TWO of Bradford's former snooker professionals have made it through the qualifying stages of the Yorkshire Snooker Championships and will line up in the draw for the quarter-finals, which are to be held at the Northern Snooker Centre some time next month.

Ten-time Bradford champion Wayne Cooper, who has also won the county title four times, together with Simon Bedford, join a strong last eight which includes former Yorkshire champion Johnathon Bagley (Leeds), Peter Fisher (Castleford), Brett Miller (Sheffield), Ryan Walton (Leeds), Will Lemons (Sheffield) and Daniel Womersley (Castleford).

Bedford hasn't played in the competition since leaving the main tour a few years ago, and his last appearance in this event was the 2007 final, which he lost to Bradford team-mate Cooper 4-2.

Cooper travelled with the Bradford No 1 team to Sheffield No 1 in Division One of the Yorkshire Inter-District League after playing at the qualifiers, but they were beaten 5-1 by the second-placed team.

Miller took both frames against Cooper, making a 77 break in the first, which he took 77-7, and a 44 in the next, which he took 64-18.

Sheffield's David Dalton opened up with an 84-30 success over Kevin Firth, who pulled a frame back 97-20 with a clearance of 64.

Lewis Walsh was edged out 46-45 on a black-ball frame, and opponent Mick Sanderson made a break of 49 to win the last 74-26.

The result leaves Bradford in third place, three points behind Sheffield, while runaway leaders Castleford No 1 extended their advantage to 17 points with a 6-0 whitewash of Bradford No 2.

Bradford's billiards side, who currently head their league table, were due to play third-placed Harrogate this weekend, but it has been put back to the following week.

Dates have been set for the Yorkshire Billiards Championship and Handicap at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds.

These take place on Sundays April 23 and 30 respectively. Entry fee is £12.

* Snooker fans are in for a treat this summer, with the announcement from MJK Sports Events that 'The Rocket' Ronnie O Sullivan is back in the city, this time at the Bradford Hotel on Hall Ings on Thursday, June 15.

The sporting life story of the five-time world champion will be told, and fans will have the chance to meet him, and there will also be a question and answer session.

Full details of the event and tickets can be obtained at ww.mjksportsevents.co.uk.