TSB - World Snooker Statement regarding players contract

[ferret]

World Snooker today released a statement regarding the players contract, this was in response to a earlier statement made by Ronnie O’Sullivan*on the more .....

Click to read on TSB

[magicman]

This is an unfortunate turn of events for the game, as Ronnie seemed to have overcome his 'head' problems and looked like he could win every comp he entered most of last year. It's exactly this 'Ronnie' that every true fan wants to watch play.

As someone who finds it harder each new season to practice to get to the level I expect from myself, my concern is that if Ronnie is out of the game for 6 months or so, he'll decide that retirement isn't a bad option. This, however, would be a very bad scenario for the health of snooker. He is still the biggest draw, and rightly so.

World snooker has to look after the interests of all pro's playing the game, and so I can understand their position with regards to encouraging new sponsors and promoters and fulfilling promises to broadcasters. I do think they're being short-sighted though. For too long people running snooker showed little foresight, or lack of ability, in encouraging new markets and actively seeking new sponsors for events.

The impact of Hearn only goes to show just how inadequate previous management regimes of the sport have been. Things have changed for the better, and in a very short space of time. Imo, medium to long term changes need to be considered now though. Appearance fees must be allowed, maybe not immediately, but sometime soon. As the sport grows and there are more tournaments than players can cope with, (we're nearly there already, and in no time at all) the top players will have to pick which events they're going to enter, and thus natural market forces dictate that promoters will pay the top stars just to turn up. This is inevitable. It must be allowed for it to remain above board or it will take place in an underhanded fashion. We don't want more tabloid stories or photo's of John Higgins, or whoever, accepting a brown envelope full of cash in some Chinese 5 star hotel.

[ferret]

All I am going to say is keep an eye out for a article by Hector Nunns tomorrow and Sunday in The Express and a article from me probably tomorrow or maybe the day after on this subject, I think you will be shocked !!!

[Loader]

TSB - World Snooker Statement regarding players contract

Any other clues?! Intrigued now I am

[ferret]

First article was just published - http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/329617?

The other will be published on Sunday

[coomsey76]

TSB - World Snooker Statement regarding players contract

Very interesting...... That defiantly would ruffle a few feathers!!

[magicman]

All this talk of breakaway snooker tours worries me terribly. If Ronnie is so disillusioned with the current management of snooker then it's unlikely he'll back down and return to the circuit, which is bad news for all the fans.

I can't see a bunch of top pro's suddenly deciding that Ronnie has all the answers, and that Barry Hearn is taking all their potential earnings. This reminds me of what happened to darts and boxing, and we don't need a scenario where there are two (or more) different World champions.

[ferret]

Remember with every new story based on the last it evolves, Ronnie is not setting up a break away tour, he has never said this and has no intensions of doing this all he has said is he wants to do a few exhibition type events like Snooker Legends or a version of The Premier League Snooker with the names that will bring in crowds.