Snooker stars sick of sponsorship row
Friday, 14 Apr 2006 14:33
Snooker stars sick of sponsorship row Printer friendly version Top snooker players are "sick to death" of a sponsorship row on the eve of the World Snooker Championships, according to a top agent.
The world's top snooker competition starts tomorrow at the Crucible, and players have boycotted the media after governing body World Snooker signed a sponsorship deal with online casino 888.com.
The deal is set to cost players who have deals with other betting firms their personal sponsorship contracts.
"They are sick to death of the situation," Ian Doyle, chairman of agency 110sport, told the BBC.
Doyle's company manages 12 players competing at Sheffield including world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and two other former world champions in Mark Williams and Ken Doherty.
Hendry and Williams are both set to lose £50,000-plus sponsorship deals with Betfred, and Doherty his deal with Paddy Power.
World Snooker rules prevent players from sporting logos from competing companies, and 888.com has signed a deal to be associate sponsors of the Masters, Grand Prix and UK Championship as well as sponsoring the World Championship.
The sponsorship row follows a large reduction in prize money in a season reduced to six ranking tournaments after Embassy was forced to withdraw its backing of the sport due to the ban on tobacco advertising last year.
"We are talking about millions, not thousands," Doyle claimed.
Doyle's company is contemplating legal action under European restraint of trade legislation.
"If they choose to go down that route, that is their prerogative," Rodney Walker, chairman of World Snooker, the commercial arm of the game's governing body, told BBC Sport.
"But the rules of World Snooker are absolutely crystal clear. They are only allowed to have one sponsorship patch on their waistcoats."
Friday, 14 Apr 2006 14:33
Snooker stars sick of sponsorship row Printer friendly version Top snooker players are "sick to death" of a sponsorship row on the eve of the World Snooker Championships, according to a top agent.
The world's top snooker competition starts tomorrow at the Crucible, and players have boycotted the media after governing body World Snooker signed a sponsorship deal with online casino 888.com.
The deal is set to cost players who have deals with other betting firms their personal sponsorship contracts.
"They are sick to death of the situation," Ian Doyle, chairman of agency 110sport, told the BBC.
Doyle's company manages 12 players competing at Sheffield including world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan, seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and two other former world champions in Mark Williams and Ken Doherty.
Hendry and Williams are both set to lose £50,000-plus sponsorship deals with Betfred, and Doherty his deal with Paddy Power.
World Snooker rules prevent players from sporting logos from competing companies, and 888.com has signed a deal to be associate sponsors of the Masters, Grand Prix and UK Championship as well as sponsoring the World Championship.
The sponsorship row follows a large reduction in prize money in a season reduced to six ranking tournaments after Embassy was forced to withdraw its backing of the sport due to the ban on tobacco advertising last year.
"We are talking about millions, not thousands," Doyle claimed.
Doyle's company is contemplating legal action under European restraint of trade legislation.
"If they choose to go down that route, that is their prerogative," Rodney Walker, chairman of World Snooker, the commercial arm of the game's governing body, told BBC Sport.
"But the rules of World Snooker are absolutely crystal clear. They are only allowed to have one sponsorship patch on their waistcoats."
