A formal proposal has been sent to the Government to help reopen snooker clubs across the UK.
The Worlds Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) says the proposal to Sports Minister Nigel Adams contains guidance for club owners and staff to be able to operate as sporting facilities by providing a safe and controlled environment for all during the coronavirus pandemic.
All snooker clubs across the UK have been closed since March when the UK was placed under lockdown due to the severeness of the killer disease.
But the Government has now eased lockdown restrictions by claiming the peak of the pandemic has now passed in the UK. This has seen people return to work and, from today, the reopening of golf clubs, tennis clubs and garden centres.
Now the WPBSA has sent its proposals to Parliament to help restart the sport as soon as possible.
Professional players have been told they can start working again on their practice tables as long it is safe to do so. And now the focus is on snooker clubs to open again when safe to do so.
Proposals include the following safety procedures which all clubs could have to adhere to.
- Regular cleaning of venues on a daily basis
- Hand sanitiser to be provided at all tables, entrances and toilets
- Regular cleaning of equipment after every customer
- Staff to wear masks and gloves
- Limited entry to venues / reduced opening hours
- Social distancing measures including clear signage for customer flow to/from tables to be observed
- Closure of bar areas with limited table service/takeaway food options to be provided
- Player guidance to avoid unnecessary sharing of equipment and interaction
Should any club be found to be in breach of guidance provided they would be liable to closure by the relevant authorities.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “The unprecedented global situation that exists has had a profound effect upon us all and of course snooker has not been able to escape the reality that we currently find ourselves in.
“Our message to everyone connected with snooker however is that the WPBSA is there for you and are working hard to be able to restart our sport – at all levels – as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so. This will not be without its challenges, but through the measures submitted to Parliament today we are confident that the wider public will be able to access our sport’s facilities and will remain proactive until this is achieved in
“We are further grateful for the support provided to us by the All-Party Parliamentary Group APPG which has worked with us closely during this process.”
It remains unclear at this stage when exactly snooker clubs will be able to reopen.
Snooker Chat 
Why can’t you just simply tell us a date near enough all sports are back in progress and nothing to the public when snookers clubs will be back open. Come on it’s not that dificult. 🙁
Its quite the normal etiquette to distance ones self from your apponent,unless your playing doubles I would think not allowed when clubs reopen. Alastair Scott
Yes but 2 people at 1 table seriously what is the problem. All these people in shops in parks they surely have a date. It’s 2 weeks and we have had nothing. Barry hearn needs to sort something or snooker clubs will not open again
I have just read the proposal for the reopening of snooker clubs and I am worried that our club may never be opened again taking the wpbsa proposals into consideration. Our club only has two tables and NO staff, a key is given to each member so that they can let themselves in. The proposals do not take this kind of Private Snooker Club into account and seems to be a nail in the coffin of small clubs that do not and cannot afford staff. we only have around fifty members and any extra cost is going to deny this wonderful game to clubs in rural areas.
Perhaps there is separate guidance for our situation and if so would anyone be so kind as to point me in the right direction. I cannot tell you how I am dreading not being able to play snooker ever again.
Our snooker club is run in the exact same way, with a key given to each member. However, I would think it would be fairly easy to re-open with certain rules in place. We have two tables, so you could have a rule of only 2 members per table in the club at any time. Hand sanitisers/wash hands before and after play. Wipe hard surfaces clean after use. These clubs are run on trust anyway, so I’m sure members would comply to this.
Thanks for that, I had an idea and thought there might be some online booking app which would mean that there would not be a situation where you would travel (in my case 12miles) to the club and have to wait outside not knowing how long it would be, and there is. I will suggesting it to the committee.
Wow still nothing. For god sake you need to pull your bloody fingers out your bums and get on with it. 2 weeks on and still nothing. Really looks like your pushing for snooker halls to be pushed forward
Pingback: Snooker clubs could be back open in a matter of weeks | Snooker Chat
We have a date that snooker clubs can open on the 4th of july 2020. They said behind closed doors if it got the equipment and the rest of it. Soooo ???
We r a private members social club. With 2 snooker tables. Can we let people use then when we reopen on July 4th …..thank you
Give us a date and tell us exactly what rules we need to follow….Like the man said, it’s not that difficult……