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NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

http://snookerscene.blogspot.com/

How many players will enter the first event of the new Players Tour later this month?

Or, to put it another way, why would any player not enter it?

Each event carries a top prize of £10,000 plus 2,000 ranking points to the winner.

It will be played on templated tables at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, not on “tables with pockets like buckets where the outcome is just a lottery,” as Mark King claimed last week. The matches will be best of seven. Most ranking event matches are only best of nine.

The PTC also provides additional playing opportunities – something the players have been asking for, quite rightly, for a long time – and the chance to qualify for the big money televised finals towards the end of the season.

To do so, players must enter a minimum of six of the 12 PTC tournaments and finish in the top 24 in the order of merit.

The first event is open to all 96 players on the main tour and any amateurs who wish to have a go. If, as seems likely, there is a surplus of amateur entries then a qualifying event will whittle the field down to 128.

The PTC is not designed to propel snooker back into the limelight. It has been devised purely for the players to do what they do best...play.

Nigel Bond told the Sheffield Star this week that Barry Hearn is “only interested in the elite.” If that was true, he would have ploughed the money being used to stage the PTC into invitation events for the very top players.

The middle and lower ranked players should be over the moon at this additional playing opportunity because it is mainly them who will benefit. No more six week gaps between matches and the chance to earn a lot of money – if they do well on the table.

Some players spoilt by years of being glad-handed around the big arenas may feel the new events are beneath them. Well, they could always sit at home doing nothing while the rest battle for the £10,000 first prize – to most of us a pretty good return for three days work.

The entry fee is £100. Players are guaranteed £200 for winning just one match.

Snooker players are supposed to play snooker. If they do it well they will be handsomely rewarded.

The game should not be – and won’t be from now on – about ‘guarantees’ and doggedly digging in to protect a ranking position.

It should be about ambition and effort. Players should aspire to climb the rankings, not just hang on grimly.

Despite the lies spread by his enemies, Hearn has already announced that the 2011/12 season will still consist of a 96-player circuit.

The PTC will play a part in this because the top eight players who don’t finish in the top 64 in the main rankings will qualify.

The model has worked well on the PDC darts circuit – also run by Hearn – where prize money has increased dramatically.

The regular match-play the PTC will give players should enable them to build up form rather than have it dwindle away in the long gaps between ranking events.

Another charge levelled at Hearn of late is that he’s “only interested in gimmicks.”

There are no gimmicks in the PTC. It’s a series of snooker tournaments in which those who do well will be nicely rewarded.

If I were a player who has spent several years feeling like a part-timer I would be grateful for the opportunity and my entry would be in the post before the ink had dried.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

It will be played on templated tables at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, not on “tables with pockets like buckets where the outcome is just a lottery,” as Mark King claimed last week.


why did mark king claim that ?

they play WC Qualifying there so does he suggest players who qualified played with pockets like buckets <doh> :?

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

god i find that very disappointing players would claim that to try and discredit someone ahead of a vote. when it is quite obvious to anyone that its not the case.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Roland

Hendon knows the score. I can't believe there are any players moaning about the new calendar. It's down to them now, moaning will get you no sympathy from the likes of me.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Hendon knows the score. I can't believe there are any players moaning about the new calendar. It's down to them now, moaning will get you no sympathy from the likes of me.

no me its there for them make the most of it.

we want more full ranking events yes but they dont growing on trees and im confident another 1 atleast will make a apearance for 2011/2012 in possitive there will not be a barhain style mid season anouncement though.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Casey

Well the thing is, I think the PTC events could easily be moved about if an opportunity does come up for another event. There will be no problem with the venue after all. ;)

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

case_master wrote:Well the thing is, I think the PTC events could easily be moved about if an opportunity does come up for another event. There will be no problem with the venue after all. ;)


Barry Hearn will not make a anouncement for the simple reason he had a go at WSA for not finalizing a calendar before the season started when barhain poped up. he cant do it now or he will be seen as a hypocrite.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Roland

He's ensured there are no clashes with any 110events. Did Lee Doyle ever do anything like that when he had the chance?

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Casey

wildJONESEYE wrote:
case_master wrote:Well the thing is, I think the PTC events could easily be moved about if an opportunity does come up for another event. There will be no problem with the venue after all. ;)


Barry Hearn will not make a anouncement for the simple reason he had a go at WSA for not finalizing a calendar before the season started when barhain poped up. he cant do it now or he will be seen as a hypocrite.


If the opportunity comes of for a ranking event he will take it. The PTC is not like the PL where the venue and broadcaster was also involved, MASSIVE difference.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

he will never do that there will not be another ranking event squezzed in and changing dates about..... that is so amataur thing to do i cant believe you actually think Barry could do that lol

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Casey

wildJONESEYE wrote:he will never do that there will not be another ranking event squezzed in and changing dates about..... that is so amataur thing to do i cant believe you actually think Barry could do that lol


So he would just pass up the opportunity of a new ranking event because of a PTC event that could easily be moved and placed elsewhere, don't be silly he would jump at the chance.

Football does it all the time and its far from amateurish Wild

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

i just cant see him ever doing that and if he gets other rankers he will announce them for the following season.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Alex0paul

I am thinking about entering the first event. I always enter the Paul Hunter English Open but may choose this over it.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Casey

Alex0paul WC wrote:I am thinking about entering the first event. I always enter the Paul Hunter English Open but may choose this over it.


Good man Alex. There may be a qualifying event before hand to cut numbers down, although I haven’t heard anything about the format for it

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

Alex0paul WC wrote:I am thinking about entering the first event. I always enter the Paul Hunter English Open but may choose this over it.


go on mate and if dress code is relaxed how about a snooker island T Shirt ?

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Witz78

case_master wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:he will never do that there will not be another ranking event squezzed in and changing dates about..... that is so amataur thing to do i cant believe you actually think Barry could do that lol


So he would just pass up the opportunity of a new ranking event because of a PTC event that could easily be moved and placed elsewhere, don't be silly he would jump at the chance.

Football does it all the time and its far from amateurish Wild


100% CORRECT CASE.

It would be far more negligant and shambolic to turn down the chance of adding another fully fledged ranker to this seasons tour than not simply to avoid having to re-schedule the PTC events.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Roland

Obviously if any of these overseas PTC events are scheduled and they have any tv coverage then they would remain fixed. I imagine the ones held at the Academy would be ok to move around if bigger events are on the cards. The obvious thing would be to upgrade a few of the PTC events first so they get played in arenas where the public can go and watch rather than focus on more standard rankers.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Casey

Sonny wrote:Obviously if any of these overseas PTC events are scheduled and they have any tv coverage then they would remain fixed. I imagine the ones held at the Academy would be ok to move around if bigger events are on the cards. The obvious thing would be to upgrade a few of the PTC events first so they get played in arenas where the public can go and watch rather than focus on more standard rankers.


Yea an upgrade would be the move to make. As you talked about before, if Hearn is looking at goffs venue over here for a PTC I reckon it could go full ranker in a couple of years :)

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:
case_master wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:he will never do that there will not be another ranking event squezzed in and changing dates about..... that is so amataur thing to do i cant believe you actually think Barry could do that lol


So he would just pass up the opportunity of a new ranking event because of a PTC event that could easily be moved and placed elsewhere, don't be silly he would jump at the chance.

Football does it all the time and its far from amateurish Wild


100% CORRECT CASE.

It would be far more negligant and shambolic to turn down the chance of adding another fully fledged ranker to this seasons tour than not simply to avoid having to re-schedule the PTC events.


Ranking tournaments does not drop in from the air you have to go out and plan them organise them sell the sport... 100% Barry Hearn for 2010/2011 will no way go out and try and get Ranking tournaments for this season its ludicrous that people even think thats a possibility im looking at peoples post thinking and scratching my head.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Obviously if any of these overseas PTC events are scheduled and they have any tv coverage then they would remain fixed. I imagine the ones held at the Academy would be ok to move around if bigger events are on the cards. The obvious thing would be to upgrade a few of the PTC events first so they get played in arenas where the public can go and watch rather than focus on more standard rankers.

SPOT ON Sonny thats one of the point of the PTC....Test the water around europe or wherever and see if it could work as a tournament on it own without going all the way with a week ranker straight away.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Alex0paul

Hopefully they use the new South West Academy too. Looks amazing in the pictures I have seen so far.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Witz78

wildJONESEYE wrote:
Ranking tournaments does not drop in from the air you have to go out and plan them organise them sell the sport... 100% Barry Hearn for 2010/2011 will no way go out and try and get Ranking tournaments for this season its ludicrous that people even think thats a possibility im looking at peoples post thinking and scratching my head.



its ludicrous you dont think that theres a possibility Hearn can sort out another ranker for this season. :chin:

Look at all hes achived already in 6 months in the job, sponsors for events, new ranker in Europe, innovative new tournaments, a whole new spine to the tour AKA the PTC, tv deals with SKY, a new ranking system.

Now with full power of the game, he can move things on even quicker and with a whole 11 months to the end of the 2010/11 season, theres ample time for a new ranker to emerge.

Id imagine numerous discussions will be taking place about potential new rankers, and hey if someone suddenly offers to sponsor a new event, do you really think Hearn would wait a whole season to hold it?

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

witz mate its not how Barry does things or even want to at this stage he has Higgins in the Dock problems he wants to make the PTC a success this season im not saying he wont look around but for next season in mind not a Rush job in line with how the Davison proposal would have been he wants to see the World Open how that goes down it will be unrealistic to expect him to buck about with schedules now he wants to turn what hes got in to gold then see how that can get better.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Witz78

wildJONESEYE wrote:witz mate its not how Barry does things or even want to at this stage he has Higgins in the Dock problems he wants to make the PTC a success this season im not saying he wont look around but for next season in mind not a Rush job in line with how the Davison proposal would have been he wants to see the World Open how that goes down it will be unrealistic to expect him to intercourse about with schedules now he wants to turn what hes got in to gold then see how that can get better.


possibly true, possibly not :chin:

expect the unexpected with Hearn though :) can def see a few surprises this season tho.

Weve already a good structure in place for this season, and with a full 13/14 months to the start of next season Hearn has plenty of time to get plenty in place for next season. I can safely predict well have TEN full rankers next season and i'll also take a gamble that we will see an invitational tournament in AMERICA <cool>

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

lets put it from my perspective i wouldnt say no to 2 more ;)

more the merrier as far as im concerned.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Alex0paul

Considering that all the PTC events are during the first half of the season when the Premier league is on then there won't be any new ranking events around that time anyway so all this scheduling talk is arbitrary.

Re: NEW TOUR MARKS NEW START

Postby Wildey

Alex0paul WC wrote:Considering that all the PTC events are during the first half of the season when the Premier league is on then there won't be any new ranking events around that time anyway so all this scheduling talk is arbitrary.


yes 12 PTC between end of june and mid november aswell as shanghai,world Open,UK Championship and the entire Prem league all thoes to be played in 6 months.

12 PTC will take 3 months out the Ranking Events will take out 6 weeks with Qualifying and the PL will be played over 11 weeks.

that pretty much covers the 6 months lol.