Judd Trump Headlines Contenders as โคUK Snooker Championship โคReturns to York
York,โ UK โ- November 19, โ2025 โฃ- The UK Championship, one of snooker’s mostโ prestigious and lucrative tournaments, begins today at โthe Barbican in York. World No.1 Judd Trump is among the 32 players vying for the ยฃ250,000 first-place prize from a total fund of just over ยฃ1.2m.
Theโ tournament boasts a rich history,โ dating โback to 1977 when Irishman Patsy faganโฃ claimedโฃ the inaugural โฃtitle, defeating Doug Mountjoy.โ Since then, a pantheon of โขsnooker legends have lifted the trophy.Ronnie O’Sullivan holds the record with eight UK Championship wins,most recently in 2023,when he also became the tournament’s oldest champion,surpassing Mountjoy’s 1988 victory.
Steve Davis has secured six โขtitles, whileโค Stephen Hendry โhas five, alongside โขfive runner-up finishes. Dingโ Junhui, Neil Robertson, and Johnโข higgins each haveโค three wins, โขand Mountjoy, Mark Williams, Mark Selby, and Trump โขhave all โขwon twice.
The tournament’s early years saw some memorable moments.In 1979, John โVirgo won despite being dockedโ two frames forโ arriving late to the final session – a outcome of โคaโ schedule โchange to accommodate liveโฃ BBC coverage on Grandstand. despite the penalty, Virgoโ defeated Terry Griffiths 14-13, though โthe concluding framesโข weren’t televised due to a BBC staffโฃ strike.
The UK Championship has moved venues throughoutโข its history, beginning at the Guild Hall in Preston (untill the late 1990s), then โคto the BIC in bournemouth (1998), and York (2001). A four-year โperiod at the Telford International Center preceded its return to the Barbican in 2011.
A special edition publication profiling the world’s top 16 โขplayers, featuring interviews with leading contenders like Trump,โค and examining the current state of theโข game is available โฃfor purchase online andโ in participating retailers.