THE preliminary round of the inaugural East Lancashire Snooker Championship has been drawn - and Fosters Golden Cue winners will both have to earn their place in the opening round.

Jonny Hannon, who has organised the event along with Jonny Clark, faces John Birbeck in his preliminary round clash while Peter Mercer is up against B Hyatt.

One of the favourites, Ian Martin, plays Clark’s dad Bob while four time Golden Cue winner Farakh Ajaib has a tricky tie away to Paul Selby.

Another former Golden Cue winner, Simon Blackwell plays Bernard Clough.

Clark Jnr has a bye to the first round and will face the winner of the clash between J Snape and Haslam while former professional, Justin Astley, awaits either P Cliffe or J Winkley.

n Draw: Ricky Hardman v Steven Furey (winner to play Carl Molyneux), J Wignall v L Whittle (winner to play N Robson), J Birbeck v J Hannan (winner to play J Gibson), G Holden v T Arnott (winner to play D Hook), B Clough v S Blackwell (winner to play C Hannan), A Lancaster v M Darbyshire (winner to play N McGovern), T Rice v P Hodges (winner to play S Hill), D Bates v L Sutcliffe (winner to play M Kayley), K Hussain v L Baxendale (winner to play M Danczuk), G Heron v C Wilson (winner to play A Rose), J Barnes v D Fox (winner to play D Brennan), R Large v S Dwyer (winner to play T Hannan), L Ullah v J Hanlon (winner to play A Goody), R Grant v R Alston (winner to play M Maynard), B Hyatt v P Mercer (winner to play M Salmon), B Clark v L Martin (winner to play I Khan), P Selby v F Ajaib (winner to play R Moores), P Cliffe v J Winkley (winner to play J Astley), D Riley v L Keen (winner to play A Boyle), J Snape v A Haslam (winner to play J Clark), C Docherty v J Loftus (winner to play A Drinkwater), S Lord v I Houghton (winner to play A Pollard), G Limkin v S Lang (winner to play G Walmsley), P Clark v S Ditta (winner to play J Whittle ), A Bashir v J Dady (winner to play P Averill), F Jex v B Proctor (winner to play J Lingard), S Almond v D Hussain (winner to play H Ali), A Khan v J Fowler (winner to play J Nield), S Croft v D Patchett (winner to play J Pattison), A Ross v S Ince (winner to play J Corbett), G Hargreaves v D Emery (winner to play M Marge), C Walsh v N Paynton (winner to play T Whittle),

All preliminary round games to be played by Sunday, July 29. All players in the first round will have home advantage.