GLOBAL SNOOKER NEWS

SNOOKER fans will flock to St Patrick's Hall in Dungannon on Wednesday for the opening 16 matches in the second staging of the Barry McNamee Memorial Cup.

The high quality field is headed by Joe Swail and features a host of the best Irish talent, from North and South.

There's a prize of £1,000 for the winner,  and Swail has been installed as favourite to beat a strong field which includes household names like Michael Judge and hometown hero Patrick Wallace, the promoter of the Starplan competition which honours his best friend who was tragically killed in a car accident in May 2003.

Among the other participants in the high quality field is the new IBSF world champion Mark Allen, the 18 year old Antrim star, and from Dublin, the 1999 world U19 champion Rodney Goggins.