Terry Griffiths is to resign as a director of World Snooker after agreeing to take up a coaching post with The Sportsmasters Network.

Griffiths, who was co-opted on to the current board of World Snooker in September, 1999, has been considering the lucrative offer from TSN for several months. He did not attend yesterday’s annual meeting in Birmingham.

Now that he has accepted, the 1979 world champion admits he cannot continue to serve as a director of the sport’s governing body due to a conflict of interests.

Jim McKenzie, managing director of World Snooker, paid tribute to the contribution made by Griffiths to the running of the game.

‘Terry has played a major part in the youth development of snooker through the Snooker Foundation, School of Excellence and Young Players of Distinction scheme,’ said McKenzie.

‘There is a strong platform for the development of the game and it is now the job of World Snooker to build on it. We are confident we have the capabilities to do just that.’

An announcement will be made early in the New Year about Griffiths’ replacement as chairman of World Snooker’s Development Committee.

His departure – and that of Dennis Taylor, whose resignation takes effect from December 27 – leaves two spaces on the board. That gives World Snooker the opportunity to recruit two independent, high-profile, non-executive directors to add more business acumen to the board.

For more details contact: World Snooker Media Office on 0117-317-8200