Alfie Burden defeated Matthew Ford 4-3 in the Golden Ticket Play-Off to secure the final place at the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship.
The 48-year-old Englishman will face Jimmy White at the Crucible Theatre in a repeat of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship final after coming through a field of 16 players in Reading last weekend.
The Play-Off line-up was made up top eight ranked players who did not qualify automatically for the flagship event in each of the official two-year world ranking list and the one-year ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ ranking list.
Burden had missed out on an automatic place at the Championship by just a single frame in the concluding qualification event of the season but bounced back in the Golden Ticket Play-Off event.
Victories over Andy Lavin (4-2), Irish former professional Rodney Goggins (4-1) and Stuart Watson (4-1) saw Burden book his place in the final where he faced compatriot Ford.
The 49-year-old had dropped just three frames in as many matches en route to the final and a break of 67 in frame five put Ford just one away from victory and a Crucible debut.
Burden refused to be beaten, however, forcing a decider before getting over the line by a 78-46 scoreline to complete the victory and earn a return to snooker’s most iconic venue.
A handful of Sheffield’s most inspirational residents will have the opportunity to attend the final of the JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship, as special guests, alongside the Lord Mayor.
Earlier this year, Sheffield City Council hosted the Lord Mayor Awards – a celebration of Sheffield’s trailblazers, making a difference to the city and to Sheffield life.
World Seniors Snooker has announced that they will be hosting the award winners, alongside Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Cllr Jayne Dunn, at the final of the JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship on Sunday 11 May at the Crucible Theatre.
The Lord Mayor will celebrate with her winners at a champagne reception in the presence of some snooker legends before enjoying the afternoons match, where a new World Seniors Snooker champion will be crowned.
Jason Francis, Chairman of World Seniors, said: “The final of our World Championship is the biggest day of our season and so it’s great to be able to host the Lord Mayor and her award winners to further celebrate this great city of Sheffield, the home of snooker.”
Cllr Jayne Dunn, Lord Mayor of Sheffield, said: “When I was appointed Lord Mayor, I pledged to make sure that the achievements of our residents and the dedication they show to the city is given a platform, and the Lord Mayor Awards, which took place earlier this year, did just that.
“I am delighted that those worthy winners will now be honoured once again at the World Seniors Championships. Sheffield loves snooker, which is why I am delighted to attend the final – for the first-ever and very special Lord Mayor’s Day – to celebrate Sheffield, its residents and snooker.”
The JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship, which will be aired once again this year live on Channel 5, follows on from the World Snooker Championship and gives snooker legends including Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Tony Drago and more another chance to play at snooker’s most famous venue, which defined many of their careers.
The 2025 Championship in May will see players from nine countries compete for the title won last year by Igor Figueiredo from Brazil. It will be played from Wednesday 7 May to Sunday 11 May 2025.
The Winners of the Lord Mayor Awards 2025 with Cllr Jayne Dunn, Lord Mayor of Sheffield and representatives from the Headline Sponsor, E.ON Blackburn Meadows
Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community supported by TravelMaster- Winner: Firas Sharefy
Firas has significantly contributed to the Sheffield community, especially aiding vulnerable populations as an asylum seeker from Iraq. He co-founded the Refugee Asylum Seeker Action Group (RASAG) and Open Kitchen Social Club (OKSC), providing free meals and promoting social inclusion for vulnerable people in Sheffield. His efforts have earned him high respect and praise for his kindness and leadership.
The award was presented on the night by John Henshall, General Manager at TravelMaster.
Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of the Arts, Music and Culture supported by Utilita Arena & Sheffield City Hall- Winner: Jerry Cheung
Jerry has significantly contributed to Sheffield’s cultural landscape, particularly through organizing the Sheffield Lunar Chinese New Year Festival. His efforts have brought global attention to Sheffield, celebrating cultural diversity and reinforcing the city’s reputation for inclusivity and creativity.
Outstanding Contribution to Education supported by The Sheffield College- Winner: Cheriene Bailey
Cheriene has dedicated over 50 years to dance education, founding the Baily-Cox Dance Academy, and more recently Adult Ballet Sheffield with members ranging from age 18-84! Her lifelong commitment has impacted countless lives, sparking a love of dance in generations of students and promoting inclusive education.
The award was presented on the night by Angela Foulkes, Chief Exec & Principle at The Sheffield College
Outstanding Contribution to Local Sport supported by Westfield Health- Winner: Yuri Matischen
Yuri has made significant contributions to Sheffield’s sports event industry, including securing the first British bid for the World University Games and organizing major events like the European Swimming Championships. He established the Sheffield Sharks basketball club and contributed to the opening of the Canon Medical Arena, promoting Sheffield as a global sporting venue
Outstanding Contribution to The Environment or Science supported by Veolia- Winner: Sustainability Connects
The Sustainability Connects platform fosters connections and advocacy on sustainability and climate change topics, emphasizing integrated and holistic approaches. They have collaborated with Sheffield City Council’s Employee Equality Women’s Hub to deliver workshops and create the Women’s Hub Sustainability Pledge, promoting sustainable practices.
The award was presented on the night by Julie Adams, Regional Partnership Manager at Veolia
The Young Sheffield Hero supported by Kingfield Supported Living- Winner: Leah Walton
Leah has raised £51,000 for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS in memory of her friend Jude Mellor. She organizes various fundraising activities, including sponsored swims and family fun days, demonstrating remarkable dedication and selflessness.
The award was presented on the night by Diane Lyons, Director at Kingfield Supported Living
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce Marie Curie as an official charity partner during the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship.
Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity with over 75 years of experience. They provide expert end of life care at home and in hospices as well as leading research and campaigning for better end of life for all.
The JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship will take place at the Crucible Theatre on 7-11 May and will feature legends of the sport including Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White and Ken ‘The Darling of Dublin’ Doherty.
For the duration of the event, Marie Curie will have a stand in the venue where there will be the opportunity to purchased limited edition signed snooker balls, with all proceeds going directly to the charity.
There will also be an initiative which will allow anyone to help raise vital funds for the charity by donating for each yellow potted during the Championship.
WSS Director Rohit Sagoo said: “We are immensely proud to announce Marie Curie as our official charity partner for the World Seniors Snooker Championship. Having personally supported Marie Curie’s work for several years, this partnership marks a fantastic opportunity to help Marie Curie’s incredible work, providing essential care and support to individuals and families facing terminal illness.”
“We are delighted that Marie Curie will have a dedicated stand at the Crucible Theatre this year where fans and supporters can donate and purchase unique, limited yellow snooker balls signed by some of snooker’s greatest legends, with all proceeds directly benefiting Marie Curie”
“We believe that everyone deserves dignity, compassion, and personalised support that reflects what is most important to them. The yellow ball initiative symbolises our commitment to this mission and allows everyone to get involved in raising vital funds and awareness for Marie Curie’s life-changing services.”
Rebecca Bramley, Community Fundraiser at Marie Curie said: “We are thrilled to be the charity partner for the World Seniors Snooker Championship this year, and we’re so grateful the team share our mission to make sure everyone gets the right end of life care. Whether you want to get your hands on a limited-edition signed snooker ball or simply donate when a yellow ball is potted, every penny raised will help us to fund vital Marie Curie services in Yorkshire and across the UK.”
And no, Seniors Snooker is not following the footsteps of the rather gloomy ITV advertising policy.
End of life unfortunately isn’t something that just affects very old people – we all know someone who has lost a child, or a young partner/friend – and, no matter the departing person’s age, as well as the person themself, it impacts everyone caring for them. Appropriate support – physical, psychological or spiritual – makes a huge difference for all those affected. Well done to Seniors Snooker for partnering such an important charity.
The order of play for the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship has been confirmed following yesterday’s draw made live on Channel 5.
The event will take place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 7-11 May with 16 players from nine nations competing for the flagship title on the World Seniors Snooker tour.
Every ball will be available to watch live on Channel 5 in the UK with a new, extended format announced for the 2025 edition of the competition which sees all matches up to the semi-finals stage now being best of seven frames while the semi-finals are now best of 11 and the final contested over the best of 15 frames.
The tournament begins on Wednesday afternoon with former ranking event champions Joe Perry and Dominic Dale making their respective World Seniors Snooker bows against Brazil’s Fabio Anderson Luersen and England’s Craig Steadman.
Reigning champion Igor Figueiredo will begin the defence of his crown against Crucible debutant Wayne Townsend on Wednesday evening to be followed by fellow former World Seniors Snooker champion Aaron Canavan taking on Andrew Norman.
In what is sure to be a highly anticipated session on Thursday afternoon, four-time champion Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White meets the winner of the upcoming Golden Ticket play-off before 1997 world champion Ken Doherty goes head-to-head with African Seniors champion Charl Jonck.
The opening round then concludes on Thursday evening with Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago from Malta taking on Northern Ireland’s Gerard Green before Tony Knowles meets Australia’s Hassan Kerde.
The final will take place on Sunday 11 May.
Contrary to what happens in the WST Tour World Championship, the defending champion will not play in the opening session of the tournament. Igor will play his match in the evening session of the first day.
It’s a sensible schedule as, of course, more people are free in the evenings than in the afternoons.
Draw Made for 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship
The draw has been made for the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship which will take place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 7-11 May.
The draw was made this morning (10 April) on the Jeremy Vine show on Channel 5 by host Jeremy Vine and former ranking event Neal Foulds.
Reigning champion Igor Figueiredo, from Brazil, will begin the defence of this crown on the opening afternoon against Crucible debutant Wayne Townsend – who qualified via the new ‘Race to the Crucible Series’.
The winner of the ‘Golden Ticket’ qualifier, which takes place in Reading on 19-20 April, will earn the opportunity of a lifetime to face Jimmy White at the sport’s most iconic venue on Thursday afternoon. Ken Doherty will begin his campaign in the same session as ‘The Whirlwind’ and he takes on African Seniors champion Charl Jonck.
Former ranking event champions Dominic Dale and Joe Perry each make their World Seniors Snooker debuts at the flagship event and they have been drawn to face European Seniors champion Craig Steadman and Americas Seniors champion Fabio Anderson Luersen respectively.
Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago returns the Crucible once again and will face Gerard Greene in the opening round while former world number two Tony Knowles takes on the Asia-Pacific Seniors champion Hassan Kerde from Australia.
World Seniors Snooker world number one Aaron Canavan, who won the title in 2018, makes his fifth appearance at the Crucible and meets fellow qualifier Andrew Norman in what is sure to be a closely-contested match.
The complete order of play for the event will be announced in due course.
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that JenningsBet will be the title sponsor for the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship.
Starting out in 1995 as ‘Jennings Racing’, they have grown from 10 Essex-based shops to become the UK’s largest independent bookmaker with over 200 shops nationwide.
The JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship will be held 7-11 May at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Defending Champion Igor Figueiredo from Brazil will join four-time champion Jimmy White, 1997 World champion Ken Doherty and ‘The Tornado’ Tony Drago as well as former ranking event winners Dominic Dale and Joe Perry who make their debut in the tournament.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis said “Greg and his team at JenningsBet supported the launch of my World Seniors Darts Tour and, without them, those events which featured the return of Phil Taylor in 2022 may never have happened. It is great to team up again and showcase their brand from the home of snooker.”
Derek Somers, Sponsorship Manager at JenningsBet, said: “We at JenningsBet are proud to be sponsoring this prestigious event at an iconic sporting venue. Age is no barrier to sporting prowess and this tournament will crown a worthy champion.”
Line-Up Confirmed for 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship
Brazil’s Figueiredo made history for South American snooker 12 months ago by winning the flagship title and he will begin the defence of his crown as the top seed on the opening Wednesday afternoon session.
Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White will be aiming to win a record-extending fifth World Seniors Snooker Championship title at the sport’s most iconic venue and he gets underway on the afternoon of Thursday 8 May – as does the 1997 World champion Ken Doherty.
Former ranking event champions Joe Perry and Dominic Dale will make their World Seniors Snooker debuts at the event and they are joined as seeds by Malta’s Tony ‘The Tornado’ Drago, former world number two Tony Knowles and World Seniors Snooker’s world number one Aaron Canavan – who notably won the 2018 Championship.
Canavan is one of four players to have qualified via the ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ which saw players compete across nine events to earn their spots via the rankin
gs. The man from Jersey is joined by Andrew Norman, Gerard Greene and Crucible debutant Wayne Townsend in qualifying via this route.
Additionally, Craig Steadman, Hassan Kerde, Charl Jonck and Fabio Anderson Luersen will add to the international field having earned their right via the continental Seniors Championships in the Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Americas regions respectively.
One place remains up for grabs and this will go to the winner of the ‘Golden Ticket’ Play-Off which sees 16 players competing for the spot at The Crucible Club in Reading on 19-20 April.
Among the line-up is Alfie Burden, who reached the final of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship and missed out on automatic qualification this year by just a single frame, and Rory McLeod – who famously defeated Judd Trump at the Crucible in 2017…
The draw for the last chance ‘Golden Ticket’ Play-Off for the JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship is now confirmed following the conclusion of the ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ last weekend.
Sixteen players will compete at The Crucible Club in Reading on 19-20 April with the winner earning the last remaining place at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in May.
Alfie Burden vs. Andy Lavin
Anthony Harris vs. Dean Galbally
Stuart Watson vs. Rory McLeod
Nigel Howe vs. Lee Stephens
Dharminder Lilly vs. Billy Ginn
Matt Ford vs. Gary Filtness
Neil Craycraft vs. Marc Shaw
Philip Williams vs. Tam Mustafa
The line-up is made up top eight ranked players who did not qualify automatically for the flagship event in each of the official two-year world ranking list and the one-year ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ ranking list.
Ken Doherty joined World Seniors Snooker (WSS) Chairman Jason Francis yesterday at Greystones Primary School in Sheffield to launch two initiatives which will form part of the ‘Youth of Sheffield Day’ for the World Seniors Snooker Championship.
On Saturday 10 May, 200 local children will attend the semi-finals courtesy of WSS and Sheffield City Council as part of their ‘Sheffield Loves Snooker’ campaign.
Children will get a chance to bring a grandparent to the Crucible Theatre as well as taking part in a snooker themed art competition which will be judged by 1997 world champion Doherty. The artwork will be displayed in the venue during the whole event which runs from the 7-11 May and follows on from the World Snooker Championship.
Doherty said: ”It was fantastic to meet the pupils today to tell them what Sheffield and the Crucible Theatre means to me and to also answer their questions about what it was like to win the World Championship in 1997. The plan for them to treat their grandparents to a day at the World Seniors Championship is brilliant and its great to see WSS engaging with so many local schools around the art competition.”
Jason Francis, WSS Chairman, said “The Youth of Sheffield Day is one of a number of projects we are running this year based around showcasing what is great about the steel city and the home of snooker. Semi-final Saturday will see Tudor Square full of local children and hopefully feeling the atmosphere of snooker at the Crucible could be the spark to encourage them to try the game themselves.”
Sinead Gaffney, Headteacher at Greystones Primary School said: “Everyone at Greystones loved meeting Ken today. It was a great opportunity for our children to learn more about the links between Sheffield and snooker, thanks to the Crucible’s role of hosting the World Championship.”
“Everyone wants to give snooker a go now and Ken’s message of working hard and aiming high is a brilliant model for every child, wherever their talents lie! Whether the children’s families have longstanding roots in the city, or if they are relative newcomers like myself, here’s another reason to feel proud of our wonderful city of Sheffield” she added.
This is really a great way, not just to promote the event, but to make it an opportunity for persons of different generations to spend time together, united by their love of sport and snooker in particular. Ken is the perfect ambassador for the endeavour. He loves his sport deeply and is a great communicator.
What does it mean? Here is the explanation by Jason himself:
While some amateurs may not be happy with this as they might feel that their chances to “qualify” for a big seniors event have been reduced, I feel that this is a major positive evolution for the Seniors tour. Let’s not kid ourselves … the Seniors tour, like any endeavour, can only survive if it is profitable. Marketing is of essence. This agreement allows Jason to invite very big names to the Seniors events, players who are still on the main tour, still in the top 16 even, the Mark Williams, John Higgins and Ronnie. Players who put bums on seats. This greatly enhances the marketability of those events. They will attract more viewers, making the Seniors tour more “attractive” to sponsors and broadcasters. Eventually all seniors players will benefit from it.
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce a ground breaking new partnership with Sheffield Hallam University which will see students currently studying Sport Business Management get real time experience working on the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship.
The initiative was launched yesterday by WSS Chairman Jason Francis and Director Mike Dunn with opportunities offered for students to experience every aspect of producing, promoting, planning and executing a major sporting TV event.
WSS are offering placements alongside their industry professionals for students to experience how staging a major sporting event in the city at the iconic Crucible Theatre with a live television production team comes together.
Chairman of World Seniors Snooker Jason Francis said “World Seniors Snooker has entered into a long term partnership with Sheffield Council to make the World Seniors Snooker Championship an event to showcase everything that is great about the Steel City. A Sheffield event for Sheffield people which engages with their ‘Sheffield Loves Snooker’ campaign. The energy and enthusiasm we got from the students yesterday proved to me that they can play a real part in making this year’s Championship the best ever. The work with Sheffield Hallam is the latest initiative which will sit alongside our Business and Youth of Sheffield Days and the continuation of Seniors of Sheffield Day. I am really looking forward to working with, but also learning from, them.”
Dr Ruth M Crabtree, Head of the School of Sport & Physical Activity said “We are delighted to be collaborating with the World Seniors Snooker. When you think of Sheffield and sport, you instantly think of snooker and this partnership is a great opportunity for our students to gain real world experience of working on a major iconic sport event and learn from experienced professionals. At Sheffield Hallam, our mission is to be the world leading applied university, and we pride ourselves on working with major sport organisations within Sheffield, the region and globally. The collaboration will allow students to work within sport marketing, media, public relations and event management, gaining key skills needed within sport management, helping enhance their CV, increase their network, and gain valuable expertise. We believe we are sector leading in offering value added opportunities for our students and it is always great to them jump ay the chance to volunteer for such initiatives. I am extremely confident our students will learn a lot and also some innovative and creative ideas to Jason Fracnis and his team at World Seniors Snooker.”
Nathan Withey, a third year Sport Business Management Student, said “My time at Sheffield Hallam University has been filled with opportunities to improve my professionalism and to make sure I have experience when starting my career after graduation. What I’m most excited about for the World Senior Snooker Championship is the opportunity to gain valuable insight into how an event of this magnitude is created. What it takes to be involved, and the skills required to produce a sporting event which I can hopefully learn to harness though this opportunity. I am very much looking forward to working with the team and I am grateful for the opportunity.”
The World Seniors Snooker Championship starts on Wednesday 7 May and runs until Sunday 12 with snooker legends Jimmy White, Ken Doherty and Tony Drago confirmed alongside Seniors Champions from Pan-America, Pan-Asia, Europe and Africa and more. The event will be shown live and exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.
Format Change Announced for 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is pleased to announce a change to the format of the 2025 World Seniors Snooker Championship which will take place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 7-11 May.
All rounds up to and including the quarter-finals will now be the best-of-seven frames, while the semi-finals will now best best-of-11 frames and the final will be contested over the best-of-15 frames.
Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo made history for South America by winning the flagship title last May and he will open proceedings on the opening Wednesday afternoon. Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White, a record four-time champion, and two-time runner-up Ken Doherty are both set to begin their campaigns on the afternoon of Thursday 8 May.
I can’t really comment on the first announcement other than stating the obvious: Seniors snooker is determined to stay in Sheffield and to get involved in various projects that will benefit the city, its inhabitants and the Seniors circuit. What’s not to like?
Regarding the second announcement … longer matches, yes, that’s good news to me. It’s also a sign that the seniors involved nowadays in the competition are better than those who played in the “early” instalments of the Seniors World Championship1. One of the reason the matches were so “short” is because the frames tended to be long. Some of the legends involved really struggled to make telling breaks and weren’t really physically fit. Frames tended to last rather long …
Don’t get me wrong: they had every right to be there, they gave it their all and the crowd gave them a very warm support. They promoted the event with all their might and heart. It wouldn’t exist without them and what they did to promote it.
But the event has evolved. The seniors who now compete in it are younger and much fitter. Therefore, it is now reasonable – and desirable – to lengthen the matches a bit. I’m sure that the fans won’t complain!
In his current form, under Jason Francis’ management. ↩︎
The former World Seniors Snooker Championship winner came through a field of 39 cueists to secure a second consecutive title and boost his hopes of earning a return to the Crucible Theatre in May.
The 49-year-old from Jersey began his weekend in the last 32 stage and he overcame Mark Vincent (4-1) and Steve Crowley (4-0) to reach the concluding day of action.
A whitewash win over former Super Seniors event winner Anthony Harris saw Canavan begin the Sunday in style and he made it back-to-back finals with a 4-1 victory over 51-year-old Nigel Howe.
In the title match he met Williams from Wales, who had reached his third final of the campaign with victories over former professionals Andrew Norman and Gerard Greene on the last day.
The opening three frames of the final saw a 79 break from Canavan countered by a 69 from Williams as the Welshman moved 2-1 ahead in the best-of-seven contest.
Canavan stepped up a gear from then on, however, as he took three straight frames to secure a 4-2 victory and his second title in a row.
PIPE WINS MAIDEN TITLE
Richard Pipe defeated John Hunter 2-0 at The Crucible Club in Reading to win the first Super Seniors title of his career.
The event is open to all cueists over the age of 55 and was held on Sunday alongside the main Race to the Crucible series event.
The 59-year-old Englishman did not drop a single frame across the day as he whitewashed Mark Thomas, David Brock and Andrew Barrett to reach the final.
Hunter, a winner of two events already this season, was his opponent in the title match but he proved no match for Pipe on this occasion as he ran out a 2-0 victor to win the title.
The final Race to the Crucible Series event will take place on 4-6 April at The Crucible Club in Reading, England.
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 