Snooker: Cuedos Snooker Club members Simon Bedford and Jason Prince are suffering contrasting emotions today after finding out their fates for next season in phone calls from the telegraph & Argus.

A distraught Bedford discovered he will be off the main tour, having expected to be on it, while Prince was delighted with the news that he will remain in the world's top 64.

He was convinced he would be faced with several more matches in qualifying by being ranked between 65 and 96.

Bedford needed to finish in either the top 120 of the main tour (he ended 128th) or the top 20 of the rest on the UK Tour (he was 29th).

But it seems the 23-year-old left-hander from Fairweather Green has been penalised for doing well at the 1998 World Championships.

Nine successive victories in qualifying took him to the first round proper against Steve Davis, which he lost 10-6.

Bedford received only 1,255 starter points at the beginning of the 1998-99 season. Joe Delaney, who has also missed out on the main tour, got 1,762, but everybody else received at least 2,800.

Even 1,000 extra points would have put Bedford up to 102 and a place on the main tour.

"I will be discussing the situation with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association," admitted Bedford. "I may appeal or even sue."

Birstall-based Ulsterman Prince was equally astonished to discover his news.

"I was convinced I would be ranked about 70," admitted the 28-year-old. I haven't been in the best of moods for about a month because I broke a bone in my foot then just walking along the pavement.

"I went over on my ankle, but didn't even fall down, and have only just got the pot off.

"My ranking is the best news I have had for ages. I can't believe it. It could save me about ten matches next season - or about a month's worth of qualifying."

Although the rankings went out to the press in early May, it seems they have only gone out to the players late this week.

The 1999-2000 rankings include: 12 Paul Hunter (Moortown), 22 James Wattana (Allerton), 42 Peter Lines (Leeds), 59 Joe Johnson (Calverley), 64 Jason Prince (Birstall), 128 Simon Bedford (Bradford), 148 Paul Cavney (Rawdon), 203 Malcolm Bilclough (Leeds), 244 Steve Prest (Harrogate), 278 Anthony Massey (Esholt).

The Clubhouse In Cue Gardens member Craig Butler has won the Yorkshire Snooker Championship for the fifth time.

He defeated clubmate Kevin Firth 4-1 at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds in what was a repeat of last year's final.

Butler finished his man off with breaks of 91 and 126, but Firth said: "I could have been 3-0 up."

Butler defeated Martin Finnigan (Sheffield) 4-1 in the semi-finals, Firth defeating David Bardsley (Sheffield) 4-3.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.