Snooker is facing a financial crisis after two of its largest financial supporters have announced withdraw. 888.com, the gaming company and the major sponsor of the World Snooker Championship, the most important event of the sport, has cut off its 5 years sponsorship contract after 3 years and at the same time, Saga Insurance, had quit supporting the Wembley Masters. The fiscal damage to snooker is estimated in £1.5 million. It is the second serious financial crisis faced by snooker due to lack of sponsors that followed the 2005 tobacco sponsorship ban. 

Here’s a reminder from snooker better days, when snooker players used to smoke and drink anything but water during championships:

Snooker players are not the only ones having problems with their organizations. Across the Atlantic, American pool players deal with delay of payments, sponsorship shortage, sudden changes in ranking systems and other kinds of messes. Therefore, Mark Griffin, the CEO of the BCA Pool League, plans to take charge on the future of the professional sportsmen in the country. 

In his efforts to improve things for American pro pool players, Griffin promises to launch a new billiard tournament with more than $200,000 in added prize money, and to offer a stable, long lasting financial support for pro players to replace their dependency on temporary sponsorship, and might even include a health insurance. To make it possible, the pro pool players in America will have to kick off a new association. 

Griffin’s thinking out loud come in a very good timing, not long after the United States Professional Pool Players Association stand making against the World Pool-Billiard Association, the international parent organization of the BCA. In putting the initiation of a new pool players organization a condition for the implementation of his promising plans, Griffin answers the UPA arguments. About the same time, some leading snooker players have attacked, anonymously the World Snooker Association, arguing the organization fails in promoting the sports to the same level as golf or other sports.

More on the subject:

The quarrel between the two Philippine governing bodies puts the 10-ball and 9-ball world championships in risk.

Midway through the 2008 World Snooker Championship, it seems like Ronnie O’Sullivan justifies the predictions seeing him the next Snooker World Championship. The Rocket stride toward his prophesied third World title started out with his 10-5 victory over 17 years old Liu Chang and continued with his 140 break at the best of 25 frames against Mark Williams.

Currently, O’Sullivan leads 5-3, but while the post is being written the last word hasn’t been pronounced yet.  In between, O’Sullivan had made some more headlines by invoking his China Open controversy. The Rocket has apologized for making sexually explicit suggestions towards the media at the press conference. Ronnie’s obscene behavior might cost him disciplinary acts.

"I don’t want to be known as somebody who causes trouble" O’Sullivan withdraws at a talk with the Guardian, "I didn’t realize the microphones and cameras were on. I was just having a joke with an individual." And at the same opportunity pats on his young first round competitor’s back, saying that the wunderkind has the perfect mechanism yet lacks the experience.

I don’t know about you, but I can find a list reasons to cross fingers for Ronnie O’Sullivan. Perhaps it’s his tragic life story, maybe his unusual talent, his puppy eyes or just the longing to an era were snooker players were self-destructive, living-on-the-edge fellows rather than the perfect, protein-shakes-drinkers most snooker players are these days, anyway, run Ronnie run!

Shane Van Boening was named the 2007 Player of the Year by The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (UPA). The 2007 US Open 9-Ball champion was chosen for his "exceptional (billiards) skill/talent" and for his "vast determination for perfecting the game". 

23 years old resident of South Dakota has been regarded as one of America’s most promising pool players. After claiming the 2007 US Open 9-Ball Championship and the Predator World 10-Ball Championship, and finalizing in many prestigious pool tournaments including Enjoypool.com 9-Ball Championship, World Summit of Pool and Mosconi Cup Team Member, Van Boening had righteously earned the UPA 2007 Player of the Year. 

Grandson of a trick shot artist and a son of BCA national champion (as well as a grandson - both his mother and grandmother won BCA national championships), Shane Van Boening started playing pool when members of his age group where still learning to turn doorknobs. Not surprisingly, the 3-times Valley National Eightball Association (VNEA) 8-ball champion, has become one of the top pool players in the US at the early age of 22. 

Now, turning 24, Shane Van Boening is expected to reach higher peaks and to become the number one pool player in the US.

In a recent interview, Rona Bareket, Play89’s new protégé had stated that as opposed to what’s expected of her, she doesn’t plan to quit snooker in favor of pool. In other words, she says that the big money offered to women pool players will not tempt her to replace snooker with 9-ball.

Rona Bareket’s statement raises two questions. First, you must wonder why winning in pool tournaments is more profitable than in snooker. Secondly, we all know that the world’s top ranked men snooker players make millions of pounds, how come the world’s top ladies snooker players have to cross the continent to play pool?

Let’s take a look at Allison Fisher as an example. She won the first World Ladies Snooker Championship at 17 and even came in the Male Snooker ranking, but since her progression in snooker, she left her homeland of England to blend in the American 9-ball pool scene. As a pool player, Fisher aka The Duchess of Doom quickly became one of the highest earning players in the field, regardless to her sex. Where would she be now if stayed in the English snooker circuit?

Play89 is proud to introduce, and at the same opportunity to sponsor, the most promising snooker talent in Israel - Rona Bareket. The 22 years old snooker player is ranked at number 9 (!) in the World’s Ladies Snooker Players, after making it to the Knockout Stage at the recent 2007 IBSF World Ladies Snooker Championship.

Although she made her first snooker tournament appearance only 4 years ago, Rona Bareket is the great white hope of the Israeli billiards scene. Before Bareket, no Israeli snooker player has ever arrived to such amazing achievements at such a short time.

In order to provide Bareket with the financial stability that will allow her to devote her time to her snooker training and to promote excellency in the snooker game, Play89 decide to adopt the snooker champion to be and to become Rona Bareket official sponsor.

Wait for updates on Rona Bareket snooker tours around the world.

Jeanette "The Black Widow" Lee has signed up with the billiards equipment and media company LiquidWick Pool Cues. As part of the deal, the company will produce a line of signature cues which will be called "Widow Master". LiquidWick managers say that being the biggest billiards star of our days made Lee the most suitable face to support the company billiards equipment.

Lee is the most recognized face of contemporary billiards. The multidisciplinary pool player, who is nicknamed "The Black Widow" after her somehow gothic taste in clothing, masters various types of billiards games including 9-ball pool, speed pool, trick shots and carom billiards.

Earl Stickland and Johnny Archer will be facing each other in a live challenge 8-ball match on December 19th as part of the International Pool Tour. The once in a life time event will be transmitted live on the IPT website for free.

Earl Stickland is one of the greatest 9-ball players in the US and a BCA Hall of Fame inductee. Born in 1961, Stickland had turned professional at the age of 15. He currently holds 5 US Open Nine-Ball Championship titles, and 3 WPA World Nine Ball Championships. Stickland is also part of the American Mosconi Cup team.

Known for his loud temperament, throughout his career, Earl Stickland was involved in several controversies. Nevertheless, and despite his love-hate relationship with the audience Stickland is one of the most trusted players by promoters.

Johnny Archer is also one of the 9-ball pool giants of the past two decades. Born in 1968, Archer won in every major 9-ball pool tournament at least once including the US Open Nine-Ball Championship, WPA World Nine Ball Championship, Brunswick Pro Players Championship, Texas Hold ‘Em Billiards Championship and more. Archer is also a keen speed pool player who had amazed TV viewers when he had managed to break two racks and pocket two sets of 15 balls in one minute and a half.

The 8-ball live challenge match will be commented by Mike Sigel and Grady Mathews. It is something I’m certainly not going to miss.