Could the scene of Ronnie O'Sullivan's historic landmark achievements make a return to snooker?
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ByEurosport
Updated 11/08/2023 at 10:53 GMT
The Guild Hall in Preston was once the home of the UK Championship, but the tournament left the Lancashire city in 1997 and never returned. Preston later held the World Grand Prix and Players Championship, but doubts over the future of the Guild Hall has left the venue without a major snooker tournament since 2019. Could that be about to change with positive news emerging on the iconic venue?
10th March 2019, Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England; Snooker, Coral Players Championship, day 7; Ronnie O'Sullivan of England poses with the Coral Players Championship trophy after his victory in tonight's final against Neil Robertson of Australi
Image credit: Getty Images
Ronnie O'Sullivan became the youngest winner of a ranking event when he completed a momentous 10-6 win over Stephen Hendry at the age of 17 in the 17th UK Championship final at Preston's Guild Hall in 1993.
The iconic venue also witnessed O'Sullivan produce his landmark 1,000 century in the sport during the final frame of his 10-4 triumph against Neil Robertson in the 2019 Players Championship final.
It remains the last elite professional event hosted by Preston amid doubts over the future of the venue, with no events held inside the Guild Hall since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amid a lengthy legal battle, Preston City Council has taken over the entertainment venue with music set to mark its public return in November.
"There has been lots of interest in future plans of the building and we understand the significance and importance of the Guild Hall to the people of Preston, the city and the wider city region," said a statement on the Guild Hall website.
"We are now in a position where we can prepare a business case in the hope of securing a long term, sustainable, and profitable future for the building.
"It will be a significant task to deliver a positive and optimistic future for The Guild Hall Preston but we are committed to bringing it back into use and once again, it being at the heart of culture and entertainment in Preston."
Guild Hall part of snooker's Golden Era
The UK Championship has not once returned to Preston over the past 26 years despite the Guild Hall being steeped in snooker history and witnessing some of the most epic battles during the sport's televised boom period.
The famous venue staged the blue-chip event between 1978 and 1997, but it was moved to Bournemouth a year later before Telford and later York played host to the coveted tournament, with Preston becoming a distant memory.
It was the arena that saw Steve Davis claim six UK titles between 1980 and 1987, Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins recover from trailing Davis 7-0 behind in the 1983 final to complete an epic 16-15 victory, and Stephen Hendry defeat Davis 16-15 in another titanic joust in 1990.
Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White also lifted his solitary UK title with a 16-9 win over John Parrott in 1992.
When O'Sullivan shocked Hendry as the youngest winner of a ranking tournament in the sport's history at the age of 17 years and 358 days – a record that still stands 30 years later – it seemed the Guild Hall would remain as synonymous with the sport as the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
But the historic UK Championship – one of the major ranking events outside of the World Championship – heading for potting pastures new left the 2000-capacity Guild Hall without one of the main jewels on the snooker circuit.
'Second only to the Crucible'
The Lancashire city has since hosted the World Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018, the Players Championship in 2014 and 2019 and World Seniors Championship in 2016.
But could there be room for a more permanent return to Preston in future years with locals keen on a new green baize future?
It would be fitting for the role which Preston has playing in the progression of the sport.
"This is probably second in history to the Crucible, really," said John Higgins, the four-time world champion in 2017.
"This was here well before the York Barbican Centre and Alexandra Palace, but sadly it is not used on the rota.
"It is a great venue to play in. If you just put a table within any theatre it always works, and with this being a theatre it is a great venue."
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