The former ranking event winner arrived on Boxing Day expecting an early exit at the hands of current World Snooker Tour (WST) number 18 Stuart Bingham but delighted the crowds in Derby to lift his maiden title on the World Seniors Snooker (WSS) Tour.
British Open snooker returned to Derby for the first time since 1993 as a strong eight-player field embarked on the Vaillant Live venue for three days of action.
Perry kicked off the opening day against 2015 world champion Bingham, who was making his debut on the WSS Tour and arrived as the tournament favourite with title sponsors JenningsBet.
It was the man known as ‘The Gentleman’ who dominated, however, as a top break of 61 helped Perry to a whitewash win to reach the semi-finals.
There he faced former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens, who had won through a dramatic black ball shoot out on Friday evening to defeat Anthony Hamilton 4-3 in the quarter-finals.
In a contest that saw some remarkable displays of break-building, a total of seven contributions over 50 were compiled as Perry ran out a 5-3 victor with the tournament high break of 131 in the sixth frame.
The ever-popular White set up a title match meeting with Perry by coming from 2-0 behind to beat reigning World Seniors champion and recently-crowned Shoot Out winner Alfie Burden 5-3 in the last four.
‘The Whirlwind’, who had earlier overcome 1997 world champion Ken Doherty 4-2 on the opening day, was welcomed into the arena on Sunday afternoon to a rapturous ovation from the Derby crowd – but it was Perry who comfortably took the opening frame of the best-of-13 contest.
The final was a tense and evenly matched affair as the first six frames were shared between the two players – White pulling out a stunning clearance from brown to black in the sixth to hit back after Perry had scored a break of 100 in the previous frame.
There remained nothing between the two fierce competitors, with neither player being more than a frame ahead at any point when the score was once again levelled at 5-5 in the race to seven.
A pair of half-century breaks then saw Perry pull away to secure the first WSS Tour title of his career.
The whole event was a treat. Nearly every match was quality. The only really one-sided match was the 4-0 win by Alfie Burden over Dominic Dale in round 1.
Taking into consideration that this event was played between Christmas and New Year celebrations it was very well attended. The fans in attendance were spoiled and duly showed their appreciation for what they witnessed.
The coverage by Channel 5 was excellent as well. My only “issue” with it is that it’s only available in the UK… unless, of course, you’re a bit of a techie and know how to circumvent such obstacles. But really, it’s a bit of a shame that it isn’t made available outside the UK. What the Seniors players showed in this event deserved more exposure. Let’s not forget that more exposure also brings better chances to attract good (wealthy 😉) sponsors. Jason (Francis). if you read this line … it is not a criticism directed at you nor at anyone involved the seniors tour. You all do everything in your power, and more, to put quality events on. I’m just stating a fact.
World Seniors Snooker Championship Expanded for 2026
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is pleased to announce that the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship will return to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with an expanded field.
The flagship event, which will take place on 6-10 May 2026, will be shown live on Channel 5 in the UK and feature an increased line-up of 24 players with a two-table set up in the early rounds.
The 2015 Crucible champion Stuart Bingham will make his World Seniors Snooker Championship debut next May, as will former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens, 12-time World Women’s Snooker champion Reanne Evans and ranking event winner Anthony Hamilton.
Jimmy White will be looking to win a record-extending fifth World Seniors Snooker Championship title while 1997 world champion Ken Doherty aims for Seniors glory at the Crucible for the first time.
Defending champion Alfie Burden, Tony Drago, Joe Perry and Dominic Dale will also return to the sport’s most iconic venue in 2026 with six further players to be confirmed in due course.
A global field once again sees each continental Seniors champion earning a place in the tournament. Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo, champion in 2024, will make his return after lifting the Pan-American Seniors Championship title earlier this year while there is also a second consecutive appearance for Craig Steadman after he retained the European title last month.
Mohamed Samy Elkhayat, from Egypt, earns his place as the African Seniors champion and will be joined by the Asia-Pacific winner while four further places will be earned by qualifiers from the World Seniors Tour events.
Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: “I am so pleased to announce our strongest ever field as we enter our new deal with Sheffield City Council, which will see the World Seniors Snooker Championship remain at the Crucible Theatre for at least the next two years.”
“By expanding our event we can give more players the ultimate dream of playing competitive snooker at the sport’s most famous venue. We have six more players to invite and are working on some securing some legends to complete our field. The 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championships promises to be the biggest and best yet – another Sheffield snooker event for Sheffield people.”
This promises to be interesting indeed, and fairer with more spots for qualifiers coming through the Seniors events tour.
Draw Made for 2025 JenningsBet British Seniors Open
The draw has been made for the 2025 JenningsBet British Seniors Snooker Open which will take place at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December.
A star-studded line-up features former world champions Ken Doherty and Stuart Bingham, four-time World Seniors Championship winner Jimmy White and reigning Crucible champion Alfie Burden joined by Matthew Stevens, Dominic Dale, Joe Perry and Anthony Hamilton.
The Draw
Quarter-Finals (Friday 26 December)
Alfie Burden (1) vs. Dominic Dale
Ken Doherty (4) vs. Jimmy White
Matthew Stevens (3) vs. Anthony Hamilton
Stuart Bingham (2) vs. Joe Perry
Semi-Finals (Saturday 27 December)
Burden/Dale vs. Doherty/White
Stevens/Hamilton vs. Bingham/Perry
Final (Sunday 28 December)
Winner of SF1 vs. Winner of SF2
The top half of the draw features arguably the tie of the round as 1997 world champion Ken ‘The Darling of Dublin’ Doherty meets four-times World Seniors champion Jimmy ‘The Whirlwind’ White in a repeat of the 2020 World Seniors Championship final.
Reigning World Seniors champion Alfie Burden, the top seed, meets two-time ranking event winner Dominic Dale in the opening round while former UK and Masters champion Matthew Stevens takes on ‘The Sheriff of Pottingham’ Anthony Hamilton.
Stuart Bingham, the 2015 world champion and JenningsBet’s tournament favourite, makes his World Seniors Snooker Tour debut against ‘The Gentleman’ Joe Perry.
Format
The format for the event is as follows:
Quarter-Finals: Best of 7 Frames
Semi-Finals: Best of 9 Frames
Final: Best of 13 Frames
In an exciting and unique twist, should any match in the event go the distance then the deciding frame will be replaced by a respotted black.
Seniors of Derby Day Announced
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is proud to once again be teaming up with Age UK for a ‘Seniors of Derby Day’ which will take place on Saturday 27 December.
People who are living alone and vulnerable will be invited to the snooker to meet some of the legends and watch the action live as well as receiving specialist advice on how the city can offer them support.
The initiative is being supported but local businesses who are sponsoring 50 tickets under an ‘Event Angels’ Scheme.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis said: “Research carried out in 2016 shows that over half-a-million people can go five or six days a week without seeing another person. It is clear that, since the COVID pandemic, that number will be a lot higher and so we are proud to be using our events to highlight this important issue.”
Most of the players in the draw still are or were recently on the main tour on merit. This should guarantee a very high standard of play.
I expect the winner to come from the bottom half of the draw, and Stuart Bingham is my pick for the title.
A “super-seniors” event featuring 19 players was also held at the same venue over the week-end. It was won by Andy Milliard who beat Andrew Norman by 2-0 in the final.
Steadman Seals Crucible Return with European Glory
Craig Steadman defeated Mark Joyce 5-3 in the final of the EBSA European Seniors Snooker Championship in Golem, Albania.
Glory in Golem saw the 43-year-old Englishman successfully defend his title and earn a return to the iconic Crucible Theatre for the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship.
A field of 78 players embarked on the Grand Blue Fafa Resort for the individual Seniors event, organised by the European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA), and Steadman made a strong start to his title defence with a clean sweep of victories over Shane Gorman, Olivier Pechenart and Olsi Hysa.
The Englishman, who faced Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Crucible Theatre during his professional career, then overcame Marcin Nitschke (4-1), Kevin Hanssens (4-2) and Gary Thomson (4-2) to set up a semi-final meeting with Wales’ Philip Williams.
Steadman started strongly with visits of 63 and 65, but Williams hit back to restore parity at 2-2 with a break of 60.
Two scrappier frames followed but it was the Englishman who was able to take them and join fellow countryman Joyce in the title match.
Joyce had beaten former world number eight Darren Morgan in the semi-finals and showed excellent scoring form in the final as he made breaks of 110 and 117.
It was Steadman, however, who took home the title after taking the opener with a break of 83 and then never falling behind as he went on to secure a 5-3 victory.
The 50-year-old improved on a run to the semi-finals of the opening event by coming through a field 57 players in Berkshire to take home the title.
A deciding frame victory in the opening round against Simon Dent was followed by wins against Shaun Rooney (4-1), John Rea (4-0) and Philip Williams (4-0) to reach the semi-finals.
Former World Seniors Snooker Championship winner Aaron Canavan, from Jersey, was able to score the highest break of their last four meeting with a visit of 110 but it was ultimately Lilly who won through as a 4-2 victor.
He met Daniel Ward in the title match after the 43-year-old had notably defeated Gerard Greene (4-1), Wayne Townsend (4-2) and Stuart Watson (4-1) to reach a maiden final on the World Seniors Snooker Tour.
Lilly made a strong start to the best-of-7 frame contest as he raced into a 3-0 lead with breaks of 66 and 85. Ward briefly reduced the deficit by taking the next, but it was Lilly’s day as he wrapped up the title by a 4-1 margin.
Hunter Wins Super Seniors
John Hunter defeated Ashley Beal to win the Super Seniors event on Sunday in Reading.
Hunter came thorough a field of 21 players aged over 55 to add another Super Seniors crown to his growing trophy cabinet.
Wins against Giulio Rea (2-1), Simon Dent (2-0) and Neil Carroll (2-1) saw Hunter set up a title match contest against Beal, who himself had whitewashed Dennis Tristram at the semi-final stage.
It was a comfortably victory for Hunter in the end as a break of 75 completed a 2-0 victory and secured the title for the 59-year-old cueist.
Taom Billiards Signs Three-Year Global Partnership with the World Seniors Snooker Tour
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that Taom Billiards as the official global chalk partner of the World Seniors Snooker Tour in a new three-year deal.
Finnish sensation Taom Billiards are the makers of the world’s most innovative snooker chalk, which has hailed by World Champion Shaun Murphy as “the best thing that has happened to this sport”.
The partnership will see the brand showcased across every WSS event, including the World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Since launching in 2017, Taom has become the chalk of choice for the majority of the world’s professionals – setting a new standard in cue sports with its unique formula designed to reduce kicks and miscues and deliver a cleaner contact. The innovation has been nothing short of transformative.
WSS Chairman Jason Francis explains: “As a sport now celebrating its 150th year, we’ve not been very good at innovation. In many cases, we’re still using the same equipment we had over a century ago. For Taom to arrive in 2017 and totally revolutionise the chalk element of the game – and to be adopted so widely – is remarkable. We look forward to helping bring their products to an even bigger global audience.”
Toni Ursin, CEO of Taomtips Ltd., said: “We’re delighted to partner with the World Seniors Snooker Tour. From the very beginning, Taom has been about pushing the sport forward with products that make a real difference to players. To now see our chalk trusted by professionals and showcased on such iconic stages as the Crucible is a tremendous honour. We look forward to working with the Tour to share our passion for the game with an even wider audience.”
The deal cements Taom’s place at the heart of professional snooker, bringing its game-changing chalk and accessories to the biggest stages of the sport and ensuring players compete with the very best equipment available.
This is the type of association snooker really needs, much better in my views than the omnipresent association with the “betting business”. I’ve never heard about someone taking their own life about a chalk make, I have lost three colleagues along the years, taking their own life over betting addiction.
Stuart Bingham Completes British Seniors Open Line-Up
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that the 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham will complete the field for the British Seniors Open at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December 2025 which will be shown live on Channel 5.
Known as ‘Ballrun’, the former world champion makes his WSS Tour debut alongside Matthew Stevens and Anthony Hamilton who join Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Joe Perry, Dominic Dale and reigning World Seniors champion Alfie Burden.
Bingham said “It is a great privilege to be invited to play in the British Seniors Open. I am really looking forward to being one of the youngest playing for a change and not one of the oldest! It is a fresh direction playing in Derby and having Channel 5 broadcasting the event. Exciting times ahead!”
Jason Francis, WSS Chairman, said “It is exciting times for seniors snooker with three decorated players making their debuts in Derby. Stuart is a former world and Masters champion who was number two in the world as recently as 2017, so he will come into this event as one of the favourites for sure”
In a way that may surprise many, the fact that WST and WSS couldn’t come to an agreement means that professionals who meet the “age criteria” are now free to compete in the Seniors Tour events provided that there is no “calendar clash” with the Main Tour events. This is why we are seing “new faces” in Seniors events, which is very welcome. Those players, who are still competing on the main tour, play at a very high standard, of course, and we are going to see very high quality matches on the Seniors tour as a result.
Igor Figueiredo Wins Pan American Seniors Title to Earn Crucible Return
Igor Figueiredo defeated Noel Rodrigues Moreira 4-1 in the final of the 2025 Pan American Seniors Snooker Championship at the Aryan Snooker Club in Sacramento, California.
Success for Figueiredo earns him a place in the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre – the iconic venue where he defeated Ken Doherty in the 2024 final to win the biggest title of his career to date.
The Brazilian defeated his fellow countryman to lift the continental seniors crown for the second time in three years, having also won the title in 2023 on home soil in Rio de Janeiro.
Figueiredo kicked off the event in style with an opening day break of 141, the highest of the tournament, and went on to top the six-player group phase with a clean sweep of victories and no frames dropped.
Knockout round wins against the American duo of Steven Wong (3-0) and Daren Mark Taylor (4-1) saw the 47-year-old join an all-Brazilian semi-final line-up alongside Itaro Santos, Moreira and defending champion Fabio Anderson Luersen.
A top break of 44 was enough for Figueiredo to defeat fellow former professional Santos 4-1 in the last four to set up a title match meeting with Moreira after he had been victorious by the same scoreline.
Figueiredo raced into a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven frame final with contributions of 35 and 62 and, despite a brief rally from Moreira, a further break of 60 saw the Brazilian get over the line as a 4-1 winner to secure the title.
There is no doubts that this is good news for many fans. Igor is a “character” in the best “meaning” of that word. He has a huge presence, he plays entertaining snooker and plays it well, he’s (almost) always smiling and his positive energy is contagious. What’s not to like?1
Anthony Hamilton Joins British Seniors Open Line-Up
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is delighted to announce that former ranking event winner Anthony Hamilton is the latest player to join the field for the 2025 British Seniors Open.
‘The Sheriff of Pottingham’ was on the World Snooker Tour (WST) for an unbroken 34-year spell, spending 15 years inside the top 32.
Between 2002 and 2007, Hamilton reached the quarter finals of the World Championship on four occasions and was a ranking event champion as recently as 2017 when he captured the German Masters crown.
Hamilton said: “The British Seniors Open sounds like a brilliant event and it is an honour to be invited to play in it and renew some old rivalries.”
Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: “Anthony only retired from the main tour in May, following three decades as a professional player. He is exactly the type of servant to the game who deserves this chance to compete in a TV event on the World Seniors Snooker Tour. I can see this announcement being very well received as he remains such a popular player in the sport.”
The British Seniors Open will take place at Vaillant Live in Derby on 26-28 December 2025 and be shown live on Channel 5.
Over time I have read so many disparaging comments about Anthony… that he’s weird, that he’s filthy, and more. None of that is true. He’s a very interesting character, he’s very clever, very knowledgeable about his sport, he’s kind1 … but a bit shy. He is a great addition to the Seniors tour.
unless you disturb him when at the table on a break 😉 ↩︎
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 