Gearing up for the World Snooker Championships

One week today and the 2016 World Snooker Championships sponsored by Betfred will be under way at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield with Stuart Bingham defending his title.

Almost as soon as 'The Nap' finished it's run at the Crucible last Saturday, the theatre staff started moving out of the venue so that it could be prepared for the competition with rooms emptied and paint refreshed and the scenery set for another World Championship.
 

The qualifiers are running now at Ponds Forge - I watched Jimmy White recently when he came agonizingly close to making it through the first round.

The last pre-event before the Championship itself will be the Cue Ball on Friday 15th April - the thirteenth time this has been held, at the St Paul's hotel.

It's over...the Betfred 2015 World Snooker Championship has it's gripping finish!

On a late night at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield, Stuart Bingham finally overcame Shaun Murphy 18-15  to win his first World Championship.

Beginning the session with a  14-11 lead, Murphy started a comeback that, at 15-15, had him the bookies favourite.  The 31st frame was an epic 63 minute 31 seconds long but Bingham eventually took it to close in on victory.

He made a steady break of 65 to go 17-15 in front and clinched the title with a brilliant 88.   In doing so, he became the oldest champion since 45 year old Ray Reardon in 1978.

Collecting £300,000 as the winner, he should rise from tenth to second in the world rankings.

 Stuart Bingham salutes the crowd who had cheered him on both days of the final.

 It had been a good final, enjoyed by both players who were genuine in their respect of each other.

 Barry Hearn, who has done so much in the last five years to turn around world snooker, and Kell Brook (IBF welterweight world champion).

 Fred Done of Betfred who were so welcome back to the Crucible this year.

Mark Selby walks out to defend his title on day 1 of World Snooker Championship

Day 1 of the 2015 World Snooker Championships at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.  Betfred are back as main sponsors (huzzah!).

Mark Selby walks out of the players tunnel to the acclaim of the crowd at the start of the first game in this years Championships which he won with a break of 89.

More photos of this years event can be seen at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_549149.html

Less than two weeks til Planet Snooker returns to Sheffield

Been away in the Easter sunshine rain and wind but back in sunny Sheffield now and counting down to the start of the Betfred World Snooker Championships at the Crucible.  Just to celebrate I got up early this morning (so that no-one else would need editing out of the panorama) and took a series of the Crucible and Lyceum.  Photoshop was easy to stitch them together, clone over the cracks and then turn into a little planet:

Roll on Saturday, 18th April.....

Betfred To Sponsor World Snooker Championship

Huzzah! Snooker's biggest tournament - the World Championship - will be sponsored again by Betfred for the next three years as the Betfred World Snooker Championship.  Betfred previously sponsored the tournament from 2009 to 2012 and were well loved by the media who they looked after so well.

It was recently confirmed that the event will remain at the Crucible until 2017, so this agreement with Betfred fits perfectly with that timeframe.
 
This year's tournament runs from 18th April to 4th May at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.  The top 16 seeds will be joined by 16 qualifiers in pursuit of the £300,000 top prize.