Snooker: Leslie delighted as snooker stars cue up to play Tour Championship event in Scotland

Published on 10/10/2012 12:00

Bonnyrigg’s Michael Leslie is delighted that World Snooker will host it’s first professional tournament in Scotland in more than two years later this season.

The event, at Ravenscraig, North Lanarkshire, will be the fifth event on the new Betfair European Tour, part of the Players Tour Championship series. The event being held at the 600-seater Ravenscraig Sports Facility will run from December 14 to 16 and will be televised by Eurosport

Leslie, pictured, said: “I am really excited about it. As much as I enjoy travelling to play in different events I am really looking forward to playing in an event in Scotland. It will be great for all the Scottish lads and I am sure they are all 
looking forward to it as much as I am.

“It will be really exciting for all the Scottish snooker fans to have all the best players in the world coming to Scotland and I hope we get some great attendances.”

It will be the first World Snooker event in Scotland since the 2010 World Open and four-time World Champion John Higgins is delighted that the sport is returning to his homeland.

Higgins, who lives just a few miles away from Ravenscraig, said: “Scotland deserves to have its own tournament so it’s brilliant news that we will have an event here. Hopefully it will be a stepping stone to something bigger. I hope the crowds will come and enjoy it.”

The winner of the Ravenscraig event will pocket £10,000 from a total prize fund of £50,000, and there will also be world ranking points and PTC Order of Merit points up for grabs. Most of snooker’s top stars are expected to enter.

The sessions will start at 9am on Friday December 14 and Saturday December 15 and at 10am on Sunday December 16. There will be one main TV table and ten other tables and fans will be able to move between tables to watch a host of snooker’s 
leading professionals in action.

n Tickets are now on sale and cost just £10 for a single day and £25 for a three-day pass. To buy tickets for the event call 01698 274600 or visit 
www.seetickets.com