A conference call
One of the iconic venues in snooker history was the Wembley Conference Centre. Hosting the Benson and Hedges Masters from 1979 to 2006, this venue hosted some of the classic snooker battles of the time with the likes of Kirk Stevens’classic 147 and Mark Williams winning the title on a Hendry miss.
Players of the time regard this venue as one of the best.With one of the largest audiences, the crowd was set back from the table and had flower borders, the London audience were notorious for supporting their local man, the likes of Jimmy White. Players were treated like rock stars and had a reception when they walked on and during play.
The introduction of a smoking ban and the need for better accommodation meant the early demise of the centre with the last Masters being held there in 2006 and the centre finally being demolished in 2017. This was a very sad day for snooker, as the bulldozers came in to smash the Conference structure, so the history of snooker was left on the site, Taylor beating Higgins, victories for Griffiths, Thorburn and White. Sad but encapsulated in the video tape can.
After the closure of the centre, the Masters moved to the Wembley Arena for several years before moving to its current location of Alexandra Palace. However the venue can’t unfortunately match the great days of the Conference Centre. The atmosphere was said to be amazing with players hugging members of the audience or security guards when they won. A benchmark hard to match but this venue will always be in our snooker memories.
Players of the time regard this venue as one of the best.With one of the largest audiences, the crowd was set back from the table and had flower borders, the London audience were notorious for supporting their local man, the likes of Jimmy White. Players were treated like rock stars and had a reception when they walked on and during play.
The introduction of a smoking ban and the need for better accommodation meant the early demise of the centre with the last Masters being held there in 2006 and the centre finally being demolished in 2017. This was a very sad day for snooker, as the bulldozers came in to smash the Conference structure, so the history of snooker was left on the site, Taylor beating Higgins, victories for Griffiths, Thorburn and White. Sad but encapsulated in the video tape can.
After the closure of the centre, the Masters moved to the Wembley Arena for several years before moving to its current location of Alexandra Palace. However the venue can’t unfortunately match the great days of the Conference Centre. The atmosphere was said to be amazing with players hugging members of the audience or security guards when they won. A benchmark hard to match but this venue will always be in our snooker memories.
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