Introduction by John Higgins

The World Series is a very exciting new venture to be involved in.

I first picked up a cue at the age of ten having watched snooker on television and I've been fortunate to have enjoyed a successful career as a professional. I wanted to give something back to the sport and that is how the World Series came about.

I met Pat Mooney, now my manager, three years ago and, over a few rounds of golf, he asked me about the snooker circuit and what I thought was needed to improve the sport's fortunes. He came to a few tournaments and started talking about Eastern Europe and whether I thought snooker would be popular there.

At the same time, the game's popularity was rising in Europe because of the coverage on Eurosport. Snooker fans can now access all of the major events and it has created even more enthusiasts.

We decided it was time these fans had the opportunity to watch live snooker close up, not just on the TV.

I knew a lot of my fellow players would like to play in more tournaments outside Britain and would get behind the World Series.

Pat's idea was to involve local players in the tournaments and try and nurture home talent in each venue. If they are part of the World Series, they will gain some experience of playing the top players on television and it will hopefully help them to improve. The game is so competitive that it's very hard to come through but you will get better if you compete against players of a higher standard. It's crucial for the future to help develop new talent and give them a chance to play on the big stage. It's also very important to us to involve the fans. They are what it's all about. We had a successful event in Poland last year. All the fans seemed really happy to see us players and it was refreshing and enjoyable for all of us.

It was nice to meet the public after the matches because they were so enthusiastic and that's the atmosphere we want at all the World Series events. I'd like to thank Pat and his team for all their hard work and also Eurosport for their coverage and support.

But mostly I'd like to thank all of you for coming along and watching the snooker. It means a great deal to us players that people come to support us and we will do all we can to ensure you enjoy the World Series.

John Higgins