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**April madness** · 4 November 2009, 12:29 PM

Glad SnookerScene wrote about this. I was quite surprised when I got to know about this fact of refused accreditation. Well, maybe not just surprised as World Snooker seems to take quite a lot of interesting decisions... rather, it was like an emotion when you get slapped in your face unexpectedly. This is such a wrong decision when snooker needs as much coverage as possible, to get more people around the world interested in it. And this is where internet comes in, as virtually people from all around the globe can get information from it. And I, as someone far away from main snooker scenes, rely on internet - as a means of reading about snooker, learning about it, watching it and even discussing it, something I cannot do offline here, in Latvia, as the sport is not as popular here and I rarely see snooker news in newspapers and TV. We do have a website dedicated to sports, and it regularly posts about snooker - it would be a massive blow if WSA would not accreditate our journalists to work at the tournaments.
I hope WorldSnooker can learn from own mistakes and will change their decision regarding accreditation for UK championships. Snooker needs more exposure!

**Terry Davidson** · 4 November 2009, 01:00 PM

Well put April. I agree with you wholeheartedly(?sp) and can only hope (and wish) the WPBSA does open its eyes to the new (?not really, but maybe to them) internet reality.

I depend on the internet (and SnookerScene) for all my snooker coverage and anything done to increase that would only benefit snooker as a whole.

(Oh, and by the way WPBSA...I NEVER even look at your website as I find it's slow and also a biased self-promotion site with no balance)

Terry

**Forman** · 4 November 2009, 01:19 PM

What an absolute joke,

As April and Terry have said snooker websites are the only way for many fans outside the UK to follow the sport, the WPBSA's reasoning for declining access is typical of their complete inability to understand and take advantage of the vital role the internet can play in promoting and growing a sport around the world.

I really think someone should start to compile a list of these kind of ridiculous blunders the WPBSA is making and send it in a letter to all the main tour players when it comes time to vote on board members, maybe then we would finally see a decent turnout for voting and a change for the better within the sport.

**steveb72** · 4 November 2009, 01:22 PM

Isn't that in breach of Competition Laws ?

Perhaps Ms Jardine or TSF should lodge a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading!

Whoever was responsible for that decision is very short sighted in my opinion!

**dantuck_7** · 4 November 2009, 01:28 PM

It does show the governing body is killing the sport from within. It needs every ounce of coverage the way things are at the moment.

**Nic Barrow** · 4 November 2009, 01:55 PM

Surely the more coverage for snooker the better?

Originally Posted by ferret View Post

Susan Jardine, an established freelance who has reported on several sports for several outlets, including BBC tv’s Final Score and doing live commentary in Premiership football for Radio Sunderland, was refused WPBSA press accreditation to the Grand Prix.

She was intending to work for TheSnookerForum.com and affiliated websites but accreditation was refused unless she was to be “regularly reporting the snooker on radio or TV during the event.”

At a time when snooker is crying out for every scrap of coverage it can get, this attitude makes no sense, particularly as the Grand Prix pressroom was distinctly under populated.

Of course, you cannot have every Tom, Dick and Harriet in the press room but websites and blogs are increasingly popular as sources of information and forums of comment.

It must be suspected that applications from websites may be refused because they are seen as competitors with the WPBSA’s own worldsnooker.com.

Neil Tomkins, chief executive of the game’s leading website, Global-snooker.com, was refused press accreditation to last April’s China Open in Beijing.

True, Tomkins is not a full time journalist but you do not have to be a member of the NUJ to string words together in an acceptable journalistic manner.

The WPBSA's explenation for refusing Tonkins's application was that "it was out of [their] hands and down to the Chineese promoter."

But why on earth would the Chineese promoter not want his tournament reported as widely as possible?

The WPBSA did not respond to our invitation to comment.

Clive Everton

Page 17 November 2009 Snooker Scene

Very strange why they would not welcome you all with open arms.
They should be encouraging as much coverage as possible and congratulating you on all your members...

**ferret** · 4 November 2009, 02:06 PM

Remember the thread I started asking for questions for referee's? well I sent off three Q&A's one to Michaela Tabb direct and one through the press office at World Snooker for Eirian and Alan as a joint Q&A

Well as you can see by the lack of the interviews on the site that none of them came back to me, I spoke to Michaela yesterday and I quote "Ivan in the office is coordinating the interview and I haven't heard from him yet"

I also spoke to Eirian who has always answered any of my questions in the past and his message was "Although you have sent me the questions, until I get authorisation from World Snooker, who are my employers, I cannot respond."

Both of these referees we have spoken to before and the interview Susy done with Michaela at The World Snooker Championships did not have to be pre-autherised so why are world snooker not autherising the interviews? well I do not know as I have emailed them and got no response. Maybe the employees of The WPBSA who are members on the site (7 in all to my knowledge) can answer that one for me as I am not getting any email communications back.

Here are the interviews I sent so you all can see that there would be nothing in them that would put world snooker in a bad light.

Michaela Tabb Interview

When you were head hunted by World Snooker your first role being a professional Snooker refereeing was on The Challenge Tour at Jesters Snooker Hall in Swindon, a little birdy tells me that there is a interesting link between the pool table in the club and you joining the main tour!

Can you remember the players in the first game your officiated?

There are a few female referees coming through the ranks at the moment probably the best known upcoming referee is Patricia Murphy who is also working with The World Series of Snooker getting some TV experience and turning a few heads, can you tell us about the other female referees that we will be seeing on our screens in the not to distant future?

You took charge of The Betfred.com World Snooker Championships at the end of last season, so with that goal out of the way what are your aims now?

The concentration needed to be a top class referee has to be phenomenal and tiring too, are there times during a match that you think oh come on boys lets just get out of here and get down the pub?

Are there any specific snooker websites that you visit on a regular basis? And a question I am sure all of our member want to know, do you visit TSF at all?

A question that is asked quite often is “Where do referees get their gloved from?” now you get your gloves custom made, is this from the same place the other referees get their gloves?

How many pairs of gloves do you get through in a season?

You used to play for The Scottish Ladies Pool team so you know your way round the other side of a table too, have you played any of the boys on the tour?

You were born in Bath, Avon, can you tell us how your move to Dunfermline transpired?

There are very few mistakes made by referees these days and I can think of one incident at last seasons Betfred.com World Snooker Championships where the Alan Chamberlin was spot on with his rulings in the Dott match but even the players were questioning the ruling, a few days ago you done a TV interview with STV(http://player.stv.tv/programmes/the-...09-09-30-1700/), you mentioned the incident a few years back where you placed the Green and Yellow the wrong way round, this must have been on your mind Monday evening when you done it again.

There was a incident a few years back, Jimmy White was the player but it escapes me who the referee was, it was at the start of a frame and Jimmy placed the cue ball in the D and broke off, as he done this the referee called a foul! What happened was the cue ball was over the line of the D, the referee knew Jimmy was going to foul the ball but did not inform him, do you think the rules could be laxed a little for incidents like this so a referee can inform a player in this sort of situation?

Is there any rules that you would change or remove completely from the rule book?

Do you referee at exhibitions outside of the main tour at all?

I spoke with John Higgins this week and I asked him about the FA Cup style draw at The GP and he said it makes the game more exciting, do you think this should be bought in to more competitions?

I also asked John about his alternate career choice and it turns out he would either be a accountant or a bookie, what would your alternate career be?

Spike on the forum would like to know which has been the most exciting match that you have refereed?

Eirian and Alan Interview

Q – Alan. How has your work load decreased over the past year since semi-retiring from the sport?

Q - Alan. As a employee for World Snooker we know you can not comment on specific incidents in the game and you have been the referee in charge on more than one occasion when there in controversy, not of your own cause but of the players, you must get frustrated with players for not knowing the rules of the game that they are supposed to be a leading player in?

Q Eirian. Earlier this year you became a volunteer ambulance driver in Llanethly, from one Emergency Service to another, all be it a 19 year leap, can you tell us what prompted you to volunteer for this role?

Q Eirian. IS this something you would like to do on a full time basis?

Q Eirian. Earlier this year you closed down your website to visitors due to your lack of spare time, there was a lot of very good information on your website, is there an chance in the future that you would open the site back up as a archive? Other referees websites have either closed down too or not got the detailed information you have.

Q . What have been your best moments in a match that does not consist of a final?

Q - Alan. Can you explain to us about rules for cleaning a snooker ball if a player asks? Is there any specifics that we should know about?

Q. Is there a rule which you would totally remove from the game or one that you would change?

Q. I know you guys have a banter every now and then about the rules and situations that pop up on the internet and Eirian I know that you answer quite a few questions for people over email but has there been a specific scenario that has been tricky for you to figure out?

Q – Alan. Can you tell us some more about your work with being a tournament director for Billiards?

Q - Alan. It must be great to know that you will always be in the history books for officiating the 1997 World Championship, been present at many 147's and been the referee when Jamie Burnett had a 148 but is there one game in history that you would liked to of been in charge for and would swap all of your current honours to referee?

Q. What has been the most nerve racking situation you have been in on the baize?

Q. What is the funniest moment in a match that you have experianced?

Q. Has there been any matches where you have been frustrated and really wanted it to all finish quickly?

Q. What has been your favourite venue to referee at past or present?

Q. What do you guys do to relax on days off when away at competitions?

Q. What do you actually think of the foul and miss rule?

**noel** · 4 November 2009, 03:11 PM

This is what happens when descision-makers do not live in the new, real world.
Seeing change as measured in negative numbers... loss of players, clubs closing, declining audience,
viewerships and sponsorships, etc. puts you not just out-of-touch with new opportunities, it makes you paranoid.
It's like PTS or being in shell-shock as they used to call it for which the inappropriate knee-jerk reaction is to hunker
down and protect what you DO HAVE. Like a starving dog gorges itself on any handouts it can.
Vomits it up. Fiercely protects that. Understandable, yes... but sad AND scary too.

Last year I went to a private art exhibition, saw some stuff I liked and pulled out my camera to take some
installation shots to send to a friend. The owner ran over and put his hand over my lens demanding that I stop shooting.
I explained that I knew someone who would love to see this work but was out-of-town and would miss the show.
He screamed, ya, SCREAMED that it was his gallery's and the artist's COPYRIGHT and I was in violation of International Law.
I asked him politely to calm down, and consider that the person I was going to email with images, a collector,
would probably buy more than one. He would have none of it and threatened to call the Police.
Of course he lost sales and earned some negative word-of-mouth and I noticed recently, went out-of-business.

I've posted this link before [ ...super entertaining and important explanation of the new digital reality ]
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/la...reativity.html
which I hope everyone, especially any members of governing bodies of snooker take a moment to enjoy. It is eye-opening.

I have posted many, many times my mantra of "Give It Away".
Like Red Hot Chillies, like NIN, like Radiohead like all prudent promoters do.
Fill seats any way you can.
Reach as many fans as you can.
Use digital technologies effectively to reach your long-term goals.
Think globally... act locally (as we all now believe is the only way to behave in the world).

And most of all, if you try to pick the pockets of those with only one foot in the door
[ the new world-wide fan base ] you will ****itUP completely.

SNOOKER TAKE NOTE! There are LOTS of people willing to help!

=o)

Noel

**Erwan_BZH** · 4 November 2009, 04:52 PM

Worldsnooker.com must be one of the worst websites I've ever encountered. Externally, the design is not bad BUT they have hundreds of glitches, bugs and so on that just pi$$ off the users...
They should clean their dormat before slamming the door at other people well dedicated to the game!

**BrooklynCueless** · 4 November 2009, 05:17 PM

I can't say I know enough to understand how the WPSA operates in 2009, but there have been may examples of players, fans, advertisers, sports writers, etc to make it look like its all them vs us(which it probably is because Darts is more popular at the moment) only because the cracks are so clear to see.

In reguards to publicity, it feels like the WPSA has no interest in making money for the sport. To block free speech/outside opinions isn't going to be an improvement to the image. Also, knowing that the TSF writer was blocked has just magnified the problem, WPSA really isn't willing to change

**poolqjunkie** · 4 November 2009, 05:52 PM

Footy girl is not exactly a no body with no experiecne in reporting sports.
If anyone has any doubt, she has proven herself on the TSF with her very entertaining, insightful, and well written reports.
It would have been better if she had more support so her articels could reach a wider reader base. I do not see how that could possibly not help to promote snooker...
May be the secretary of the official body can explain it to us here in case we have all missed some key points?
Thank you.

**Monique** · 4 November 2009, 06:09 PM

The only way to make sense of WPBSA refusing such accreditations is them trying to stay in total control at all cost, including the death of the game. Well at least that how I see it.

"over the game's dead body"...

***ADR147*** · 4 November 2009, 07:33 PM

Well now, I guess it’s time I put in my tuppence worth!

Firstly I think world snooker should consider a site that is totally and utterly dedicated to snooker and that had 15 million hits last year as a pretty important outlet for the sport. I would be very surprised indeed if there is any newspaper or TV / radio program that has the kind of coverage we have on here. This is a truly global outlet and nobody on here is just glancing a quick look on their way to the football results.

In my opinion not only should we have one of our members reporting for us, it is our duty to have one, the idea that our chosen representative should not be granted press accreditation reminds me distinctly of Nazi Germany. It’s an attempt at censorship plain and simple. An affront to our right to Free Speech.

I am going to exercise my right to say as I please a little here. If world snooker was as well run as the snooker forum then snooker would be a very big business indeed. In the last three years under current management the number of members has multiplied by ten. That is a success story by any estimation.

I have always wondered why snooker is run by business people rather than snooker people. The current chairman sits on so many different boards and committees that I can’t even be bothered to count them but feel free to take a look on his website.
http://www.sirrodneywalker.uk.com/index.aspx what exactly does he bring to our beloved game? I imagine looking at his CV time is not something he brings much of to the table. (Pardon the pun!) Next maybe we should consider what people like Sir Rodney cost the sport.
“according to the accounts of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and its wholly owned commercial subsidiary, World Snooker Limited (WSL). Over the past three years, Walker, the WPBSA chairman, and a company controlled by Walker, have been paid £372,649 in salary and fees for a job that, according to his original contract, takes four days a month.” Wow.. I wonder how many snooker player would be pleased with 10% of that!

I found the article I took this quote from a very interesting read indeed and I don’t think anyone could accuse the times of having an agenda.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle6094981.ece

I am also curious as to who votes for the board of the WPBSA. Sir Rodney was re-elected with 91.3% of the vote a figure Robert Mugabe would be happy with.

But enough moaning about the board, this is about us and what we believe in and surely we must have our views listened to and a right to have our reporter at the venue. I for one will be contacting the WPBSA to ask them why our representative was denied a press pass and I would encourage all of you to do the same.

I sincerely hope that the people in charge will see the error of their ways and issue us with a press pass for Telford next month, otherwise maybe I will have to start a campaign to make ADR147 the chairman of the board. I would do it for a fraction of the money and always have the sports best interests at heart.

**wildJONESEYE** · 4 November 2009, 09:25 PM

AGAIN

the WSA are putting Snookers interest below their ego and pride..

with respect to all morons out there but the WSA are king morons and total incompetent idiots...

and if theres a jerno out there wanting to quote me i will not stand in their way

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