NEWS
LEGENDS LEAGUE 2024 DRAW
LEGENDS LEAGUE WITHDRAWALS/REPLACEMENTS
Stuart Watson [6], Alec Chalmers [8] and Alex Clenshaw [5] have been forced to withdraw from the Legends League. They have been replaced by 10th seed Harvey Chandler [now Josh Thomond] in Group B and Gary Skipworth [12] and Ryan Thomerson [15] in Group A.
AUSSIE RULES IN LEGENDS LEAGUE
Australian Ryan Thomerson won snooker's Legends League, becoming the tour's first overseas champion, defeating Richard Jones 3-2 to claim the £500 first prize and lift the Mark Wildman Trophy. The 30 year-old former professional was a late replacement in Group A for the absent Alex Clenshaw, and was unbeaten against opponents Gary Skipworth, Jamie Turner and Paul Sparrow to ease into the final. He also shared the highest break of 94 with Warrington's Josh Thomond, who stood in for reigning Shoot-Out champion Harvey Chandler. Cambridge player Jones pocketed the rankings bonus of £100 for securing the year-end number one position, as well as £225 for being runner-up. There were a total of 14 breaks over 50 in an expected high quality day's play, and the new year promises to be even more exciting with an increase in prize money across all events, beginning with the Legends Team Cup in January.
MARK WILDMAN TROPHY
The Legends League trophy will be named after Peterborough snooker legend and 1984 World Billiard champion Mark Wildman, who passed away last month aged 88. Wildman, the first player to compile a televised century break and reached a career high 21 in the world rankings, was a former owner of both the Court Club and Rileys in the city, and helped coach various players over the years, often free of charge. The naming of the trophy, which is now in its fifth year, is a lasting tribute to a well-respected and much-loved champion of the sport.
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 DRAW
CLENSHAW RETAINS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Harlow's Alex Clenshaw successfully defended snooker's Players Championship at the Court Club in Peterborough, beating Norwich's former professional Steven Waldron 3-2 in a high quality final to secure the £400 first prize. Clenshaw, who scored heavily throughout the day, had earlier survived a deciding frame finish in his first round match against Steve Martin, before easing past Australian Ryan Thomerson and reigning Masters Cup and Six Reds winner Paul Sparrow, both by 3-1 scorelines. Sparrow collected £20 for the highest break of the event for his terrific 135 clearance against Vaughan Lutkin, but his run of 13 consecutive victories came to an end in the last four at the hands of the champion. Tour debutant Waldron had defeated Courtney Symons, Nathan Jones and Jamie Turner en route to his maiden final. Victory for Clenshaw, who became only the second player to defend a Legends Tour title, ensured him of a place in next month's prestigious Legends League, where the top 8 ranked players of the year will battle it out for the £500 top
prize.
GROUP A:
Paul Sparrow [1]
Jamie Turner [4]
Alex Clenshaw [5]
Alec Chalmers [8]
GROUP B:
Jason Green [2]
Richard Jones [3]
Stuart Watson [6]
Steve Martin [7]
RESERVES [in the following order]:
Darren Bampkin [9]
Harvey Chandler [10]
Vaughan Lutkin [11]
.jpg)
Ryan Thomerson v Jason Green
Steve Martin v Alex Clenshaw
Luke Pinches v Josh Thomond
Vaughan Lutkin v Paul Sparrow
Richard Jones v Nathan Jones
Courtney Symons v Steven Waldron
Kristian Willetts v Jamie Turner
Darren Bampkin v Gary Skipworth
SIX REDS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 DRAW
SPARROW KEEPS COOL TO LAND SIX REDS GLORY
Paul Sparrow won the Six Reds Championship beating Chesterfield's Benji Buckley 3-2 in a tense final to clinch the title and pocket the £350 first prize. The Ipswich man survived another four deciding frame finishes en route to the last two and has now recorded 11 consecutive match victories on the Legends Tour. He also becomes only the second man to win back-to-back titles, following in the footsteps of 11-time champion Mark Gray. Australia's pre-tournament favourite Ryan Thomerson crashed out in the quarter-finals to Richard Jones, but did secure the £20 highest break prize with a run 71. The next event in the series is the Players Championship, which will take place in November.
SPARROW SOARS TO TITLE
GROUP A:
Jamie Turner
Russell Huxter
Duncan Ralph
Ryan Thomerson
GROUP B:
Kristian Willetts
Neil Dowlman
Darren Bampkin
Richard Jones
GROUP C:
Steve Martin
Gary Skipworth
Paul Sparrow
Benji Buckley
GROUP D:
Vaughan Lutkin
Paul Newman
Jason Green
Rob Petch
MASTERS CUP 2024 DRAW
.png)
Paul Sparrow defeated travel partner Courtney Symons 2-1 in the final of snooker's Masters Cup at the Peterborough Conservative Club to win his first Legends Tour event. The Ipswich man pocketed the £375 top prize, as well as securing the £20 highest break for an excellent century of 108 earlier in the day. Sparrow showed nerves of steel throughout in beating Richard Apperley, Gary Norman, former professional Gary Skipworth and Cambridge's Richard Jones all in deciding frames, en route to his final victory over Symons. Veteran Vaughan Lutkin reached the last eight, knocking out defending champion Jamie Turner in the second round. Attention now turns to next month's the Six Reds Championship, as the race for the year-end Legends League continues.
ELEMENTARY FOR WATSON - CHANDLER HITS 147
ROUND 1:
Gary Norman v Freddie Miles
Vaughan Lutkin v Colin Mitchell
Richard Parker v Steve Martin
Kristian Willetts v Richard Jones
Richard Apperley v Paul Sparrow
Graham Tilley v Paul Avory
Ryan Mitchell v Gary Skipworth
Spencer Dawkins v Jason Green
ROUND 2:
Parker/Martin v Russell Huxter
Alec Chalmers v Courtney Symonds
Tilley/Avory v Graham Bradford
Rob Petch v Dawkins/Green
----------------------------------------
Jamie Turner v Lutkin/C.Mitchell
Duncan Ralph v Willetts/Jones
Apperley/Sparrow v Norman/Miles
Neil Dowlman v R.Mitchell/Skipworth
CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2024 DRAW
Warwickshire's Stuart Watson won snooker's Champions Trophy at the Court Club on Sunday, defeating Kings Lynn's Alec Chalmers 2-0 in the final to collect the £400 first prize. It was Watson's second Legends Tour title to go alongside his Six Reds triumph in 2020. Having been a late replacement for Nottingham's Bash Maqsood, who only withdrew from the event on the Saturday, Watson beat Skegness duo Kristian Willetts 3-0 and Jamie Turner 2-1 to top Group C before easing past Harvey Chandler 3-1 in the last four. Chandler had earlier lit up the tournament with a sensational 147 break during his 3-2 victory of Harlow's Alex Clenshaw, which saw him claim the £20 highest break prize and the maximum bonus of £100. Defending champion Mark Gray crashed out 3-1 in his opening match to Turner, who later scored a break of 121, the second century of a high quality day's play. The next event in the series is the Masters Cup in September.
MAQSOOD OUT - WATSON IN
Bash Maqsood, who was due to face Kristian Willetts in his opening Group C match of the Champions Trophy, has been forced to withdraw from the tournament. He has been replaced by 2020 Six Reds winner Stuart Watson.
CLINICAL CHANDLER TRIUMPHS IN SHOOT-OUT
GROUP A:
Darren Bampkin v Chloe Payne [best-of-5]
Jason Green v Alec Chalmers [best-of-3]
GROUP B:
Harvey Chandler v Alex Clenshaw [best-of-5]
Graham Cripsey v Vaughan Lutkin [best-of-5]
GROUP C:
Mark Gray v Jamie Turner [best-of-5]
Kristian Willetts v Bash Maqsood [best-of-5]
GROUP D:
Steve Martin v Richard Jones [best-of-5]
Gary Skipworth v Josh Thomond [best-of-5]
MASTERS CUP VENUE
The Masters Cup, which is due to take place on 22nd September, will be played at the Peterborough Conservative Club, after holding initial talks with the the club's chairman. It will be the second event of the year to be held at the venue, after they successfully staged the Snooker Classic in February.
Harvey Chandler defeated Mark Gray 109-0 to win the Snooker Shoot-Out title at the Court Club, Peterborough, pocketing the £250 first prize and lifting the Mark Housden Trophy for the second time. It was sweet revenge for the 28 year-old, who had lost both of the pair's two previous meetings, including in last year's final. Northampton's former professional, who only arrived back in the country on Friday after competing in the Global Q Tour play-offs in Bosnia, was a worthy winner, beating Graham Tilley in his opening match, before making a terrific 105 clearance in dispatching Steve Singh in the quarter-finals, then easing past Steve Martin in the last four. Despite losing in three of his last four finals, Gray, the 11-time Legends Tour winner who collected £125 as runner-up, will remain one of the favourites for next month's Champions Trophy.
WILLETTS & AVORY ARE THE PERFECT PAIR
SNOOKER CLASSIC 2024 DRAW
ROUND ONE:
Alec Chalmers v Benji Buckley
Steve Martin v Graham Cripsey
Kristian Willetts v Connor Kelly
Jamie Turner v Josh Thomond
Gary Skipworth v Russell Huxter
Jason Green v Bash Maqsood
Darren Bampkin v Vaughan Lutkin
Rob Petch v Gary Norman
GREEN CLAIMS TITLE IN CLASSIC WIN
Spalding's Jason Green won the inaugural Snooker Classic at the Peterborough Conservative club, beating former professional Graham Crispsey 2-1 on the final black to lift the Tony Gregory Trophy and pocket the £400 first prize. Green battled his way past Nottingham's Bash Maqsood 3-1 in the opening round, before securing deciding frame victories over Russell Huxter and Darren Bampkin en route to the final. Cripsey, who is the Legends Tour's oldest ever finalist at the age of 69, used all his experience to edge past city cueman Steve Martin 3-2 on the black, then scored wins over Chesterfield's Benji Buckley and tournament favourite Josh Thomond, both by 2-1 scorelines to reach the title match. Gary Skipworth claimed the highest break prize with a run of 77. The trophy was named in memory of Peterborough player Tony Gregory, who passed away due to cancer in December last year, aged 70.
CHAMPIONS TROPHY DATE CHANGE
The Champions Trophy, the second major of the season that was scheduled for the 7th April, will now take place at the Court Club, Peterborough, on 14th April. 16 players will be competing for the £400 top prize and the crystal glass trophy which, last year, saw Mark Gray defeat Bash Maqsood to lift the title.
SNOOKER Q STORE LEGENDS LEAGUE 2023 DRAW
WITHDRAWALS/REPLACEMENTS FOR LEGENDS LEAGUE
GRAY FINISHES IN STYLE WITH LEGENDS LEAGUE TITLE
Mark Gray ended the year in style by winning the Snooker Q Store Legends League at the Court Club on Sunday. The top seed defeated Peterborough's Steve Martin 3-0 in the final to claim the £400 first prize, finishing off the match with contributions of 54 and 103, the latter winning him an extra £20 for the highest break of the event. Gray, who also collected a £100 bonus for ending the year as the number one ranked player, benefitted by late withdrawals from Harvey Chandler and Vaughan Lutkin in his group as he cruised through to the final, posting whitewash victories over replacements Connor Kelly and Louth's former professional Gary Skipworth [both 4-0], as well as gaining revenge over Alex Clenshaw 3-1, whom he lost to in the Players Championship last month, despite saying his game was 'embarrassing'. The title is the Bourne cueman's fourth of the year and a record-extending 11th overall on the Legends Tour. Runner-up Martin was undefeated in Group B, beating both Jamie Turner and Rob Petch, and posting a 2-2 draw against Russell Huxter, but was no match for Gray in the final. The 2024 season will offer over £6,000 in prize funds over eight scheduled events, starting with the Legends Team Cup in January.
There have been late withdrawals from this month's Snooker Q Store Legends League, with Stuart Watson, Kristian Willetts and Alec Chalmers now being replaced by Rob Petch, Gary Skipworth and Connor Kelly. Petch is put into Group B, whilst Skipworth and Kelly are moved into Group A.
NEW TOURNAMENT FOR 2024:
SNOOKER CLASSIC
.png)
The Legends Tour will see an 8th tournament introduced to the calendar next year. Being the opening ranking event of 2024, February's Snooker Classic will see a 16-player field compete for the £375 top prize and the trophy. All matches will be a knock-out format, the first round being a best-of-5 frame match, and the last eight onwards will be played over best-of-3 frames.
Kristian Willetts and Paul Avory won a dramatic final in the Market Cobbler Legends Team Cup by beating Mark Gray and Steve Singh in the deciding doubles frame on the final black. With both singles matches shared to leave the contest poised at 1-1, the doubles, worth two points, went down to the last ball, with Chatteris cueman Avory sinking it to secure the £400 first prize alongside Skegness ace Willetts. There were a magnificent three century breaks scored on the day, with Gray compiling 105 and 100 and Huntingdon's Luke Gilbert also making a 105. 63 year-old Vaughan Lutkin impressed in reaching the last four, partnering Gilbert, notching singles wins over Dom Cooney, Steve Martin, Paul Avory and Mark Gray, before losing a tense blue ball shoot-out to Gray and Singh. The next tournament will be the inaugural Snooker Classic on the 18th February where 16 players will battle it out for the £400 top prize.
LEGENDS LEAGUE SPONSOR
CLENSHAW ON FIRE TO WIN PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Alex Clenshaw fired his way to the Players Championship title, defeating 10-time tour winner Mark Gray 3-0 in a pulsating final, scooping the £375 first prize and the trophy. The 22 year-old from Harlow won the opening two frames of the contest, aided by a break of 74 in the first, before Gray responded with a timely run of 60 to open up a 65 point advantage in frame three. Clenshaw then showed great composure to counter with a 65 clearance to level the scores, before holding his nerve on a re-spotted black to claim the title and inflict a whitewash defeat on Gray, who also lost his 100% winning record in finals, having won all of the previous ten he had appeared in. Clenshaw only dropped two frames all day, defeating Steve Martin 3-0 and both Alec Chalmers and Courtney Symons by a 3-1 margin. Gray, who scored breaks of 54, 64 and 73 en route to the showpiece match, had the consolation of pocketing £175 as runner-up in a tournament that saw a record 15 breaks over 50+, the best of which was 118 from London's Wayne Townsend. The next stop on tour is the 8-man Snooker Q Store Legends League which gets underway on 10th December.
GROUP A:
Mark Gray [1]
Alec Chalmers [4]
Kristian Willetts [5]
Vaughan Lutkin [8]
GROUP B:
Steve Martin [2]
Jamie Turner [3]
Russell Huxter[6]
Stuart Watson [7]
RESERVES:
Rob Petch [9]
Alex Clenshaw [10]
Jason Bates [11]
​
​
GRAY'S PERFECT 10 WITH SIX REDS WIN
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 DRAW
Richard Jones v Jason Green
Courtney Symons v Vaughan Lutkin
Gary Skipworth v Alec Chalmers
Steve Martin v Alex Clenshaw
Russell Huxter v Jamie Sanderson
Tony Brown v Wayne Townsend
Richard Park v Rob Petch
Mark Gray v Kristian Willetts
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
PRIZE MONEY INCREASE FOR CHAMPION
Experience overcame youth as 50 year-old Mark Gray regained snooker's Six Reds Championship at the Court Club, where he defeated rising teenage star Alec Chalmers 3-0 in the final to claim the £350 first prize. It was his 10th win from as many finals . Despite falling to an opening group match defeat to Stuart Watson 1-3, 'Granite' proceeded to whitewash Kristian Willetts and Rob Petch, then ousted Jamie Turner and Steve Martin both by a 3-1 margin to reach the last two. Chalmers, from Kings Lynn, beat former professional Harvey Chandler in the group stages, before impressively dispatching experienced duo Tom Parry 3-0 and Stuart Watson 3-1 to make his maiden final. Vaughan Lutkin became the oldest tour quarter-finalist where he lost to Steve Martin.
The Legends League, where the top 8 players from the year's ranking list battle it out for a total prize fund of £770, will be sponsored by Snooker Q Store. https://www.facebook.com/SnookerQStore/Based in Westpark Drive, Darlington, they provide a quality range of Taylor Made cues and tips at affordable prices. With all cues hand finished by master craftsman Gary Taylor, and tips available in either soft, medium or hard, there is something on offer for all players and standards alike. Find out more: snookerqstore.com
JAMIE TURNS ON THE STYLE TO CLINCH MASTERS CUP
SIX REDS CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 DRAW
GROUP A:
Gavin Cork
Colin Mitchell
Jamie Turner
Darren Bampkin
GROUP B:
Kristian Willetts
Rob Petch
Mark Gray
Stuart Watson
GROUP C:
Vaughan Lutkin
Connor Kelly
Tom Parry
Kieran Richards-Witham
GROUP D:
Jason Bates
Harvey Chandler
Steve Martin
Paul Newman
​
NEWMAN OUT, CHALMERS IN
Paul Newman has withdrawn from the Six Reds Championship. He has been replaced in Group D by Alec Chalmers.
November's Players Championship will see a small increase to the winner's prize fund, up to £375 from the advertised £350.
.jpg)
Jamie Turner clinched his maiden ranking title as the Skegness cueman defeated Adam Goff 2-0 in the final of the Masters Cup to pocket the £350 first prize and lift the trophy. Having received a bye in round two, Turner scored an impressive win over tournament favourite Jason Bates 2-1, before coming from behind to oust Steve Martin in the semi-finals by the same scoreline, aided by an 88 clearance, the highest of the event, in the decider. Northampton's Goff edged past veteran Vaughan Lutkin on the final black in his opening match 2-1, before going onto secure victories over Dan Burt [2-1] and Neil Dowlman in yet another decider en route to the final. Victory for Turner, though, sees him jump up to 3rd in the rankings and is one of the tour's form players, having paired up with Jim Howe to triumph in the Legends Team Cup earlier this year. All eyes now focus on next month's Six Reds Championship, where former champion and current number one Mark Gray will be returning to action, alongside Harvey Chandler and Stuart Watson in a stellar line-up that promises more top class snooker on tour.
GRAY DEFENDS CHAMPIONS TROPHY
PRIZE MONEY INCREASE & DATES CHANGED
The prize money has been increased for the upcoming Masters Cup and Six Reds Championship with the champions of both tournaments now receiving £350, instead of the scheduled £300. Dates for the remaining tour events have also been moved and are as follows: September 17th - Masters Cup, October 1st - Six Reds Championship, November 5th - Players Championship, December 10th - Legends League.
MASTERS CUP DRAW
ROUND ONE:
Jim Howe v Tom Parry
Kieran Richards-Witham v Connor Kelly
ROUND TWO:
Vaughan Lutkin v Adam Goff
Witham/Kelly v Dan Burt
Neil Dowlman v Colin Mitchell
Andy Goff v Rob Petch
Jamie Turner v Howe/Parry
Jason Bates v Alec Chalmers
Steve Martin v Graham Cripsey
Gavin Cork v Kristian Willetts
​
​
CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2023 DRAW
GROUP A:
[best-of-5]
Jim Howe v Gavin Cork - 10am
Luke Pinches v Russell Huxter - 11am
[best-of-3]
Howe/Cork v Pinches/Huxter
GROUP B:
[best-of-5]
Kristian Willetts v Jamie Turner - 10am
Dean Springthorpe v Darren Bampkin - 11am
[best-of-3]
Willetts/Turner v Springthorpe/Bampkin
GROUP C:
[best-of-5]
Steve Martin v Tom Parry - 10am
Rob Petch v Bash Maqsood - 11am
[best-of-3]
Martin/Parry v Petch/Maqsood
GROUP D:
[best-of-5]
Stuart Watson v Tony Brown - 10am
Mark Gray v Jason Bates - 11am
[best-of-3]
Watson/Brown v Gray/Bates
SEMI-FINAL:
Winner of Group A v Winner of Group D [best-of-5]
Winner of Group B v Winner of Group C [best-of-5]
FINAL:
[best-of-3]
3 OUT, 3 IN FOR CHAMPIONS TROPHY
The trio of Gavin Cork, Darren Bampkin and Tom Parry have been forced to withdraw from the Champions Trophy. They will be replaced by Colin Mitchell, Sam Boome and Andy Bicknell
Mark Gray successfully defended his Champions Trophy title at the Court Club on Sunday, defeating Nottingham's Bash Maqsood 2-0 to pocket the £350 first prize and extend his lead at the top of the rankings. Gray had survived a final frame decider in his opening knock-out group match against good friend Jason Bates, where he compiled breaks of 53, 69 and 80 before his superior matchplay and granite safety proved the difference in beating Stratford's Stuart Watson 2-0, before gaining revenge over Russell Huxter, the only man to ever triumph over Gray on tour, in the last four 3-0. A high quality field saw a record 13 breaks recorded over 50, with former Six Reds champion Watson scoring the highest with his effort of 83. Peterborough's Sam Boome made the semi-finals, losing out to Maqsood in a decider 3-2, whilst Norwich star Luke Pinches, who was the youngest player in the draw at the age of 21, lost on the final black to Huxter in the group stages despite scoring breaks of 78 and 58 in what was the match of the tournament. The tour returns in September, where four more events will conclude the year, with Mark Gray proving he's still the man to beat, despite turning 50 later this summer.
GRAY BACK TO WINNING WAYS IN SHOOT-OUT
MASTERS MOVED/CLASSIC CANCELLED
The Masters Cup, which was due to be held on 16th April has now been moved to 3rd September, replacing the Snooker Classic,
which will now not be held.
BETTNEY OUT, MORRIS IN
Mark Gray returned to winning ways on the Legends Tour by claiming victory in the Snooker Shoot-Out at the Court Club on Sunday. Bourne's serial title winner defeated defending champion Harvey Chandler 73-15 to pocket the £250 top prize and lift the Mark Housden Trophy for the first time. Gray used all his experience in the one frame knock-out competition by beating Darren Bampkin, Vaughan Lutkin and Connor Kelly en route to a final showdown with Chandler, whom himself had played some excellent snooker throughout the day, compiling breaks of 84, 76 and 50 in earlier rounds. This was Gray's 8th tour triumph and second win over the 2018 European Amateur Champion in the past year, which sets him up perfectly for the defence of next month's Champions Trophy. A record 22 players took part with notable returns to form for Vaughan Lutkin, who reached the quarter-finals, and Steve Martin who made the last four.
DEADLY DUO WIN TEAM TITLE
2023 SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT DRAW
The draw has been made for the 2023 Snooker Shoot-Out, which is due to take place on Sunday 19th February. A record 22 players have entered meaning there will six first round matches, with the other ten competitors going straight through to Round Two. To open the tournament, the 'golden oldies' Vaughan Lutkin and Dean Springthorpe, whose combined age tops 120, will do battle, with the return to competition snooker for Bourne's Jason Bates against the in-form Paul Newman. Defending champion Harvey Chandler faces a tough start as he takes on Sam Boome. In the pick of the second round ties, Steve Martin takes on Gavin Cork, Tom Parry will face off against Matt Prentice, and 7-time tour champion Mark Gray will aim for his first title in 10 months when he tackles either Darren Bampkin or Camillo Boschetto.
ROUND ONE:
Vaughan Lutkin v Dean Springthorpe [MATCH A] - 10am
Jason Bates v Paul Newman [MATCH B] - 10am
Rob Petch v Jim Howe [MATCH C] - 10am
Craig Scothern v Connor Kelly [MATCH D] - 10am
Darren Bampkin v Camillo Boschetto [MATCH E] - 10.15am
Sam Boome v Harvey Chandler [MATCH F] - 10.15am
ROUND TWO:
Petch/Howe [C] v Darren Bettney - 10.30am
Scothern/Kelly [D] v Bates/Newman [B] - 10.30am
Lutkin/Springthorpe [A] v Matt Brown - 10.45am
Bampkin/Boschetto [E] v Mark Gray - 10.45am
-------------------------------------
Steve Martin v Gavin Cork - 10.15am
Paul Avory v Dom Cooney - 10.15am
Tom Parry v Matt Prentice - 10.30am
Andy Bicknell v Boome/Chandler [F] 10.30am
Veteran Trevor Morris will replace Darren Bettney from the 2023 Snooker Shoot-Out. He will play the winner of the first round contest between Rob Petch and Jim Howe.
LEGENDS TEAM CUP SPONSOR
MARKET COBBLER LEGENDS TEAM CUP LINE-UP
The line-up has been confirmed for the Market Cobbler Legends Team Cup on January 29th. The top 8 players to have entered have been placed in Pot 1, the lowest 8 seeds are in Pot 2. The draw will be made randomly on the day. Rankings are in brackets.
POT 1: POT 2:
Russell Huxter [1] Jamie Turner [23]
Gavin Cork [3] Paul Avory [27]
Steve Martin [4] Kieran Richards-Witham [33]
Kristian Willetts [6] Dom Cooney [42]
Vaughan Lutkin [9] Luke Gilbert [43]
Jim Howe [12] Steve Singh [47]
Matt Brown [15] Dean Springthorpe [Unranked]
Sam Boome [21] Chloe Payne [Unranked]
Jim Howe and Jamie Turner reigned supreme in the inaugural Market Cobbler Legends Team Cup at the Court Club, Bretton, on Sunday. They picked up the trophy and the £350 first prize after claiming victory in the final over number one seed Russell Huxter and playing partner Steve Singh. Having secured both singles wins to go 2-0 up, the doubles [worth 2 points] proved crucial, with Skegness cueman Turner, who had earlier compiled the highest break of the event with 87, clearing brown to black to steal the win and secure the title. Victory saw Howe become the oldest ever tour champion at the age of 56, eclipsing the previous record held by Mark Gray. The match of the tournament though, saw Huxter and Singh battle back from 2-0 adrift in their semi-final clash with Dom Cooney and Steve Martin, eventually prevailing via a thrilling blue ball shoot-out. There were notable wins for Matt Brown and Kieran Richards-Witham in the group stages and an encouraging tour debut by 17 year-old Chloe Payne, who just failed to reach the last four with partner Kristian Willetts by one point.
.png)
The inaugural Legends Team Cup, which takes place on Sunday 29th January, will be sponsored by the Market Cobbler. Based in Rivergate, Peterborough, they offer an excellent service and an unrivalled quality when it comes to shoe and leather repairs, key cutting and engraving work. They also stock a wide variety of gifts and products. Find out more:
RECORD PRIZE POT FOR 2023
2023 will see total prize funds for all tournaments over the calendar year rise from £4,700 to £6,300. The Legends Team Cup, a new event which will pair up some of the greatest legends on tour, will open the new year on January 29th, with the inaugural Snooker Classic scheduled for September. The Champions Trophy and Players Championship will each offer £350 for the winner, whilst the prestigious Legends League will see an increase to £400 for the eventual champion. There will also be prize money on offer for players who are further down the ranking list. The Legends Tour promises to continue to evolve and expand playing opportunities for all competitors throughout the coming years ahead.
INDYANA JONES SWEEPS TO VICTORY TO CLAIM TOUR'S BIGGEST WIN
HUXTER IS YEAR-END NUMBER ONE
Russell Huxter capped a superb year on tour to top the year-end rankings. He pipped Richard Jones in second by just 36 points. Last year's number one, Mark Gray, ended a disappointing 8th, but will expect to challenge for top spot again in 2023.
NEW TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 2023
GRAY OUT WITH INJURY
Richard Jones completed his biggest victory on tour by claiming the prestigious Snooker Q Store Legends League title, defeating Newmarket's Tom Parry 3-1 in the final. Jones, who was runner-up in February's Champions Trophy and winner in September's Six Reds Championship, pocketed £350 and took home the trophy after only conceding three frames throughout the day. Finalist Parry was the tournament's heaviest scorer, hitting breaks of 70, 64, 86 and 51, but fell short of those standards against Jones. Kristian Willetts produced some fine snooker to finish second in Group B, whilst reigning Players Championship winner Russell Huxter found some joy in finishing the year ranked number one. The Legends Tour will return in 2023 with a scheduled eight top class tournaments due to take place across the year offering a record prize fund of almost £6.000.
Two-time defending champion Mark Gray has been forced to withdraw from the Snooker Q Store Legends Legue after suffering a wrist injury which will keep him out of competitive action until the new year. He has been replaced in Group A by 9th seed Darren Bampkin.
The Legends Team Cup is a new tournament that will start the 2023 season in style! Scheduled for January, and offering a total of £750 in prize funds, it will see the top 8 players who enter [from the year-end rankings], being randomly paired with 8 lower seeds in a draw that will be made on the day of competition. The event will see two groups of four teams, with each player competing in a singles frame [worth 1 point] and then pairing up for one frame of doubles [worth 2 points]. The top two teams from each group will progress through to the semi-finals, which will be played using the same format. If the tie ends in a 2-2 draw, the matches in the knock-outs will be decided by a best-of-three blue ball shoot-out to determine the winner. This is a NON-RANKING event, with everyone guaranteed three singles and three doubles frames, and half the field who enter will receive prize money.
ENTRY FEE: £20
LIMITED TO 16 PLAYERS
PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN:
Champions - £350 [£175 each]
Runners-up - £200 [£100 each]
Semi-Finals - £100 [£50 each]
NICE GUY HUXTER SHOWS RUTHLESS STREAK TO CLINCH TITLE
Russell Huxter proved nice guys do win as one of the tour's most likeable characters clinched his first title by capturing the AG Snooker Players Championship in a gripping 3-2 victory over Steve Martin. The 'Saffron Slayer' produced a solid display throughout the day to pocket the £325 first prize and take home the trophy. For Martin, it was his second Legends Tour final defeat, and this one will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the runner-up, especially as he missed a routine final pink, with only black needed thereafter to land the title when leading 2-1. Both men went largely untroubled en route to the final two, as Huxter dispatched Kristian Willietts [3-0], Tony Brown [3-1] and Tom Parry [3-1], whilst his opponent scored wins over Paul Avory [3-2], Colin Mitchell [3-0] and Gavin Cork [3-1]. Huxter surpasses Mark Gray, the man of whom he beat in last month's Six Reds Championship to end the Bourne player's 33 match unbeaten run, as the new number one, and will be top seed going into November's prestigious Legends League.
DRAW FOR 2022 AG SNOOKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
AG SNOOKER TO SPONSOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
SNOOKER Q STORE WILL SPONSOR LEGENDS LEAGUE
Snooker Q Store will renew its partnership with the tour by sponsoring the final event of the year, the Legends League, which is taking place on Sunday 27th November, featuring the top 8 players in the rankings. Based in Darlington, Snooker Q Store is the official supplier of Taylor Made cues and tips, with a high quality range in stock, all hand finished by Master Craftsman Gary Taylor.
Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/SnookerQStore
The draw has been made for the AG Snooker Players Championship and it has brought together some potential epic clashes. Last year's runner-up Jim Howe faces old foe Gavin Cork, Paul Newman is looking for a double over Tom Parry, after defeating him in the pair's group match at last month's Six Reds Championship, Shoot-Out champion Harvey Chandler tackles Jamie Turner, whilst Russell Huxter needs to defeat Kristian Willetts in his opener to secure the number one ranking.
ROUND 1:
Jim Howe v Gavin Cork -MATCH A
Tony Brown v Vaughan Lutkin - MATCH B
ROUND 2:
Paul Newman v Tom Parry
Sam Boome v Matt Brown
Darren Bampkin v WINNER OF MATCH B
Russell Huxter v Kristian Willetts
Paul Avory v Steve Martin
Jamie Sanderson v Colin Mitchell
Connor Kelly v WINNER OF MATCH A
Jamie Turner v Harvey Chandler
​
DRAW FOR TAMWORTH CUES SIX REDS CHAMPIONSHIP
​
The draw for the 2022 Tamworth Cues Six Reds Championship has thrown up some intriguing group encounters. In Group A old rivals Graham Tilley and Paul Newman will kick-off the tournament whilst Group B sees a mouth-watering match between Richard Jones and Nottingham's Bash Maqsood. Group C highlights include Russell Huxter against Chesterfield's Benji Buckley and Group D is a repeat of last year's Legends League final between defending champion Mark Gray and Steve Martin. All matches are best-of-5 frames with the champion receiving the trophy and the £275 first prize.
GROUP A
Graham Tilley
Paul Newman
Tom Parry
Vaughan Lutkin
GROUP B
Jamie Sanderson
Gavin Cork
Richard Jones
Bash Maqsood
GROUP C
Russell Huxter
Rob Petch
Kristian Willetts
Benji Buckley
GROUP D
Mark Gray
Steve Martin
Jim Howe
Matt Brown
JONES WINS SIX REDS TITLE AS GRAY'S RECORD WINNING RUN IS ENDED
Richard Jones captured his first Legends Tour title as he won the Tamworth Cues Six Reds Championship by defeating Tom Parry 3-1 in the final to claim the £275 winner's prize. Jones eased through his group, compiling the joint highest break of the event with 72, alongside Nottingham's Bash Maqsood, before beating Paul Newman 3-2 in the quarter-finals, Russell Huxter 3-1 in the last four, and finally overcoming Parry, who was appearing in his maiden final. The shock of the year saw defending and 7-time tour champion Mark Gray lose his record-breaking 33 match winning run to the 'Saffron Slayer' Russell Huxter, who displayed some excellent quality during his 3-1 triumph. Huxter now has a chance of becoming number one, should he negotiate his opening round in next month's Players Championship.
.png)
The Players Championship, which is due to be held on Sunday 23rd October, is to be sponsored by AG Snooker. They are bringing 6-times World finalist Jimmy White to the Yaxley British Legion Club, Peterborough, on December 10th for an unmissable evening of top class entertainment. Tickets are available now, priced at £30. Phone: 07490233095 or 07841404947
TAMWORTH CUES TO SPONSOR SIX REDS
NEW TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCED
CHANGE OF DATE FOR SIX REDS
The Six Reds Championship, which is the fourth ranking event of the year and was due to be played on Sunday September 18th, is now being moved to September 25th. Mark Gray is the defending champion after he defeated Steve Singh in last year's final.
This 2022 Six Reds Championship will be sponsored by Tamworth Cues. Selling snooker/pool cues and accessories, including top brands like Peradon, Britannia, Cannon, Cue Craft and many more, Tamworth Cues have a wide range available from beginners to professionals, with stock arriving daily. Not sure which one is right for you? Why not try before you buy on one of 12 Pool or 13 Full Size Snooker Tables, located inside Tamworth Sports Bar. They also stock a range of Century Cue Tips, Green Chalk, Lynch's Cue Balm and Taom V10 Professional Chalk. For more information email: info@tamworthcues.co.uk
GRAY IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
The Snooker Classic will kickstart the new year on the Legends Tour in 2023. Scheduled for January and offering a total prize fund of £575, it will offer a unique format, where every player will be guaranteed TWO matches, thanks to a 'double elimination' formula for first round losers ONLY, something that is widely used in pool events. 16 competitors will play Round One over best-of-3 frames, with the 8 winners progressing through to the next round in the 'winners half' of the draw [all matches in this half are best-of-3]. The 8 losers from Round One will play in the 'Losers Half' where they will compete over a one frame knock-out. The winners of both halves with then contest the best-of-3 frame final, where the champion will receive £250, the Runner-Up £125. Should the champion come from the 'loser half', they will collect less ranking points because they have already lost one match. The new tournament will take next year's total prize fund to over £5,000.
.png)
​
​
The draw for the upcoming Masters Cup, which takes place on 10th April and includes a field of 22 players, has seen defending champion Mark Gray and recent Snooker Shoot-Out winner Harvey Chandler on course for a potential blockbuster showdown in the final, should both navigate their way through each half of the draw.
ROUND 1:
Andy Bicknell v Gavin Cork
Russell Huxter v Matt Brown
Steve Martin v Richard Jones
Harvey Chandler v Jim Howe
Graham Tilley v John Irvine
Darren Bampkin v Colin Mitchell
ROUND 2:
Jamie Sanderson v Chandler/Howe
Vaughan Lutkin v Huxter/Brown
Matt Prentice v John Chapman
Tilly/Irvive v Robert Forker
Mark Gray v Martin/Jones
Bicknell/Cork v Bampkin/Mitchell
Bash Maqsood v Connor Kelly
Kristian Willetts v Kieran Richards-Witham
​
​
PETCH AND MORRIS TO BE LATE REPLACEMENTS
Rob Petch and veteran Trevor Morris are late replacements in the Leo's Pet Supplies Masters Cup. Petch will await the winner of Graham Tilley and John Irvine, after Robert Forker withdrew, while Morris will take the place of the injured Matt Brown and will play Russell Huxter.
Mark Gray completed a successful defence of the Leo's Pet Supplies Masters Cup when he defeated Harvey Chandler in a nervy final
2-1, thanks to a 52 break in the deciding frame to win his seventh Legends Tour crown. Gray, who cruised past Steve Martin, Darren Bampkin and Kristian Willetts without dropping a frame, the latter with the highest break of the tournament, a 124, collected the trophy and the first prize of £300. Northampton's Chandler was in similarly ominous form, whitewashing Jim Howe, Jamie Sanderson, Russell Huxter [with a 116 break] and Matt Prentice, before falling short in the much anticipated title match. There were 8 breaks over 50 on the day, with wins for Steve Martin against old foe Richard Jones in the first round, a run to the quarter-finals for Graham Tilley, and last four finishes for both Prentice and Willetts. 'Granite' extends his 100% winning record to 30 matches, and will next be in action in September, when he will be hoping to defend his Six Reds Championship trophy.
DRAW FOR LEO'S PET SUPPLIES MASTERS CUP 2022
SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT TO BE SPONSORED
BY CUE SPORTS YORKSHIRE
DRAW FOR THE 2022 CUE SPORTS
YORKSHIRE SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT
The draw for the Cue Sports Yorkshire Snooker Shoot-Out has been made and it has thrown up some exciting first round matches. The pick of them sees Brian Wilson taking on old foe Steve Martin, reigning Morocco Championship winner Harvey Chandler against wily veteran Vaughan Lutkin, third ranked Russell Huxter plays Tom Parry and 72 year-old Trevor Morris versus Italian Camillo Boschetto.
ROUND ONE DRAW:
Ivan Pastore v Darren Bampkin
Brian Wilson v Steve Martin
Jim Howe v Matt Prentice
Harvey Chandler v Vaughan Lutkin
Andy Bicknell v Gavin Cork
Russell Huxter v Tom Parry
Graham Tilley v Matt Brown
Trevor Morris v Camillo Boschetto
​
PETCH TO REPLACE BOSCHETTO
Rob Petch will replace Camillo Boschetto from this Sunday's Cue Sports Yorkshire Snooker Shoot-Out. The Italian was forced to withdraw from the tournament meaning Petch will now play Trevor Morris in the opening round.
CHANDLER CROWNED SHOOT-OUT CHAMPION
.jpg)
Harvey Chandler stormed through the field in convincing fashion as he won the Cue Sports Yorkshire Snooker Shoot-Out, beating
five times Gildenburgh champion Gavin Cork 86-12 in the final to lift the Mark Housden Trophy and pocket the £400 first prize. The Northampton-based ex professional, whose trip to Africa last summer saw him triumph in the Morocco Championship, showed his intent from the opening round, demolishing Vaughan Lutkin with a break of 70, before cruising past Jim Howe and Darren Bampkin, the latter with efforts of 61 and 55. His final opponent Gavin Cork had earlier struggled to see off the 'Assassin' Andy Bicknell on the final black in round one, but then upped his game in securing victories over Newmarket's Tom Parry and Rob Petch, who reached his maiden semi-final. Seven of the 15 matches went down to the last black in an exciting tournament that ended up with Chandler winning his first Legends Tour title.
LEO'S PET SUPPLIES TO SPONSOR MASTERS CUP
Delighted to announce that Leo's Pet Supplies will be sponsoring the 2022 Masters Cup, which will take place on Sunday 10th April. Founded in 1999 and based at 15C Market Place, Oundle, the popular independent business offers friendly, unbiased advice for you and your pet, along with a large range of quality pet products at affordable prices. Find out more:
http://www.leospetsupplies.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Leos-Pets-Supplies-209780672469594/
GRAY CLAIMS CHAMPIONS TROPHY
The second event of the year, the Snooker Shoot-Out, which is due to take place on Sunday 13th March, is to be sponsored by
Cue Sports Yorkshire. Based in Keighley, they offer an excellent range of Quality Cues, Cases & Accessories for all your Pool & Snooker needs. Plus Re-tipping, Cue Refurbs, Ball Cleaning & Snooker Coaching. Find out more:
THE CHALKBOARD SPONSOR
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
DRAW FOR THE CHALKBOARD
CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2022
The draw for the first event of 2022, The Chalkboard Champions Trophy, has been made as is as follows:
GROUP A:
Jamie Sanderson v Gavin Cork [best-of-3] -MATCH 1
John Chapman v Russell Huxter [best-of-3] - MATCH 2
Winner of Match 1 v Winner of Match 2 [best-of-5]
GROUP B:
Matt Prentice v Bash Maqsood [best-of-3] - MATCH 3
Jim Howe v Mark Gray [best-of-3] - MATCH 4
Winner of Match 3 v Winner of Match 4 [best-of-5]
GROUP C:
Darren Bampkin v Ryan Thomerson [best-of-3] - MATCH 5
Steve Martin v Chris Taylor [best-of-3] - MATCH 6
Winner of Match 5 v Winner of Match 6 [best-of-5]
GROUP D:
Kristian Willetts v Richard Jones [best-of-3] -MATCH 7
Lewis Roberts v Vaughan Lutkin [best-of-3] - MATCH 8
Winner of Match 7 v Winner of Match 8 [best-of-5]
Mark Gray was in sensational form as he stormed through the field to win the inaugural Champions Trophy. After surviving a scare in his opening Group B knock-out match, where he trailed 2021 Players Championship runner-up Jim Howe 0-1 in the best-of-three frame encounter, he found his scoring form and compiled a break of 51 to complete a 2-1 win, then efforts of 89 and 96 in seeing off Matt Prentice 3-0, 94 in beating Australian Ryan Thomerson 2-0 in the last four, before completing victory over his good friend Richard Jones in the final, 3-1, where he recorded the tournament's highest break of 115. The win earned 'Granite' the £250 first prize and saw him lift his sixth Legends Tour title, extending his 100% record to 26 matches, whilst retaining his number one ranking. Jones had earlier scored a 109 in his semi-final triumph over Russell Huxter, in a day that saw 12 breaks over 50 and some exciting finishes, which included Ryan Thomerson's win over Darren Bampkin on the black, Gavin Cork's deciding frame victory over Jamie Sanderson, also on the black, and Vaughan Lutkin rolling back the years in his 2-1 defeat of former main tour professional Lewis Roberts.
​
UNSTOPPABLE GRAY ENDS YEAR ON A HIGH
GRAY IS YEAR-END NUMBER 1
Mark Gray completed a remarkable season by finishing as the year-end number one in the Legends Tour rankings. The 48 year-old has been in sensational form in 2021, and deservedly won the trophy and the £100 bonus. Steve Martin [£60] and Jim Howe [£40] were 2nd and 3rd respectively.
DATES FOR 2022 SEASON
The dates have been confirmed for the 2022 season and are as follows:
CHAMPIONS TROPHY: 13th February
SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT: 13th March
MASTERS CUP: 10th April
SIX REDS CHAMPIONSHIP: 18th September
PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP: 23rd October
LEGENDS LEAGUE: 27th November
The Chalkboard are sponsoring this year's Champions Trophy, which is being staged on Sunday February 13th. Based on Embankment Road at the Key Theatre, Peterborough, the restaurant offer take away or eat in options, all at an affordable price, including a unique 'pick your own afternoon tea', as well as grazing platters, cakes, sandwiches, coffee, tea and breakfast. Open 10am - 5pm Wednesday to Sunday, The Chalkboard is the place for delicious food, a relaxed environment and special memories. Find out more:
http://www.thechalkboardpeterborough.co.uk/
Mark Gray proved to be unstoppable in his successful defence of the 8-man inthecuezone.com Legends League title. He defeated number two seed Steve Martin 3-0 in the final to lift the trophy and claim the £325 first prize. It was another routine day for the ex-professional as he cruised through his group, dropping only one frame, and compiling breaks of 75, 50, 65, 121 [the highest of the tournament] and 56, before dispatching Martin, with a best effort of 60. Group A provided some thrilling matches, as veteran Vaughan Lutkin etched out two draws, but was beaten into second place by Cambridge's Richard Jones, who ousted Kristian Willetts 4-0 in his last match of the day.. In Group B, Jamie Sanderson was in impressive form, dismantling both Darren Bampkin and Jim Howe 4-0, with a pair of 64 breaks, but was beaten to top spot by eventual finalist Steve Martin, who was undefeated throughout the opening phase, top scoring with 51.
Gray's victory saw him win all four tournaments he had entered in the calendar year, thus landing him the number one position in the rankings, and a bonus of £100. He also extended his winning run on tour to an incredible 22 matches, and will remain the man to beat in 2022.
GILBERT OUT - SANDERSON IN
Due to an unfortunate clash of competition dates, reigning Glo Golf Snooker Shoot-Out champion, Luke Gilbert, has been forced to withdraw from Sunday's inthecuezone.com Legends League. He will be replaced in Group B with 11th seed, Jamie Sanderson.
GROUP B [revised]
Steve Martin [2]
Jim Howe [3]
Jamie Sanderson [11]
Darren Bampkin [7]
inthecuezone.com
TO SPONSOR LEGENDS LEAGUE
GRAY WINS SNOOKER Q STORE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
WITH SCORING MASTERCLASS
DRAW FOR LEGENDS LEAGUE
The top eight players of the year will battle it out on December 12th for the prestigious Legends League title. The draw is seeded by ranking and sees tournament favourite Mark Gray in Group A, alongside Skegness potter Kristian Willetts, Cambridge's Richard Jones and Six Reds runner-up Steve Singh, whilst in Group B, Steve Martin [seeded 2] will face Players Championship runner-up Jim Howe,
Snooker Shoot-Out champion Luke Gilbert, and 7th seed Darren Bampkin. All competitors will play four frames against each other in their respective groups, before the top player from both will battle out a best-of-five frame final.
GROUP A
Mark Gray [1]
Kristian Willetts [4]
Richard Jones [5]
Steve Singh [8]
​
GROUP B
Steve Martin [2]
Jim Howe [3]
Luke Gilbert [6]
Darren Bampkin [7]
LEGENDS LEAGUE WITHDRAWAL
Steve Singh, seeded 8, has withdrawn from the Legends League in December. His place was offered to 9th-placed Darren Bettney, who declined the invitation, so 10th ranked Vaughan Lutkin, who is the tour's oldest player at the age of 60 will now compete in Group A.
GROUP A [revised] - Mark Gray [1], Kristian Willetts [4], Richard Jones [5], Vaughan Lutkin [10].
​
inthecuezone.com are to sponsor the 2021 Legends League. Offering a ghost ball potting aid for snooker, billiards and both English and both English and American pool, coaching sessions, accessories and books, CueZone is the best way to improve your game and up your level of performance. Find out more: CueZone (inthecuezone.com)
Mark Gray proved too strong for the rest of the field with a scoring masterclass to capture the Snooker Q Store Players Championship title and the £315 first prize. He defeated veteran Jim Howe 3-0 in the final, aided by breaks of 61,83 and 62. The Baston-based legend was never truly tested, as he had earlier overcome Jamie Sanderson 3-0 with efforts of 54,65 and 90 - the highest of the tournament, Kristian Willetts 3-1 [65] and Richard Jones 3-0. Jim Howe, who at 55 years-old, was hoping to become the tour's oldest ever champion, had eased to victories over Camillo Boschetto and Darren Bettney without dropping a frame, before winning an epic three hour marathon with Peterborough five-time Gildenburgh champion Gavin Cork 3-2 in the semi-finals. Gray extends his unbeaten run to 18 matches, and will be confident of securing the year-end Legends League in December to seal a remarkable 2021 for the tour's number one.
DRAW FOR SNOOKER Q STORE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
The draw has been made for the Snooker Q Store Players Championship with some cracking first round ties to look forward to. The top half sees Darren Bampkin tackle Richard Apperley, while Darren Bettney will take on Russell Huxter. In the bottom half, Steve Martin will clash with the 'Legend' Vaughan Lutkin and Matt Prentice will play Richard Jones.
FULL DRAW:
Darren Bampkin v Richard Apperley
Graham Tilley v Gavin Cork
Camillo Boschetto v Jim Howe
Darren Bettney v Russell Huxter
Matt Prentice v Richard Jones
Steve Martin v Vaughan Lutkin
Rob Petch v Kristian Willetts
Mark Gray v Jamie Sanderson
Mark Gray continued his dominance on the Legends Tour by defeating Steve Singh 3-0 to clinch the Fishy Business Six Reds Championship, and win the £250 first prize.. It was Gray's second consecutive title and third overall, putting him on an astounding 14 match winning run. He won all six of his matches, despite never hitting top gear, only being pushed by Chesterfield's Benji Buckley 3-2 in his final group game. Beaten finalist Singh, who was bidding to become the oldest champion of a tour event at the age of 56, had a fairytale run to the showpiece match, with victories over Rob Petch, Richard Apperley, Darren Bampkin and Kristian Willetts, before succumbing to Gray. The tournament saw excellent performances from Kings Lynn ace Alec Chalmers and Saffron Walden's Russell Huxter, who both reached the last eight, and Skegness potter Kristian Willetts who, along with Buckley, bowed out at the semi-final stage. All eyes now turn to the Snooker Q Store Players Championship in November, the last chance for many to gain enough ranking points to qualify for the end of year Legends League.
A GRAY DAY AGAIN IN SIX REDS
DRAW FOR SIX REDS CHAMPIONSHIP
The draw for the Six Reds Championship, sponsored by Fishy Business, delivered some excellent ties in the four groups. Group A sees Mark Gray open up against Colin Mitchell, whilst Steve Martin will rekindle his rivalry with Matt Prentice in Group B. In Group C, Russell Huxter will take on Steve Singh and Group D sees veteran Paul Newman play Skegness potter Kristian Willetts. All group matches and the knock-out stages will be best-of-five frames.
GROUP A:
Colin Mitchell
Mark Gray
Benji Buckley
Vaughan Lutkin
​
GROUP B:
Jim Howe
Steve Martin
Matt Prentice
Alec Chalmers
​
GROUP C:
Richard Apperley
Russell Huxter
Rob Petch
Steve Singh
​
GROUP D:
Darren Bampkin
Kieran Richards-Witham
Paul Newman
Kristian Willetts
.jpg)
​
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​
MARK IS THE MASTER
Mark Gray was in imperious form as he clinched the Masters Cup, defeating Luke Gilbert 2-0 to lift the trophy and claim the £300 first prize. The Baston-based cueman only dropped one frame throughout the tournament to seal his second Legends Tour title. Having comfortably dispatched Paul Newman in his opening match, he found himself 0-1 behind to Darren Bettney in his quarter-final, but his superior matchplay experience helped him through, before crushing the in form Dom Cooney in the last four, aided by breaks of 93 and 64. In a largely scrappy affair in the final, he eased over the line, as Luke Gilbert failed to land back-to-back titles and with it, the opportunity of the £500 bonus to win every event in the calendar year, having triumphed in the Glo Golf Snooker Shoot-Out in June.
19 players entered, with Skegness ace Kristian Willetts producing an excellent display to oust Steve Singh in round one 2-1 with runs of 54 and 55, Jim Howe reached the last eight after overcoming veteran Vaughan Lutkin, and Cambridge potter Richard Jones won two matches before falling to Gilbert in a decider in the semi-finals. But it was Gray's day again, and victory sees him up to 2nd in the rankings in the race for the end of season Legends League in December.
DRAW FOR 2021 MASTERS CUP
The draw has been made for 2021 Masters Cup, the second event of the year on the Legends Tour. 19 players will do battle over the best-of-3 frame tournament, each looking to take home the trophy and the £300 first prize. Some cracking ties in the opening rounds sees Steve Singh taking on Skegness potter Kristian Willetts and two-time tour finalist Jamie Clements against Tom Parry, whilst last 16 action has drawn veteran Paul Newman versus favourite Mark Gray, Jamie Sanderson against Italian Ivan Pastore and Richard 'Indyana' Jones v Bren Bowman. Full draw:
Round 1:
Camillo Boschetto v Dom Cooney - Match A
Steve Singh v Kristian Willetts - Match B
Jamie Clements v Tom Parry - Match C
Round 2:
Darren Bettney v Winner of Match B
Paul Newman v Mark Gray
Jamie Sanderson v Ivan Pastore
John Chapman v Winner of Match A
Vaughan Lutkin v Jim Howe
Luke Gilbert v Winner of Match C
Steve Martin v John Irvine
Richard Jones v Bren Bowman
​
​
​
​
​
​
LUKE GILBERT IS THE
SHOOT-OUT KING
​
Luke Gilbert held his nerve in an enthralling day's play to win the Glo Golf Snooker Shoot-Out and lift the Mark Housden Trophy. The
talented 21 year-old breezed into the semi-finals with victories over Dom Cooney and Paul Avory, before being embroiled in a memorable battle with former professional and tournament favourite Lewis Roberts. With the match going down to the wire, Gilbert sank the final pink and black to triumph, before beating Jamie Clements 43-13 to take his maiden Legends Tour title and the £400 first prize. Cambridge cueman Clements had to settle for a second successive runners-up position, after dispatching Peterborough trio Graham Tilley, Matt Prentice and Steve Martin [the latter on the final pink] for the £200 consolation prize. Gilbert will now set his sights on claiming the final four events of the year in an attempt to win the £500 bonus for completing the 'clean sweep' in 2021, beginning with the Masters Cup in September.
​
​
​
​
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRAW FOR SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT CONFIRMED
The draw for the 2021 Glo Golf Snooker Shoot-Out has been made and it has brought together some outstanding individual ties. Luke Gilbert takes on good friend Dom Cooney in the first round, Steve Martin battles it out against great rival Brian Wilson and Vaughan Lutkin will play Paul Avory. Full draw:
Luke Gilbert v Dom Cooney
Vaughan Lutkin v Paul Avory
Jamie Sanderson v Lewis Roberts
Camillo Boschetto v Steve Singh
Dan Kidd v Matt Prentice
Jamie Clements v Graham Tilley
Brian Wilson v Steve Martin
Darren Bettney v Tom Parry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​
GLO GOLF TO SPONSOR
SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT
​
​
SNOOKER SHOOT-OUT TO NAME TROPHY AFTER MUCH LOVED LEGEND
Glo Golf is the official sponsor of the Snooker Shoot-Out 2021. Glo Golf Peterborough is an out of this world, glow in the dark, fully licenced, 16 hole crazy golf course with bar & seating. Enter from the city street scene, then go upstairs and into a space themed wonderland! Find out more: Glo Golf – Mini golf adventure in Peterborough
​
​
​
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
​
​
​
​
.png)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPONSORS JOIN THE TOUR
The Legends Tour are delighted to announce two new sponsors, with Peterborough fish and chip restaurant Fishy Business to sponsor the Six Reds Championship and Darlington based Snooker Q Store supporting November's Players Championship.
​
​
​
​
The Snooker Shoot-Out will name its trophy after Mark Housden, who died suddenly last year, at the age of just 57. Mark was one of the game's most colourful and much loved characters, who was always able to bring laughs to many, both on and off the table.
The Snooker Shoot-Out is the first event of the new season and will feature many top stars, including Lewis Roberts, Steve Singh and Dom Cooney, all hoping to lift the trophy and pocket the £400 first prize.