WORLD Snooker boss Barry Hearn has revealed the enthusiasm of the people of York for the game was the main reason why the UK Championship was returning to the city.

Speaking exclusively to The Press, Hearn described the decision to bring the tournament back to the refurbished Barbican Centre in December – after a five year absence – as a “no-brainer”.

Since taking a controlling interest in World Snooker 12 months ago, Hearn, now the organisation’s chairman, has instigated a revolution in the game.

Prize money has rocketed, new tournaments and ranking events have been established as the 63-year-old aims to return snooker to its halcyon days of the 1980s.

The man who has also transformed professional darts said he saw York, and the Barbican, as key venues in the new “world of snooker” he is trying to create.

“The people in York are the reason why we are going there,” he said. “I don’t know what happened before but I know we had a very good time there.

“The facilities have been upgraded enormously.

“You get this feeling about people. There’s a good reaction when you know people are on your side.

“There’s a great spirit and we had that from day one with everyone in York. They wanted us to come back and we wanted to come back. We want to move this into a long-term home for snooker. It’s a great opportunity.”

Hearn said the decision to bring the UK Championship back to York had been taken following an overall review of the game instituted when he took charge of World Snooker.

While he added the Telford International Centre, which has hosted the tournament since it was last staged in York in 2006, had been “reasonably successful” he stressed coming back to the Minster city would take the event – only second in stature to the World Championship – to another level.

“For us, it’s a great home for a major BBC event,” Hearn added. “As part of my overall review (of the game), I looked at how all the venues worked for us and asked ‘are we getting the support we want?’

“As far as the UK was concerned, Telford was reasonably successful but we think there is another level to go to. We have moved the Masters to Alexandra Palace and, once we made a decision to move (the UK), we said ‘where are the other venues out there?’

“York was at the top of the list. Because of the success before, because of the huge amount of money spent on making the facility world class, it was a no-brainer for me.

“It will sell more tickets, it will get more interest in the event – it’s a facility at an international standard which fits all. I need the right players, sponsors and, most importantly, I need the right venue – something that sits well on an international stage.

“Somewhere that, when these pictures go to hundreds of millions of homes around the world, they see it is in an area that befits the image of the sport. York is one of the best venues in the country.

“I think it is great for us.”