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What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Prop

After listening to the excellent Talking Snooker podcast interviewing Barry Hearn, it got me thinking: What happens next?

On a couple of occasions Hearn has said that he won’t be in charge for too much longer. The majority of players, fans and everyone involved in the sport recognise what Hearn has done for the game. So naturally it’s a slight concern that this progress might not follow the same trajectory once somebody else is in charge.

So what do you think? How long do you think he’ll remain in charge? Who do you think will take his place? And how do you think things might change once he’s gone?

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby SnookerEd25

It will go downhill I suspect when he steps down. I don’t think Eddie Hearn is interested, and whoever steps into those shoes has some mighty ones to fill.

There has been a lot of criticism of Bazza on here, myself amongst it I have to admit, but I truly don’t think there is anybody else who could have done what he has done to revitalise the game over the last decade or so and the only way is down I fear.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Prop

I assumed Eddie would have been next in line, but I wasn’t aware he wasn’t interested. Whoever takes over is probably on a hiding to nothing. They’re big boots to fill.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

SnookerEd25 wrote:It will go downhill I suspect when he steps down. I don’t think Eddie Hearn is interested, and whoever steps into those shoes has some mighty ones to fill.

There has been a lot of criticism of Bazza on here, myself amongst it I have to admit, but I truly don’t think there is anybody else who could have done what he has done to revitalise the game over the last decade or so and the only way is down I fear.


Disagree.

The game has been revitalised - it's thriving. That job is done. World Snooker Tour doesn't require Barry Hearn to keep this functioning day-to-day. When he retires, those deals he has made and the tournaments he has established will continue without him. I'd imagine someone like Jason Ferguson will step up and he can be the figurehead, and make tweaks each year just as Barry has done, encourage new sponsors, fly the flag. I wouldn't discount Eddie Hearn completely either, he'll probably want to ensure his father's legacy is tended to.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

I don’t really buy into the view that he’s done much for the game , other than keeping his blue eyed boy o sullivan’s pockets lined with never ending tournaments is the state of the game any healthier or more accessible to the public than when he took over , and wasn’t his takeover something of a putsch money grab anyway instigated by the top players trying to get their own way , and the q school is only an unrealistic extension of the pro tour they should have just stuck with the pios system .

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

cupotee wrote:I don’t really buy into the view that he’s done much for the game , other than keeping his blue eyed boy o sullivan’s pockets lined with never ending tournaments is the state of the game any healthier or more accessible to the public than when he took over , and wasn’t his takeover something of a putsch money grab anyway instigated by the top players trying to get their own way , and the q school is only an unrealistic extension of the pro tour they should have just stuck with the pios system .


Mr Cupotee, I think this is possibly the most innaccurate comment I've ever seen on Snookerisland, and you have a lot of strong competition.

Barry took over in 2010. At the time, snooker was at its lowest ebb for 40 years, with just six ranking events on the calendar and total prize money of £3.5 million.

Over the decade that followed, Hearn led a global revolution of the sport. The number of tournaments grew to over 25, with total prize money increasing to £15 million. Events have been staged in over 20 countries worldwide, while snooker’s global television audience has grown to a massive 500 million fans. The professional tour now has 128 players from 21 different countries and regions.

So - 19+ more tournaments, many more viewers, huge increase in prize money.

What were you saying again?

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

Dan-cat wrote:
cupotee wrote:I don’t really buy into the view that he’s done much for the game , other than keeping his blue eyed boy o sullivan’s pockets lined with never ending tournaments is the state of the game any healthier or more accessible to the public than when he took over , and wasn’t his takeover something of a putsch money grab anyway instigated by the top players trying to get their own way , and the q school is only an unrealistic extension of the pro tour they should have just stuck with the pios system .


Mr Cupotee, I think this is possibly the most innaccurate comment I've ever seen on Snookerisland, and you have a lot of strong competition.

Barry took over in 2010. At the time, snooker was at its lowest ebb for 40 years, with just six ranking events on the calendar and total prize money of £3.5 million.

Over the decade that followed, Hearn led a global revolution of the sport. The number of tournaments grew to over 25, with total prize money increasing to £15 million. Events have been staged in over 20 countries worldwide, while snooker’s global television audience has grown to a massive 500 million fans. The professional tour now has 128 players from 21 different countries and regions.

So - 19+ more tournaments, many more viewers, huge increase in prize money.

What were you saying again?


are you aware of the lack of realistic new talent coming out of britain , when has he ever invested in anything that didn't feature o sullivan as the main attraction , i'm perfectly happy seeing more and more chinese players coming through but what remotely has changed about the state of british pro's in the last ten years apart from the emergence of judd trump who has access to the best practice facilities anyway .

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

I'll agree with you there - the amateur game is on very shaky foundations indeed. But I don't think Barry can be blamed for that.

I'd argue that it's the dissolution of culture that have closed the clubs and shrunk the amatuer game.

A dissolution caused by the internet / thousands of TV channels / social media / computer games / streaming thereby reducing viewing figures for all forms of entertainment and kid's interests are scattered all over the place.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

Dan-cat wrote:I'll agree with you there - the amateur game is on very shaky foundations indeed. But I don't think Barry can be blamed for that.

I'd argue that it's the dissolution of culture that have closed the clubs and shrunk the amatuer game.

A dissolution caused by the internet / thousands of TV channels / social media / computer games / streaming thereby reducing viewing figures for all forms of entertainment and kid's interests are scattered all over the place.


not a criticism of your post but people seem to like to go to this default mode of talking about the internet and computer games etc , its just about money , simple as , world snooker should know this and have had at the least more pro - am's in britain over the years including the rodney walker days , just from a philosophical or existential viewpoint if you can't attract many sponsors outside of betting companies what is a game or sport doing being so expensive or exclusive anyway .

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

Well hopefully Kazoo is the first of many non-betting sponsors. They really have shown a huge commitment - a multi-year deal as the main sponsor of the Players Championship, Tour Championship and World Grand Prix.

Others are sure to follow suit. And why have they shown this commitment? Because of the increased viewing figures around the world due to Barry's growing of the sport.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Prop

There’s nothing wrong with revenue being a cornerstone of the sport’s development. Should it be seen as a bad thing that creating wealth in the game has opened doors and created more options for its growth?

There is a problem with the amateur game. No doubt about it. But like Dan says, there’s a lot that isn’t in the hands of Hearn. It goes a lot deeper than the responsibilities and reach of one man. It’s cultural, and societal. The current situation will be making things worse. It’s quite sad to think how many more snooker clubs might close soon. Demand is low - because of the reasons Dan highlighted - and now supply (of places for young people interested in playing snooker) is shrinking.

In light of all that, surely you have to admire what Hearn has achieved. They say you can’t polish a turd, but he’s made a bloody good go of it in my opinion.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby SnookerEd25

Prop wrote:I assumed Eddie would have been next in line, but I wasn’t aware he wasn’t interested. Whoever takes over is probably on a hiding to nothing. They’re big boots to fill.


I hope you’re right Prop. My assumption was based on the fact that I’ve never seen him express much enjoyment of or interest in the sport. But maybe that’s because while his old man is in charge, he is happy to take a back seat.

He is a Director or World Snooker, but even his profile on the website lists his achievements in the Boxing world and gives no indication of any day-to-day involvement in snooker.

But, like I say, I could be wrong and he may be happy to remain in the background for the time being, and once Barry decides to step aside he’ll show more interest in getting involved in discussion and negotiation on the business side of snooker. If that’s the case, all well and good as he really does seem to have inherited his father’s business acumen, and even arguably exceeded it in the Boxing world.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Prop

SnookerEd25 wrote:
Prop wrote:I assumed Eddie would have been next in line, but I wasn’t aware he wasn’t interested. Whoever takes over is probably on a hiding to nothing. They’re big boots to fill.


I hope you’re right Prop. My assumption was based on the fact that I’ve never seen him express much enjoyment of or interest in the sport. But maybe that’s because while his old man is in charge, he is happy to take a back seat.

He is a Director or World Snooker, but even his profile on the website lists his achievements in the Boxing world and gives no indication of any day-to-day involvement in snooker.

But, like I say, I could be wrong and he may be happy to remain in the background for the time being, and once Barry decides to step aside he’ll show more interest in getting involved in discussion and negotiation on the business side of snooker. If that’s the case, all well and good as he really does seem to have inherited his father’s business acumen, and even arguably exceeded it in the Boxing world.


Maybe Eddie doesn’t talk about it much because behind closed doors it’s already a done deal. Barry knows, Eddie knows, and that’s good enough for them. That’s an assumption, and wishful thinking, but it does make sense to me. It just seems the most logical next step, by far.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby HappyCamper

i'm sure there are more people within matchroom who could take on hearn's roles within snooker than just his son. worst case if they do decide to sell their stake in world snooker, it is a far more attractive prospect for investors than it was ten years ago.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

Juddernaut88 wrote:It will be worrying signs when Barry Hearn is gone.


Really? The sport is thriving and the machinery is in place to keep it that way, this is not reliant on Hearn.

Will people suddenly stop watching around the snooker because the chairman changes? Most snooker fans don't even know who Barry Hearn is. You forget we are all anoraks of the sport on this forum.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

That time I tweeted Barry trying to convince him to buy all the Riley clubs...

'I think Barry / World Snooker / WPBSA should do something with these empty ready-made clubs. I feel that Barry has done a pretty brilliant job with professional game but it teeters on very shaky amateur foundations right now, in the UK at least.'

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5482&p=337811&hilit=shaky+foundations#p337774

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

Dan-cat wrote:That time I tweeted Barry trying to convince him to buy all the Riley clubs...

'I think Barry / World Snooker / WPBSA should do something with these empty ready-made clubs. I feel that Barry has done a pretty brilliant job with professional game but it teeters on very shaky amateur foundations right now, in the UK at least.'

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5482&p=337811&hilit=shaky+foundations#p337774


That would probably cost too much and be a bit unrealistic regarding maintenance and upkeep , bills etc , why not go into the middle ground regarding amateurs putting their name down for tournament preliminaries at say the preston guild hall , sheffield eis , barnsley metrodome etc , their entrance fees would help pay for it and it could be some sort of lottery system to pick the entries , there’d probably be too many entries otherwise , it would help amateurs from feeling a little left out in the cold , just some brainstorming thats all .

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Prop

I can fully get on board with your optimism here, Dan. But the pessimist in me thinks there must be a fair degree of ongoing work required to keep things going in the right direction. Sustenance.

Yes, a lot of groundwork has been done. But what happens if the next boss slowly erodes it? What if the next boss applies the same flawed approach that caused the game to suffer in entropy that Bazza’s predecessors did? Would snooker not then find itself on a path where its eventual failure was again inevitable?

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

A couple of years ago Sean Murphy and Snookerbacker (from Twitter) tried to get something off the ground, a slew of amateur tournaments up and down the country, and they petitioned to World Snooker to be given a tour place for the ultimate winner. It never went anywhere, unfortunately.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

Dan-cat wrote:A couple of years ago Sean Murphy and Snookerbacker (from Twitter) tried to get something off the ground, a slew of amateur tournaments up and down the country, and they petitioned to World Snooker to be given a tour place for the ultimate winner. It never went anywhere, unfortunately.


i wouldnt have had that much of a problem if that didn't get anywhere if it wasn't cost effective for wst , they're not a charity , but as long as the amateur entrance fee is sufficient i don't see why ground hasn't been or shouldn't be made .
Last edited by cupotee on 02 Apr 2021, edited 1 time in total.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby LDS

No, you can't really blame internet those kind of societal changes and all that kind of thing for the decline of the amateur game. Even back in the 90s and onwards snooker clubs weren't permanently filed with paying customers. Depending on the time of day I could regularly be only one of a small handful of people actually playing snooker in them. A lot would depend on location combined with the time of day.

There's a whole raft of other factors that effected snooker clubs. I'll name but a few:

1. Banning smoking inside - the average snooker player would have been a cultural smoker.
2. The increase of taxation upon tobacco and alcohol - no money left for the table light.
3. The cost of the table light - decline of the blue collar worker generally.
4. Rent increases - snooker clubs are often in locations where more prosperous trades hike the rateability.
5. Greater sense of entrepreneurship - The culture of converting premises to whatever is most profitable.
6. The death of the owner - The next owner after Willie Thorne will not have his prestige, for example. Or care

The idea that time on the internet has any effect on the preclusion of 'outside' activities is silly, there will always be a need for activities away from the domicile, it's the other cultural aspects such as those listed above which help define what things people like to do when they leave the house.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Dan-cat

Prop wrote:I can fully get on board with your optimism here, Dan. But the pessimist in me thinks there must be a fair degree of ongoing work required to keep things going in the right direction. Sustenance.

Yes, a lot of groundwork has been done. But what happens if the next boss slowly erodes it? What if the next boss applies the same flawed approach that caused the game to suffer in entropy that Bazza’s predecessors did? Would snooker not then find itself on a path where its eventual failure was again inevitable?


Well I doubt that Barry or Eddie will let that happen (after all WST is in the portfolio of Matchroom companies) but like I said if it's someone like Jason Ferguson (currently chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) who has a great passion and care for the sport then we will be fine.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby Iranu

The amateur game is struggling in the UK. If snooker continues becoming a worldwide sport that’ll just mean there aren’t many top Brits.

Which will mean snooker is... like most sports. Because Britain’s generally pretty rubbish at sport.

I don’t think it’s nailed on that snooker will continue to succeed after Hearn though. For a number of years yes - but once contracts are up they’ll need to be renegotiated and it’s far from certain that’ll happen.

Whoever it is I just hope they don’t change the WC.

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby cupotee

Iranu wrote:The amateur game is struggling in the UK. If snooker continues becoming a worldwide sport that’ll just mean there aren’t many top Brits.

Which will mean snooker is... like most sports. Because Britain’s generally pretty rubbish at sport.

I don’t think it’s nailed on that snooker will continue to succeed after Hearn though. For a number of years yes - but once contracts are up they’ll need to be renegotiated and it’s far from certain that’ll happen.

Whoever it is I just hope they don’t change the WC.


i think its struggling in europe too , kacper filipiak keeps bouncing back from these excursions at the european billiards and snooker association because there isn't many good players around because very few get access to the tables that he's been playing on for the past ten years , not you but i don't know why people keep talking about high street clubs , high street clubs can't afford pro snooker tables , the only realistic way to make inroads on the ageing problem is just to open it up with an entrance fee i think .

Re: What will happen when Barry Hearn is gone?

Postby lhpirnie

Actually I think the bigger problem is not about Barry Hearn retiring, but when the current top players decline. In 10 years' from now, we might have no O'Sullivan, Higgins, Williams, Bingham, Robertson, Murphy, Maguire, etc. Or at least they may have declined pitifully.

Barry has done a tremendous job to revitalise the game, making use of these wonderful 'big-name' players to promote the game. He's helped to extend their careers to support that. Unfortunately this has led to the next generation being largely ignored, or even excluded. But that's not Barry's problem, it's his successor's...

In terms of revitalising the amateur game, and pro-am (in my view a vital way to develop young players), I've said many times how this could be achieved, almost without cost. Create a global ranking system. If all players from club-level up to World Champion were on the same ranking list, then thousands of people would suddenly be keen to play in tournaments.