Please. No.

I agree, I don't think Steve or Stehen Hendry should get a wild card.

If these previous champions are so important to the game then one thing I think could be done is invite previous Masters Champions back for the Masters, (not in the main body of the draw but in a separate qualification tournament to get one place in the main draw.) It is like what they do in golf where the previous Masters champions always get an invite. It would be nice to see Jimmy, Steve, Stephen battle it out in a kind of "legends warmup" to the main Masters event.

I think it would be great for the game of snooker especially if it encourages Hendry to play a little bit.

Hi Dan,
Yep, it goes against the competitive edge introduced with a flat 128 draw in tournaments. What better way to stop competition than remove a few wildcards from the youngsters so the old fogies can be inserted on tour. Dreadful idea, backwards and it may harm the discovery of the next big thing.

Unfortunately, Barry has shown time and time and time again, that he will place money before the greater good. In fact, he enjoys it. In an interview recently he said

"After Dennis beat Steve [1985 WC], I signed him up. I got angry letters from some of Steve's fans saying 'How could you?'. But I said, look at the bigger picture. I guess that sums me up [laughing]."

Yes, it does, Barry. You don't give 2 hoots about anyone or anything. All that matters is money.

You know, this sport doesn't half have some serious problems. I think the greatest is the elites... at the top, people are making a lot of money. The fan has become a money machine, and that's how they are seen. Sheep. Every time I see them huddled into the crucible with the same old commentators making phony jokes, and referees telling the paid audience to shut up (and I mean almost literally... ), treating them like kids, I get put off.

If the sport was allowed to be a sport, and people at the top showed real passion for it, then we'd be good. I'd be much happier if someone like Hendry was on the main board or something. At the moment, it seems to be too elitist, and we have a money mad egomaniac at the helm.

Absolutely. If you want to send the game forward the lets see some REAL innovation. Inviting relics from the past is not the way forward. The show about the 1984 black ball final summed up everything that is wrong with the game and especially the BBC. They are still chasing the same 18 million viewers no matter how old or dead they are now. Get young people interested and take the sport forward.

All previous champions can now enter the crucible draw with a flat 128 system finding the 16 qualifiers to face the top seeds. So now we can look forward to Taylor, Johnston and Thourburn tearing up the baize again. Great. Lets party like its 1989.

Completely agree. They repeat that '85 final so much. It's a kind of severe desperation for the old money and fame... but the days of 4 channels to choose from are gone. It's time these dinosaurs got their bolide, and we paved the way for the future.

At the moment, it's an old man's club where different ideas, opinions and formats are treated like Lucifer.