World Grand Prix Snooker: Guild Hall could return to snooker circuit
- Published
The Guild Hall in Preston has a capacity of 2,034
Preston's Guild Hall could become a permanent venue for the snooker tour again if there is enough interest, says World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn.
The World Grand Prix, which pits the top 32 players against each other, is currently being played there.
The UK Championship was held at the venue for 20 years but left in 1997.
"I will be looking at it and evaluating the audience figures on TV as that is important to my sponsors," Hearn told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"And I'll be evaluating the live gate. If we get the support of local people and they show us they want to be there, we'll stay."
Former world champion John Higgins, who played in the 1996 UK Championship final in Preston, would like to see more snooker played at the venue.
"This is probably second in history to the Crucible really," the 41-year-old Scot said.
"This was here well before the York Barbican Centre and Alexandra Palace but sadly it is not used on the rota.
"Hopefully with this tournament [World Grand Prix] it can be back on the rota because it is a great venue to play in.
"If you just put a table within any theatre it always works, and with this being a theatre it is a great venue."