The Professional Snooker Players Association (PSPA) has now signed up more than half the pro tour and the new union is pushing for change after meetings with the established powers that be.
The organisation came into life in August last year, with an eye-catching set of names leading the venture.
John Higgins is the chairman, while a players board features the likes of Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, Ali Carter, Stuart Bingham, Stephen Maguire and Jack Lisowski.
Progress has been slower than some hoped, with Allen airing his frustrations at the Northern Ireland Open in October, but the wheels are turning.
Membership has now reached over 50 per cent of the professional tour, with the union hoping to sign up more players who are yet to join.
Meetings have been held with both the World Snooker Tour (WST) and World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association (WPBSA), which have been described as showing ‘positivity on all sides.’
Ben Rees, a lawyer who is a director of the PSPA, says the pressing issues for players are mainly for the WPBSA – the sport’s governing body – and reveals the key matters discussed, with the tournament calendar and the ranking system chief among them.
Tournament scheduling
‘The headline, really, was scheduling, there was a long conversation about scheduling and the impact that’s having,’ Rees told Metro. ‘A common sense approach about grouping events where possible and trying to minimise the travel in different time zones. So scheduling is, I would say number one, but there’s no real ranking on this.’
The ranking system
‘There was a long conversation on the ranking system being a money list versus points. The PSPA position is it should revert to points. We understand the arguments around money lists and sponsors, but the distortion with Saudi [Arabia Masters] and the big money events, the way that works, someone wins one and they can basically do nothing and still qualify for things.’
There were also conversation over finer details of the lives of players on tour and how they can be improved, including a change to the current system which provides healthcare cover to professionals, but only those in the top 64 in the rankings.
Commercial opportunities for players
‘There was a discussion about logos and lower-ranked players’ ability to make money by getting another logo on the waistcoat,’ Rees contined. ‘And that applies right through to the top players, of course.’
Healthcare cover
‘Healthcare was another point raised, looking at improving cover for everybody on tour. At the moment it cuts off at 64 and that’s something that we want resolved.
‘We want to talk about the financials with the WPBSA about how much money is being allocated to this. Of course, we understand there’s complexities, but there’s got to be a way of extending that perk to everybody.’
Disciplinary procedures
‘Disciplinary has been something that every member has questioned as something that they feel needs to be looked at. We want to see what changes and what structural amendments can be made for that to look and feel and be a fairer process.’
WPBSA funding
‘Then there’s funding. We want to look at the money that’s given to the (WPBSA) Players Board at the moment, where it goes. Just general transparency and that was something that Jason (Ferguson, WPBSA chairman) said he was very happy to embrace and go through the numbers.
‘There’s a general lack of understanding, which often breeds problems. If players feel like there’s not transparency, assumptions are made and what we want to try and do as a union is drag out this kind of information on the numbers and what’s going where and who’s getting what and then it’s a decision as to whether it’s the right thing or not.
‘So they are the broad brush topics that the members want to look at and move the dial on. Next steps is to get around the table and start working on these points properly and thoroughly with Jason and the team and get to a good outcome all around.’
‘There was certainly positivity on all sides, they were they were good meetings‘
Rees, and other members of the PSPA who have spoken about the process so far, have talked up the amicable approach to the relationship with WST and the WPBSA.
‘The overriding feeling and the way the meetings ended was that the PSPA wants to work with everybody,’ Rees said. ‘It is going to challenge and it is going to try and make change for the good of the players, but it also does that constructively, with a proper legal framework as opposed to shouting and being difficult. That’s not the approach.
‘We want to work with these organisations providing they understand that things do have to change. There was certainly positivity on all sides, they were they were good meetings. They were not difficult meetings at all. The proof will be very much in the pudding as to when we start pushing for these things to change. That needs to happen.’
The feeling appears to be mutual at the WPBSA, with a spokesperson telling Metro: ‘The WPBSA is always keen to listen to its members, either individually, or as a collective. Player input is an essential component of any sport.’
Mark Davis, WPBSA Players Chair, added: ‘We have always said we are happy to work with the PSPA and discuss any issues that affect players. Following our initial meeting, it’s clear that both parties share the same goal: doing what is best for the players.’
Allen’s comments in Belfast were quite scathing, with the Northern Irishman saying: ‘As players we’ve been very communicative, we’ve got a lot of ideas we’ve got a lot of things we want to sit down with the WST and WPBSA to discuss, but the lawyers have been slowing things down.
‘It’s very frustrating how urgent we see things compared to them, but it’s out of our hands. There’s a lot more to it than people from the outside thing looking in would expect, but it shouldn’t take this long.
‘If it continues, it’s not something I want to be a part of, if it continues to be as poorly run as it is now.’
Rees understands his frustrations and admits it can be a slow process, but it is moving as quickly as possible.
‘Mark wears his heart on his sleeve, as you know. He says it how it is,’ he said. ‘Mark is one of the players, and he’s not the only one, that has really put their shoulder behind the PSPA. Behind the scenes, Mark is a very active and very important member. So he’s really driving this because it matters to him. I suppose it’s become a bit of a passion of his, to represent the players and make change and he gets very frustrated when things don’t change.
‘I understand it because, particularly as the lawyers, the non-players on the board, we know that sometimes these things take longer than everybody would like. When a new union, an independent players union comes in, everybody gets excited and hopes that it will affect change and it will, it has got power and it’s got legs and obviously the temptation is to think that everything can be done really quickly. That isn’t the case, there has to be meetings, there has to be protocol, things have to be done properly.
‘Mark’s frustration comes from a place of passion. He wants these things done and he wants them done as quickly as possible. And you need people like that in this because, for every Mark, there’ll be someone that isn’t as motivated or driven. Having people like him involved is far better than not having them involved.
‘He’s doing a hell of a lot behind the scenes, giving up his time and energy to make it happen. So you won’t hear a bad word from me about that sort of passionate outburst.’