Former snooker champion claims ‘90% of players on tour have no money’
Snooker ace Ali Carter claims most players have “got no money” as he delivered a damning verdict on the state of the sport’s professional circuit.
Former world finalist Carter wants snooker bosses to cut the size of the pro tour as he thinks the majority of players are earning the same wage as a supermarket shelve stacker.
The World Snooker Tour (WST) and the WPBSA governing body, headed by chairman Jason Ferguson, has introduced a financial ‘safety net’, where the world’s top 130 players are guaranteed £20,000 this season to fund their careers.
But only 65 players on the one-year ranking list have made over that £20,000 mark so far during the 2022/23 campaign.
And world No.15 Carter, who secured £80,000 for winning the German Masters in Berlin the month, believes not enough is being done to reward dedicated snooker players.
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“It’s been really tough. Maybe 90 percent of players on the tour have got no money,” the 43-year-old told the BBC’s Framed Podcast. “I think the tour should probably be cut, to give a prize that if you do get your tour card, you are guaranteed a living, a good living.
“They’re earning nothing, 20 grand a year, 30 grand a year after expenses, maybe less than that. You could go and get a job stacking a shelf in a supermarket [for that], no disrespect to anyone who does that.
“But these boys have put their life into playing snooker from a very young age, so it just seems a little bit unfair to me, that’s all.”
(Image: VCG via Getty Images)
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Carter is not the only player to voice his displeasure amid growing concerns over the sustainability of the snooker tour.
World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan last year suggested snooker bosses should pay out expenses to first round losers, before the introduction of the safety net scheme.
And accomplished Scot Stephen Maguire recently claimed “snooker is dying” as he also told snooker bosses to cut the number of players on tour.
(Image: PA)
But snooker chiefs have hit back at the latest assertion from Carter, insisting players have more than enough opportunity to rack up big prize money throughout the year.
A WST statement read: “Our tour is about meritocracy. We have an abundance of talent from many different countries around the globe, the strength in depth on our tour is incredible. There are opportunities for all of them and there are huge rewards for those that succeed.
“This season we brought in an initiative to provide a prize money guarantee to all tour players, ensuring that they have at least £20,000 over the season. This has given them the security of knowing that they have an income and they can budget their season around this.”
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