The finances available to the IBSF have been significantly reduced after the Internet company, 110sport (formerly TSN) recently cancelled their sponsorship, worth £50,000 a year. Although the deal, which was put in place just over a year ago, had been intended to run for a minimum of six years, it is understood that 110sport withdrew from their obligations on the basis that the IBSF had not upheld their side of the contractual requirements. To add to their troubles, it is understood that an expected £30,000 from the WPBSA has also not been paid, leaving the IBSF almost totally dependant on member subscriptions for their income. Even with these setbacks it is understood that the IBSF financial reserves are still in good shape and their programme of events, including the Billiards Championship, will go ahead as planned in 2002.
After only five months in the job, Jim McKenzie was sacked from his position as WPBSA Chief Executive on 12th December 2001. The move came amid growing concern that the Association were heading for a loss of £2m by the end of the current year and that there was a real prospect of them becoming insolvent within months of the 2002/3 season beginning.
A week before the departure of Jim McKenzie, Mark Wildman resigned from his position as Chairman of the WPBSA main board and Jason Ferguson was subsequently elected to this position. There is a strong feeling amongst the rank-and-file professional billiard players that the WPBSA is looking for an opportunity to divest itself of the responsibility for administering, and probably more importantly, financing the game of billiards. However, the feedback being given from Association sources before the recent crisis is that they will be continuing to put money into professional billiards for at least the next three seasons, albeit on a reducing basis. Whether the recent WPBSA cash problems will affect this policy, remains to be seen.
Rex Williams has had his membership of the WPBSA revoked and was ordered to repay over £28,000 to the Association following a long running investigation into his activities as Chairman between 1997 and 1999. He was held to have been responsible for several failed legal actions brought by the WPBSA. Until recently, Williams was an active participant on the professional billiards circuit, but has not played since his last appearance in the Northern Open in November 1999. Also expelled from the WPBSA was six times World Snooker Champion, Ray Reardon.
The World Billiards Association held their AGM at North Ormesby Institute, Middlesbrough, during the course of the United Kingdom Billiards Championship. Mike Russell was voted off the Committee and Robby Foldvari, who had been co-opted after the death of Bob Close last December was formally elected. As the committee had not met since Close's death, Foldvari had not actually been given any prior opportunity to form WBA policy. Re-elected to their positions were Peter Gilchrist (Chairman), Mike Ferreira and Geet Sethi.
It is reported that a "deal is on the table" for a potential new sponsor to support this season's World Professional Billiards Championship, provisionally scheduled to take place in India during April 2002. It is hoped that external financial support for this event will release enough funds from the WBA budget to allow another ranking tournament to be held in England shortly after the conclusion of the World Matchplay in March 2002.