Snooker

Stephen Lee, a former World no.5, has served his 12 year ban. Lee was banned for deliberately losing certain frames and matches, without his opponents knowing, as part of a betting scam. Lee was a semi finalist in the 2003 World Championship, losing to Mark Williams, and the runner up of the 2008 Masters, losing the final to Mark Selby. Before he was suspended he won the 2012 Players Championship.

Lee owes the WPBSA £125,000 for the legal fees they incurred during the proceedings, and he won't be permitted to regain his professional status until it is paid.

If he hasn't saved it up over 12 years, presumably he's not coming back.

This season's World Grand Prix has been switched from Leicester to Hong Kong so it can be played at the new, state of the art facility, the Kai Tak Sports Park. The Grand Prix, which is usually the tournament following the Masters in January will now be played in March 2025.

The whole of the Players series will commence in March 2025 this season, with the Tour Championship finishing in April, and is the tournament before the World Championship.
Revised dates:
March 4-9: The World Grand Prix
March 17-23: The Players Championship
March 31 to April 6: The Tour Championship
If the format for the Players Series remains the same, then any player not in the top 32 of the one year ranking list by March will miss out, and have to start their preparation for the World Championship early. Not that it bothered Kyren Wilson or Jak Jones much last season.

The Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong has a capacity of 4,000, and is a strong contender for hosting the World Championship after The Crucible's contract expires.

I don't know what Rachel Reeves said in the budget to upset them, but both Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump have become tax exiles and moved to Hong Kong. Ronnie has used his friendship with the Chinese to apply for permanent residence under a migrant scheme. Judd Trump is openly seeing Hong Kong figure skating star Maisy Ma, and could be planning to apply for permanent residency by marriage in the near future.

Zhao Xintong gets another 147 in the Q Tour, this time in the quarter final of the November event. Zhao went on to complete a Q Tour double, beating Ryan Davies 4-2 in the final. Zhao pockets another £3,000 and goes top of the rankings, 2100 points above 2nd placed Dylan Emery.

Zhao, Emery and Andres Petrov all get a wildcard entry on merit into the UK Championships qualifying beginning on Nov 16th. In a few days time Zhao could be re-entering the professional stage to regain the UK Championship he won in 2021.

It would make a curious story if he did make the main stages at all.

Mark King is the latest player to be banned for match fixing. An Independent Tribunal upheld the WPBSA's assertion that King deliberately lost a match 4-0 to Joe Perry last year. King has been banned for 5 years.

He might as well retire, he was hardly setting the game alight anyway.

Zhao Xintong wins the Vienna leg of the European Q Tour. He made 3 centuries in the final, including the highest break of the event, 141, in beating Ryan Thomerson 4-2. Zhao pockets another £3000.

Dylan Emery, in 2nd place, only managed the last 32. Zhao has a near unassailable 4900 ranking point lead over Emery with just 2 events left, and he only needs the 1500 points from one runner up spot to guarantee he finishes top of the rankings and wins the automatic WST tour card for the 2025/6 season.

Snooker has had its fair share of passings in 2024. Most recent was the death of Silvino Francisco of South Africa at the age of 78.
A former British Open champion who also had his fair share of controversy in a variety of ways.

Mark Wildman left us at the age of 88.
An excellent commentator and former World Billiards champion in 1984.

Clive Everton was snooker royalty in so many ways with his passing at 87.
A brilliant commentator, magazine editor and writer.
He will be sorely missed.

And of course two Welsh titans of the sport. Six time World champion Ray Reardon and the first ever qualifier to win the World title i.e: Terry Griffiths. Absolute icons both.

We shall remember them all.

Farewell chaps .