different group positions.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby The_Abbott

also what happens about prize money removed if the event has changed month? For example a player who won the shootout 2 years ago would normally keep those points until Feb. Do they still lose them in Feb or do they lose them when the Shootout is played in Oct/Nov?

Re: next season's calendar

Postby HappyCamper

The_Abbott wrote:also what happens about prize money removed if the event has changed month? For example a player who won the shootout 2 years ago would normally keep those points until Feb. Do they still lose them in Feb or do they lose them when the Shootout is played in Oct/Nov?


Points drop off two calendar years after the event was played.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

The_Abbott wrote:also what happens about prize money removed if the event has changed month? For example a player who won the shootout 2 years ago would normally keep those points until Feb. Do they still lose them in Feb or do they lose them when the Shootout is played in Oct/Nov?


i assume the points would stay on as there not two years old.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby Juddernaut88

Championship league being a ranking event is a joke. I'd also prefered there to have been a 6 reds championship instead of a shoot out and championship league. Although I think the 6 reds championship is usually in China but they could have it in England for this year.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

Juddernaut88 wrote:Championship league being a ranking event is a joke. I'd also prefered there to have been a 6 reds championship instead of a shoot out and championship league. Although I think the 6 reds championship is usually in China but they could have it in England for this year.


6 reds or a ranker difficult choice.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby csprince

Juddernaut88 wrote:I find 6 reds very exciting even if it's a minor invitational event.


each to there own can't get into 6 reds it's like the t20 of snooker.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby McManusFan

csprince wrote:
Juddernaut88 wrote:I find 6 reds very exciting even if it's a minor invitational event.


each to there own can't get into 6 reds it's like the t20 of snooker.


Yeah, prefer it to the shoot-out though.

Re: next season's calendar

Postby Alex0paul

Could they not just create a couple of UK based events to add just for this season?