LONDON – N/A
Snooker’s landscape shifted earlier this month with the formation of the Professional Snooker Players’ Association (PSPA), a new independent players’ body championed by a who’s who of the sport. At its helm is legendary player John Higgins, joined on the players’ board by Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, Ali Carter, Stuart Bingham, Stephen Maguire, Gary Wilson, Joe Perry, Ryan Day, Barry Hawkins, and Jack Lesovsky. Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ding Junhui are lending their support to this burgeoning initiative.
Players Seek Stronger Voice
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The PSPA aims to create a powerful, independent league of players dedicated to equity, transparency, and progress. Higgins, speaking with the BBC, articulated the driving force: “The billiard should obtain a strong league of independent players that represents equity, transparency and progress.”
PSPA director Ben Rees elaborated on the group’s motivations, citing persistent issues within the sport. “There are serious problems such as exhaustion, calendar, bond allocation, lack of players and competition,” Rees explained. He highlighted a historical power imbalance: “Historically speaking, players are very weak. When they have problems, when they care, there is no mechanism effectively.” Rees expressed a common sentiment among players that their concerns are not adequately heard or addressed by existing governing bodies, including the WPBSA. “Even people like John and those who do everything in the game will really not hit it. Almost as if they had no respect. His opinions do not matter,” he added, referencing the perceived lack of player influence.
“It is about creating an entity that needs to control the strength of the agency and have significant conversations,” Rees continued. “The minutes of the meeting, what they propose, are documented, and then there are appropriate points of action.” This structured approach aims to ensure accountability and meaningful dialogue.
The PSPA’s formation comes amid a desire for greater player autonomy. While the Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has its own player representatives, including Son Kentty, Mark Davis, Ben Wollaston, Tian Pengfei, and board member Neil Robertson, the PSPA’s founders feel these structures have not provided sufficient impact. “PSPA may not feel that WPBSA players have enough effect, but want to work with existing powers,” Rees stated, emphasizing a collaborative, yet assertive, approach.
Collaboration and Future Goals
Rees underscored the PSPA’s commitment to working with current sporting authorities: “Until now, PSPA has been very clear. We want to maintain collaboration, we want to work together. But that includes attending the dining room table and collaborating.”
Both the World Snooker Tour (WST) and the WPBSA have acknowledged the PSPA’s emergence. A WST statement read: “WST always welcomes conversations with the 128 tour players. We strive to give players the best opportunity for success in sport and greatly improve the money in the prize.” They added, “We hope to see this new group and listen to their ideas for a greater development of sport.” The WPBSA echoed this sentiment, with WPBSA president Jason Ferguson reportedly visiting John Higgins to reiterate his position. “WPBSA has always welcomed the players’ commitments in sport,” the WPBSA stated.
However, the PSPA is looking beyond mere dialogue. “It’s not just listening to what PSPA says and continues in the usual way,” Rees cautioned. “Learn how to make players begin to process them correctly as they enter the game and in the future.” He anticipates some friction: “PSPA requires certain things you don’t like. This is inevitable because otherwise it is not necessary. It does not exist.” The key, he stressed, is for stakeholders to engage seriously: “They must deal with these points of view and commitments seriously. Then, we achieve good results for everyone.” The alternative, Rees warned, is division, which is “not the direction of the trip.”
Player Welfare and Commercial Rights
The PSPA’s immediate agenda centers on amplifying the player’s voice. “I think the first thing will be a broader general conversation about the player’s voice,” Rees said. “How do we bake and record the right sound?” He envisions a future where the PSPA is an integral part of the sport’s structure, stating, “Because it will not disappear. It will increase. Sound will increase, the power will increase.”
Beyond governance, the PSPA plans to address practical player concerns. “How do we improve the lives of young players, we travel the tour?” Rees questioned. “So they do not lose money, we do not lose any talent.” The association will also focus on tour structure, event density, and player well-being. “Relaxation period, conversations about players that burn, far from home,” he noted. “Then, it is the correct structure surrounding prosperity.”
Commercial aspects are also high on the agenda, including player discipline and the ability for players to monetize their personal brands. “Look things like discipline. Independent activities are a hot topic, how do we allow players to benefit from the brands they create?” Rees asked. “How do we ensure that this trip is commercially protected and protected by players’ rights?” Ultimately, he summarized, it’s about “seeing the balance that players are losing.”
Concerns that the PSPA might be dominated by external interests are unfounded, according to Rees. He emphasized that the organization is player-led, with its strength derived from the active participation of tour professionals like Higgins, Murphy, Selby, and Trump. “They think his strength is the most important player,” Rees said. “They know they have negotiation skills. They do not know how to guide this effectively, so it develops.”
Rees stressed the importance of broad player support to prevent promising talents from leaving the sport. “But everyone is very clear that hiking will get a cavity without the proper support of the players up and down, and at some point people cannot afford to play.” Membership recruitment is underway, with hopes for widespread adoption. “We hope that all players join,” Rees stated. “They do not need to join, but the victory they earn because the best players support and establish, run and dedicate time and effort, is obtaining collective bargaining.”
Did You Know?
The PSPA aims to address issues such as player burnout, calendar congestion, and fair prize money allocation, ensuring players have a stronger, independent voice in snooker’s governance.
