Barry Hearn’s plans to revive snooker
Snooker looks set to undergo the revival it needs after World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Barry Hearn’s proposals to revamp the sport were favoured by the majority of the players in a meeting at Sheffield yesterday.
Some of the players who attended the meeting included Mark Selby, Ken Doherty, Steve Davis and world championship runner-up Graeme Dott. The players will vote on the decision in June, and will not be unaware that Hearn has said that if the vote goes against him he will walk away from the sport.
Hearn was elected as chairman of WPBSA in 2009 after a cry from the players for the need for more tournaments and higher prize money. He is planning a major transformation for the sport by introducing more ranking tournaments and a significant increase in prize money. Hearn has said under the current situation the players are playing almost like part timers.
This season there were only six ranking tournaments and The Masters, and prize money decreased to around £3.5million. Hearn plans to introduce 11 televised tournaments and a new Pro Tour consisting of 12 events, which would be open to all 96 players on the circuit. Prize money will increase to a minimum of £4.5million with that figure potentially rising every year.
Hearn also wants to take a 51% controlling stake in World Snooker and make it its own independent business, with players and other stakeholders owning the other 49%. World Snooker is the commercial arm of the WPBSA, and is responsible for running and administrating snooker’s professional circuit.
The takeover, however, might be a sticking point for some players, most notably Peter Ebdon. “The players need to understand this is not for a year, this is not for two years, this is not for five years, this is not for 10 years, this is it, forever, gone," said the 2002 world champion.
Lee Doyle, who manages the likes of Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan, quit the WPBSA board after opposing Hearn’s plans.
Hearn has a long association with snooker. In 1974 he became chairman of Lucana Snooker Clubs. In 1976 he became the manager of six-time world champion Steve Davis, and in 1982 formed Matchroom Sport, dealing with top players such as Davis, Cliff Thorburn, Dennis Taylor and Terry Griffiths. With the help of these players Hearn promoted snooker in the Far East.
Hearn was considered the right man for the task of revitalising snooker after his transformation of darts. Darts in 1992 split into two bodies as players, like those currently in snooker, became increasingly concerned about the lack of tournaments. The Professional Darts Corporation was formed, formerly named the Worlds Dart Council, to challenge the British Darts Organisation (BDO), with top players like Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld making the move. Now, the PDC circuit is considered the home of darts, and year on year Hearn packs out the Alexandra Palace in north London for their world championship.
Five-time darts world champion Eric Bristow believes the snooker players should accept Hearn’s proposals. “If it goes against Barry, they might do what we did years ago. Sixteen of us pulled away, we went to Sky and had to do our own tournaments and had to fight with the BDO. Look at what we've done, we've created a monster now and darts has gone a long way up. We'd do it again, every time. We did the right thing. It was hard for the first two or three years, but snooker hasn't got much of a move to make."
Hearn has also transformed the fortunes of boxing, promoting greats such as Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, and forming the Prizefighter Series, which is a huge hit amongst boxing fans.
“He has already created a huge buzz and there's absolutely no doubt that he's the man to take us forward,” said new snooker world champion Neil Robertson.
“I don't think we've got any choice. You look at what he's done with other sports, taking darts off the ground to where it's at now, and hopefully he can do the same with snooker,” said Selby.
There is no reason for the players to oppose Hearn’s plans. They are currently not receiving the financial rewards that are commensurate with playing snooker full time. With Hearn in charge, the players will be benefiting by playing in more tournaments and getting better prize money. Surely it is a win-win situation?
He turned around darts and boxing. Now it is snooker’s turn to get the Hearn revival.
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