Star names spread the word as new snooker players' organisation opens up membership

Several top cueists have shared posts on social media over recent days to make their professional peers aware of the invitation, with the Association launching a website with promotional material on what it aims to offer.

Former world number one Mark Allen, three-time ranking event winner Gary Wilson, and 2019 Indian Open champion Matt Selt have all spread the word online.

News publicly broke about the PSPA in early August just before the Saudi Arabia Masters. Spearheaded by four-time world champion John Higgins who is a director, a plethora of fellow star names such as world number one Judd Trump, 2024 world champion Kyren Wilson, four-time world champion Mark Selby, and current Masters champion Shaun Murphy have all been named as being on the board.

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui - two of snooker’s biggest commercial behemoths - are not on the board but have apparently agreed to become members.

The PSPA is listed on Companies House with Higgins and world number 34 Selt marked as active directors alongside solicitors Mark Kenkre and Benjamin Rees.

Professional snooker already has a players board, set up in 2020, with former world champions Ken Doherty and Neil Robertson sitting on it.

However, this is under the auspices of the sport’s governing body the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) which is a 26% shareholder of the World Snooker Tour - snooker’s commercial arm that organises and puts on major, televised professional events which the players compete in.

It’s important to note that the WPBSA has a duty to administer the whole sport - including the grassroots and amateur divisions - not just the top flight, although they created their Players’ Board stating that it has "a specific mandate to act in the collective best interest of members in relation to welfare and issues affecting the professional game”.

Despite this, some professionals feel that their voices haven’t been heard and that change has not been forthcoming, therefore they feel it is necessary to form an independent players’ organisation away from the sport’s hierarchy.

Speaking to the BBC when the PSPA first went public, Higgins said: "We feel as though we've not been listened to as we should have been in recent years".

"The game has not moved forward with the times compared to other top sports.

"Snooker deserves a strong, independent players' association that stands for fairness, transparency, and progress."

Murphy - who previously sat on the WPBSA Players’ Board - was quoted last month on the BBC Sport website saying that players had “a list as long as your arm” when it came to potential changes they’d like to see.

The PSPA says on its website that it is there “To represent and support professional snooker players by promoting fair treatment, protecting their rights, and ensuring their voices are heard in all matters affecting their careers. We aim to foster transparency, equality, and long-term growth within the sport”.

Supporters of the WPBSA Players’ Board will point to positive changes it has made in recent times such as the guaranteed £20,000 per season for all professionals, alterations to certain playing conditions in Chinese events that Robertson helped instigate, and the recent situation around world seniors champion Alfie Burden’s place at the Matchroom Multisport-run Champion of Champions.

WPBSA Players have also introduced an annual, on-site Player Support Programme for new and returning tour card holders which provides personal and professional guidance from industry specialists across a wide range of areas.

Progress after frustration

Setting up a new organisation like this is bound to take time, although there was frustration shown from PSPA board member Allen a few weeks ago over its progress.

Speaking whilst playing at his home event the Northern Ireland Open, Allen told TNT Sports: “Honestly, as one of the players involved, it’s been very frustrating”.

“The delays at the minute are coming from us and I think it’s unacceptable.

“It’s just going far too slowly for my liking because WST and WPBSA have been very communicative wanting to set up meetings and we haven’t actually been able to get those set up and that’s disappointing from our point of view because it’s good that they’re willing to engage”.

Players further down the rankings had previously been left in the dark, first learning of the breakaway body when details were released in the media.

With no prior communication to them, there were suggestions that the PSPA might have only been set up for the benefit of the sport’s household names and their interests.

However, on both counts above, proceedings have now moved on with the PSPA throwing its arms open to welcome all tour card holders and providing information on the help it can give to all.

What changes are the players pushing for?

Several players have provided insight into issues they have on the World Snooker Tour, with themes reoccurring.

One appears to be the suitability of venues and the impact that has on playing conditions.

Another seems to be about the current world ranking system. Murphy and Stephen Maguire have recently expressed their desire for the current money-based format to be replaced with a points-based formula to reward consistency.

Without seeing the players’ contract that they have to sign before accepting a tour card, it’s hard to know exactly what they are and aren’t permitted to do, but another area the PSPA may be hot on is the freedom for professionals to compete in events away from the World Snooker Tour and the permission they require in order to do so.

There was a well-documented situation in 2023 when several top stars didn’t enter the Northern Ireland Open in favour of playing at a lucrative exhibition event in Macau which was scheduled during the same time.

Competing at such events whilst an ongoing World Snooker Tour tournament is being televised is apparently not allowed, and at the time there was talk of the players going to Macau getting punished. As it happened, the exhibition event was moved to later in the year and that scenario was avoided, but it may have left a bitter taste for some players.

There have been many recent instances, though, of professionals competing on camera in non-WST competition such as the women’s and seniors circuits, exhibitions in the Far East, the Helsinki International Snooker Cup, and the Pink Ribbon Pro-Am.

Later this month, Pluto TV Snooker 900 will hold a professionals week with Jimmy White, Ken Doherty, Stuart Bingham, Robert Milkins and Reanne Evans all on the programme.