WORLD SENIORS SNOOKER TOUR | 2024/25 SEASON DETAILS ANNOUNCED
World Seniors Snooker (WSS) is excited to announce nine new events as part of a ‘Race to the Crucible’ series and can also confirm that the age cut-off for amateur players on the tour will remain at 40 for the coming season.
The new series will see nine events held across the 2024/25 season at The Crucible Club venues in Reading and Newbury with a total of four places at the prestigious 2025 World Seniors Championship at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on offer.
The top two ranked players on both the official World Seniors Snooker tour official world ranking list and the new one-year ranking list will earn their places in Sheffield and the system replaces the previous four qualifying events which each offered a spot to the winner.
In addition, WSS can now confirm that the cut-off age for amateur snooker players to enter an event will remain at 40. Any World Snooker Tour (WST) professional aged over 45 and ranked outside of the top 64 is also eligible to enter.
Jason Francis, Chairman of WSS, said: “Last season, we announced an intention to move the eligibility to play as an amateur on the tour from 40 to 45, but today we are reversing that decision after listening to our partnering federations and players. We are also more than doubling the number of events this season and replacing the system where just the winner of the events got a place in Sheffield with a new ‘Race to The Crucible’.”
A full list of dates and venues can be found below:
2024
9-11 August (Reading)
27-29 September (Reading)
11-13 October (Reading)
22-24 November (Reading)
13-15 December (Reading)
2025
17-19 January (Newbury)
7-9 February (Reading)
7-9 March (Reading)
4-6 April (Reading)
Entries for all events will open for entry from Monday 1 July on WPBSA SnookerScores and entries for each event will close seven days prior.
Whilst I’m very happy to see more Seniors Snooker events on the calendar, I had hoped for a return of the Seniors Snooker Masters and/or the Seniors Snooker UK Championship. I would also love to see a Seniors European Championship and a Seniors Asian Championship. I know that this is only possible if more financial resources are available and it’s a bit what we call a “vicious circle” in French. To get resources, you need visibility, but to become more visible you need more events and exposure … but to set up more events you need more resources. Channel 5 commitment is brilliant but it’s only the start.
Anyway … good luck to all Seniors players and hopefully see you at the Crucible in May!
The action continued today at the Crucible, in front of a good crowd, considering that this is aweek day and and afternoon session.
The first match of the day saw Tony Drago beat Michael Judge by 3-1. The full results are on snookerscores.net. I wasn’t expecting anything from Tony who, in recent years, has suffered some serious health issues but he played really well. He’s certainly been putting the hourd in on the practice table. Nothing at all against Michael Judge but I’m very pleased for Tony. Here are the images taken before and during that match.
The next match saw the defending champion, Jimmy White take on Andrew Norman, a player who had never before played at the Crucible. Andrew, who used to work at the SWSA in Gloucester, took the first two frames. A big upset looked on the cards at that stage. But the match turned on one ball in the next frame, a frame Jimmy took before winning the next two. Andrew, who was watched by his wife and young son Elliott, had no complaints. Despite the defeat he told me that he had enjoyed the experience. You couldn’t meet a nicer man than Andrew. I was gutted for him, more than he was himself.
Here are the images taken before and during that match, a match during which Leo Scullion was really put to hard work!
It all brought back a lot of memories from the SWSA days. Both Andrew and Jimmy were managed by Paul Mount for a while, Andrew worked at the SWSA and Clive Brown, who was marking this match, used to be the TD at the Pink Ribbon… those were the days…
SENIORS OF SHEFFIELD DAY RETURNS TO THE CRUCIBLE THEATRE
World Seniors Snooker is delighted to announce the return of the Seniors of Sheffield Day which will take place during the World Seniors Snooker Championship on Friday 10 May.
In partnership with Age UK Sheffield, the day will bring 600 local residents from the aging population in the city to the Crucible Theatre to watch the event and meet some legends of the snooker world.
The number of over 50’s experiencing loneliness is set to reach two million by 2025/6. This compares to around 1.4 million in 2016/7 – a 49% increase in 10 years and Age UK reported in 2016 that there are 1.2 million chronically lonely older people in the UK.
Jason Francis, Chairman of World Seniors Snooker and creator of the initiative, said “According to our partners Age UK half a million older people go at least five or six days a week without seeing or speaking to anyone at all. Loneliness, living alone and poor social connections is hugely detrimental to people’s health”
Rohit Sagoo, World Seniors Director said “It’s about getting those who are in the aging population in Sheffield out of their seats, out of their homes to come and watch some snooker at the Crucible.”
John Parrott, 1991 World Snooker Champion said “It’s a brilliant idea, everyone’s excited to see the snooker and meet some of the legends. It’s a wonderful initiative for the event and the city”
Lucy Sharp from Age UK Sheffield said “Last year was such an amazing success and we have been inundated with requests for tickets this year. Giving the people of Sheffield a day out to meet the stars, meet each other and see some snooker has been so well received”
The Mr Vegas World Seniors Snooker Championship which will be played between 8-12 May and be shown live in the UK on Channel 5.
The WPBSA World Seniors Tour 