Month: August 2020

A very important message from Jason Francis regarding the Seniors World Championship line-up

seniorsnooker Event info, Tour news ,

This message was share by Jason on Facebook yesterday. It explains how the line-up for the 2020 Seniors World Championship was decided.

As I did read some criticisms about this line-up myself, I thought it’s important to share Jason’s explanation on this blog as well.

Dear all,
I was made aware of a thread started on Facebook last night around the validity of the 16 players who received invitations to the Rokit world seniors snooker championship and although no one has asked me directly, choosing rather to jump to incorrect conclusions, I am happy to explain the rationale.
I don’t expect everyone to agree, the game is all about opinions, but to claim any personal friendships played any part in selections is quite frankly very disappointing to see.
The criteria of our world championship has always been very transparent. A minimum 25% of the field to come from qualifiers, 50% to come from invited legends of the game who bring Commercial value to the event (this ensuring ticket sales and broadcast interest, and 25% to be used by the WSF to extend continental invitations to the senior champions of the continents.
Of course if this season had been fully played there would of been 6 spots for qualifiers, exceeding our pledge, as we all know covid has wrecked our season as well as much of many other sports.
It would have been very easy to cancel the world seniors championships, with no audience the tour is deprived of its major income stream of course. But we didn’t give up and we not only decided to stage an event but also secured the BBC as our broadcast partner.
These two important victories came as a result of brilliant work by the new additions to the board. These people were put in place by Jason Ferguson and I to ensure the tour is able to be sustainable in years to come.
I am disappointed to still see this referred to as the legends tour or snooker legends tour, it’s quite clearly the WPBSA World Seniors Tour so that’s very misleading.
Also misleading is that only one player qualified by right, our event in Toronto was won by bob chaperon who because of covid travel restrictions was unable to take up his place. People seem to have forgotten that.
Again because of Covid the WSF were unable to extend continental invitations this year, denying the champions of other continents the chance to send their nominations
So in a landmark deal, which helps secure the future sustainability of the tour, current professionals over 40 ranked 65-128 can choose to enter qualifying events from next season.
This season the continental places have been awarded to 4 Former world seniors champions. No member of our tour has lost out because of this.
Some players won their right to a final stage TV event in Coleraine to see it cancelled. They earn their right and are rewarded with their place.
8 spots are taken by the commercially selected legends, all multiple ranking event winners or former world professional champions. Without these, with all due respect to the rest of the tour there would be no TV, no crucible and no prize money.
None of these invited legends have taken a place of a tour player.
The last three places were made up from our official ranking list, top ups in exactly the same way world snooker do. Complete transparency. We put emphasis on our ranking list and if we had ignored it that would have been an insult to those who had consistently performed to get where they are.
If after Reading this then you still think the board have made mistakes then that’s a personal opinion but to start a thread full of inaccuracies is quite frankly disrespectful to those who have been invited on merit.
So in conclusion
1, it’s not a legends tour
2, the selection criteria given the position covid put us in is transparent even if you don’t personally agree with it
3, no one person is making these decisions
4, all those selected will do our event proud.
So can I ask the tour as a whole now gets behind the event and uses social media to promote it rather than criticise the 16 who in my opinion are the deserving ones on Merit
And spare a thought for bob chaperon
Thanks
Jason

The 2020 Seniors World Championship – first round format and schedule

seniorsnooker Event info

The schedule and format for the 2020 WSS ROKiT Phones.com World Championship is now available. The matches will be best of 7. The setup is just one table.

Jimmy White is the defending Champion.

Wednesday 19th of August – 1pm

Ken Doherty v Rodney Goggins

Aaron Canavan v Leo Frenandez

Wednesday 19th of August – 7pm

Jimmy White v Joe Johnson

Patrick Wallace v Darren Morgan

Thursday 20th of August – 1pm

Tony Drago  v Gary Filtness

Michael Judge v Dennis Taylor

Thursday 20th of August – 7pm

Stephen Hendry v Nigel Bond

Tony Knowles v Peter Lines

 

Supporting “Silence of Suicide”

seniorsnooker Charity, Tour news ,

This was announced yesterday on the “World Seniors Snooker” Facebook page:

Following yesterday’s announcement of the ROKiT Phones World Seniors Championship we are delighted to follow on and announce that we have adopted SOS Silence of Suicide as our Official Charity.
The Charity was founded by Seniors Board Director Yvette Greenway-Mansfield and her husband Michael Mansfield QC. The aim is to raise £14,700 to help provide a permanent phone line where anyone within the snooker family who is suffering from any mental health issue can call and someone will be there to listen.
The Charity currently offers a free, confidential, one to one online chat support service between 1-6pm every day, because of our previous fundraising with the ‘First Poke’ Challenges we are pleased to say that during our World Seniors Championships a standard rate phone line will launch.
This will start on 19th August between the hours of 5pm and 7Pm which will be between the sessions of play.
Around 800,000 people a year are dying by suicide (Source: WHO).
If what we do as a snooker family can prevent one of these deaths, it will stop another family being devastated.
On average if your shot time ever hits 35 seconds during that thinking time someone somewhere in the world has taken their own life. Makes you think.
We want to encourage everyone to speak up and eradicate the shame, stigma and silence that surrounds suicide and mental health in general. Please visit the SOS Silence of Suicide website and read their story, learn what they do and how they do it.
Once our events are able to host an audience we will provide a safe and secure place where anyone suffering with mental health issues can talk to one of the SOS Team. ‘First Poke’ will also continue to contribute to SOS.
We look forward to announcing many more initiatives in the new season with this fantastic charity.
SOS support at Crucible

Please support this great initiative by sharing this post. Thank you.

 

 

 

The 2020 ROKiT Phones World Seniors Snooker Championship is ON !!!

seniorsnooker Event info, Tour news ,

This was announced today by WPBSA

ROKiT Phones World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is today delighted to announce that the 2020 ROKiT Phones World Seniors Snooker Championship will once again be held at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre from 19-22 August.

Won a year ago by the ever-popular ‘People’s Champion’ Jimmy White, the tournament will see a distinguished line-up of 16 players including ‘King of the Crucible’ Stephen Hendry and 1997 champion of the world Ken Doherty, battle it out to lift the trophy at the home of snooker.

For the first time the tournament will be broadcast live on BBC digital platforms with selected matches available on the ‘Red Button.’ Coverage in China will be shown on major digital TV platforms and across the USA via the Matchroom.Live.

ROKiT Phones – pioneers of the glasses-free 3D phone with onboard Value Added Services – will once again be the title sponsor to the event, continuing a partnership which saw the telecommunications company become the naming rights partner of the WSS Tour in 2019.

The event will be held behind closed doors with no tickets available for spectators due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALL-STAR LINE-UP

An international field of 16 players will be led by defending champion Jimmy White, who will be joined by seven-time world professional champion Stephen Hendry, the ‘Darlin of Dublin’ Ken Doherty and reigning UK Seniors champion Michael Judge as the four seeded players kept apart until the semi-finals

The remaining 12 players will be randomly placed in the draw, including former world champions Dennis Taylor and Joe Johnson, as well as former top 10 duo Tony Knowles and Tony Drago. Also set to compete at the Crucible are former World Seniors Snooker champions Peter Lines, Nigel Bond, Aaron Canavan and Darren Morgan.

The draw will be completed by WSS Tour players Leo Fernandez, Patrick Wallace, Rodney Goggins and Gary Filtness.

The inclusion of current professional players has been made possible following a landmark new agreement between WSS and World Snooker Tour which will now allow lower ranked tour players over 40 to compete at WSS events. Players not automatically invited to tournaments will be eligible to enter future qualifying events.

Jason Francis, WSS Chairman said: “The ROKiT Phones World Seniors Snooker Tour has gone from strength to strength and despite these difficult times globally we are delighted to be able to deliver a truly world class event live on the BBC and around the world. I would like to thank our title sponsor ROKiT Phones for their continued support and look forward to seeing some fantastic snooker played later this month.”

Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “It is always such a treat to see snooker’s grand masters reappear at the Crucible Theatre. Few could forget the great sporting moments and entertainment   these former champions have given us.

“The WPBSA strategy is to grow a sport for all, from aspiring juniors, elite amateurs, professional tour players through to the incredible entertainment of the ROKiT World Seniors Tour. Snooker is a sport for life, and I would like to thank ROKiT Phones, our broadcasters, and partners for the opportunity to add this great event and tour to our group.”

Michael Coombes, ROKiT Phones CEO UK said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship to play a part in the Championship, and what will be without doubt, tension filled matches between prestigious players. To celebrate, all our viewers will also be able to benefit from an exclusive offer that will be shared on our website Partners page.”

Jonathan Kendrick, ROKiT Chairman said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with World Seniors Snooker, its great fans will be able to enjoy the action live on their ROKiT Phones for the very first time.”

The 2020 ROKIT Phones World Seniors Snooker Championship takes place from 19-22 August at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

This is absolutely fantastic news!

The bold highlight has been added by me.

Note that “lower ranked players” mean “not in the top 64”. This is also great news and only right, allowing players reaching the end of their career to smoothly make the transition to the seniors circuit.