How is Barry Hearn planning to change the face of Snooker?

Barry Hearn has probably done as much to change the face of the sport of snooker as anyone else alive. Hearn first became involved in the sport in the early 1970s when purchasing a chain of London snooker halls as finance director for an investment company. He began promoting sporting events in 1974, becoming manager of subsequent 6-times World Snooker Champion, Steve Davis, in 1976. At that time, snooker was in its infancy as a popular sport, suffering from a particularly poor image. It was regarded as a game played in dark, smoke-filled "dens of iniquity," with any sign of snooker talent regarded as definitive evidence of a misspent youth. As Hearn himself recalled, "Snooker halls were bad places to go in those days. There was one in Lewisham that had a shotgun under the table. Your mum would give you a clip round the ear if she found out you had been there. Ten years later, grandmothers were giving their grandsons membership cards for Christmas presents."

Hearn was undoubtedly the primary driving force behind the increased popularity of the sport, both in the UK and worldwide. He worked tirelessly to rid snooker of its seedy image, with well-mannered players attired in lounge suits or evening wear, complete with waistcoats and ties. With a better image for the sport secured, Hearn formed the Romford-based Matchroom Sport with Davis and Tony Meo. Later Matchroom additions included Neal Foulds, Terry Griffiths, Dennis Taylor, Cliff Thorburn, Willie Thorne and Jimmy White. Snooker probably reached the height of its popularity in the mid-1980s, with Barry Hearn's charges dominating the sport. Many will remember the late night finale of 1985, with Dennis Taylor defeating Steve Davis on the final black, in front of a record TV audience. In 1988, Hearn was responsible for all 4 of the (then) Embassy World Snooker Championships' semi-finalists.

Hearn moved into boxing promotion in 1987 and has promoted several leading British and Irish boxers, including Nigel Benn, Steve Collins, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, and Lennox Lewis. Matchroom Sport has also seen him heavily involved in pool, golf and fishing. However, as 2010 elected chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, he is anxious that snooker recaptures its erstwhile, massive interest that has waned somewhat in recent years.

Hearn has suggested that snooker learn from the likes of Indian Premier League Cricket, adopting a fresh approach, with quicker entertainment likely to prove more attractive to young people and sponsors. His latest idea is the Player Tour Championship, a series of twelve 3-day events, commencing in June 2010, in Sheffield. 6 events will be hosted by Sheffield, with the remainder in Europe, including a minimum of 4 in Germany, each with a prize fund of £50,000. "The Player Tour Championship forms the backbone of our brave new world for snooker. It plugs the gaps between the main ranking events, providing plenty of opportunities for the professionals, which is what they have been crying out for," said Hearn. Each event will have a maximum field of 128, allowing at least 32 amateurs to compete against 96 professionals. At the end of the series, the top 24 in the final Order of Merit will go through to the televised stages in March 2011, with £200,000 in prize money up for grabs.

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