Michael Holt made his fair share of Fools Gold in beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the World Grand Prix earlier this month, and will be hoping to recapture that form in the Ladbrokes Players Championship.

He secured the World Grand Prix title in dramatic fashion last week but Shaun Murphy is excitedly looking forward as he – and snooker – returns to Manchester for the 2016 Ladbrokes Players Championship.

Moorside’s Michael Wild believes there were no redeeming characteristics to his display as he was swept aside in the UK Snooker Championship first round in York on Thursday evening.

The son of former world snooker champion Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins is facing jail after he admitted carrying out a dawn robbery on a Manchester newsagents.