YORK snooker players will soon be potting in style thanks to UK Snooker Championship's main sponsors Travis Perkins.

They are donating the table on which this year's final is to be played to York RI.

It is a thank-you gesture to the city by Travis Perkins, who decided to give a luxury table to a York-based not-for-profits organisation dedicated to developing 'grass roots' sport.

The table, which will be used for the Championship final at the Barbican Centre on Sunday, November 28, will be seen by a worldwide audience of millions before it is officially donated to Frank Paterson, vice-president of York RI (formerly York Railway Institute), by Frank McKay, Travis Perkins' Group Chief Executive, at a special presentation at the final itself.

Once the final ball has been potted and the 2004 champion crowned, the table will be dismantled and re-assembled in the dedicated snooker hall of the York RI on Queen Street for the official handover the following week.

With membership open to all, York RI has a 115-year history of providing a variety of sporting facilities in the city, and gives the people of York, particularly its younger members, an opportunity to develop their sporting talents.

Travis Perkins, one of the UK's largest builders' merchants, donated the 2003 UK Championship table to a Bristol-based youth sports charity earlier this year.

"We are delighted to be presenting this table to York RI," said McKay. "As main sponsor of the UK Championship and a keen advocate of sport, Travis Perkins is eager to promote young 'grass roots' talent in the local communities in which we operate."

Colin Ward, General Manager of York RI said: "We feel very privileged to accept Travis Perkins' generous donation.

"The use of the table will be eagerly sought by both members and visiting players.

"The table will be assembled in the snooker hall on Monday and it will be available for all our members to play on.

"We have four tables in the hall and one of these will be going to make way for the Championship table."

RI run three teams in York CIU League and their first team have won the division one title for the last three years.

Updated: 13:04 Saturday, November 20, 2004