Steve Davis. Picture by Monique Limbos

STEVE Davis says he has no plans to retire from the game just yet despite losing his place on the tour – but has opted not to enter this year’s Q School competition.

The six-times world champion suffered relegation from the main tour following his second round World Championship Qualifying defeat to Craig Steadman – a loss which ended his 36 year run on the circuit.

Davis, who dominated the sport in the 1980s, admitted to a national radio station he had been playing the sport as a ‘hobby’ in recent years which helped make up his mind to not play in the end-of-season Q School tournament which, if successful, could have seen him win his tour place back.

But Davis has vowed to play on and hopes to feature in next season’s European Tour PTC events in the hope of winning back a tour card through the European Order of Merit.

Speaking to TalkSport presenter Andy Goldstein on The Sports Bar show on Thursday, Davis said: “Whilst I could have entered (Q School), even though it is straight after the World Championship which is not ideal from the point of view of working for the BBC and mentally getting myself ready, I decided this year not to partly because I don’t think i would be ready to just jump into it.

“Another part is that I must admit for a number of years now I feel I have played the game as a hobby rather than a profession. I’m not looking to make it my profession so to speak.

“And if I was to enter, whilst there is the possibility I maybe bundled out by good players anyway, the other part is I could also knock out a prospective future young world champion and part of that perhaps would not be fair in as much as I’m not intending to go anywhere in the game other than dabble with it but there maybe someone who it (losing to Davis) could haunt their progress.”

Meanwhile, World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn revealed to BBC Radio Five last night he was thinking about the possibility of giving Davis a wild-card place on the tour following his achievements in the game.