Latest news with #WorldSeniors
Metro
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Alfie Burden talks World Seniors redemption, online abuse and Q School bloodbath
Alife Burden heads to the 'bloodbath' of Q School this week as World Seniors champion, proud of his achievement but having to avoid criticism that has come his way. The 48-year-old beat Aaron Canavan 8-4 to win the Seniors title earlier this month at the Crucible and has quickly had to turn his attention to Q School, where he will try and regain professional status. 'I'm getting a bit old you know, 20 years ago I would have probably been out for three days,' Burden told Metro of short-lived celebrations. 'I've got a club now, so there's commitments to running that, and I've had to prepare for Q School.' Burden first turned pro in 1994 and has been on the tour for the vast majority of the time since then, but never been beyond a ranking quarter-final. A day in the Sheffield sun was a proud moment in a career which he accepts could have been better if he had dedicated himself more. 'It meant a lot to me and to my family,' he said. 'For my children to be there, they've suffered with me through my career. I haven't achieved what I know I could have achieved and I put that in my lap really, I haven't been dedicated enough, I've not lived correctly. 'We are where we are, you can't live in regret, I've had a decent enough career without it being brilliant but I'm proud of it. My kids were proud of me, my family were proud of it and it's something that I'll always remember. 'I'm not stupid enough to think I'm the best over 45 player in the world. Everyone knows that there's players over 45 that still dominate the game. But in the field that was in front of me I was the best player. I'm always one to sort of knock myself and maybe I should take a bit of credit rather than try and downplay it.' Burden lost in the final of the Seniors to Jimmy White in 2023, feeling like his attitude let him down in defeat to his old pal, the Whirlwind. He is glad to gain some redemption by winning this year, but has been hit with social media abuse, which he feels comes from a place of ignorance. 'In 2023 I let myself down in different ways in the final,' he said. 'I always have that regret but I felt I put a few wrongs right this year and I'm proud that. 'I take a lot of a stick on social media. In the middle of the tournament I started flicking on a few of the World Senior feeds and I see I was getting a lot of abuse. People who don't know me just saying nasty stuff, so I stopped looking at that because I'm thinking there's no value. 'What I did take from it is that in the flesh people do enjoy watching me play. I think I play a nice brand of snooker and the crowd really enjoyed it and only had good things to say. 'People shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I'm a bit loud and brash at times but that's just me, anyone who knows knows me knows what I'm all about. You read some of this stuff online and it's not pleasant. 'I've chosen to stop reading that sort of stuff, I think that's the right thing to do.' Burden now heads to Leicester looking to come through Q School for a third time and fulfil an ambition of being a pro at 50 years old. 'I thought that would have been a good good feat, being on tour at 50,' he said. 'I'm still able to reach that goal by getting through Q School. 'But it is a real bloodbath up there. Listen, I'm not saying everyone can get through because they can't, most of them ain't good enough and that's the brutal truth, but there's probably 30 players that you know have got a good chance of getting through and only eight of them will. 'I'm not one to really give it the big one, but getting through twice is very impressive because I challenge anyone, no matter who you are, to go there and get through. It's not an easy format and anyone can beat you in a best of seven. 'I'm definitely hitting the ball well, there's no doubt about that and obviously I'm going there full of confidence there's no one no one I won't fancy beating.' MORE: The 10 greatest graduates from snooker's Q School as latest hopefuls attend class MORE: Snooker prospect Ronnie Sullivan doesn't love obvious comparison: 'It does my head in' MORE: World Women's Snooker Championship draw, schedule and how to watch
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
World Seniors Snooker Championship prize money 2025: How much are the legends competing for at the Crucible
THE World Snooker Championship may have come to an end, but there is plenty more action to come at the Crucible. Some of the sport 's biggest legends are set to feature in the World Seniors this week. 1 Igor Figueiredo heads to the iconic Sheffield venue as defending champion after the Brazilian cueist made history at last year's tournament. He beat Ken Doherty 5-2 in the final to claim the title and become the first player from outside of Europe to win the Crucible crown. Doherty returns once again this year, alongside fellow snooker legend Jimmy White, as the Whirlwind looks to secure a record-extending fifth World Seniors trophy. When is World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025? The World Seniors Snooker Championship will begin on Wednesday, May 7. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, May 11. The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will host. World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 prize money The prize money for the 2025 edition of the World Snooker Championship will remain the same as last year. A huge £50,000 pot will once again be up for grabs at the Crucible. The winner of the iconic event will take home a whopping £20,000, while the runner-up will receive a cool £10,000. What TV channel is the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 and can it be live streamed? The World Seniors Snooker Championship will be broadcast live on Channel 5. You can live stream the event for FREE via the Channel 5 website/app. Alternatively, you can follow SunSport's live blog for frame-by-frame coverage of the World Seniors.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Who is playing in the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025?
SEVERAL legends will dust off their cue sticks as the World Seniors Snooker Championship returns for the 2025 edition! Igor Figueiredo overcame last year's odds to lift his first-ever seniors title in Sheffield. The Brazilian icon dumped defending champion and British hero Jimmy White out of the competition before going on to beat Ken Doherty 5-2 in a thrilling final. And Figueiredo will be back in action with a mission to defend his Sheffield crown. But the reigning champ is set to face a lot of tricky customers once again. SunSport can reveal who is playing at this year's mouthwatering event. Who is playing in the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025? Fans will get to see the likes of defending champion Igor Figueiredo, English legend Jimmy White and Malta's greatest ever snooker player, Tony Drago. But they'll also be a golden ticket player who is yet to be confirmed. Here is the full list of names that are set to feature this year: Igor Figueiredo Jimmy White Tony Drago Ken Doherty Joe Perry Fabio Luersen Dominic Dale Craig Steadman Wayne Townsend Aaron Canavan Andrew Norman Charl Jonck Gerard Greene Tony Knowles Hassan Kerde Golden ticket tbc When is the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025? The World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 will get underway on Wednesday, May 7. This is just TWO days after the conclusion of the World Snooker Championship, which sees Chinese star Zhao Xintong take on Welshman Mark Williams in the final. Sadly, the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 only runs for five days, finishing on Sunday, May 11. Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is the chosen venue as is the case every year. What has been said? There had been doubts about whether the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 would remain at The Crucible. But the questions have been answered and it is positive news. Chairman of World Seniors Snooker, Jason Francis said 'It's great news to confirm our Championship will be staying in Sheffield at the Crucible. "Our strategic partnership with the council allows the World Seniors Snooker to showcase everything that is great about Sheffield. "This year as well as repeating our Seniors of Sheffield Day we are running a Business and Youth of Sheffield Day alongside our work with Sheffield Hallam University.'
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025: Schedule and results as Jimmy White and Ken Doherty feature
THE World Snooker Championship may be over, but fear not, the World Seniors is here to fill the void! 16 players, including multiple legends of the sport, will compete for the iconic crown at the Crucible. Last year, Brazil's Igor Figueiredo made history by becoming the first player from outside of Europe to lift the prestigious World Seniors trophy. The 47-year-old beat Ken Doherty 5-2 in the blockbuster final and will return to the Crucible as defending champion this week. 'The Darling of Dublin' is once again in the field, looking to secure a unique Grand Slam by adding the World Seniors crown to his World Professional, World Amateur and World Under-21 titles. SunSport brings you all the information ahead of the huge tournament. When is World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025? The World Seniors Snooker Championship will begin on Wednesday, May 7. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, May 11. The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will host. What TV channel is the World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 and can it be live streamed? The World Seniors Snooker Championship will be broadcast live on Channel 5. You can live stream the event for FREE via the Channel 5 website/app. Alternatively, you can follow SunSport's live blog for frame-by-frame coverage of the World Seniors. World Seniors Snooker Championship 2025 schedule and results Wednesday, May 7 From 12pm (All times BST) Joe Perry vs Fabio Anderson Luersen Dominic Dale vs Craig Steadman From 7pm Igor Figueiredo vs Wayne Townsend Aaron Canavan vs Andrew Norman Thursday, May 8 From 12pm Jimmy White vs Alfie Burden Ken Doherty vs Charl Jonck From 7pm Tony Drago vs Gerard Greene Tony Knowles vs Hassan Kerde
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Curl Aberdeen under threat of closure as urgent fundraising appeal launched
Aberdeen's only dedicated curling rink has warned it faces the biggest threat in its 20-year history due to rising energy costs and a sharp drop in membership. Curl Aberdeen, off the Lang Stracht, is trying to raise £160,000 in a one-month appeal to avoid potential closure and ensure the facility can continue into the next season. The club, which hosted the European Curling Championships in 2023, has seen its annual energy bill almost double to over £120,000 – a cost it says is unsustainable. Chairman Graham Russell described the situation as 'a perfect storm' of financial pressures, with the club also having lost one-third of its membership – around 200 curlers – since Covid. He said: 'It's ironic that in our 20th anniversary year, we're facing an existential threat to our future. 'The impact of Covid changed how people interact socially and we haven't seen those numbers return.' Despite efforts to remain accessible and affordable for the community, that very approach has combined to leave the club financially exposed. In a letter to members, Mr Russell said Curl Aberdeen's savings had 'completely eroded'. With traditional borrowing off the table – due to a restriction placed by Aberdeen City Council preventing the club from using its facility as loan security – the club's only option is direct member support. 'If you want the finest curling rink in Scotland to survive, all members and staff need to assist,' he wrote. 'Without your help, we will have to stop trading.' If Curl Aberdeen reaches its £160,000 targets, the funds will do more than simply keep the rink open through to the start of the next curling season in October. £75,000 of the total is earmarked to upgrade the club's ageing 20-year-old ice plant with a more energy-efficient system—an essential move to tackle the spiralling energy costs that are strangling the club's finances. 'We don't need to raise the money all at once,' insists Mr Russell, 'but we need the commitment that our members are willing to support us. 'We've never locked anyone out of Curl Aberdeen due to money, and we won't start now. But we need those who can afford to help to support us.' The crisis has been a wake up call. 'We've learned some hard lessons,' said the chairman. 'We haven't done enough to bring in young players, and now our average age is too high. That has to change.' The club is now developing a pathway programme to turn casual interest, like the 200 people who tried curling last year, into regular participation. It's also drawing inspiration from its own success stories. 'Two of our members are Olympians currently competing in Canada at the World Seniors,' said Russell. 'And we have a world junior Olympian, Ethan Brewster, who's a brilliant role model for young curlers in Aberdeen. That's the future we want to build on.' The club is determined to use this challenge to reimagine how it operates. 'Mistakes have been made and now we are driven to correct them,' Russell admitted. 'Should we have saved more money when times were better? Yes. But I'm not sure we could have foreseen Covid, quickly followed by increased energy costs.' That includes improving energy efficiency and promoting the club's facilities, including conference spaces that could bring in new revenue streams. Curl Aberdeen's appeal runs through May, with the club's board set to review the outcome in early June. 'Then we will decide if we are going to get enough support to go with the whole plan, or whether we're going to have to restrict our plans, or whether, we're going to have to close the door,' said Mr Russell. 'That is the sum and substance of it.'
