Peradon, the Liverpool based sponsors of former world champion John Parrott, are this year continuing their sponsorship and support of Worthing based Frank Sandell Snooker's junior tournament series. The Peradon Grand Prix Series 2000 consists of nine events for players between the ages of seven and eighteen predominantly drawn from the Frank Sandell Coaching Schools which are spread along the South Coast and carries trophies and prizes worth a total of around £2500.

The series opens at the marvellous Triangle club in Chichester with the Roundstone Car Centre Mammoth Team Event which this year has been expanded to take 24, four man teams consisting of the more experienced players from the various Frank Sandell Coaching Schools.

The singles tournaments run between April and October with the tournaments spread evenly between Worthing's New Central Club and Chichester's Triangle. The six tournaments are sponsored by local companies and businesses and include The Roundstone Car Centre of Angmering who are sponsoring a singles event as well as the team championship, Medata Ltd of Yapton, The Mandarin of Worthing, CGS (Brighton) Ltd and Marsh Labels Ltd of Southwick.

The series looks like being a very closely contended affair. The overall title is likely to be contested between 1997 Champion Scott Miller of Brighton and Bexhill's precocious young talent Jimmy Robertson, last year's runner-up. It will be interesting to see which juniors emerge to challenge these two.

Following the singles events the Peradon Doubles Championship in November sees the presentations to the major winners of the series including awards to the best performer of the year relative to their ability, the newcomer of the year award and the prestigious G. F. Sandell Memorial trophy for the Clubman of the year which goes to the member whose overall contribution to the coaching schools and tournaments best reflects the coaching school motto of Friendship, Sportsmanship and Skill.

The series ends in December with the Christmas Family Match at the New Central Club where the more junior players team up with an adult relative to play a doubles competition with a huge number of prizes and trophies.

The Frank Sandell Coaching Schools and Grand Prix Series are acknowledged as the largest in the UK with each tournament having at least 100 entrants and the coaching school seeing between 150 and 200 members each week. The decision by Peradon to continue their sponsorship of the Grand Prix series is a clear signal that junior snooker is acknowledged as the future of cue-sport in general.