How the tide would appear to be turning. Ahead of Wednesday’s EGM, Ding Junhui has joined Stephen Hendry, Mark King and Peter Ebdon in voicing his support for John Davison…
Ding is quoted at Sporting Life as saying:
“John Davison wants to work with us in a partnership rather than own us. Snooker can only belong to the players,”
“I do think that he is offering the things I am interested in as a player who has come through the ranks and wants snooker to grow.
“I have taken a few days to look at the options and speak to different people, especially those around me who I trust. And I think we must trust Mr Davison.”
Davison meanwhile is quoted by The Telegraph as saying:
“I see a great opportunity because snooker is a fantastic sport with a fantastic heritage. Any sport with the sort of background snooker has can be part of the mainstream, but it has fallen a long way from there. The players are very aware of the gravity of the position the sport finds itself in but I hope we can work together to put it on a stable foundation again.”
“I look at organisations like MotoGP, F1 and Uefa, and they are extremely professional and sophisticated in the way they relate with sponsors and broadcasters.
“Snooker is not currently anywhere near that league. I think we can build a sport that appeals to the corporate world, big business and major sponsors and broadcasters, and that’s what I hope to offer. Ultimately the players will choose the vision they prefer.”