Snooker board member quits over restructuring

Snooker's ruling body lost a board member today as 110sport Group chairman Lee Doyle quit in protest at Barry Hearn's restructuring plans.

Hearn will take a controlling interest in World Snooker, the commercial arm of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, if his proposals to shake up the sport are accepted by the players next month.

Doyle objects to Hearn automatically being handed a 51% stake in World Snooker and has urged the players to 'see the bigger picture' when they come to vote.

The timing of Doyle's departure, five days before the start of the Betfred.com World Championship, might be seen as unfortunate.

However, WPBSA chairman Hearn, who came to power in December amid solid support from the players, remains convinced his plan has the potential to reinvigorate snooker.

Hearn responded to Doyle's resignation by saying the former director may be 'opposed to my plan to reinvigorate snooker for the benefit of all players'.

Doyle's stable of players includes the current world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan, who last week urged his fellow professionals to 'see sense' and throw their full support behind Hearn.

Doyle had been a director on the WPBSA board since 2006 and said: 'I feel that my current position is now untenable given that I am completely opposed to the proposals the chairman, Barry Hearn, has laid out, whereby the controlling rights in the company are handed over to him.

'I do understand what Barry is trying to achieve in snooker and we have discussed this at considerable length, but on this one we agree to disagree.

'Barry has always run his own business and made his own decisions. However, I feel extremely uncomfortable where, from my perspective, decisions are being taken on contracts without me being consulted as a board member.

'I do wish some of the players would look at these proposals from the business angle and see the bigger picture and the implications going forward for the game, rather than turning everything into some kind of popularity contest between those they like and those they don't want to listen to.'

Hearn said: 'I welcome Lee's decision to resign as a director of WPBSA.

'As a manager of players and promoter of rival events in important territories like China, Lee's position as a board director, where confidential information becomes available to effectively a competitor, has become untenable.

'He may well be opposed to my plan to reinvigorate snooker for the benefit of all players and I therefore totally understand his reasons for resigning.

'I'm glad to say that the remaining board members, Steve Davis, Brandon Parker and Pat Mooney are, like me, totally committed in supporting these new proposals for taking the game forward and look forward to discussing them with the players at the meeting planned for 5 May.'