World Snooker Championship: Yorkshire duo Stan Moody and Liam Pullen one win from Crucible

Forty years after Bradford’s Joe Johnson was crowned champion of the world – beating Steve Davis in the 1986 final – it’s now the turn of Pullen and Moody to create new White Rose memories.

The duo stand one win away from securing a Crucible debut, having battled through to the final round of qualifying at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport.

A field of 128 players entered the qualifiers, but by the end of tomorrow, the last 16 standing will join the world’s top 16 seeds at the Crucible.

York potter Pullen faces Thailand’s Nopon Saengkham on this morning, at the same time as Halifax’s Stan Moody, pictured, takes on China’s Jiang Jun.

The White Rose pair famously met in the final of the World Junior Championships in Australia in February 2023, when Halifax’s Moody beat York’s Pullen 5-1 in the battle of the teenagers.

For 20-year-old Pullen – the elder of the two – this will be his fourth qualifying match, having already beaten Shoot Out champion Alfie Burden, winning a final-frame decider 10-9, Iran's Amir Sarkhosh 10-7 and World Open winner Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 10-7.

Today he faces Nopon Saengkham, who beat Ricky Walden 10-6.

“Obviously it’s a massive match, but I am going to treat it as the same as I can, if that makes sense,” said world No 83 Pullen.

“Just going to go out there and play my snooker.

“It would mean a lot (to play at the Crucible), it would very surreal, and quite cool.

"I feel like I sort of belong now, but even then I'm not cocky. It is quite weird hearing my name and Judgement Day. I'll be doing my best.”

World No 44 Moody joined the qualifiers in the third round, where he beat Robbie Williams 10-5, top-scoring with a break of 128.

Today the 19-year-old faces Jiang, who beat Elliot Slessor 10-7.

Leeds’ Oliver Lines resumed his third-round qualifying match with Ben Woollaston last night, leading 5-2.