Alfie Burden Secures Crucible Spot
Alfie Burden defeated Matthew Ford 4-3 in the Golden Ticket Play-Off to secure the final place at the 2025 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship.
The 48-year-old Englishman will face Jimmy White at the Crucible Theatre in a repeat of the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship final after coming through a field of 16 players in Reading last weekend.
The Play-Off line-up was made up top eight ranked players who did not qualify automatically for the flagship event in each of the official two-year world ranking list and the one-year ‘Race to the Crucible Series’ ranking list.
Burden had missed out on an automatic place at the Championship by just a single frame in the concluding qualification event of the season but bounced back in the Golden Ticket Play-Off event.
Victories over Andy Lavin (4-2), Irish former professional Rodney Goggins (4-1) and Stuart Watson (4-1) saw Burden book his place in the final where he faced compatriot Ford.
The 49-year-old had dropped just three frames in as many matches en route to the final and a break of 67 in frame five put Ford just one away from victory and a Crucible debut.
Burden refused to be beaten, however, forcing a decider before getting over the line by a 78-46 scoreline to complete the victory and earn a return to snooker’s most iconic venue.
Tickets remain available for the World Seniors Championship and start from just £17.50.
