LATEST TOUR NEWS AND TRIBUTE TO SNOOKER SCENE
WST’s ANNOUNCEMENT ON TOUR PLAYERS EARNING GUARANTEED MONEY [£20k per season] (read full statement here)
World Snooker Tour has finally done something about an issue that has been very prejudicial to rookies and low ranked players, which was walking away with zero money and expenses to cover if knocked-out in first rounds (a round especially difficult to get through for them under the “flat 128 format”).
Players will now be ensured £20k a season, to be deducted off eventual prize money earned. What means that, a player that wins enough matches to award him £20k in prize money will have no additional earnings, but anyone getting less than that will have their earnings rounded up to £20k.
Although it’s a very positive news, it has inevitably caused great debate. Some disagree with it completely, although most players on tour did welcome the news - most rare exceptions came from players higher up the rankings, therefore not affected by it.
I think it was “a must” thing to have on tour, since it’s impossible to cover expenses when you’re travelling around the world dedicating to snooker full time and not getting paid for it. Although some people argue that players would get “comfortable” with the situation, be sure that just to get on tour there’s a whole lot of work that has to be done, and before even getting there you have to fully dedicate your life to snooker. Do not think pro-level players will get comfortable with £20k a year. It’s insurance rather than remuneration.
But yet I do have my remarks on the topic. Terms & Conditions of the payment have not been shared, but I suppose we can expect players having to enter a high percentage of events in order to be eligible, and eventual withdrawals should have to be reasonably justified to WST. Without such measures someone could, for example, win the Pan-American Championship not intending to play one match on tour, but knowing that earning the tour card would guarantee he or she to earn £40k over two years.
Another problem becomes the invitational tour cards. I’m not sure if invited professionals are even eligible for this, but they’re surely occupying the place of players who could beat them in a qualifying event and still have no professional status even though they fully dedicate to snooker earning nothing to show for it.
I’m not saying £20k will make even a difference to those invitational tour card holders, I wouldn’t expect it to, and I wouldn’t expect them to even accept it at all. My problem is that they occupy a few places on tour that they haven’t “earned” like their fellow professionals have - I’ve always been against that, and this new “money on offer” brings it back on light again.
In a last remark on this, very recently WST announced that my fellow Brazilian Igor Figueiredo had parted ways with the tour, no longer holding a tour card supposed to be valid until the end of the season. During Igor’s career, expense costs have been the biggest obstacle for him, having to travel far away for tournaments. I wonder if his tour card was revoked by any particular reason? Was Igor aware of this incoming measure that might’ve allowed him to enter events again? Many players have not entered events throughout the years and still ran their tour card through its expiration (including invitational tour card holders!), so although he’d not been entering events, it’s not something WST usually does to strip tour cards? I've not spoken to either part about this, but I’ll be open to and willing to clarify here if I get any explanation from the World Snooker Tour or Igor Figueiredo.
SNOOKER SCENE MIGHT HAVE PUBLISHED ITS LAST ISSUE (read full statement here)
In a sad news, it was recently announced that Snooker Scene released in September its last issue under the ownership of founder editor Clive Everton.
Clive Everton MBE, 85, is a living legend, having contributed to Snooker and Billiards in so many ways. Health problems have caused him to discontinue the magazine and, unless it gets sold, September’s issue will have been the last.
The magazine is iconic, and was for many years the main source of news from the snooker world. Even in the digital era, the magazine still had quality content and served as a great platform for results of other cue sports and amateur events around the world.
Being from Brazil I could not have all of them, but I proudly own some Snooker Scene magazines - all courtesy of my dear friend Chris Varney from Derbyshire, who's collected some remarkable sports memorabilia through the years and kindly shared some with myself.
The oldest one is from 15 years ago, and the latest one is my favourite, since it’s the 2022 World Championship report edition, and it was the first time I went to Sheffield to attend the event and work from the Media Centre at the Crucible.
In this digital era it’s never been easier to find news of whatever you’re interested in, but nothing beats having the magazines as tangible memorabilia. I wish Clive Everton well and thank him for his invaluable services to the sport I love.
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