Highland Spring, a Scottish bottled water concern, has withdrawn sponsorship from the WPBSA, snooker's governing body, of more than £400,000 over the next three years in protest at the association's dismissal of its chief executive Jim McKenzie.

Support for McKenzie also came from Mark Wildman, the WPBSA vice-chairman, who opposed McKenzie's sacking when this move was defeated 4-1 at a board meeting two weeks ago. Wildman has since been ill, confined to his home, as he will be for another week, and could not attend the informal meeting of board members last Friday at which Rex Williams, the instigator of the sacking, obtained the support of Bob Close and Jim Meadowcroft with Jim Chambers dissenting. The sixth board member, Sindhu Pulsirivong, supported McKenzie.