Neil Robertson forbids Ronnie O’Sullivan to stand against Barry Hearn – Snooker Update
During the final proceedings of the 2012 World Snooker Championship when the former World Snooker Champions Neil Robertson, Ronnie O’Sullivan were busy playing their matches and trying to get to the final encounter, the World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn
was planning something else to get the potters to work in the next snooker season.
Hearn came at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield during the final stages of the 2012 World Snooker Championship and made some important announcements about the decisions made by the snooker governing body, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
(WPBSA) for the 2012-13 Snooker Season.
Hearn told the press that the WPBSA has added some more events in the next season which has filled the snooker calendar and the players will be able to play all the year. Many of the leading potters including the eventual Champion of the 2012 World Snooker
Championship Ronnie O’Sullivan opposed this proposal saying that the players need some rest before they begin their season run.
The concerns were right on their part but the WPBSA launched the new season accordingly and formulated the new season contract. O’Sullivan refused to sign the contract and decided to take part in the selective snooker events while other potters unwillingly
signed the contract.
However, the former Champion Australia’s Neil Robertson backs what O’Sullivan said but still he wants him not to take on Hearn because he is the Chairman and holds a strong position in the organisation.
While speaking to the media about O’Sullivan, Robertson said, “In some ways I don’t blame Ronnie for trying it on. Other players are unhappy with aspects of the contract. You get pay rebels in other major sports around the world. But Barry Hearn is in a
very strong position. Everything he has said he would do he has done. You can’t have one person bigger than a sport.”
Meanwhile, the WPBSA management stated, after O’Sullivan declined to sign the contract, that the Rocket can participate in the new snooker season at any time but before playing in any event, he must sign the contract to officially become part of the fleet
otherwise he will not be able to take part in any of the snooker tournaments.
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