Snooker's stars have conflicting views over the future of the Crucible

Should the World Championship stay at the Crucible? Snooker stars Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter have contrasting views

By Chris Hammer

Snooker

Wed April 24, 2024 · 7M ago

The debate surrounding the World Championship's future at the Crucible comes round every April, but it's now more heated - and divided - than ever before.

The Sheffield theatre has hosted every edition of the tournament since 1977, while every player still feel the overwhelming sense of history and nostalgia every time they step through the doors, the spectators treat their trips to snooker's spiritual home as a pilgrimage - to coin a fitting phrase from Nick Metcalfe.

Although the novelty may never wear off, there's not much room left for sentiment in any sport these days, especially when there's more money to be made.

Ronnie O'Sullivan, who has contributed a plethora of those wonderful memories that are etched into the fabric of the Crucible, added yet more fuel to the fire ahead of his quest for a record-breaking eighth world title by suggesting it should be moved to Saudi Arabia or China.

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Days before signing an 'ambassadorial agreement' in Saudi Arabia, the Rocket claimed he didn't like the Crucible for logistical reasons, branding the 17-day event a 'massive circus', and feels his preferred locations have the resources to do it 'properly'.

However, while O'Sullivan's comments angered and disappointed many snooker fans, there is certainly plenty of weight to the rationale of moving the pinnacle of the sport away from a 980-seat venue when its contract expires in 2027 on its 50-year anniversary.

For example, Alexandra Palace in London is able to accommodate over 2,000 fans for the Masters, while the invitational Hong Kong Masters drew a record crowd of 9,000 when it was last held in 2022.

It speaks volumes that two of players that have been involved in has more war of words with O'Sullivan than anyone else in the sport - Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter - both agree that change is required.

At the World Championship media day, 2005 champion Murphy told Sportinglife: "I don't want it to leave here. I want it to stay forever. It's very, very special. But it can't stay as it is.

"It's our biggest event in our smallest venue and in the world we live in, in the arenas we fill around the world with thousands and thousands of people, that can't continue.

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"There are just 980 something seats out there in the Crucible and every one of them get sold out in a heartbeat. We could sell this place 10 times over if you wanted to, and it cannot continue for too long."

Worlds being overtaken?

Carter, who was beaten by the Rocket on both of his World Championship final appearances and also in the climax of this year's Masters, said: "It's got to move for me. For the event to build.

"I'm not saying it's a good move in the sense of nostalgia and history, but if you want to grow an event into a truly global event with bigger audiences, better hospitality, It's got to move to a bigger venue for me.

"Obviously, I love playing here. It's nothing against the Crucible, but we've been here 40 odd years. If you do the same thing for 40 years, you're only going to get the same thing aren't you?

"It's a great event, but you know, if it does move, then it has the chance to build momentum.

"Look at the Masters, you know, now that's probably for me, a bigger event than this event. The support it gets, the spectators, the venues bigger, it's in London.

"Maybe if it does go abroad they'll find the right home for it and it can grow."

Change is inevitable

Four-time Crucible champion John Higgins admits he feels the same buzz 30 years after his debut but isn't expecting the event to stay here.

He said: "I think it's inevitable it will be moved. The landscape of snooker might look different in three or four years. We just need to move with the times. It has been an unbelievable place to play snooker and I've been lucky enough to win the event. It just feels like the sport is bigger than one venue to hold the World Championship.

"People will be looking at the bottom line, whether it's Sheffield City Council giving more money or Saudi Arabia or China, it will come down to who offers the most."

Allen in agreement

Mark Allen echoed a similar vibe, adding: "I love the history of the Crucible and everything that has happened there. I am a traditionalist in the sense that I love the long format and the proper test the World Championship brings, but things move on and change.

"If we go somewhere else and it means more money and it is better for the long-term future of the sport, why not move?

"If we are able to go to arenas that can hold triple what the Crucible can, why wouldn't we? I don't see a lot keeping us at the Crucible bar the history."

Smelly or sour grapes?

Whereas most players who want a change at least admire the Crucible, Hossein Vafaei strongly criticised the venue following his defeat Judd Trump.

The Iranian, who made his debut in 2022, said: "Everything’s so bad – if you ask me if I want to come back here, I would tell you no way.

“Forget the history, you want to go somewhere really nice as a player. You walk round the Crucible and it smells really bad. You go to other countries, and everything is shiny. But here it’s completely different.

“The practice room – do you see anything special? I feel like I’m practising in a garage.”

“If they don’t want to lose the Crucible invest some money, make it shinier, make it nicer, make it more luxury for the people. If they make it cleaner and nicer, people will enjoy it.”

Case for defence

However, there are some leading names in the sport who feel the soul of the venue shouldn't be underestimated in any future decision making.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams used to favour change but told Sporting Life on the eve of this edition: "I've done a big U-turn. I mean it's my least favorite venue to play in. I've said that from day one.

"But I've always said when it goes down to one table it turns into the best arena.

"I think years ago I thought it'd be good if it left but I've done a U-turn. I think it should stay here.

"I mean, yes, you could take it to other parts of the country and maybe have £1,000,000 for the winner or whatever in a 2000-4000 seater stadium.

"But how many times do we play in stadiums of 2000 seats and there's only a couple of hundred there.

"This venue brings the atmosphere and the closeness of it that no other venue could do.

"If you took it somewhere else or you knocked it down and built a bigger one, it's still not going to create the atmosphere it does now because there's only 900 people in there and it's packed.

"You know, it's sold out every single year. And I think if it did move, you'd never, ever generate the atmosphere that this place does.

"Even though it's not my favourite venue and I've said that from day one. But you take it away from here, you lose all the atmosphere and the buzz around the place that you don't find in any other event.

"Even at the Masters, we've got 2000 or 3000 people there. Brilliant, absolutely fantastic. But doesn't create the buzz that that small arena does out there for a third of the size.

"So if I had a choice, I'd keep it here forever. And that's a big U-turn, because maybe 10 years ago I was probably saying we'd be better off leaving, but keep it here I say."

Wilsons team up

The popular Welshman, who stunned O'Sullivan at the recent Tour Championship final, certainly isn't alone in siding with the traditionalists among snooker's supporters.

Kyren Wilson said: "It's tough isn't it. I understand the comments about it moving. Obviously I believe this tournament has the potential to fill out massive arenas as we've seen overseas like Hong Kong - 9000 crowds, stuff like that.

"So I can see why people are saying that. But for me, this is the home of snooker. It's not necessarily about the money or the extended crowds.

"I just love playing here. So for me, I hope it stays. But I can understand some of the comments."

A few days earlier, Gary Wilson told Sporting Life: "It would ruin the reputation, it would ruin the whole history, it would ruin a lot of the things that you associate with the World Championship. It's like taking Wimbledon away and putting it somewhere else for the tennis.

"My dream scenario, if this is even feasible or possible, would be to knock the thing down, build it back again and just make the arena hold 2,000, 2,500.

"I don't know the footprint of the building and all the logistics behind it, but if possible I would want to see it rebuilt, call it the Crucible, make it look pretty much the same, be the same venue essentially but just on a bigger scale in the arena.

"I love the heritage of it, I love where it is, I love the square, all of it is great. The only problem is the size. So if there's any way to just rebuild it and make it bigger, that would be the way I would want to go.

"I don't think you can change the insides of that building enough to make the arena bigger, you'd have to start again. I would love to see a replica Crucible, just on a bigger scale. A Crucible on steroids so to speak."

Robert Milkins added to the debate: "I've always liked it here to be perfectly honest, I love the Crucible. I'm not saying it can't be improved, but I think it's got that historical thing about it and nostalgia.

"But, you know, obviously Saudi Arabia might be better. But this is the home of snooker isn't it?"

If it leaves, when will it be?

The World Championship won't be going anyway for another three years, but Eddie Hearn will undoubtedly be listening to new offers in the near future.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Snooker does not need to just have to land in the UK or China. There are events consistently around the world and if there is going to be investment in different regions we need to embrace that.

"It is not on the radar in terms of trying to move the World Championship, but as the sport grows you have to understand that the flagship event will be in demand. We have three years left on the deal.

"It is the most historic venue within the game and it is very important to the history and to the players. It would have to be an opportunity that would be difficult to refuse for the players. If there is an opportunity to drastically change the prize structure of the World Championship, for me you have to look at that."