Will the decision benefit the game?

In an audacious move to shake-up snooker, former world champions Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Terry Griffiths demanded the resignation en masse of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association board.

The trio believe the sport is in decline under the existing regime, and point to the reduced prize fund at this year's British Open as proof that urgent change is required.

But they were unable to convince enough of their fellow professionals, who voted in favour of the current board by 48 votes to 26.

Is it the right result for snooker?

This debate is now closed, a selection of your emails appear below.

I hope I am wrong but I really fear for the future of the game. I hope that now the squabbling is over sponsors may be attracted back but somehow I doubt it and with only one non-tobacco sponsor on board the future is bleak.

The board have found it hard to attract sponsorship for many years now, even before all this trouble started and their funds have been gradually eroded. Some money has to be found and quickly if the game is to be saved.
Chris T., England

I cannot believe the players voted to keep the current board. Most tournaments remain unsponsored, and the WPBSA are quickly going bankrupt. Yet the game on the table is stronger than it has ever been, with many more players capable of winning titles and very healthy TV figures. I hope I am wrong, but I fear for the future of a great sport.
Micky Rock, Birmingham UK

Isn't it obvious from the lack of responses to this 'have your say' that the popularity of snooker is dwindling? This would have been an ideal time though to have had a change in direction and strategy in order to invigorate a great game.
Neil, England

No new sponsors, no new money and with today's developments (or lack of!) no new hope. The Board is taking the game nearer and nearer to bankruptcy. If it was not for the promotional contracts given to certain players I am sure no one would have praised the current set-up. Another missed opportunity for snooker.
Derrick Jameson, Iceland

It's a bad day for snooker - the players appear to have voted against one particular management company rather than for the board. Suspicion and small-mindedness reign and the consequence is a ringing endorsement of a board that has shown themselves to be masters of the twin arts of pettiness and small-mindedness.

Snooker is running out of sponsors and losing interest from the punters. It has only ever been about the characters in the game - who wants to watch A. Nobody against A. Anonymous, even if it is on 17 hours a day on the BBC in a tournament sponsored for �4.50 by Wilberforce mints?

The players who voted today will find that they will get what they deserve - a bunch of incompetents who will run the game into the ground. They were doing that already, wasn't it obvious?!
Jason, UK

Once again the WPBSA or WSA have shot themselves in the foot. It amazes me that the players cannot see a real commercial revolution is needed for the game to survive. I congratulate Steve Davis Stephen Hendry and Terry Griffiths for their foresight and commiserate with them over the memberships' asinine stubbornness.
Jane, England

I cannot understand what all this fuss is about - all the loss of sponsorship means is that the players' prize money will be cut as it has been at the Open. Surely all those professionally involved with snooker knew this was coming as tobacco advertising always had a foreseeable end.

If the players can negotiate some sort of acceptable minimum pay for being on the tour, then there really isn't a problem, as all the whinging away from those scraping a living in snooker comes from top players angered that their pockets won't be so well lined for tournament victories.

Sponsorship will be found for snooker tournaments in future on the basis that through whatever political infighting, snooker remains a reasonably hefty TV draw. What really would be good for the game would be to see it gain more terrestrial TV coverage, so that more of us could enjoy it and hence create an undeniably better vehicle for potential sponsors.
Doug Knight, UK

The financial problems are obvious but we don't want snooker going the same way as darts, where splits and rows have ruined the spectacle and prestige as big-name players break away never to return. The terrestrial viewer is the potential victim in all this.
Nathan Brennan, England

Snooker is going the way of other sports such as darts, not enough characters and too many non-playing fingers in to many pies, trying to make a quick buck whilst a sport is popular. Leave the running of the game to the professional players and perhaps we will see a rival of fortunes?
Alan B, England

Snooker needs to learn to relax and loose the stuffy image. Just look at 9-ball pool, relaxed, fun characters that are clearly enjoying the game and providing some sheer moments joy for all. Even Steve Davis & Jimmy White enjoy 9-Ball and have enjoyed success in the game.

Lighten up, relax the dress code infuse the commentators with some energy - Sid Waddell is so full of energy that he drags you into the game, and it's so much better because of it! If the game can do this then the characters will return and the game will be more entertaining because of it.
Dave B, UK

I say bring back the good old days with players like Doug Mountjoy and John Virgo, real characters instead of today's grey men. The game of snooker is losing its entertainment value due to there being too few real personalities.
Ralph Plinthsaw, Chesterfield, England