ONCE more the future of the World Snooker Championships is in doubt as sponsors 888.com pull out mid-way through a five year deal.
The competition has become a firm feature in the cultural life of Sheffield for the past three decades, catapulting the city into the sporting spotlight every spring.
Without doubt, the city has benefited from the event, bringing not only prestige
but welcome business to Sheffield's tourist economy. And it is good news that there is no doubt that the competition will continue to be hosted here for at least another two years.
We welcome the unity among political groups to lobby for the championships to be given an even longer lease of life in Sheffield. But we would urge caution not to be over-enthusiastic or over-nostalgic about the links between the World Snooker Champ-ionship and Sheffield.
We have heard too many times now that the competition may have to relocate for one reason or another, or that its future is in doubt because of sponsorship issues.
What must be remembered is that the championships equally benefit from their links with Sheffield. This is their natural home, offering not just a roof over the tournament's head but a guaranteed strong, grassroots following, and organisers will realise that the benefits are mutual.
It should not only be local politicians who are fighting to keep snooker in Sheffield, it should also be the sport's organising body. We urge real unity to keep this winning partnership alive.
Comfortable way to increase passengersALL aboard for an even more comfortable ride as bus firm First unveil its new £6 million fleet of double deckers.
They will be taking to Sheffield's streets next month, servicing the busiest 75/76 route between High Green and Batemoor and Low Edges, via the city centre. At present, the route deals with more than six million passengers a year.
With brand new buses, there's every reason to believe that this figure will rise even higher.
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FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport. The full article contains 378 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
