Statement from World Snooker...

 

Following today’s advice from the UK Government, there will be no access for fans at this week’s Coral Tour Championship.

 

At 5pm today the government advised the public to avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues. We have reacted to this advice with the decision to close the doors at Venue Cymru in Llandudno to all fans.

 

We realise this will be disappointing to fans but we must act according to the latest government advice.

Snooker's Tour Championship in Llandudno has been postponed over coronavirus fears.

 

World snooker had hoped to run the event for the world's top eight players behind closed doors at Venue Cymru.

 

On the morning of the tournament however they accepted it could no longer go ahead after latest UK government advice.

 

They now provisionally hope to stage the event due to run from 17-22 March at the same venue from 21-26 July.

Willie Thorne, one of snooker's most popular figures, is to undergo chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

Snooker players will likely be "unemployed for four or five months" in the wake of the World Championship postponement, says world number 23 Scott Donaldson.

 

The coronavirus outbreak has postponed the final ranking event of the season.

 

Donaldson says it is likely to be "very uncertain" over the coming months.

 

"For those down the ranking list, they have families to feed - it is going to hit them," the Scot told BBC Scotland.

 

"I was guaranteed £10,000 just for participating in the event, it's a lot of money.

 

"Before that you had the China Open, which was cancelled as well, so the two biggest tournaments of the season are off the calendar now. All the snooker boys are unemployed now for about four or five months."

The World Championship could take place at the time the Olympics were due to be held. The Crucible has provisionally been booked from 22/7 to 10/8. Whether that is with or without a live audience is another question. It would probably suit the BBC as it will help to fill the hours they would have devoted to the Olympics.

As it's a quiet sport,snooker wouldn't be much different without an audience. The players and umpire could keep six feet apart. It could be the first sport to come back.

A look at the matches, BBC will be showing:

 

Saturday 18 April (15:00): Steve Davis v Tony Knowles - 1982, first round.

Sunday 19 April (14:00): Ray Reardon v Alex Higgins - 1982, final.

Followed by a documentary on Alex Higgins from 17:00-18:00.

Monday 20 April (14:00): Steve Davis v Jimmy White - 1984, final.

Tuesday 21 April (14:00): Neil Robertson v Mark Selby - 2014, semi-final.

Wednesday 22 April (14:00): Steve Davis v Joe Johnson - 1986, final.

Thursday 23 April (14:00): Jimmy White v Stephen Hendry - 1988, second round.

Friday 24 April (14:00): Stephen Hendry v Jimmy White - 1992, final.

Saturday 25 April (12:30): Stephen Hendry v Jimmy White - 1994, final.

Sunday 26 April (14:00): Stephen Hendry v Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2002, semi-final.

Monday 27 April (13:45): Peter Ebdon v Matthew Stevens - 2002, semi-final

Tuesday 28 April (13:45): Ken Doherty v Paul Hunter - 2003, semi-final.

Wednesday 29 April (13:45): Shaun Murphy v Matthew Stevens - 2007, quarter-final.

Thursday 30 April (13:45): John Higgins v Judd Trump - 2011, final.

Friday 1 May (13:45): Ronnie O'Sullivan v Barry Hawkins - 2013, final.

Saturday 2 May (12:30): Neil Robertson v Judd Trump - 2014, quarter-final.

Sunday 3 May (13:00): Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor - 1985, final.

Monday 4 May (13:45): Judd Trump v Stuart Bingham - 2015, semi-final.

The World Snooker Championship, originally set to take place in April and May, has been rescheduled to start on 31 July at the Crucible Theatre.

 

The event was postponed on 20 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

It will run for 17 days and be broadcast in full across BBC TV and online.

 

The World Snooker Tour (WST) says it will assess "government advice at the time" about the number of spectators allowed inside the Sheffield venue.

My guess is that the World Championship will be played behind closed doors. The chances of a full crowd being allowed must be very close to zero and the logistics of deciding which tickets can be used and which ticket-holders are told they can't come would surely be too much hassle.

Former world champion Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from snooker because of a chronic neck injury.

 

The 49-year-old won the World Championship title in 2002 - beating Stephen Hendry 18-17 in the final - and won eight other ranking events, including the 2006 UK Championship.

 

He has made the decision to retire in order to avoid spinal surgery.

Snooker will resume in the UK on 1 June with its first tournament since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The Championship League event is to be be staged behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

 

All players, staff, and contractors will be tested before entering the venue, and will be kept in isolation until their results are known.

 

Players will require a negative test in order to be eligible.

@1263489259391995905

Not a bad development there, let's hope for minimal to no hitches!

It'll be interesting to see what happens. Depends though if they have permission from the Government to resume.

@1268939275040669701

 

 

3-0/3-0/3-0 or 9-0 either way just another day at the office for Ronnie, first to do this, this week.

Ben Woolaston and Stuart Bingham through tonight in their respective groups.

Stuart Bingham beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-0 in the crucial match in Group C of the Matchroom.Live Championship League to book a place in the Tournament Finals.

The final group to decide the winner of the Championship League are:

 

Stuart Bingham

Ben Woollaston

Ryan Day

Luca Brecel

Luca Brecel takes the first frame in the opening group match final against Bingham.