Stars set for Guild Hall

The Guild Hall is one of the sport’s most famous venues, having staged the UK Championship from 1978 to 1997 and more recently the Players Championship and World Seniors Championship.

And the Lancashire venue will now be hosting the qualifying rounds of three world-ranking events – the Indian Open (May 28-30) the World Open (May 31 to June 2) and the Kaspersky Riga Masters (June 3-4).

Each of these events will be open to the 128 players on the World Snooker Tour and many of the leading stars are expected to enter, with all players trying to qualify for the final stages of the three ranking events.

The full draws and formats will be published next week at www.worldsnooker.com.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We are delighted to return to the Guild Hall as it is a fantastic venue steeped in snooker history, and one much loved by players and fans.

“The qualifying rounds for these three world-ranking events come at the beginning of the 2016/17 season and it’s going to be fascinating to see who gets off to a fast start.

“This is an incredible opportunity for fans in Preston and the surrounding area to see the very best players in the world competing in professional tournaments.

“The atmosphere of live snooker is unique in sport and this is a chance not to be missed.”Tickets are on sale now for fans who want to take this chance to see many of the best cue kings on the planet. Tickets cost just £5 for the morning plus afternoon session, and £5 for the evening session.

You can book by calling 01772 804444 or visiting www.prestonguildhall.co.uk.