WHILE snooker's top stars are bidding for Barbican glory at the Coral UK Championship, Pickering veteran Paul Davison will line up in one of the country's biggest amateur events.

The 42-year-old potter is competing in two regional heats of the Snookerbacker Classic, at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, today (Saturday) and tomorrow.

Davison will take on Sam Craigie in the opening round on both days. Heat winners progress to a Grand Final next year in an event which has more than £7,000 in prizes up for grabs.

He said: "It's good match practice because, the week after, is the fifth European Tour event in Portugal. I have been back on the table over the last couple of days after the Ruhr Open.

"There's nothing like the feeling of winning matches, no matter what the situation is. Sam is a really good player. He packed in for a season or two and he is only a young lad.

"He has got good potential and I will have to give him plenty of respect and play hard snooker against him."

Davison then goes to Portugal looking for a good display to improve his prospects of returning to the main snooker tour next season.

Yet to lose a match in the amateur stages, he will open his campaign against Chris Jones. If successful in his best of seven frames clash, he will take on the winner of Luis Alves and Josh Boileau in round two.

Anthony Hamilton awaits the victor when the professionals enter at the third round stage of the Lisbon event.

Davison added: "The amateur part of the events have gone well. I haven't lost one so it couldn't have got any better. I have lost a couple of close matches against Dominic Dale and Peter Ebdon in the professional stages.

"I will have to start beating the professionals and pick up some prize money to get in the top eight on the European Tour list."