Metcalfe Vote Loss to Knowles Shocks Walker

Sir Rodney Walker, the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Associations, has described the decision to vote the former head of sport for Channel 4 Adrian Metcalfe off the WPBSA board in favour of the former player and WPBSA director Tony Knowles as "beyond my comprehension".

Walker said he was "hugely disappointed" that Metcalfe was rejected by 32 votes to 21 at the association's AGM in Preston. Earlier this month Metcalfe was responsible for brokering the three-way peace accord - after two years of bickering - between the WPBSA, the International Billiards and Snooker Federation, the Assembly of National Associations, and the World Confederation of Billiards Sports, the body on which all cue sports are represented. Metcalfe's television experience was also considered by Walker as key to the association's ongoing negotiations with the BBC over a new contract.

After several years of heavy losses at the WPBSA Walker was given the freedom to choose his own board last March. In May he introduced Metcalfe, the chairman of HMV Sir Robin Miller and the chairman of Football's Premier League David Richards, while also inviting Peter Ebdon to serve as the players' representative. In addition he retained two members of the old board, Jim McMahon, a Glasgow driving instructor, and Tony Murphy, the WPBSA's operations director.

The combination of Murphy, McMahon, Ebdon and Knowles can now out-vote Walker, Miller and Richards, the only three board members with high-level business experience.

Shaken by the anti-Metcalfe vote, Walker stated that he proposed to keep Metcalfe involved through WPBSA's wholly owned commercial subsidiary, World Snooker Limited.