Huddersfield Snooker League has history. It is one of the biggest – and one of the oldest – leagues in the country.

The league has records dating back to 1937 and when its modern-day history is written the global pandemic will have a chapter all its own.

The main snooker league has 79 teams comprising four men per team and is played on a Thursday night. There’s a veterans’ league with 35 teams, played on a Monday afternoon, and the billiards league has 11 teams on a Tuesday night.

League president Tony Clegg said it had been a difficult last 12 months and the committee had decided to null and void the 2020-21 season.

Tony, president for 15 years, said: “The season starts in September and things looked to be going the right way last year but then everything got shut down.

“We then thought we might be able to start in January but that never happened either. In the end we just cancelled the 2020-21 season. 

“We did get to the semi-final stages in all our competitions for the 2019-20 season so when we get the green light to get going again those matches will be played first to finally finish that season off.” 

Tony, 70, who is a keen bowler too, said there might be a few less teams than in previous seasons. However, he says that even with some teams departing it won’t affect the league structure.

“The main league which we run, the snooker league which has 79 teams, is broken into six divisions. As I have seen with the bowling they have had some teams drop out.

“Whether that’s due to finances or not getting enough players I don’t know but they have had to compress their leagues and we would do the same. Obviously, we don’t want to lose any teams but I suppose it’s inevitable.”

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Snooker’s profile is always at its height during the World Championships and they are going ahead in front of a limited audience at the Crucible in Sheffield.

Tony loves the sport and relishes his role as president. “I got into snooker as a teenager,” he said. “I liked playing rugby too but because my dad played snooker I followed his lead. I’ve won my fair share of matches.

“I still enjoy the sport and I think it has a great future. It’s on the TV all the time now and in front of millions of eyes.

“It really is a great sport and we as a league do our very best to run well organised competitions that people enjoy.”