Following the expulsion of the former World Billiards Champion Rex Williams in December last year, the Board of the WPBSA reversed that decision just four months later when they voted unanimously to reinstate both Williams and Ray Reardon as full members with honorary status. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are very sorry about the distress and upset that this incident has caused".
Jason Ferguson failed to retain his position as Chairman of the WPBSA at the election of officers held just after the World Snooker Championships. The position was left vacant in the expectation that an outside appointment may be made later in the year. Ferguson subsequently resigned from the Board of Directors.
As part of the restructuring and cost-cutting within the WPBSA group, the English Association for Snooker and Billiards (EASB) has been floated as an independent organisation. The move became effective on 1st July 2002. The company, EASB Ltd, which has been a name registered and owned by WPBSA for some time, will now become fully operational. Five new Directors have been appointed to oversee the establishment of the new company which, like the WPBSA, will be owned by its subscribing members. The EASB Directors are Malcolm Holland, Dan Lewis, Simon Smith, Jon Hearn and David Joyce.
The WBA have been assured that despite the financial problems being experienced by the Governing Body, their budget for next season will remain unaffected. The total allocation of funds for 2002-03 will amount to £150,000 although not all of this will go in prize-money, with payment of a Tournament Director and various set-up costs to be deducted from this amount.
The IBSF are trying to arrange their Billiards Championship to be held at the Mount Pritchard club in Sydney, Australia, from 18th-26th November. It is understood that it is proposed to use the time-limit format with games of four hours duration in the initial Group stages. The dates and venue have still to be officially confirmed.
The Pritchard club is a big supporter of cue sports, and will be host for the Australian Open Snooker Championships immediately prior to the IBSF event. However, the club is situated right next door to Cabramatta, known locally as the "heroin capital of Australia" an area to be avoided by unsuspecting tourists, especially at night.
Peter Gilchrist has been appointed by the Qatar Billiards & Snooker Association as their National coach to take charge of the squads who will represent that country when they host the Asian Games in 2006. Initially a 12 month contract, Gilchrist will be based in Doha, but will retain his Chairmanship of the WBA Billiards Committee and has arranged for leave of absence to compete on the professional circuit next season. The post was initially advertised with the WPBSA who circulated details to all their qualified coaches, with Gilchrist, who has similar experience of coaching in Thailand, emerging the successful applicant. Peter is expected to take up his duties some time in July.
The Springwood Bowling Club, Huddersfield, was the venue for Lee Lagan's first billiards exhibition as a professional. On Friday 5th July a packed house watched as Lagan took on four Juniors at 150-up, (conceding 50 start), then a game of 60 minutes duration against Huddersfield's star player, Matthew Peaker, and the show was concluded with another game of 30 minutes against Tony Clegg. In coming through all these tests undefeated, Lagan made three breaks over the century, with a best of 217.