Hearn reveals future plans

Promoter announces plans to shake-up snooker

By Rachel Griffiths   Last updated: 2nd April 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hearn reveals future plans

Hearn: Has unveiled plans

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Barry Hearn has unveiled plans which would see his Matchroom Sport business take a controlling interest in the commercial side of snooker.

In his blueprint for the future of the sport, 61-year-old Essex promoter Hearn has included a recommendation that a new business should be formed to buy World Snooker Ltd, the business arm of the World Professional Billiard and Snooker Association, for a nominal fee of £1.

Shares valued at £500,000 would then be issued, and Matchroom would assume a 51 per cent holding, with the rest divided between commercial partners and the players.

Proposal

Hearn succeeded Sir Rodney Walker as chairman of the World Professional Billiard and Snooker Association in December, but could renounce that post if he is given the go-ahead to run the commercial side of the sport.

New tournaments will be introduced next season, including a four-day ranking event in Berlin to be known as the European Masters, which will be staged from February 3-6.

The Grand Prix, held in Glasgow, will take an earlier slot in the calendar in October rather than September and will be renamed as the World Open.

A one-frame shoot-out knock-out event is also being planned for January 2011, in which Hearn is expected to bring to snooker the same excitement he has introduced to darts.

Hearn has also revealed his plan to boost prize money from £3.5million to a minimum of £4.5m in each of the next three seasons by using the £3m of funds in the WSBSA bank account, insisting that luxuries such as courtesy cars will be axed.

Following those three seasons, Hearn says prize money would rise by five per cent from year to year.

Changes

Under Hearn's proposals, there will be no bonuses for 147 maximum breaks at competitions other than the World Championship, and a new Pro Tour will feature events in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, from which the top 24 players will advance to a Tour Championship.

The plans are set to go to a vote scheduled for May 5, two days after the Betfred.com World Championship, where players will decide if they back Hearn.

Hearn has said he will end his involvement with the WPBSA if the players do not vote in favour of his plans.

Comments (1)

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Darryl Reilly says...

Barry Hearn is a legend. the players would have to be stupid to vote against his proposals. look at the shape snooker is in now. he is the 1 and only man to fix that. i come from a town where we HAD 2 snooker clubs a few years ago, now we have 0, this is due to the decline in snooker. if i want a game of snooker i have to travel 60 miles for one. i believe that barry hearn will make snooker fashionable again and people will soon be going to the pub to watch matches much like they do for soccer and rugby. Thanks Barry

Posted 10:52 31st March 2010
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