Saga Insurance extend Masters Sponsorship - Wembley Arena is new home

[Hendry the 8th]

http://www.worldsnooker.com/tourname...d18188)-57.htm

[Alex0paul]

Great News!

Especially the news on the Sponsorship.

Not surprising Jimmy's got a wildcard

[dannyd0g]

Great News!

Especially the news on the Sponsorship.

Not surprising Jimmy's got a wildcard

Every other professional player also gets the chance to qualify this year too via qualifying rounds. This is a new development. This could open the door to making it a ranking tournament for the first time, if it were not for the wildcard idea ?

[Cyril]

Wonder what the seating capacity will be? Wembley Arena is HUGE, compared with the Conference Centre.
http://www.wembley.co.uk/venues/gall...seatingBig.jpg

[cap]

http://www.worldsnooker.com/tourname...d18188)-57.htm

Can someone copy and paste this article here? I don't have a login. Thanks.

[elvaago]

I recommend getting a login. It's free. Worldsnooker is an invaluable source of information for even the most casual snooker fan.

[dannyd0g]

Wonder what the seating capacity will be? Wembley Arena is HUGE, compared with the Conference Centre.
http://www.wembley.co.uk/venues/gall...seatingBig.jpg

Jeez - you would need binoculars to see the tables if they were to use the arena's full capacity.

[Cyril]

Jeez - you would need binoculars to see the tables if they were to use the arena's full capacity.

I think they can seat over 10,000, but I 'd be surprised if they went for more than 5,000 and even that would make far more than any other snooker venue ever. Does anyone know what the Conference Centre held?

I think I will pay a visit.

[elvaago]

http://www.wembley.co.uk/venues/organisers/arena.htm

This link states they'll have 12,500 seats.

[mcmanusrules]

A 3rd wildcard.........COME ON ALAN!!!!!!
Sorry about that temporary mental moment.

[mcmanusrules]

FOR CAP

SAGA INSURANCE SIGN UNTIL 2009

12 Oct 2006 09:57:00

Following its successful sponsorship of the 2006 Masters, SAGA Insurance has decided to expand its involvement in snooker by sponsoring the famous invitation event for a further three years.

World Snooker is also delighted to announce that the 2007 SAGA Insurance Masters (January 14-21) will be staged at Wembley Arena. The event’s 26-year run at Wembley Conference Centre came to an end last season.

Jimmy White and Ding Junhui have both been awarded wild card entries to the 2007 tournament.

SAGA Insurance is part of the Saga Group, which is the UK’s leading provider of products and services specifically designed for people aged 50 and over. With over 2 million customers Saga provides insurance, financial services and holidays and publishes the award winning Saga Magazine.

The new three-year agreement, worth a seven-figure sum, was, brokered by sports marketing giant IMG, which is retained by World Snooker to sell the commercial rights for snooker’s four major BBC events.

With a history dating back to 1975, the SAGA Insurance Masters is an immensely popular event for snooker’s players and fans and receives extensive coverage from BBC Sport. John Higgins won the 2006 event when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in a dramatic final.

World Snooker Chairman Sir Rodney Walker said: “We are very pleased to be extending our relationship with Saga. The Masters is a fantastic event and last year’s final was one of the most enthralling contests I have seen in snooker. Saga’s decision to renew their sponsorship underlines their satisfaction with the exposure they received.

“We now have major title sponsors for three of our four BBC events. This is a strong position and one which we continue to strive to improve.”

Andrew Goodsell, Chief Executive, Saga said: “The SAGA Insurance Masters attracts millions of viewers on BBC Sport and our sponsorship enables us to raise awareness of how people over 50 can make a significant saving on their insurance by choosing Saga.

“Last year’s tournament was a thrilling event and we look forward to more snooker of the highest calibre and to building on our good relationship with World Snooker.”

The Masters lost its traditional home at Wembley Conference Centre last year as the venue was knocked down, but the event now makes the short journey to Wembley Arena.

The Arena has recently completed a £35million refurbishment and is sure to provide a superb setting for one of the highlights of the sporting calendar.

Peter Tudor, the Arena’s General Manager, said: "It's very exciting for Wembley Arena to be staging a major snooker tournament for the first time. The Masters is a superb event and we are delighted that it is staying in Wembley. We're sure that the special atmosphere of the Masters will find a fitting home in the newly refurbished Arena."

For the first time, three wild cards will be awarded for the event rather than the usual two.

Whirlwind White retains a vast popular appeal and attracts huge crowds at Wembley year after year.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be awarded a wild card,” said 1984 Masters champion White. “It’s my favourite event other than the World Championship. I’m sure I’ll get great support again at Wembley, my fans there are fantastic.”

Ding, the 19-year-old Chinese prodigy, was considered to have an equally strong case having won the China Open, UK Championship and Northern Ireland Trophy within the past 20 months.

"This will be my third appearance in the Masters and it's such a great event to play in,” said Ding. “There's a unique atmosphere and there's so much history to the tournament. I am always confident of rising to the big occasion so I hope I can achieve success this time."

The final wild card will be awarded to the winner of a qualifying tournament, to be staged from November 4 to 9, giving all other players on the professional Tour the opportunity to earn a place at Wembley.

The world’s top 16 players qualify automatically, including the likes of Higgins, O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, Steve Davis and World Champion Graeme Dott.

The ticket box office for the SAGA Insurance Masters will be opened on October 30.

[cap]

I recommend getting a login. It's free. Worldsnooker is an invaluable source of information for even the most casual snooker fan.

Yeah, but they ask for my address, tel no., my pets name, etc. which in my view is totally unnecessary. The site is not secure and everything is transimtted in clear. What's wrong with just email and password registration? I could give them a dummy address, but I'm too honest .

[cap]

Thanks, mcmanusrules.

[The Statman]

Every other professional player also gets the chance to qualify this year too via qualifying rounds. This is a new development. This could open the door to making it a ranking tournament for the first time, if it were not for the wildcard idea ?

Well, it's not actually a new development. There has been a qualifying event since 1991 (except 2005).

There have been two wildcards since 1990. In 1990 and 2005 they were both the sponsor's invitee, but between 1991 and 2004, plus 2006, there was one sponsor's invitee and the other wildcard was the winner of the qualifying event.

The qualifying event was known as the Benson & Hedges Championship until the outlawing of tobacco advertising in 2003.

Here are the wildcards:

Year	Qualifier	Invitee(s)
1990	—	Alex Higgins, James Wattana
1991	Alan McManus	Gary Wilkinson
1992	Ken Doherty	James Wattana
1993	Chris Small	Ken Doherty
1994	Ronnie O'Sullivan	Peter Ebdon
1995	Mark J. Williams	John Higgins
1996	Matthew Stevens	Andy Hicks
1997	Brian Morgan	Paul Hunter
1998	Andy Hicks	Jimmy White
1999	David Gray	Jimmy White
2000	Ali Carter	Marco Fu
2001	Shaun Murphy	Jimmy White
2002	Ryan Day	Steve Davis
2003	Mark Davis	Steve Davis
2004	Neil Robertson	Ding Junhui
2005	—	Ding Junhui, Stephen Maguire
2006	Stuart Bingham	Ian McCulloch

[The Statman]

Oh crikey that didn't work, did it!