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Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Casey

FORMER world champion Peter Ebdon last night described Barry Hearn’s £1 takeover bid of World Snooker as “ludicrous”.


Ebdon, who is defending his Chinese Open title in Beijing, cannot believe the plans for the future from the sport’s new supremo.

Hearn, boss of the Matchroom organisation, has circulated a 13-page document to members of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, asking them to sell their commercial rights for just £1 to a new company that he will set up and run.

A copy of Hearn’s document has been leaked to the Daily Express. If successful, his new company would acquire assets worth several millions of pounds, television contracts and other commercial rights.

Hearn is urging all players to back his takeover bid at a meeting in Sheffield on May 5 immediately after the World Championship at the Crucible, which starts in two weeks.

But there is deep concern that Hearn had not issued voting forms or proxy forms to every WPBSA member, which the governing body’s rules require at least 28 days before an EGM.

Hearn’s document states: “A new company would be set up to acquire World Snooker Limited for £1.

“The shares in the new company would be allocated 51 per cent to Matchroom Sport, a company controlled by me, 24 per cent to other commercial partners, and 25 per cent to the players. The new company would then be totally responsible for running all commercial aspects of the game.”

Hearn, long-time manager of six-time world champion Steve Davis, took over as the WPBSA’s chairman just last December but has wasted no time in making one of the boldest takeover bids in British sports history, let alone in professional snooker.

Ebdon, a former WPBSA board member, said: “The players should be very careful. I definitely won’t be backing it. Players must understand that if they give away 51 per cent then it’s lost for ever. No previous WPBSA chairman has asked for 51 per cent of the company.

“Barry Hearn is dynamic in the way he wants to create change. He’s bringing in one-frame and best-of-five matches. They’re novelty events. As a player, it’s a load of nonsense. You might as well toss a coin.

“I’ve spoken to players, who want proper tournaments with proper prize money.

“The general feeling is that this takeover attempt won’t be backed. There’s too much to lose. It should be for our association to run the game, not some outside company. This is ludicrous. I was on the previous board for five years when Rodney Walker did a fantastic job. He took us from £750,000 in debt to £4million in the bank, which was great considering the worldwide recession.”

Former WPBSA chairman Rex Williams dismissed Hearn’s proposal as “crazy”.

He said: “Transferring millions of pounds of assets to a company which is 51 per cent owned by Barry Hearn would be absurd.

“The players will be stunned by such a crazy proposal.

“He’s asking members to let 30 years of assets and goodwill be taken over by a company he would control, but no one with half a brain could back it.”

Hearn has told the players: “Your support is vital to the revitalisation of our sport and to begin the journey to take snooker back to the level it should be operating at.

“My recommendation is to set up an entirely new company to acquire World Snooker Limited that would own snooker’s commercial rights, and one that would be judged purely on the level of prize money and events provided for the players.

“We need more events to keep snooker as a viable sport to give the players an opportunity to earn a decent living from the game.

“Someone has to take responsibility, and that person has to have control.

“If I have control, I am confident I can do the job, but it obviously needs the voting members of the WPBSA to support this initiative.”

He added: “If we fail, players know that the commercial rights acquired will revert to them.”


Info sourced from glancing

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Casey

It would seem that many from within the sport are not happy with Hearn's proposals and it looks like it might not pass.

I would like to hear Steve Davis' view on all of this

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Monique

How surprising is it that those who profited the most from the old board governance, being part of it themselves, are unhappy? ;)
this http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/vie ... -takeover/ is the source.

And this

Brian Radford, Peter Ebdon and Rex Williams trashing Barry Hearn in the Daily Express. It must be April Fool's Day.

was Dave Hendon's reaction on twitter.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby N_Castle07

Look like this might not happen if the other players have this attitude. This sport will NEVER move on and its the players fault and it has been proved a few times.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Monique

N_Castle07 wrote:Look like this might not happen if the other players have this attitude. This sport will NEVER move on and its the players fault and it has been proved a few times.


Many high profile players, Hendry, ROS, Higgins, Selby have backed Hearn. Let's wait and see but I'm not too worried.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Roland

Ebdon was key in the Altium deal fall through. Rex Williams was an unpopular chairman for years. I am not surprised these two are against Hearn but they must be in a minority. Ebdon is stupid if he thinks voting no to Hearn will be for snookers benefit.

What was his song called again? "I am a clown" wasn't it?

Wise words mate <ok>

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby N_Castle07

Ebdon is a great player and a gentleman but i fear he is going to dictate his views to others players, i just hope players vote for change. If they don't vote for this then who would become the new chairman?

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby mantorok

Interesting how Ebdon has got caught up in Sir Rodney's so called 'achievements', so what if he amounted a £4 million pound credit, at what expense Ebdon? The game obviously, less tournaments each year, less prize money, of course he's going to get the bank back in order, and that's fine by the likes of Ebdon who has made his money in snooker, but what about the up and coming players or the ones who have to hold down jobs as well as snooker? You ever stop to think about them Ebbo instead of yourself? Clearly not.

Hearn wants to push the 'game' forward, and I've little reason to think he can't do that, he's done it with the PDC in spectacular fashion, and I can't see a reason why he couldn't do it with snooker.

Any top 16 player should be backing Hearn IMO, most aren't short of money and should certainly not be complaining.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby NedB-H

I think he might have a point... signing the whole sport over to Hearn is a risk, and they do need to be careful. Having him as chairman is one thing, having him owning everything like a snooker Ecclestone is another, it might work but if it doesn't the sport is screwed.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Witz78

Ive supported Ebdon for over 15 years and been a massive fan of him but im now on the verge of doing a major U Turn and hating him over this.

Talk about self interests. Hes only defending Walker because he was part of Walkers board and made a few quid out of being on the board.

Yes if Hearn gets 51% of the sport he is in control, but he has already pledged to walk away and hand power back to the players if he cant back up his promises and deliver more tournaments, prize money etc.

This is nothign short of a bitter smear campaign against Hearn. Do these blinkered buffoons honestly believe the sport is better off staying as it is instead of having an extra ranker, numerous other tournaments and formats, new TV channels, new viewers, expansion of the sport into Europe, increased money and a solid platform to revitalise the sport under the the leadership of a born winner.

Do they seriously think Hearn is just doing this for his own good, or that hed deliberatly take full control then kill snooker?

The only way snooker will die is if theres a NO vote on May 5th. If that happens i hope Ronnie, Higgins, Selby etc all jump ship to form a new tour with Hearn.

Im so angry over this.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

If the 'others' referred too are only Brain Radford & Rex Williams with them opening up their mouths & letting their bellies rumble, then there's nothing much to get worried about.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Rocket_ron

Hearn’s document states: “A new company would be set up to acquire World Snooker Limited for £1.

“The shares in the new company would be allocated 51 per cent to Matchroom Sport, a company controlled by me, 24 per cent to other commercial partners, and 25 per cent to the players. The new company would then be totally responsible for running all commercial aspects of the game.”

hearn your the man
:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Wildey

do not like ebdon involvement in all of this.

i dont trust hearn and ive said so but i think the key in whatever Barry does is Steve Davis.if it was a company from the outside it would not be in the sports intrest to hand it over but with Davis there as a friend to barry its far safer than if he wasent there.

its dangerous dont make a mistake in thinking its not but as i said Steve is there.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby SnookerFan

I think Ebdon is right in being cautious over this. I appreciate the source that these worries came from are a tad suspect because Ebdon used to be on the board, but I am yet to be convinced by Hearn. I would have no trouble giving him 51% if he proves himself to be the right man for the job, but until then no. Just because he's had success with darts, and some novelty boxing events, I don't think we want to be climbing up his bottom just yet.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Monique

SnookerFan wrote:I think Ebdon is right in being cautious over this. I appreciate the source that these worries came from are a tad suspect because Ebdon used to be on the board, but I am yet to be convinced by Hearn. I would have no trouble giving him 51% if he proves himself to be the right man for the job, but until then no. Just because he's had success with darts, and some novelty boxing events, I don't think we want to be climbing up his bum just yet.


Well Hearn's offer is also that he doesn't succeed the money goes back to the WPBSA. So what's the risk actually? Today the players "own" the game, but what do they get out of it? Especially the lower ranked ones.
Ebdon has been member of the old board. Del Hill is also involved with them. Both got a lot out of the old setup, notably though the Academy. Del has been telling some lower ranked player lies before the December vote to try and convince them to vote against Hearn, yes lies. Rex Williams is another one who has hugely benefited from the old setup and who's "management" has raised questions (read "black farce" anyone? Yes this is Clive and he has his agenda, but if the things he stated there were untrue he would have been sued, you can be certain of that).
People don't let go of power (and money) easily. That's all there is ...

and in my opinion (note I wrote opinion) any one thinking Ebdon is a gentleman, and honest, is naive to say the least.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Roland

There's naive and there's naive. It's basically an admission that he thinks he was right to help destroy the Altium deal of 10 years ago. Read Black Farce as Monique says to see what was really going on behind the scenes.

If Del Hill is now starting a facebook campaign in favour of Hearn then that surely speaks volumes.


And the fact the power reverts back to the players if Hearn doesn't meet his own high forecasts, and the fact that he will quite happily walk away if he's voted against is all everyone needs to know.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Wildey

The WPBSA Was set up as a players union and Rex Williams was instramental in setting that up so you can understand why hes against it he doesent want what he helped to set up for the players being taken away but since then and now the WSA has changed and now its a governing Body and it makes more sense these days as a Governing Body that the Players dont Run it.

SPA was set up to look after the players let them do that and Let the WSA Run the sport.

im not a fan of Hearn but for ages ive not been a fan of how the WSA Conflict of intrest works.

its like The NUT Governing a school.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Alex0paul

Sonny wrote:If Del Hill is now starting a facebook campaign in favour of Hearn then that surely speaks volumes.


Sorry I meant he is trying to get people to back Ebdon.

Re: Ebdon and others speak out against Hearn

Postby Wildey

Monique

i disagree that Clive has a agenda.

yes he speaks as a jerno but thats all. he has good reasons to have a go at the WPBSA and not from his own agenda but from the point of view what a farce they have been in Running the Sport.

im going back 20 or 25 years in my misgivings about what they been doing its been a ongoing cockerel up long before Rodney Walker got involved.