SNOOKER king Stephen Maguire is coming back to York next week with a burning ambition to keep his UK title.

The 24-year-old Scot who stunned star names on his way to the crown last year, is determined not to relinquish it without a fight.

"You're going to have to scrape me off the table," he vowed when he made a lightning visit to the city yesterday to size-up the scene ready for his defence of the second biggest title in snooker.

The Travis Perkins UK Championship at York's Barbican Centre starts on Monday, with the final on Sunday, December 18.

The world's top 32 players plus 16 qualifiers are in action.

Maguire's opening match, in the second round, is a week on Saturday (December 10), the first day of BBC television coverage. The world No 3 will be up against either world 21 Andy Hicks, from Cornwall, or Irishman Joe Swail, ranked 50 in the world.

"I can't wait to get back to York for the Saturday," said the hot-shot who earned the nickname 'On Fire' Maguire last year as he scorched Ronnie O'Sullivan and Steve Davis on his way to the final, where he demolished Surrey outsider David Gray 10-1.

"The UK is a big tournament and it is quite special to me because I won it last year. It is a new challenge, trying to defend the title."

He is the first admit his performances in the year since then haven't matched his dazzling York form, but he's been drawn against the big guns in early rounds in tournaments.

"I was hoping to do a lot better after last year. I'm not making excuses but after the UK I had some tough draws," he explained. "I've won most of my qualifying matches but then I got drawn against Ronnie O'Sullivan three times."

The only ranking tournament so far this season has been the Grand Prix at Preston in October when Maguire went out in the first round and he has scored only two competitive wins since August.

The UK Championship matches are longer, best of 17 frames in the early rounds, which all the top players prefer, including Maguire, who enjoys the personal advantage of the tournament being in York.

"I like the UK being in York because with matches being longer there are two or three days free between the early round and I can travel home (he lives at Milton, north-east of Glasgow)," he said.

"I went home three times during the tournament last year and was able to relax. I can't do that if a tournament is far away."

Play starts at 10am on Monday with five of the 16 first round matches.

Due to huge demand, extra tickets for the UK Snooker Championship at York's Barbican Centre were put on sale today.

Tickets for the December 18 final and several other sessions sold out quickly when the box office opened but today extra seats were made available for Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11, the semi-final on Saturday, December 17 and the final on December 18. The extra seats are in the balcony area. Prices start from £6.50.

Call 0870 4000 670 or visit website www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Updated: 10:32 Wednesday, November 30, 2005