A YORK player who turned his back on snooker and switched to billiards will take his place with the world's best snooker players when the UK Championship comes to the city next month.

Gary Rogers has won the right to play a special one-off match in front of a packed crowd at the Barbican Leisure Centre on Sunday, December 15, before one of the UK semi-finals takes place.

He will take on the winner of a Harrogate League knockout tournament being played at the spa town's Manhattan Club this Sunday. Rogers and his rival will play a match over the best of five frames at the Barbican Leisure Centre.

Rogers won a York knockout tournament involving 16 players at the Cueball Club, James Street, beating Kevin Gall 2-0 in the final.

This special challenge match has been set up by Manhattan Club pro coach Steve Prest for World Sports Group, who are staging the UK Championship in York for the World Snooker Association. There will be a prize for the challenge match winner and the event might be televised, though this has yet to be confirmed.

A well-known player in cue sports in York, Rogers gave up playing snooker regularly because he was disillusioned with the sport. He switched to billiards and a few years ago turned professional.

Rogers, who works for York Health Authority, practises billiards every lunchtime at the Cueball Club.

"I am actually practising for the British Open and the UK professional billiards championships, both of which are being held in Middlesbrough at the end of this month and beginning of next month," explained Rogers.

"The UK billiards final will be played at the Barbican during the UK championship. Obviously, I would love to be in the billiards final in York as well as playing the snooker match, and I will be doing my best to make the final but it will be difficult as I will be up against some very accomplished billiards players in Middlesbrough.

"I need to concentrate all my practise on billiards right now but once these events are over I will try to take time to practise snooker ahead of the Barbican date."

Updated: 11:23 Saturday, November 17, 2001