Snooker

Snooker legends Steve Davis, Terry Griffiths, and Dennis Taylor have renewed their call for the game's under-fire regime finally to be overthrown next month.

The trio are among eight players to have put their names to a requisition calling for the removal of chairman Rex Williams and his board at an EGM on June 4.

Now the golden ''oldies'' - boasting eight world titles among them - are again urging the sport's voting members to back their campaign.

Welshman Griffiths, the game's respected former director of coaching, claims the three experienced players have become the victims of a smear campaign by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

''They're saying we only want to get on the board to have full-time jobs, which is complete nonsense,'' insisted Griffiths.

''The board were elected by the members to represent them. Now they are personally attacking the players they are supposed to be representing.

''We want to know just who are they representing. And whose credibility is in question here.''

Davis, arguably the game's greatest ambassador, added: ''It's understandable when you're not up to the job that you look incompetent. There is a growing feeling among the players that we want professional businessmen taking the decisions in our game rather than ex-players.

''It's 20 years since Dennis, Terry, and myself turned professional, and in that time, we've had board after board, made up of players, who, at best, have done a botched job.

''The longer this game remains in limbo, the worse it will become. We need to change tack and we need decision-makers with flair.

''My question to the voting members is: 'Would they feel qualified to run the game because those people already on the board have got no more ability in business than they have?'''

If successful in their campaign, the gang of three would become ''stop-gap board members'' until a new management structure could be instigated.

''Our aim is to get elected and then un-elect ourselves as quickly as possible,'' added Davis. ''I've been on the board before, and I hated it.''

Other players calling for the removal of Williams and co include new Embassy world champion John Higgins, former title-holder Stephen Hendry, and also Ronnie O'Sullivan.

This week, O'Sullivan was at the centre of drug-taking allegations, but WPBSA chairman Williams insisted yesterday that the leaking of information had not come from his association.

''As a result of our inquiry into the leaking of information concerning a drug test of a top player, I am pleased to confirm that we are confident that the leak did not emanate from the WPBSA board or members of staff of the association,'' he said.

A statement from the WPBSA also said that its board and association members were not privy to the results of drug tests.

It explained that the Sports Council only passes the results of its drugs tests on to the WPBSA medical adviser, the WPBSA solicitor, and the player concerned.