29-641: World Women's Snooker , founded as the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association (WLBSA) in 1981, and known as World Ladies Billiards and Snooker (WLBS) from 2015 to 2018, is a subsidiary company of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association concerned with governing and promoting snooker and billiards for women. Women's Snooker and Billiards had been governed by the Women's Billiards Association (WBA), formed in 1931. However,
58-542: A British MP, called for Williams to resign and any players using beta blockers to withdraw from competing. In 2001, in a legal case brought by Stephen Hendry , Mark Williams and their management company, the WPBSA was found to have taken advantage of its dominant position in the snooker market by forcing its members to seek permission to play in tournaments, which could allow the WPBSA to prevent rival organisations from competing with it. Former WPBSA chairman Geoff Foulds lost
87-554: A libel case that he had brought against The Daily Mirror when it accused him of submitting falsified expense claims to the WPBSA. When World Snooker scheduled the 2008 Bahrain Championship on dates which clashed with Premier League Snooker matches scheduled five months earlier with World Snooker approval, this caused four leading players (including Higgins) to miss the Bahrain event and consequently lose ranking points—Higgins called
116-674: A number of associated organisations, including World Snooker, World Billiards , World Women's Snooker and World Disability Billiards and Snooker. In November 2020, the members of the WBPSA voted to separate the responsibilities of the Association between two entities: "WPBSA Governance and Development", and a new "WPBSA Players" organisation. WPBSA Governance and Development will be responsible for disciplinary matters, monitoring betting, and drug testing. WPBSA Players will be responsible for support and representation of players. Jason Ferguson became
145-404: A professional player and leaving his position on the WPBSA, he served as the mayor of Ollerton and Boughton between 2009 and 2010. In July 2010 Ferguson was re-elected as chairman of the WPBSA, a position he has held since. In 2022, it was confirmed that Ferguson would continue serving as chairman for at least four more years. Ferguson turned professional in 1990. Two years later he qualified for
174-472: A ranking event in Saudi Arabia in 2020, the first in a ten-year series. Amnesty International criticised the announcement due to concerns about human rights in the country. The WPBSA supports coaching in cue sports through an accredited programme, and in 2013 initiated the "Cue Zone into Schools" programme, which took scaled-down tables into schools and was intended to interest school children in taking up
203-488: Is an English former professional snooker player and current chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association . He reached the World Snooker Championship on three occasions, and was for four seasons ranked in the world's top 32 players, reaching a peak position of #28. In 1998 Ferguson was elected to the board of the WPBSA, and became chairman of the organisation in 2001. After retiring as
232-412: Is involved in coaching development and the training of referees. The WPBSA owns a 26 per cent share of World Snooker Ltd, which organises the professional World Snooker Tour . It also supports World Women's Snooker , World Disability Billiards and Snooker, and English billiards through World Billiards . According to its financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2019, the principal activities of
261-703: The 1976 Women's World Open snooker championship and further championships in 1980 and 1981. Mandy Fisher , a leading woman player, founded the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association (WLBSA) in 1981. The WLBSA held its first open snooker competition in Leeds in March 1982, and within a couple of years, the WBSA lost control of snooker to the WLBSA. In 1997, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) started providing support and prize money for WLBSA tournaments, but
290-604: The World Snooker Championships , losing in the first round, and reached the last 16 of the UK Championship . He reached the same stage of six more ranking events but never progressed beyond that stage. Ferguson again qualified for the World Championship in 1996 , again losing in the first round. His final World Championship appearance came in 1998 , when he lost 8–10 to eventual champion John Higgins in
319-550: The 1950s and 1960s and the PBPA was also dormant until being restarted in April 1968 with eight professional members. Mike Green was designated as the Secretary. Membership of the Association was by application, with playing achievements and disciplinary records the main factors taken into account. This means of becoming professional was later replaced by a series of "pro ticket" events. Prior to
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#1733085040858348-560: The BA & CC." The PBPA disaffiliated from the BA&;CC from 1 October 1970, and was renamed the WPBSA on 12 December 1970, soon taking control of the running of the professional game. The WPBSA was reorganised as a limited company on 13 January 1982, with the intention that it would negotiate contracts with television companies and sponsors, something that had previously been in the control of promoters like Mike Watterson , as well as organising
377-519: The WBPSA confirmed that Ferguson would continue as chairman at least until 2026. In May 2009 Ferguson was elected as mayor of the civil parish of Ollerton and Boughton having previously spent two years from late 2006 as a town councillor in Ollerton . He was replaced as mayor by Irene Miller in May 2010. Ferguson also owns the bicycle repair shop called Wheels ‘n’ Things. He was a non-executive director of
406-621: The WLBSA was renamed as World Women's Snooker, and is responsible for women's snooker and billiards and the women's ranking list. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association ( WPBSA ) is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards . It is headquartered in Bristol , England. Founded as the Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA) in 1946, with Joe Davis as chairman, it
435-541: The WPBSA are "the governance of professional snooker and billiards through the regulation and application of the rules of the association, the development of snooker and billiards as a sport and the sanctioning of the Professional Snooker Tour". The governing body for the non-professional aspect of snooker and billiards is the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF). The WPBSA has
464-403: The WPBSA chairman in 2010, having previously held the role from 2001 to 2003. Rex Williams was chairman for 13 years until 1987, when he was replaced by John Virgo . Previous presidents include Jeffrey Archer , who served from 1997 to 1999. A Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA) was formed on 26 July 1946, with Joe Davis as chairman. The professional game was in decline in
493-546: The WPBSA's seven-person board, at the time led by Rex Williams . This appointment coincided with a period of difficulty between old and new board members. An attempt by Ferguson, Davis and Taylor to remove Williams and Bob Close in August 1999 failed, and a counter-motion saw the three voted off the board, although this was later reversed. Ferguson became the organisation's chairman in December 2001, replacing Mark Wildman . Ferguson
522-558: The WPBSA's support for the women's circuit stopped in 2002 following the loss of income due to the UK government's restrictions on tobacco sponsorship of sport. The WLBSA was restructured as a subsidiary of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in 2015, and became a full member of the World Snooker Federation in 2017. It was known as World Ladies Billiards and Snooker from July 2015 to November 2018. In November 2018
551-399: The apparent involvement in the decision-making process of WPBSA officials. The decision to decline an application for a grant from Chris Small , a former player who retired due to Ankylosing spondylitis , was also criticised by several of the game's leading figures. A subsidiary promotions company, WPBSA Promotions Ltd, was founded in 1983. World Snooker has been successful in promoting
580-475: The board. The body received criticism in the late 2000s. John Higgins had been particularly vocal in his opinion that World Snooker had not done enough to promote the game in new territories, particularly in Eastern Europe. The rival World Series of Snooker was launched by a consortium including Higgins in 2008. In 2008, the Association's benevolent fund was investigated for accounting irregularities and
609-406: The clash "laughable". Premier League organiser Barry Hearn commented that "I am very disappointed and I can't understand why World Snooker hasn't discussed dates with us", while Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney threatened legal action over the ranking points situation. Supported by a number of senior players, Hearn became the chairman of the WPBSA in December 2009, with Mooney also joining him on
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#1733085040858638-425: The first round. He spent a total of four years ranked among the world's top 32 players, reaching his highest ranking of #28 in the 1994/95 season. Although Ferguson continued to play professionally for a further six years, his form suffered due to his increased workload after being elected to the WPBSA board. He retired in 2004. In December 1998 Ferguson was elected alongside Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor to
667-763: The formation of the WPBSA, the world governing body of both snooker and English billiards was the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC or BA&CC), later known as the Billiards and Snooker Control Council . The BACC announced in August 1968 that the world professional snooker championship would be run on a knockout basis, rather than the challenge system that had been in place from 1964, and in September 1969 that "The BA & CC and Professional Billiard Players Association have reached agreement regarding procedure for turning professional and other events governed by
696-554: The game. In 2019, the WPBSA announced the creation of an all-party parliamentary group for snooker, chaired by Conor Burns , a Member of Parliament (MP) . In 2015, the Association submitted an unsuccessful bid for snooker to be played at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Another bid has been put forward for Paris 2024 through a branch of the association formed in 2017, the World Snooker Federation. Jason Ferguson (snooker player) Jason Elliott Ferguson (born 31 May 1969)
725-498: The last professional billiards and snooker championships organised by the WBA were those held in 1950, and by the early 1970s the organisation had "fallen on hard times" according to leading snooker journalist and author Clive Everton . A Women's Billiards & Snooker Association (WBSA) was formed in 1976, and in 1978 appointed Wally West, snooker club owner, and holder of the world record break of 151, as Secretary. The Association organised
754-557: The sport in China, a major growth area for the sport, and in other territories including Germany. The 2008 Bahrain Championship was the first ranking tournament to be staged in the Middle East , which cost the organisation around £500,000 in prize money and organisational costs. One session at the event did not attract any audience, and the largest attendance for any of the sessions was 150. In 2019, World Snooker announced that there would be
783-507: The tournaments. In 1985, Green retired as Secretary and was succeeded by Martin Blake, at which point the Association moved its headquarters from Birmingham to Bristol. It was reported during the 1987 World Snooker Championship that WPBSA chairman Williams was taking beta blockers . These were banned under International Olympic Committee rules, but not prohibited in snooker. Colin Moynihan ,
812-471: Was at the time ranked #56 in the world. He was criticised for endorsing the board's decision to fire chief executive Jim McKenzie one week after becoming chairman. After several years away from the post, Ferguson was re-elected as chairman of the WPBSA following a board meeting in July 2010. He survived a vote of confidence in December 2010 by a margin of 31 votes to three. In 2022, following an independent review,
841-571: Was revived in 1968 after some years of inactivity and renamed the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in 1970. Its current chairman is Jason Ferguson . The WPBSA devises and publishes the official rules of the two sports. It promotes their global development at the grassroots, amateur, and professional levels; enforces conduct regulations and disciplines players who breach them; and works to combat corruption, such as by investigating betting irregularities. Additionally, it
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