Hearn optimistic players will accept plan

Barry Hearn remains optimistic the players will approve his plans to shake up top-tier snooker despite the resignation of the influential Lee Doyle from the board of the world governing body.

Doyle, chairman of the 110sport management group which represents stars including Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, quit as a director of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in protest at Hearn's plans yesterday.

Doyle specifically objects to Hearn's proposal that he will, for £1 (€1.13), take a 51% controlling interest in World Snooker, the commercial arm of the WPBSA, if proposals to shake up the sport are accepted by the players.

In his resignation statement, Doyle urged the players to "see the bigger picture" when they come to vote.

The timing of Doyle's departure, ahead of the Betfred.com World Championship which begins on Saturday in Sheffield, might be seen as unfortunate.

However WPBSA chairman Hearn, who came to power in December amid solid support from senior players who were frustrated with the previous regime, remains convinced his plan is the best way to reinvigorate snooker.

Hearn said: "I welcome Lee's decision to resign as a director of WPBSA.

"As a manager of players and promoter of rival events in important territories like China, Lee's position as a board director, where confidential information becomes available to effectively a competitor, has become untenable.

"He may well be opposed to my plan to reinvigorate snooker for the benefit of all players and I therefore totally understand his reasons for resigning.

"I'm glad to say that the remaining board members, Steve Davis, Brandon Parker and Pat Mooney are, like me, totally committed in supporting these new proposals for taking the game forward and look forward to discussing them with the players at the meeting planned for May 5."

Whether Doyle's resignation has an effect on how players vote remains to be seen.

O'Sullivan has come out firmly behind Hearn. Last week the three-time world champion urged his fellow professionals to "see sense" and throw their full support behind Hearn, and reigning world champion John Higgins urged players to "wake up" and trust the man who has transformed darts over the last decade.

Doyle had been a director on the WPBSA board since 2006 and said: "I feel that my current position ... is now untenable given that I am completely opposed to the proposals the chairman, Barry Hearn, has laid out whereby the controlling rights in the company are handed over to him.

"I do understand what Barry is trying to achieve in snooker and we have discussed this at considerable length. But on this one we agree to disagree.

"Barry has always run his own business and made his own decisions. However, I feel extremely uncomfortable where, from my perspective, decisions are being taken on contracts without me being consulted as a board member.

"I do wish some of the players would look at these proposals from the business angle and see the bigger picture and the implications going forward for the game, rather than turning everything in to some kind of popularity contest between those they like and those they don't want to listen to."