Stephen Hendry has opened the door to the opportunity of a Crucible Theatre return by signing up for revamped World Seniors Championship in March.
The file seven-time world champion retired from skilled competitors 5 years in the past after a glittering and trophy-laden profession.
However Hendry, now 48, admits that watching a lot snooker from the studio and commentary field for tv has bought his juices flowing once more.
And he can be one in all eight legends within the draw, alongside John Parrott, Cliff Thorburn, Dennis Taylor, Joe Johnson and Willie Thorne, for the event to be staged in Scunthorpe in March.
Crucially the winner, in addition to the £10,000 first prize, will routinely obtain a spot within the World Championship qualifiers – simply three victories from the Crucible.
And that golden ticket can be being thrown open to any novice over 40 paying £100 and enjoying off in heats for one in all 4 spots to affix the legends.
Present tour members older than 40 had been up to now controversially included within the Seniors, however professionals have now been kicked out.
Beginner winners of 4 regional qualifying occasions will go up in opposition to the well-known names in what Hendry sees as a possible ‘Rocky’-style situation.
And may they carry the trophy that might see them on the similar stage because the participant ranked No17 on the earth – three wins from the sport’s most well-known stage.
Hendry, who may also co-promote the occasion, stated: “The final 12 months or so I’ve missed enjoying snooker a bit extra – possibly it’s all the TV work I’ve performed making we wish to compete.
“I’ve no intention of coming again on the tour full time, however I wish to play extra.
“The Seniors has had a revamp and gone again to nostalgia, plus an opportunity for amateurs to have their day. Prior to now tour professionals aged 40 or extra had been allowed to play.
“You had individuals like Mark Williams who had been prime 16 gamers on tour, and it must be a novel occasion other than the tour.
“And possibly that put a few of the former high-profile gamers off from getting into. I and John Parrot will not be going to compete with prime tour professionals.
“Folks get an opportunity to see gamers they keep in mind, relatively than the identical gamers they see each week.
“And the brand new format combines legends from the previous with a terrific probability for amateurs over 40 to pay £100 to enter a qualifier, with the carrot for the Seniors winner of a spot within the World Championship.
“It will likely be severe as a result of we don’t like dropping, and probably the most aggressive occasion I’ve performed in since 2013 and the Seniors in Portsmouth – so simply the second occasion since I retired.
“I’ve practised at Coulsdon with Jimmy White and Marco Fu and I can be again there within the subsequent week. I simply wish to play.
“The prospect for any novice to pay their £100 and have the possibility to qualify and play us, and even win it and get within the Crucible qualifiers is superb.
“It might be a ticket to the World Championship – and nearly just like the Rocky story when Apollo Creed picked him as a result of he was from Philadelphia.
“Somebody may come out of the woodwork, win the qualifier to get to the Seniors, win this after which be in on the similar place because the world No17, needing to win three video games to be on the Crucible.
“What a narrative that might be. It’s a short-frame format, so that they have an opportunity.”
