A golden period for snooker - but are UK clubs returning from doldrums?

Breaking news from the world of sport: A golden period for snooker - but are UK clubs returning from doldrums? Image source, Northern Snooker Centre Image caption, Snooker clubs are desperate to attract the next generation of snooker players By Steve Sutcliffe Sport Journalist at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Published 8 minutes ago Snooker is booming. The appetite for the game across the globe is at record levels and prize money looks to only be heading in one direction, despite the recent loss of the lucrative Saudi Arabia Masters.

The World Championship has showcased a new wave of exciting talent, with Wu Yize reaching the semi-finals and the likes of Stan Moody, Liam Pullen and Antoni Kowalski all displaying their rich promise on their debuts. John Higgins' march to the last four also suggests that the sport's fabled Class of 92 remain a force in the top echelons of the game. Yet, against that positive backdrop, the condition of the sport's grassroots comes into view after years of decline for local snooker clubs.

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Sport looks at what went wrong and the efforts being made to deliver a resurgence. 'Snooker's recovery' 40 years after classic final Published 19 April 2025 How 'dropouts' hangout' became snooker's ultimate stage Published 20 April The fall before the rise The Rileys chain, once also synonymous with providing equipment for the highest level of the sport, was perhaps the most recognisable face of snooker clubs across the UK at one time. However it now operates just 15 clubs, an alarming drop-off from the 165 during its peak years.

Yet that downturn has been far from unusual across the UK's major cities and towns. Simply trying to organise a few frames with friends has become challenging for those that play recreationally, while searching phrases like 'snooker club closed down' online highlights the depth of club closures impacting communities. Famed establishments like the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre in Leicester, who took in and helped develop the skills of a young Mark Selby, are among those to have fallen by the wayside in the past 15 years.

High rent and operating costs, reduced junior engagement, the coronavirus pandemic and the long-term impact of things like the smoking ban - and government legislation on the size of jackpots from gambling machines - all took their toll. That was backed up by Sport England figures that showed the number of over-16s playing at least once a week dropped from 112,600 to just 47,700 between 2005 and 2014. Speaking to Sport Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), said: "If you turn the clock back to the 1980s, it was boom time in snooker in the UK and there was a club on every street corner.

"But actually it reached a huge saturation point where it had to contract. There was no question of it. You need large buildings, you need huge amounts of space to get around tables and there's a limited amount of money you can charge for use of a snooker table.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.