Newcastle and Interbrew Pro-Am Invitation

Mike Dunn of Redcar, who became the first North-East snooker player to qualify for the televised stages of the Embassy World Snooker championships this year, heads the finest field ever assembled for a pro-am snooker tournament in the North-East.

With players coming from all parts of the North of England to play in the newly named competition, previously the highly acclaimed Richardson and Westgarth Snooker Invitation.

The snooker fans from Tyneside, Teesside and Hartlepool are in for a feast of top class snooker with 16 players competing for a record prize of £1,500 with a first prize of £750.

It promises to eclipse last year's high standard of snooker with top players from Tyneside, D Lilly, C West and tremendous prospect G Wilson, also Teesside's finest professionals Mike Dunn and John Birch along with top amateurs G Brittain, S Burnett, P Lawrence and A Parsons. M Rhodes and D Craggs from Durham means that North-East interest is well represented.

Making up the field is world-rated 57 I McCullock from Preston. M Billclough and P Lines from Leeds, C Melling, world professional pool champion and excellent snooker player from Bradford and P Davidson from Pickering.

A feast of snooker is promised at the Richardson and Westgarth Club, Hartlepool, starting Monday, June 24 at 7.30pm.

Matches will be played Mondays and Wednesdays up to the final on Monday, July 22