WAYWARD snooker genius Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins will be playing in Harrogate next month as he tries to re-launch his dormant career.

The 53-year-old twice former world champion has entered the Embassy World Championship, the early qualifying rounds for which are being played at Harrogate's Manhattan Snooker Club at the end of November.

Higgins, who was world champion in 1972 and 1982, hasn't played competitively for over five years. His career seemed finished when he was diagnosed as having throat cancer but he recently announced that he is making a comeback.

He has entered the Benson & Hedges tournament and is due to play his first qualifying round in Mansfield on October 23.

The unpredictable Ulsterman's name also appears among the entries which closed this week for the 2003 Embassy World Championship.

The draw for the qualifying rounds has not yet been made so it is not known when Higgins will have his opening match in Harrogate or who he will be playing.

Steve Prest, resident professional at the Manhattan Club, predicts massive public interest for the appearance of Higgins.

"It could not get any better. It is going to be immense," he said. "We have never had anything as big as this at the club.

"Because of the huge interest in Higgins playing in Harrogate we are talking with World Snooker how to approach this event.

"We will have 12 tables in use for the qualifying rounds and normally the only people there are the players and officials, but as Higgins has entered it might be we will set up a table in a match room. I don't know yet. We are discussing what to do and nothing has been decided yet."

Higgins had one of the biggest followings of any player when he was in his snooker prime and his return to the arena is sparking huge public interest among snooker enthusiasts.

His flair, his fast, crisp, attacking style of play and his breathtaking potting made him a great favourite with the fans when he was in his prime. But his volatile temperament sometimes landed him in serious trouble with the authorities. He once threatened to shoot Dennis Taylor and he punched another opponent.

Higgins would need to win a minimum of 12 matches to get through to the final stages of the World Championship at Sheffield next spring. The last time he played in the event was in 1996 when he failed to get through the qualifying stages.

Details of when Higgins will have his first match in Harrogate will be announced later. All inquiries should be made to the Manhattan Club, Harrogate on 01423 871276.

Updated: 10:39 Saturday, October 12, 2002