AN iconic snooker club which has hosted greats of the game such as Ronnie O’Sullivan is under threat of closure.
The Victoria Snooker Centre in Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, could close down as part of council plans to revamp the nearby Royal Victoria Place.
A campaign has been launched to try and save the venue, which has seen the likes of O’Sullivan, Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham play exhibition games.
The landlord of the building, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC), want to make a new boutique cinema and restaurants which would see the snooker club demolished.
Graham Martin, the owner of the centre who manages the club with his children, said the club has nearly 400 members and is a “fantastic gathering place” and added he hopes the council will see the “indelible value” the club has brought to the community.
As quoted by the BBC, he said: “I’ve owned the snooker centre for 15 years, it’s like my home. We have nearly 400 members.
“The club is a fantastic gathering place. It is inclusive, people know each other and we know our members. The club helps build a sense of community and togetherness.
The head of the campaign to save the snooker centre, Jermone Bowman, said: “Losing the club would mean losing a vital community hub, local heritage, a place to play one of Britain’s most popular sports and a place filled with shared memories.
“Everyone needs a third place. People socialise and make friends at the club, and this helps reduce isolation.”
Martin continued: “I saw the council’s layout plans for the Royal Victoria Place, but I didn’t see anything about our snooker centre being included.
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“I feel the council should tell us what is happening and what their plans are.”
A statement from the council said a planning application is expected to be submitted around Easter 2026.
They said: “All feedback will be carefully reviewed before finalising the proposals”.
“The council is in regular contact with the owner and their representatives.”
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
- 2025 – Zhao Xintong
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
