Post a reply

Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby gninnur karona

New ranking season almost upon us and still no full calendar announced beyond end 2022.

As for the first part of the season? I guess it's OK for Shaun Murphy and the rest of the top 16 but for the majority of tour players could it be possible to design a worse calendar?

Here's some alternative dates. Better for players ranked 17 and below, better for the fans.

Move European Masters qualifiers from 15-17 & 22-24 July to 2-7 August.
Move British Open qualifiers from 9-14 August to 19-24 September.
Move Northern Ireland qualifiers from 23-28 August to 4-9 October (if in England) or 11-14 October (if in Northern Ireland).
Advance Championship League invitational groups 1 & 2 from 6-9 December to 25-28 October. (The one minor impact for the top 16)
Move Scottish Open qualifiers from 4-9 October to 21-26 November.
Move English Open qualifiers from 25-30 October to 5-10 December.
Move German Masters qualifiers from 21-26 November to January 2023.

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby lhpirnie

gninnur karona wrote:New ranking season almost upon us and still no full calendar announced beyond end 2022.

As for the first part of the season? I guess it's OK for Shaun Murphy and the rest of the top 16 but for the majority of tour players could it be possible to design a worse calendar?

Here's some alternative dates. Better for players ranked 17 and below, better for the fans.

Move European Masters qualifiers from 15-17 & 22-24 July to 2-7 August.
Move British Open qualifiers from 9-14 August to 19-24 September.
Move Northern Ireland qualifiers from 23-28 August to 4-9 October (if in England) or 11-14 October (if in Northern Ireland).
Advance Championship League invitational groups 1 & 2 from 6-9 December to 25-28 October. (The one minor impact for the top 16)
Move Scottish Open qualifiers from 4-9 October to 21-26 November.
Move English Open qualifiers from 25-30 October to 5-10 December.
Move German Masters qualifiers from 21-26 November to January 2023.

Well what would be better for players lower down the rankings is abolishing the interminable qualifiers for the Home Nations series and having all professionals attend the main venues and treated with some respect. Shaun Murphy might have got his way (top-16 now get byes into the 5th round of the UK), but it could be his last season in the top-16. His 1-year ranking was 35.


Incidentally, you can't move the German Masters or European Masters qualifiers. Players need to get travel documents and make arrangements.

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby gninnur karona

lhpirnie wrote:Well what would be better for players lower down the rankings is abolishing the interminable qualifiers for the Home Nations series and having all professionals attend the main venues and treated with some respect. Shaun Murphy might have got his way (top-16 now get byes into the 5th round of the UK), but it could be his last season in the top-16. His 1-year ranking was 35.


Incidentally, you can't move the German Masters or European Masters qualifiers. Players need to get travel documents and make arrangements.


The changes of dates I proposed would result in qualifiers for all UK events taking place immediately before the main venue rounds which would be vastly superior to playing qualifiers months in advance. There are so many holes in the calendar that it is perfectly feasible to do this. An interim step. Because I agree with you completely that qualifiers should be scrapped. No reason to deny professionals places at main venues.

As for events in Europe. If qualifiers continue maybe they should be held in the host country too. Imagine the week before the German Masters finals in Berlin the opening two rounds being played in four centres elsewhere in Germany. Marketed as the 'race to Berlin' would there be a potential to attract more sponsorship money and hold the opening rounds in public?

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby Minimum Break

gninnur karona wrote: Imagine the week before the German Masters finals in Berlin the opening two rounds being played in four centres elsewhere in Germany. Marketed as the 'race to Berlin' would there be a potential to attract more sponsorship money and hold the opening rounds in public?


That would be great if WST would cover the players expenses as they do for the held-over matches currently, or paid prize money to the first round losers.

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby Wildey

gninnur karona wrote:New ranking season almost upon us and still no full calendar announced beyond end 2022.

As for the first part of the season? I guess it's OK for Shaun Murphy and the rest of the top 16 but for the majority of tour players could it be possible to design a worse calendar?

Here's some alternative dates. Better for players ranked 17 and below, better for the fans.

Move European Masters qualifiers from 15-17 & 22-24 July to 2-7 August.
Move British Open qualifiers from 9-14 August to 19-24 September.
Move Northern Ireland qualifiers from 23-28 August to 4-9 October (if in England) or 11-14 October (if in Northern Ireland).
Advance Championship League invitational groups 1 & 2 from 6-9 December to 25-28 October. (The one minor impact for the top 16)
Move Scottish Open qualifiers from 4-9 October to 21-26 November.
Move English Open qualifiers from 25-30 October to 5-10 December.
Move German Masters qualifiers from 21-26 November to January 2023.

Snooker is not played in Snooker Venues they are played in venues which they have a lot of different things booked at any given time so in a lot of cases thats the best they can do.

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby gninnur karona

Wildey wrote:
gninnur karona wrote:New ranking season almost upon us and still no full calendar announced beyond end 2022.

As for the first part of the season? I guess it's OK for Shaun Murphy and the rest of the top 16 but for the majority of tour players could it be possible to design a worse calendar?

Here's some alternative dates. Better for players ranked 17 and below, better for the fans.

Move European Masters qualifiers from 15-17 & 22-24 July to 2-7 August.
Move British Open qualifiers from 9-14 August to 19-24 September.
Move Northern Ireland qualifiers from 23-28 August to 4-9 October (if in England) or 11-14 October (if in Northern Ireland).
Advance Championship League invitational groups 1 & 2 from 6-9 December to 25-28 October. (The one minor impact for the top 16)
Move Scottish Open qualifiers from 4-9 October to 21-26 November.
Move English Open qualifiers from 25-30 October to 5-10 December.
Move German Masters qualifiers from 21-26 November to January 2023.

Snooker is not played in Snooker Venues they are played in venues which they have a lot of different things booked at any given time so in a lot of cases thats the best they can do.


Concerning the qualifiers all but the European Masters are currently showing as tbc which is presumably 'to be confirmed' rather than 'Tottenham Billiards Club'. Staging them later would have a side benefit for WST by giving them more time to find venues.

Of course they also have the best option to scrap qualifiers completely and have 128 players at the final venues. Hardly a left-field suggestion as that's how the home series events operated under Barry Hearn.

Re: Improving the calendar for players ranked below 16

Postby Wildey

gninnur karona wrote:
Wildey wrote:
gninnur karona wrote:New ranking season almost upon us and still no full calendar announced beyond end 2022.

As for the first part of the season? I guess it's OK for Shaun Murphy and the rest of the top 16 but for the majority of tour players could it be possible to design a worse calendar?

Here's some alternative dates. Better for players ranked 17 and below, better for the fans.

Move European Masters qualifiers from 15-17 & 22-24 July to 2-7 August.
Move British Open qualifiers from 9-14 August to 19-24 September.
Move Northern Ireland qualifiers from 23-28 August to 4-9 October (if in England) or 11-14 October (if in Northern Ireland).
Advance Championship League invitational groups 1 & 2 from 6-9 December to 25-28 October. (The one minor impact for the top 16)
Move Scottish Open qualifiers from 4-9 October to 21-26 November.
Move English Open qualifiers from 25-30 October to 5-10 December.
Move German Masters qualifiers from 21-26 November to January 2023.

Snooker is not played in Snooker Venues they are played in venues which they have a lot of different things booked at any given time so in a lot of cases thats the best they can do.


Concerning the qualifiers all but the European Masters are currently showing as tbc which is presumably 'to be confirmed' rather than 'Tottenham Billiards Club'. Staging them later would have a side benefit for WST by giving them more time to find venues.

Of course they also have the best option to scrap qualifiers completely and have 128 players at the final venues. Hardly a left-field suggestion as that's how the home series events operated under Barry Hearn.

Yes however German Masters can only be played over 5 days i can only assume because thats the only time they can accommodate the tournament.

you need TV and the Venue to come together at the right time