‘It’s right that I stand aside' – Shaun Murphy explains decision to quit snooker role
‘It’s right that I stand aside' – Shaun Murphy explains decision to quit snooker role
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Snooker star Shaun Murphy has decided to step down from his position as WPBSA Players Chairman following his recent triumph at the Masters. The 42-year-old joined the board in December 2023 and took on the role of chairman by May. Last month, Murphy clinched his second Masters title, overcoming Kyren Wilson with a 10-7 scoreline in the final, and he even notched up a stunning 147-break against Mark Allen in the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace.
After a series of underwhelming performances, the ex-world champion opted to get involved with the WPBSA Players board in 2023. However, Murphy revealed that the Masters made him realise he was ready to concentrate fully on his game once again. "There's no way of me sugarcoating it," Murphy admitted on his OneFourSeven podcast. "The win at the Masters a couple of weeks ago has really shone a torch for me, into my own game and self-belief, that I can actually still do it at the very cutting edge, top end of the sport.
"I had started to think that that had gone. So, I started to look at other areas in the game where I could make a difference. That win has given me a tap on the shoulder to say, 'you know what? You can still do this'.". Still capable of winning major competitions, Murphy admitted that it felt right for someone else to replace him on the WPBSA Players board. "In the end, you can't be all things to all people," Murphy added.
"You can't be everywhere all at once, and it's not a job I'm willing to give half of myself to. It's not a responsibility – looking after the members, representing them, and fighting on their behalf – that I'm willing to give 75 per cent to it. "I'm either in or I'm out. At the minute, I'm not able to represent them as well as I want and be as committed as I want to. So I think it's right that I stand aside and allow somebody else to take the reins.".
On Tuesday, the WPBSA confirmed that Murphy had resigned as Players chairman effective immediately, also vacating his role as a non-executive player director. In his parting words, Murphy called the position a "great honour" but pointed to an increased workload as the reason for his departure. Despite clinching the Championship League title in July 2023, Murphy struggled to find consistency, failing to qualify for the main draw in half of his subsequent 14 ranked tournaments and only making it past the second round on two occasions.
