NOTICE TO MEMBERS

7th March 2011

You may recently have read in the sporting press some news regarding our attempts to resolve the issues surrounding recognition of our game by Sport England. This has been a problem principally because of the following situation:

1. For historical reasons, the governance of snooker and billiards must be controlled by a single entity.
2. Uniquely, England have separate organisations who have a primary role in these games, ourselves for the promotion of snooker, and English Amateur Billiard Association (EABA) for billiards.

Attempts to find an arrangement whereby these organisation could work together as a single body had remained deadlocked for some years, until in July 2006 EASB decided to revive negotiations and actively seek a solution. Success would depend upon the common agreement of three other parties, EABA, IBSF, and Sport England, each having their own, and often conflicting, requirements. At the onset EASB indicated that, without precondition, any solution which was acceptable to the other three parties would also be acceptable to ourselves.

Between then and now, many possible structures were investigated in some detail, and always in consultation with these parties. Four different solutions have been proposed, which have ultimately been variously rejected by Sport England (1), IBSF (1), and EABA (2). The failure of the latest of these, the formation of a "Confederation," was reported in the March edition of Snooker Scene

Subsequent discussions with Sport England regarding the history of our attempts to find an inclusive solution, and considering the lack of an alternative option, EASB were invited to present an application for recognition as the sole governing body for snooker and billiards in England.

This two stage application was begun on 18th February and we would expect to commence the second and final stage some time around May 2011, with a conclusion being reached towards the end of the year.

As the only sticking point for previous applications has been the governance of billiards, we are confident that the events of the past four and a half years have demonstrated that this is the only viable solution, and we can present a strong case for being given authority over both games.

Should we be successful, EASB would become much more active in billiards, having previously stood aside from this area in the interests of developing a working relationship with EABA. Such activities, however, would not be designed to create conflict with the existing tournament structure for billiards in England, but by co-operation with the organisers of these events, to maintain and further develop playing opportunities.