PIOS Event 6 (2009-10)

[goldengirl]

That's the first we have heard I think about no PIOS - do you know how the qualification is going to work for Season 2011/2012 yet then?
Is Pontins still going to hold events? Oh Janie you have worried me now - surely the PIOS was the fairest qualifying comp. Perhaps the "coming" may not turn out as we had hoped. Any info would be great.
Congratulations to Kyren on his win and probable MT place 2010/11!!

[missneworleans]

Well done Kyren - looks like through to MT

[JanieWatkins]

That's the first we have heard I think about no PIOS - do you know how the qualification is going to work for Season 2011/2012 yet then?
Is Pontins still going to hold events? Oh Janie you have worried me now - surely the PIOS was the fairest qualifying comp. Perhaps the "coming" may not turn out as we had hoped. Any info would be great.
Congratulations to Kyren on his win and probable MT place 2010/11!!

Go and read Snooker Scene, it's all in there.

[JanieWatkins]

Hi Janie,
Long time no see can you remember me from Pembroke used to go to Terrys, Are you still playing janie.....You were a Fine Player fair play.

I think you were watching when I was 2-1 up on Dom and he made to Unreal Breaks to beat me 3-2 he made 134 from my Break Off and then another 92 in Next.

Cheers Gareth.

Hi Gareth
Of course I remember - not so sure about the fine player bit though!
Sadly I haven't really picked up a cue in five years now. Far too busy, no time to practice and very bad eyes and bad.

[gazza147]

Hi Gareth
Of course I remember - not so sure about the fine player bit though!
Sadly I haven't really picked up a cue in five years now. Far too busy, no time to practice and very bad eyes and bad.

Janie you could still Pot them!.....You told me Years ago you Couldn't see but you were still Banging in the Breaks... :snooker:

Nice to hear from you again do you still go to Terrys or have you Moved away.



Gaz.

[gloveman]

Go and read Snooker Scene, it's all in there.

Give us a clue janie- i havn't got my snooker scene yet.

[JanieWatkins]

Give us a clue janie- i havn't got my snooker scene yet.

sorry! I only got mine today but knew anyone as it's not a secret.

The MArch Snooker Scene editorial lays out some of Barry Hearn's plan for future qualification.

This would be to get on the 2011-12 main tour.

The PIOS would be scrapped. Well certainly as a means of qualification. But without qualification it would just be a pro am series. so Scrapped.

The idea on the table is to have a block of "play off" events in May -June (this would be May-June 2011) and by the end of June everyone would therefore know if they were on pro tour or else go back to play their amateur season and other qualification routes like Asia, Europe, IBSf

The play offs would features the players from 65-96 off the main tour and likely contenders to play against them.

No here is where a bit of confusion comes in. I'd been given to understand the play offs would be open for any amateur to enter, but the SS editorial says there would be selection for players to get a place in the play offs.

I think selection is going down a very dodgy route myself. Who does the selecting, on what criteria. How could you compare achievements across various countries and continents and different tours.

But that's the basis of the idea.
The merits are supposed to be that by end of June everyone knows where they stand and goes off and plans their life accordingly
And by playing a block of qualifiers it's perceived to be easier for international players to come to uk for one visit to compete in those play offs.

I've no doubt there will be a lot of differing opinions on the subject.

My only objection is the bad luck scenario if someone was ill or injured and couldn't compete in close back to back events and could wipe out an entire season.

But I stress this hasn't been officially announced yet as the structure, but it has been a very open secret for a couple of months now. Barry has spoken openly to us media types at various events about his ideas. There may be some "tweaks" before a final structure is announced.


For those slightly older this play off scenario is rather similar to the old pro ticket play offs that also used to take place in May when the bottom x number of pros played the top amateurs to see who kept or got the next season's tour place.

[Souwester]

Well, I certainly hope that they have some sort of allocation amongst NGBs for the play-offs. If players aren't compelled to join and play in NGB competitions, NGBs around the world will be decimated. A huge chunk of EASB's activity and income is the Pro-Ticket series, and its very existence relies upon the financial contribution from PTT.

With no external funding the future for EASB would be bleak, and such funds from the likes of Sport England is not going to happen until it gets SE recognition, and that won't happen until IBSF pulls its finger out and does something to resolve the impasse between IBSF, EASB, EABA and SE.

[JanieWatkins]

From reading Snooker Scene I don't think there is going to be any threat to the NGBs, quite the opposite in fact.

It's not a 1991 scenario when everyone turned pro.

It's suggested to be a system where "selected" players from the amateur ranks compete in the play offs against the 65-96 from the pro tour.

Selection will presumably come from players' ranking positions and achievements in national and international amateur events. So that must be a plus for the NGBs. A bigger plus than the PIOS route because the only route to get to those play offs would have to come from competing in bona fide national (and regional) governing body events.

That's how I've interpreted it anyway. Have a read of Snooker Scene.

[snooker66]

Thanks Janie this is fascinating stuff, and a real shot in the arms for those who slipped off the tour today. Do you have any idea how these play-offs might be formatted? Would it be just a straight best of (19) or soemthing or some groups like the World Amateur? Suddenly David Gray, John Parrot and David Roes's cup of teas amongst others taste a bit sweeter

Thanks for sharing this with us.

[snooker66]

Oh forgive me I thought you said 2010-2011. Obisoulsy PIOS is in action for this season. The players who drop off tour next year will benefit potenitally then, leaving Gray, Parrott etc to wish it had happened a year previous.

[JanieWatkins]

Oh forgive me I thought you said 2010-2011. Obisoulsy PIOS is in action for this season. The players who drop off tour next year will benefit potenitally then, leaving Gray, Parrott etc to wish it had happened a year previous.

Well it can't happen for next season because all the qualifying procedures were already in place - PIOS, IBSF Europe, Asia, EASB etc

So if they want to get back to being pros they'd better go and join their NGBs and start playing.

John Parrott is of course playing in the Legends Tour so he won't be totally hanging up his cue just yet.

[goldengirl]

I look forward to seeing my SS.
I have ALWAYS been against a one-off qualifying event - hence we started the GW to give consistent players the chance to shine.
When Jamie broke his hand he had 3 qualifyers on the MT in Jan and lost his place on the MT. I'm not saying it was because of the hand, but if you are unlucky enough to be ill or have an injury in one event thats it, whereas generally over a series of events the cream will rise to the top - and isn't that what snooker needs at the moment - the cream!!