GB9 have today announced huge news for the tour in the 2010 season, the tour will be now known as the SAM Leisure GB9 Ball Tour, after securing a deal with Coventry based SAM Leisure.

In addition the tour have announced a 2 year agreement with the Barceló Hotel Group who will host GB9 tournaments during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Barceló operate twenty one 4 star hotels across the UK, each with excellent dining, meeting and leisure facilities. Barceló will be offering preferential room rates, as well as subsidised menus and drinks especially for GB9 members, families and friends. Each hotel will provide exceptional accommodation and playing facilities for GB9 members.

Anthony Cleckner, Associate Sales Manager for the group said, “Barceló are delighted to become a partner of the GB 9 Ball Tour, and are very much looking forward to welcoming players, their friends and family to our hotels. We will ensure that GB9 and its players have access to some of the very best facilities on offer.”

The partnership with SAM Leisure will mean SAM will supply 16 brand new professional tournament specification tables. SAM has worked round the clock designing a new custom table specifically for the GB 9 Ball Tour. This features a custom 1 piece slate construction designed to enable quick installation at GB9 tour venues. It is built to 2010 EPBF match table specifications, with ‘professional’ spec pocket dimensions, and a new completely ‘flush’ corner and side pocket design. It will also feature new Artemis ‘steel response’ cushions.

Gary Drage, MD of SAM Leisure UK said that the new tables were, “The result of over 5 years of consultation with both professional players and associations around the world is SAM’s new tournament standard, KSteel 2 Professional. Now with even further input from the GB9 committee and players, this new professional standard has been further developed to suit the specific needs of the new GB 9 Ball Tour. Hence a brand new full sized American pool table – The SAM Magno Pro – will be providing GB9 players with an unparalleled quality playing experience, previously unattainable in UK events. SAM are proud to have been commissioned to provide 16 of the new SAM Magno Pro tables, for the prestigious and all new GB9 events, commencing in 2010. I am sure GB9 events will benefit massively from all the new developments, of which these new tables are only a part.”

The new SAM Magno Pro table has been tested extensively on behalf of GB9 by reigning 9 Ball World Champion Daryl Peach, at SAM Billiards headquarters in Spain. After his recent trip to Spain, Daryl was pleased to give his endorsement to the new custom SAM Magno Pro table;

“After seeing for myself the quality, precision, and sheer scale of the SAM set up in Spain, I am in no doubt that SAM are the best table manufacturer in the world, with absolutely nothing left to chance. The custom table that we will be using on the GB 9 Ball Tour is a picture of perfection with a super sleek look that is a sure winner. On the playability side of things this table is second to none. Everything possible has been taken into consideration, from the EPBF approved tournament spec pocket sizes, cuts, and shelf depths, to the new and improved Artemis ‘steel response’ cushions. I can’t wait for the 2010 season to start so that every GB9 member gets the opportunity to experience pool table perfection.” Daryl said.

The final addition to the new sponsorship line up is a move to Iwan Simonis as official cloth supplier to the tour. All of the tournament tables will be covered in Simonis 860 throughout the season.

These steps make this one of the most exciting developments in 9-ball pool in the UK for some years. The 2010 season will no doubt be fiercely contested with more and more players wanting a piece of the action.