SNOOKER’S biggest competition, the World Snooker Championship, looks set for a major change in the near future.
Matchroom chief Barry Hearn has given an ultimatum to Sheffield Council that could see the tournament taken away from the Crucible.
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Hearn, 76, has long been hinting at the possibility of taking the World Championship away from the iconic Sheffield venue as snooker continues to grow.
Snooker’s most prestigious competition has been held at the Crucible since 1977.
But Hearn has now doubled down on his plans to take it elsewhere, claiming the Crucible is “not fit for purpose”.
Speaking on The Barry Hearn Show podcast, he said: “I have to live in the real world.
“It’s why I don’t do pay-per-view shows or Anthony Joshua fights at York Hall, Bethnal Green.
“I think York Hall is the greatest fight atmosphere venue in the world, it’s just not fit for purpose.
“And the Crucible is not fit for purpose. When you go backstage, today’s audience wants different things. They want better hospitality. They want more space.
“The players want more things. They want more practice room. They want extra tables. The press and the media want to have more, the list goes on.
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“The hardliners say ‘I’ve been here since I was a boy. I was here with my grandad who’s long since passed’, I’m sympathetic to that. The Crucible made me.
“I want to stay in Sheffield, and I’ve told the Sheffield City Council numerous occasions over the last few years. They have three more years. I will move.”
The Crucible, which only hold 980 spectators, is currently locked into a contract which means the World Snooker Championship will remain at the theatre until at least 2027.
However, Hearn went on to explain what options he believes Sheffield City Council have regarding the future of the tournament.
He added: “Sheffield City Council have a job to do.
“One, they can ignore the billions of pounds of investment that’s gone into Sheffield on the back of snooker. The number of Chinese companies in Sheffield where they have snooker? We go, they’re off.
“Two, they can play hardball. We will go.
“Or three, my favourite, is they will build me a new venue in Sheffield, our home.
“They will call it the New Crucible if they wish, or they can call it the Crucible and change the name of the theatre that’s still there that does a wonderful job for fringe theatre.
“We’re mainstream, and they have to accept we’re mainstream. I need three thousand tickets per session, not eight hundred, as part of my plan to try and keep the World Championships in England.”
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Hearn also added that the £2.5m prize pot for the World Championship is “not enough”, suggesting it should be increased to £5m or £10m.
And players have chimed in on the argument in recent months too with the talent explaining what they would like to see happen going forward.
Snooker’s biggest name Ronnie O’Sullivan has backed Hearn’s idea to move away from the Crucible.
Saying back in April: “Listen, Sheffield’s got the history and that history will never change.
“A lot of people say, ‘what about the history there?’ Come on man, history is getting rewritten everyday.
“I think if Eddie and Barry [Hearn] and World Snooker decide it is right to take it to Saudi, then why not?
“It’s a massive circus and you need a massive space to accommodate it.
“Saudi Arabia would be great. They’ve got the resources and would do great.”
While world number three Mark Allen has supported the idea of increasing the prize fund.
He said: “There was a lot of chat about the World Championship moving when we were in Sheffield. I’m not really bothered either way.
“This will sound bad but we need to go wherever the most money is because that’s how the sport will grow.”
Snooker’s most presigious tournament hasn’t been held outside of England since 1975, when Australia played host to the world’s best potters.
Other previous hosts include Jersey and South Africa.
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