SOME of the best snooker players in the world, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, are due to return to Barnsley in the coming week.
The Metrodome will host qualifiers for the World Open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
Fans are able to attend a World Snooker event in Barnsley for the first time since the Covid-19 crisis.
The venue had been a regular on the World Snooker circuit in the past, including the 2017 English Open which was won by O’Sullivan who is due to return next week.
Ronnie, the seven-time world champion, praised the Metrodome after winning that event but said two years later, when complaining about the general standard of snooker venues: “I’m not playing in Barnsley leisure centres, just drop me out.”
He is scheduled to face Alfie Burden at 7pm on Tuesday, while other big names due to visit Barnsley include former world champions Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty.
The Metrodome’s Richard Bailey said: “It is fantastic to know that the Metrodome has been selected for this event. It further compliments our development as a whole in Barnsley into a key town in the north.
“All the big names should be there which is great.
“It’s brilliant that the Barnsley public can come and watch.
“We would like to stage many more World Snooker events in years to come.”
The return of snooker is a boost for the venue after it was announced last year that it would no longer stage PDC darts events after 15 years, costing the town’s economy an estimated £1million.
World Snooker and PDC work with Matchroom Sports which is owned by the Hearn family.
Bailey said: “We have a close relationship with World Snooker and Matchroom.
“The darts unfortunately left due to the size of the venue. It’s a growing sport and they needed more square footage. It’s not great news.
“But we have a fantastic relationship with them and left on a very very positive note. There is scope to come back if we make the space bigger.”
Matches are due to be played in sessions from 10am, 2.30pm and 7pm on Monday and Tuesday as well as 10am and 2.30pm on Wednesday.
Tickets are £10 for a day and can be bought on the door.
More information is available at worldsnooker.com.
