Chairman brands players 'lazy'

Barry Hearn today branded snooker stars as 'lazy' and vowed to get them working to improve the health of the sport.

The new chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association will reveal his manifesto at the end of the month but today dropped heavy hints that the emphasis will be on keeping players active.

He promised a vastly increased workload, with more than 20 tournaments each year which he expects players to show for, even when prize-money is on the low side.

Hearn, who has revolutionised darts and enjoyed considerable success in promoting snooker, boxing and several other sports in his career, is ready to walk away from his new role if the players revolt against his regime.

He told Press Association Sport: 'I'm going to set up a whole range of new tournaments. I've got to get these guys working, they've got to realise this is a job as well as a profession. It's not a hobby.

'And I'm relying on them to rise to the challenge.

'I've got to question the players and say, "This only works if you're with it. You've got one opportunity if you want me leading the game".

'And it comes down to a question of trust as well.

'I don't believe players should have anything whatsoever to do with the commercial aspect of the game. I don't think they're qualified; I think they're lazy; I think they let other people rule their lives - such as their managers, which creates a whole vested interest.

'All of this has got to go in one go, and it's going to be the way that I say it's going to be. And if it's not going to be that way then I say, "Go and do it yourselves".

'There will be over 20 tournaments but they won't all be massive ones. I need to create a proper pro tour.

'Some of the players will say, "Oh I'm not playing for that (amount of prize-money)", but I say, "You'd better get in mate".

'I've got to drive them to get off their behinds and do some work and some of them won't like it.'