Stan James Bookmakers are to sponsor the 2001 British Open, which starts at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle later this month.
The leading sports bookmakers have added snooker to a sports sponsorship portfolio that already includes football, horseracing and darts.
Steve Fisher, managing director of Stan James, said: ‘Snooker is a great sport for us to become involved in. We are delighted to be associated with the first world ranking tournament of the new campaign and such a prestigious event as the British Open.
‘We have already built a strong relationship with Sky Sports through the Stan James Masters Football and the Stan James World Matchplay Darts.
‘The fact that Sky Sports are also providing live coverage of the British Open snooker was a major factor in our decision to support the tournament.
‘Around 90 per cent of our business comes via telephone betting and I’m confident we will increase turnover on snooker significantly during the week of the British Open.’
The sponsorship deal was negotiated by leading sports marketing agency Metrosport.
The Stan James British Open starts on Saturday, September 29, and runs to Sunday, October 7 – the day of the best-of-17 frames final. It is being covered exclusively by Sky Sports from October 1 to 7 and Stan James will have a betting shop on site during the event.
World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, defending champion Peter Ebdon and world No 1 Mark Williams are among the big names competing for a first prize of £92,500 from a total prize fund of £666,800. Stan James will also be putting up a top of the range sports car for the first televised 147 maximum break.
The British Open is a title that appears regularly on the CVs of the game’s top players. Stephen Hendry has won it three times in 1988, 1991 and 1999, Steve Davis in 1986 and 1993, Jimmy White in 1987 and 1992, John Higgins in 1995 and 1998, O’Sullivan in 1994 and Williams in 1997.
First staged at the Assembly Rooms in Derby in 1985, the tournament moved to the Plymouth Pavilions in 1994 and, this year, is being held at Newcastle’s Telewest Arena for the first time.
Mark Wildman, chairman of World Snooker, said: ‘We are delighted to have a new sponsor and a new venue for one of the most established events on the snooker calendar. We would like to thank Stan James Bookmakers for their backing.’
For more details contact:
World Snooker Media Office on 0117-317-8200
Stan James Bookmakers on 01235-835793
www.worldsnooker.com