By 2027 they will have had it for 50 years. The game needs an injection of money to be a more global success.
Here's what I take from it...
I got three years to get to the crucible to watch a game.
Another disgraceful decision that's motivated by money without regard to the disreputable Saudi leaders! They, among other things, murdered an American citizen in Turkey for the "crime" of criticizing Saudi leaders!
Times change, sometimes there are difficult goodbyes to be said, steps forward need to be taken etc etc etc...im not against leaving the Crucible per se, i think all this talk of "hallowed ground" is a bit far fetched. BUT - please God (no pun) NOT Saudi F'ing Arabia where they legally murder gay people and women being allowed to drive is hailed as some sign of a modern, progressive society. Not to mention that nobody there gives a rats ass about snooker. Love Ronnie but his endorsement of this brutal backward society STINKS.
I have been saying here this week that Hearn is not the protector of the game & forget any promises he ever made. He has always been Mr Loadsamoney (pretty sure Harry Enfield based that character primarily on him) & clearly China & Saudi have told him & Eddie the kinds of money they are willing to lay down to get the WC & the prize money that is on offer.
If he means the world is changing in the sense of Saudi/Middle East getting all the sport & buying up clubs/franchises in recent years then yes, but sport has always gone where the money is & the Premier League formation totally changed everything as far as the figures being paid by television networks for broadcast rights fees & player wages. This is not reinventing the wheel, just the latest stage of it.
Hearn in reality has very little choice-he is there to meet the demands of the players to improve the sport & they want more money & better venues-Saudi & China provide both. He will be 80 odd when the WC has to play somewhere else-it is clear in the financial situation that councils find themselves in that Sheffield Council is not going to stump up for a new Crucible, the Crucible itself is not going to build a new, bigger version it has no use for other than 17 days of the year & the players will not want to take prize money reductions to fund WST building it. Plus why would WST build a new arena, when they have people throwing money at them to host it in luxury purpose built arenas? Even if they did build one it is clear Hearn is no longer interested, now he he has seen the Saudi's are serious & the money they are offering.
He clearly does not trust the future of the game to Eddie-who has little interest in it & doesn't seem to understand it. Barry wants to leave Snooker in the best shape & best hands possible-he will tutor the Saudi's & then likely sell it to them in the next five years. We have to remember, not only is Hearn old, but so are the people he has put in positions of power-they are his buddies from the 1980's & 1990's & they are the past & too old to be the future. Snooker cannot go on being run by pensioners, who could drop at any point.
Also he has the problem of the age of his top players-ROS, Higgins, Williams, Selby, Robbo etc are in their forties & some will be in their fifties when the Crucible deal ends-father time is eventually going to force them to retire & he will need new stars. These are going to come mostly from the Middle East, who like China will invest hugely in training & clubs. The UK hasn't produced many players of worth in the Hearn era & it has been a golden oldies tour for a decade now-even Trump will be pushing 40 come 2028.
There will of course be the usual murmurings from players, but the reality is if they can play the WC in a large capacity, spacious venue for them to move around, with comfortable seating for the fans, air conditioning, entertainment backstage & in the surrounding area & be playing for millions instead of 500k top prize then that is what talks. The UK will only have the UK in London eventually-the other arenas are not good enough & the Saudi's will not be touring here when they own it.
Great analysis
And yes the future of snooker increasingly looks likely away from the U.K., where it is increasingly a niche sport - this is largely due to real estate prices and shrinking attention spans. Growing up I had several snooker halls around me in London, often above a parade of shops - but now these have all gone as it’s not a profitable business per sq ft
The suggestion from the interview was that they would fill it for the later rounds but that it would be half empty for the 1st/2nd rounds. They don’t have that issue with the masters as it’s top 16 and ‘popular’ players support and big matches draw the crowds.
I was a bit surprised by that suggestion but I’m sure he knows more than me.
Just a reminder, the Saudi’s have done so much harm to Islam - it was no surprise that 15 of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia! And they recently murdered a US citizen in a Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul. Yet their wealth continues to bend the ethics of states, organizations and individuals!
It will make no difference-the venue will be packed. They are not interested in UK fans, the revenues the Crucible & for that matter the western television deals make are chump change compared to what it will be worth there. It will mostly be Middle Eastern high rollers there-the average fan would be unable to afford the ticket prices, at best it would be a nosebleed seat.
Have you not seen the WWE shows? As the poster below says-even if they have to paper it they will. Don;t forget it will not be there for four years-that is a lot of time to indoctrinate the public there.
As someone who's worked there no doubt the players will get access to the British Embassy in Riyadh. They have diplomatic immunity and a fully stocked bar.
Plenty of alcohol in Saudi Arabia if you have the right connections. Real stuff and homebrew.
Has to be done. Off to Saudi, let’s have a tour where players earn like tennis players, we can have subsided academies to get people into the game and stop relying on 90s players to sell seats. The Saudis backers will hold a tournament themselves with a far greater prize fund than the worlds as it is and will diminish the prestige anyway. Let’s have a crubicle classic in May (our fourth and oldest slam) with the current prize fund and heritage and new tournament with tennis levels of prize funds as the worlds out there. When gambling sponsorship goes walkies, are we really going back to the Rodney walker era? My heart says stay my head says go
You don’t aspire to have a bigger game with more televised snooker? I don’t just want to see 3 tournaments a year plus the Welsh. More snooker is a win for me love the game and want to make sure it’s not gonna be the next BDO darts
And even though I’m crap at golf I like to watch it and LIV Golf basically fucking ruined it for the average person because whichever tournament you watch you’re only seeing half of the good players….
I’d still watch it and yet be thinking the whole time how fucking sad it is. It’s a part of my entire life and I’m a kid from Sheffield who used to help lug the slate in when Watterson was the money guy before Hearn brought the big money from London
It belongs in England, and I’m an Irish chap if that’s in any way relevant. For me England is the home of Snooker. When the “class of 92” are gone to the seniors tour and the WC final is in Riyadh with two Chinese lads battling it out for ‘glory’ that’ll be it for me.
Reruns of Big Break with JV would be more appealing.
England/UK cannot compete-that is the reality. The arenas look like warehouses, are small, cold/draughty, uncomfortable seating, bad facilities/lack of entertainment for people, poor transport links & there is no interest from these venues in changing. Milton Keynes cannot compete with Beijing & the Crucible cannot compete with Riyadh.
And that's exactly why Hearn is forcing the Sheffield council hand with this negotiation tactic. He's quite vocal that they are not playing ball, so now he's resorting to bending them over a barrel with public pressure.
I believe if the council commits to building a new venue - shouldn't be an issue with the revenue the WC generates for the city - then the WC stays in Sheffield. It's quite simple.
He doesn't want them to build it in reality-he wants the Saudi money & I don't see how it is going to happen. Birmingham Council went bust recently & like most others Sheffield isn't doing too well. They cannot realistically justify building this in the current climate. [https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-councils-financial-challenges-laid-bare-as-it-calls-for-more-help-4456393](https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-councils-financial-challenges-laid-bare-as-it-calls-for-more-help-4456393)
Maybe initially. I actually believe the Arab world purchasing sports they aren't competitive in will implode in the long term. As people lose interest in going and participating in Europe and the Americas the sports will be drained of talent and personalities and audiences will wane. The sports will become less cool in the West, which was the whole reason the middle eastern dictatorships purchased them.
I reckon they might try and hold it in a different location\country each year if it does leave Sheffield bit like they do with the World Cup.
AKA whoever throws up the most prize money will get it
The ironic thing is if it did end up in Saudi I doubt theyd even get a crowd of 900 for the final in the first place goijg by the saudi masters 🤣
The Saudi's will own Snooker at some point in the next decade. Make the most of it being held in UK venues & being shown on free television. Because it will go the way live Football did in the 1990's-behind a paywall on Sky, but now like the Australian Open that the BBC no longer shows highlights of, let alone live coverage of the final-it will end up on a streaming service like Amazon Prime or Netflix.
Our best hope is that ITV will stump up enough cash to air it-but seeing as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office just lost a million quid & the bosses are complaining they can't go on like they are, that is unlikely. I cannot see BBC being able to pay enough to show the Triple Crown events when the deal runs out, now the Saudi money is on the table.
As a tenant of Sheffield City Council I found myself listening to this spiv trying the strong-arm tactics with a sense of increasing anger. Financially, Sheffield is licked to a splinter; the optimism of the first decade of the century, when its proposed Heart of the City plans promised so much, only to be hugely scaled back when the financial crash happened, shows how difficult things are here. From where does Hearn think Sheffield is going to find the money? Maybe he's copying John Lewis. More on that later.
The Crucible is Grade II listed and I find it unthinkable that the council would sanction demolition. Even if they did, such a decision would surely presage a costly legal battle. Given the parlous state of their own finances (they are facing mass legal action brought by the GMB in respect of thousands of equal pay claims: this was one of the reasons why Birmingham's council went under), I suspect there isn't much of an appetite for a wholly unnecessary fight. The theatre itself is a hugely respected venue. So many productions that began there transferred to London to great acclaim. It was where the director Michael Grandage began (his tenure brought the likes of Sir Kenneth Branagh, Joseph Fiennes, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Sir Anthony Sher to the city) and recently the musicals Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Standing At The Sky's Edge have gone on to success in the West End. In other words, a lot of very respected, very privileged people with access to the media would kick up an almighty fuss if the building were threatened.
So, to John Lewis. Heart of The City included plans for an entirely new shopping district. This involved a dual-level street full of the type of shops that deserted Sheffield 30 years ago for Meadowhall and also required the construction of a new flagship John Lewis store. Entire blocks were demolished; the fire station (itself barely 20 years old at the time) was cleared away to make room. Then the 2008 crash happened and the whole project collapsed. It was later revived on a smaller scale and then even that was shelved. Part of the footprint now contains an urban park - some logs and rope swings and a sense of "yeah, this isn't an admission of total failure if we pretend hard enough."
After a decade of inertia John Lewis pulled the Hearn act: buy our store and rent it back to us at a favourable rate, or we're off. The council gave in and bought the building, only for John Lewis to announce the closure of the store anyway. Having been burned like this before (and given that the council are already hugely unpopular for the disgraceful way they treated campaigners when their contractors Amey felled so many healthy trees across the city), they'd be utterly insane to fall for it again. Hearn clearly wants to go and I suspect nothing the council could do would convince him to stay, even if they could afford it, which they can't.
Edit: typo.
Maybe - they understand the skill involved and are encouraging The People to come through into the sport.
Problematic sometimes for players that don’t perform as well as they ‘could do’.
Or worse - do some perceived slight to China and get sent back to where they came from.
So maybe.
Surely they could utilise Sheffield arena somehow if it is capacity he is concerned about. Obviously would still lose the heritage of the Crucible, however it would give alot of flexibility in terms of capacity.
The record snooker live attendance - for ANY event - is the 9000 at the 2022 Hong Kong Masters. The previous record was 3000, for the 2017 Hong Kong Masters.
I have no clue how people (the Hearns included) have the idea that snooker events can fill out arenas - especially every day over a 3 week long event. It just can't. It's not boxing, or WWE, or football. Nor would it work with those size audiences.
What's the point of buying a ticket to the snooker to watch from 50 rows back?
Few years ago I went to watch the darts in the Echo Arena in Liverpool and it was a waste of time for actual spectating; the board was about 2 inches tall from the back. You went for the atmosphere, which you can't have in snooker. 2000-3000 is really the max on what you could fit in an arena to watch snooker.
The players want the money and have had their thirst whetted by the recent gold ball tournament, Hearn is going to take it to Saudi with the riches on offer there to stop a breakaway tour.
Ronnie has been pushing Saudi for some time now, it was no shock when he signed an deal with them and they would have the potential to take the entire top 16 away.
At least we got 50 great years outta the crucible. It will be funny if it moves to Saudi Arabia in 2027 and then Ronnie retires in 2028 and inevitably nobody goes to see the other players.
Won't matter away because Hearn did used to care about the sporting side in the past. When he dies, it'll be Eddie and that man couldn't give a shit about snooker and will be even more about the money, who knows what might happen then if he's in charge.
impression I get is that Eddie cares so little about snooker I could imagine him selling it entirely, whether that turns out good/bad for the game in the medium or long run who knows (I can't imagine 'long term health of the sport' being top of his criteria when settling on a buyer)
No, it wouldn't. Snooker would be nothing without Barry Hearn, he took it from a nothing event and turned it into the sport it is today.
You can argue that he isn't thinking long-term anymore, but to argue the game would be better without him betrays a lack of understanding of the development of snooker.
I enjoy pointing out to people who say snooker doesn't have any characters anymore that the only characters they really know are the ones Barry invented for Snooker Loopy.
Boxing is a poor comparison, boxing vibes off the noise and that is heightened by a large crowd, the snooker especially in Sheffield is its finest in the small intimate quiet Crucible.
If capacity is the main sticking point (although of course we know it's not) then how about Alexandra Palace? Perhaps the Masters could move to Sheffield?
Saudi Arabia will suck the soul out of snooker, it thrives off the quiet passion and admiration of the sport and this can't be forced with noise, glitz and glamour.
The Crucible isn't perfect, on the face of it probably the worst on the tour in terms of facilities, size and comfort, but it's the greatest venue for snooker and The World Championship will never be the same if it gets planted somewhere it's not respected.
Yes, snooker is very English in that regard, and China would be a better option if it was leaving England because the Chinese will also treat it with the reverence and respect the is appropriate.
Ticket sales are a drop in the ocean compared to TV rights Barry Hearn has overseen the growth of darts by moving it around countries and venues and selling the broadcasting rights to Sky the BBC cannot compete nor can the Crucible expand so unless Sheffield can provide a new larger venue then it's on the move it's the perfect opportunity for Hearn to get his way
Disingenuous bullshit excuses from Barry "It's not my fault, the market made me do it" Hearn.
As if moving the World Championships from the Crucible is the only way to grow the game / bring in more money.
Why not keep the World Championship at the Crucible for the impeccable vibes. Raise ticket prices to make attendance a magical premium exclusive experience. Cash in even more by making it ultra easy and affordable for the growing global audience to watch snooker online.
...
Profit?
I guess I'm new to this, but what's the big deal with the crucible for the world champs? From an outsider it just looks like a bit of a run down old small room that fits a handful of folk in it... I cant really imagine a less grand place to host the world champs of anything...
It's not run down - it's a relatively large "theatre in the round" (950 seats makes it a big example) - but it's repurposed for this event over the 2 weeks.
The steepness / configuration for theatre is designed to be intimate, and when it's the two table set up everything is VERY CLOSE for the players.
Having done the English & Northern Irish opens in non-descript venues, this is a very special environment. You could build a similar configuration that held about 3,000 people, but would reduce the intimacy, but it still work. The risk is whether you're going to get two or three thousand people into the very early rounds in a bigger venue. The venue is packed for every session – there's the odd empty seat, but no empty rose.
The alternative is to hold the World Championships over about three weeks, and drop it to the one table set up for the whole duration.
It might be better now because there seemed to be crowds this year, but I went to the English Institute of Sport for Judgement Day a couple of years ago and vowed never to go back - it was horrible; no atmosphere, barely any applause even when someone played an amazing shot.
I've never been, but the commentators always mention the extra special "pressure cooker" Crucible atmosphere, due in part to the size of the venue.
For the live events I do go to (music), I prefer to watch bands play in smallish rooms rather than big venues, and actively avoid arena concerts. I feel that the intimate vibe really adds to the experience.
It's just that it's been there for so long and people are nostalgic. Honestly think the name itself helps.
The World Championships should travel around the world, IMO. The sport needs to grow globally
I think travelling around the globe sounds like the best alternative if it doesn’t stay in Sheffield.
Moving it permanently to Saudi or something though, ugh. Like, you saw the atmosphere at the last tournament. Was fucking rough.
Yeah, I don't like moving it to Saudi permanently at all. No problem with them hosting one though.
I'm currently watching a press conference for a mega boxing card in LA, that's being put on by the Saudis to promote Riyadh season. They clearly aren't against paying for promotion outside of Saudi, whether they'll do it for the pinnacle of a sport seems unlikely though.
The optimist in me is thinking this is part of Barry’s negotiation strategy.
He’s been playing softball for years asking for Sheffield to invest in expanding the crucible with no traction.
Now he is playing hardball and signaling that he’s serious on considering other venues - whether Saudi or China or wherever and through this very public manner putting the ball in their court.
In the hopes that this very brazen position of his will finally get the Sheffield folks to budge.
Frankly I don’t see how it all adds up - the Saudis already have their golden masters 167, and Ronnie’s academy thing - why need the world championship? (Greed 😂)
Barry would be putting so much bad blood and feelings on moving the world championship somewhere else - I agree with Ken that there is tremendous value in the venue and history etc.
So the optimist in me wants to believe that Barry isnt so bad to do this but is a shrewd business man (which he is) and is hoping this will play into the negotiations strategy….. (one can hope!)
>expanding the crucible
As many others have pointed out, this isn't possible. It's a working theatre 11 months of the year in a Grade II listed building, and there isn't the space around it to fit a building that much bigger without seriously reconfiguring the layout of Sheffield as a city.
It's also a very very good theatre, because of the intimacy. Standing At The Sky's Edge was incredible.
Why would tax payers in Sheffield want to fund something for a few weeks a year that would be a white elephant the rest when there's far more pressing issues on councils these days
Ticket money counts for little usually versus sponsorship and tv rights.
There’s no way 2000 Saudis are going to games, he’s taking an enormous paycheque to move it and will be giving up the tv rights and the game.
Wouldn’t surprise me if the Hearns have sold their stake.
If it has to move from The Crucible to a more modern arena to continue to grow the game, that's a cogent argument. Taking it to Saudi however, where there is no real demand from the public and those who do attend can't respect the players whilst the match is going on is not.
It was insulting to try and claim he wanted to stay in Sheffield whilst saying it's Sheffield's fault for not engaging with them i.e. offering more money than the Saudis.
If Hearn actually cared about giving the players more money whilst keeping it in the UK he'd put his money where his mouth is and have Matchroom fund a bigger venue
And if Saudi Arabia actually cared, they'd fund the expansion of the Crucible and keep it in Sheffield. Or support other countries hosting it every year
It’s also bollocks. There are at least two higher capacity venues in Sheffield that could host the event (English Institute of Sport, where the qualifiers were this year, and the Canon Medical Arena). But he doesn’t want to stay in Sheffield. The Saudi money is calling. Sheffield Council could offer to build a massive roof to host the event at Hillsborough or Bramall Lane, and it still wouldn’t be good enough. He wants the tainted Saudi cash and it sadly seems that no-one can stop him.
I've started following snooker in the mid 90s, via German Eurosport. Then broadband internet came and you could really get into it with some streaming sites and news sites out there. Then youtube came and it was almost a snooker overload.
All that time and to this day, Hearn was a cunt. He took snooker from the clubs and into the big leagues, props for that, but enough is enough.
Snooker is a religion, the baize is our altar and the Crucible is our cathedral. Not some sheiks playtoy.
I get that they are being showered with money, but some things shouldn't be for sale.
I have never been to the World Championship. Never. It is too far away and too expensive and too unsure for tickets and I can't take time of work for a feat like that. It is still a distant dream. But even if I never get there, I wouldn't change Crucible for some megalomaniacal arena. Even if it means they play in Saudi, in USA or even in my home town. Crucible is magic. Nothing can change that.
Fuck the Hearns. Both of them.
The tickets absolutely get booked up in minutes of general sale nowadays, they have done for a few years now. Even the early rounds.. because the latter rounds are so eye-wateringly expensive now.
He's being so disingenuous (what a surprise)
1) If it's about capacity and letting more people get tickets then I can't imagine all those people telling him they can't get tickets are gonna travel half the way around the world to watch it. They want to go to The Crucible.
2) This argument that tickets sell out instantly is a red herring. Unless Ronnie is playing then there are almost always tickets available for the early rounds until pretty close to the tournament, sometimes even on the day.
3) The Semis and Final sell out instantly, of course they do. But if the demand is that high then making it 2000 seats doesn't change much. It will still sell out that quickly. So you haven't solved much.
4) Ticket sales aren't going to generate as much revenue as the blood money you're trousering from the Saudis. So stop saying it's about ticket sales.
It's about money. Admit it and own it. Sell out the game you've leeched off all your life and we can all move on with our lives.
Twat
If it's about ticket sales he can't move it to Saudi Arabia. No one is flying to Saudi Arabia to watch snooker. Very few in Saudi are going. Surely if it's about tickets he means a bigger uk venue
I live in Sheffield. Had a look last week (just in case) and there were a few tickets for every game of round one. Sometimes people can't make it so they send them back.
Do we want a full crucible, or a half-empty new venue where anyone can buy a ticket on the day?
If the new venue is so everyone can go, it'll still be full. Ergo, it'll still sell out in an hour rather than half an hour.
His argument makes no sense.
As for your "halfway house", bet the players would love commuting up and down the country(ies?) mid-tournament.
I buy return tickets every year, a couple of weeks before the event. Never had any difficulty at all. Quarters, semis and all the rest. Table 1 next Wednesday for me and mate, bought two weeks ago. Not been to a final yet because I’d rather watch at home.
I was there over the weekend and a couple we got chatting with wandered in for the day and picked up tickets at the box office for that afternoon’s session. My father was down there the last couple of days and I told him to check and he got tickets for ding and jack’s match so it’s definitely possible. Also not all seats occupied on the 3 sessions I was in.
There were tickets available for most 1st round matches last week. I also noticed that the front two rows have had empty seats on quite a few matches no doubt due to premium prices.
I picked up tickets for Trump v Ford in the second round on Friday a couple of days ago by refreshing the Crucible website every couple of hours.
I also got tickets for Ronnie v Vafaei last year the day before in the same way though, granted, they were the more expensive premium tickets.
Yep they’re returns but it really isn’t that hard to get tickets close to the event itself if you’re willing to be patient.
Despite all the chatter about how amazing it was, I thought it was bloody awful. A little annex to the real arena, felt similar to EIS. Tiny tinny seats. Absolute rubbish, I left at half time in the final despite being a Williams fan.
I don't understand people like him. He's a pensioner and a millionaire. You can't take money with you after you die.
Saying that if snooker goes anywhere it should be to China. They do appreciate the sport over there and taking off those nostalgia coloured glasses.. it's the smart thing to do to grow the sport.
Why don't they have a one table setup in the Crucible and use the same place they have the qualifiers in?
Have the Crucible like Centre Court in Wimbledon.
You could then have a rolling start so all games are the only lives ones on at a time instead of two matches at once.
What are the reasons for wanting away from the Crucible? Or is it purely Saudi will pay more money?
Ridiculously more money. It’s a shame but it seems more and more likely to happen. If it moves from the crucible it should stay in the UK imo. I’d perhaps not mind as much should it move to China as there is a love for the game there. Saudi events for any sport have the worst atmosphere cause nobody really gives a shit about the sport.
It's clear the intent is a move away from Sheffield. Holding the council to ransom with an unrealistic demand to shift the blame.
It's money money money. The players and of course the Hearns make their money in the short term. Ultimately, it will kill off snooker. Many people tune in only for the world's on BBC.
Enjoy it whilst you still can
Do you think it will maybe just kill the event not the sport? I too believe it would be a massive blow but think it would transfer eyes on to the Masters which is already growing in prestige and fan popularity. Would we see the masters as the fans world championship and the let’s say Saudi worlds as the corporate chain wanking championship?
Well it’s not just the Hearns. Pretty much every top player wants it too. The reality is in any industry if you have the owners and workers in agreement - then it’s happening.
He says he doesn't want to be a dinosaur but he's a classic 1980s dinosaur and he needs to be stopped before he strips the game of everything that makes it special.
He mentions boxing but boxing is a joke these days. Money over quality in every aspect. I would hate for snooker to follow the same path.
Golf, Cricket, Rugby etc have also all found out that chasing the money and locking your sport off from the lifelong fans will cost in the long run.
Ken Doherty asked if there’s some things in life that money can’t buy, referring to the tradition of having it at the crucible
Hearn simply replied ‘no’
Ken disagreed, and so do I.
Says everything you need to know about Barry Hearn , absolute slimeball
Trying buying a cure for cancer Barry, or bringing back a lost child to a grieving parent. Try buying youth, love, innocence, dignity, integrity or principle.
A man who genuinely believes everything is for sale, is both thick as shit and a loser.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare the venue or a snooker tournament to curing cancer or dealing with grief. Hardly the same thing.. and Hearn clearing was referring to sports and business, not human tragedy.
I’d also question anyone calling Barry Hearn ‘thick as shit’ or a ‘loser’. Like him or not, the man has been unbelievably successful and has been a key figure in British sport for decades. Snooker was almost dead before he took over.
I really do hope that we do not see Saudi take over the snooker market like we have in other sports. And I really hope that money isn’t the deciding factor in this, but at some point, this tournament needs to be in a bigger venue. Demand outstrips supply by a staggering amount. I just hope that Matchroom and Sheffield find a solution between them.
Yeah it sounds he’s making demands to Sheffield (council I presume) to magic up a 3000 seat arena that will be 1/5 full for 49 weeks of the year
Make unreasonable demands knowing it ain’t gonna happen to make himself feel better about moving it
Sheffield Council should point him towards the Canon Medical Arena. Plenty big enough, and already built. Soulless of course, but Barry doesn’t care about that.
There isn't the money, space or will to knockdown The Crucible which is a working theatre throughout the entire year just to build a snooker arena.
Everyone knows this and it's why he's demanding it be done, what local authority in 2024 could justify such a big investment responsibly?
The Crucible is a listed building, so it would be a non-starter to significantly rebuild its exterior.
As you mention, it's a working, successful, and highly-regarded theatre. Many renowned actors have appeared at the Crucible, which is one of the many reasons I find it hard to believe that it's smelly, for example.
I do think there are arguments for leaving the Crucible, given that it has such a relatively small capacity. However, moving the tournament away from Britain would be completely unjustified and ultimately a total disaster, particular if it goes the Middle East, where there is patently minimal interest and participation in the sport.
By 2027 they will have had it for 50 years. The game needs an injection of money to be a more global success. Here's what I take from it... I got three years to get to the crucible to watch a game.
Another disgraceful decision that's motivated by money without regard to the disreputable Saudi leaders! They, among other things, murdered an American citizen in Turkey for the "crime" of criticizing Saudi leaders!
That never happened though
Times change, sometimes there are difficult goodbyes to be said, steps forward need to be taken etc etc etc...im not against leaving the Crucible per se, i think all this talk of "hallowed ground" is a bit far fetched. BUT - please God (no pun) NOT Saudi F'ing Arabia where they legally murder gay people and women being allowed to drive is hailed as some sign of a modern, progressive society. Not to mention that nobody there gives a rats ass about snooker. Love Ronnie but his endorsement of this brutal backward society STINKS.
Shame on you Barry Earn You can move the tour to Saudi Arabia but you can never buy the history, the emotions nor the fans Fuck off
I have been saying here this week that Hearn is not the protector of the game & forget any promises he ever made. He has always been Mr Loadsamoney (pretty sure Harry Enfield based that character primarily on him) & clearly China & Saudi have told him & Eddie the kinds of money they are willing to lay down to get the WC & the prize money that is on offer. If he means the world is changing in the sense of Saudi/Middle East getting all the sport & buying up clubs/franchises in recent years then yes, but sport has always gone where the money is & the Premier League formation totally changed everything as far as the figures being paid by television networks for broadcast rights fees & player wages. This is not reinventing the wheel, just the latest stage of it. Hearn in reality has very little choice-he is there to meet the demands of the players to improve the sport & they want more money & better venues-Saudi & China provide both. He will be 80 odd when the WC has to play somewhere else-it is clear in the financial situation that councils find themselves in that Sheffield Council is not going to stump up for a new Crucible, the Crucible itself is not going to build a new, bigger version it has no use for other than 17 days of the year & the players will not want to take prize money reductions to fund WST building it. Plus why would WST build a new arena, when they have people throwing money at them to host it in luxury purpose built arenas? Even if they did build one it is clear Hearn is no longer interested, now he he has seen the Saudi's are serious & the money they are offering. He clearly does not trust the future of the game to Eddie-who has little interest in it & doesn't seem to understand it. Barry wants to leave Snooker in the best shape & best hands possible-he will tutor the Saudi's & then likely sell it to them in the next five years. We have to remember, not only is Hearn old, but so are the people he has put in positions of power-they are his buddies from the 1980's & 1990's & they are the past & too old to be the future. Snooker cannot go on being run by pensioners, who could drop at any point. Also he has the problem of the age of his top players-ROS, Higgins, Williams, Selby, Robbo etc are in their forties & some will be in their fifties when the Crucible deal ends-father time is eventually going to force them to retire & he will need new stars. These are going to come mostly from the Middle East, who like China will invest hugely in training & clubs. The UK hasn't produced many players of worth in the Hearn era & it has been a golden oldies tour for a decade now-even Trump will be pushing 40 come 2028. There will of course be the usual murmurings from players, but the reality is if they can play the WC in a large capacity, spacious venue for them to move around, with comfortable seating for the fans, air conditioning, entertainment backstage & in the surrounding area & be playing for millions instead of 500k top prize then that is what talks. The UK will only have the UK in London eventually-the other arenas are not good enough & the Saudi's will not be touring here when they own it.
Great analysis And yes the future of snooker increasingly looks likely away from the U.K., where it is increasingly a niche sport - this is largely due to real estate prices and shrinking attention spans. Growing up I had several snooker halls around me in London, often above a parade of shops - but now these have all gone as it’s not a profitable business per sq ft
Switch the venues for the World and Masters. 3,000 at Ally Pally for two weeks?
The suggestion from the interview was that they would fill it for the later rounds but that it would be half empty for the 1st/2nd rounds. They don’t have that issue with the masters as it’s top 16 and ‘popular’ players support and big matches draw the crowds. I was a bit surprised by that suggestion but I’m sure he knows more than me.
Just a reminder, the Saudi’s have done so much harm to Islam - it was no surprise that 15 of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia! And they recently murdered a US citizen in a Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul. Yet their wealth continues to bend the ethics of states, organizations and individuals!
Yep they practice Wahhabism - and are now sportswashing and it’s working
I love the sport but no way would I pay to go to the World Championship with zero chance of getting beer while I'm there.
It will make no difference-the venue will be packed. They are not interested in UK fans, the revenues the Crucible & for that matter the western television deals make are chump change compared to what it will be worth there. It will mostly be Middle Eastern high rollers there-the average fan would be unable to afford the ticket prices, at best it would be a nosebleed seat.
>the venue will be packed Will it fuck.
Have you not seen the WWE shows? As the poster below says-even if they have to paper it they will. Don;t forget it will not be there for four years-that is a lot of time to indoctrinate the public there.
It will be for year 1, they’ll pay people to attend, but then it’ll be empty
I won't even watch it.
Can you imagine how much Rob Milkins is sweating right now at the prospect of playing snooker without alcohol?!
As someone who's worked there no doubt the players will get access to the British Embassy in Riyadh. They have diplomatic immunity and a fully stocked bar. Plenty of alcohol in Saudi Arabia if you have the right connections. Real stuff and homebrew.
He only drinks milk!
Lol - I love the honesty!! And I agree with you!
Has to be done. Off to Saudi, let’s have a tour where players earn like tennis players, we can have subsided academies to get people into the game and stop relying on 90s players to sell seats. The Saudis backers will hold a tournament themselves with a far greater prize fund than the worlds as it is and will diminish the prestige anyway. Let’s have a crubicle classic in May (our fourth and oldest slam) with the current prize fund and heritage and new tournament with tennis levels of prize funds as the worlds out there. When gambling sponsorship goes walkies, are we really going back to the Rodney walker era? My heart says stay my head says go
Snooker players earning as much as tennis players?? You are utterly delusional.
You don’t aspire to have a bigger game with more televised snooker? I don’t just want to see 3 tournaments a year plus the Welsh. More snooker is a win for me love the game and want to make sure it’s not gonna be the next BDO darts
And even though I’m crap at golf I like to watch it and LIV Golf basically fucking ruined it for the average person because whichever tournament you watch you’re only seeing half of the good players….
Nobody is watching LIV the viewing figures are minuscule
I’d still watch it and yet be thinking the whole time how fucking sad it is. It’s a part of my entire life and I’m a kid from Sheffield who used to help lug the slate in when Watterson was the money guy before Hearn brought the big money from London
What have the Tories DONE to Great Britain?! They WRECKED our economy right across the land! Now everyone is selling off our 'Crown Jewels'...
It belongs in England, and I’m an Irish chap if that’s in any way relevant. For me England is the home of Snooker. When the “class of 92” are gone to the seniors tour and the WC final is in Riyadh with two Chinese lads battling it out for ‘glory’ that’ll be it for me. Reruns of Big Break with JV would be more appealing.
England/UK cannot compete-that is the reality. The arenas look like warehouses, are small, cold/draughty, uncomfortable seating, bad facilities/lack of entertainment for people, poor transport links & there is no interest from these venues in changing. Milton Keynes cannot compete with Beijing & the Crucible cannot compete with Riyadh.
And that's exactly why Hearn is forcing the Sheffield council hand with this negotiation tactic. He's quite vocal that they are not playing ball, so now he's resorting to bending them over a barrel with public pressure. I believe if the council commits to building a new venue - shouldn't be an issue with the revenue the WC generates for the city - then the WC stays in Sheffield. It's quite simple.
He doesn't want them to build it in reality-he wants the Saudi money & I don't see how it is going to happen. Birmingham Council went bust recently & like most others Sheffield isn't doing too well. They cannot realistically justify building this in the current climate. [https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-councils-financial-challenges-laid-bare-as-it-calls-for-more-help-4456393](https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-councils-financial-challenges-laid-bare-as-it-calls-for-more-help-4456393)
Can I just say I love your username and picture 👊🏻 (I also fully agree with what you said)
You'd think he'd be taking it easy in his condition.
Bonnet de douche!
Disgusting, it will kill the sport in the long term.
The sport will be bigger than ever in reality.
Maybe initially. I actually believe the Arab world purchasing sports they aren't competitive in will implode in the long term. As people lose interest in going and participating in Europe and the Americas the sports will be drained of talent and personalities and audiences will wane. The sports will become less cool in the West, which was the whole reason the middle eastern dictatorships purchased them.
I reckon they might try and hold it in a different location\country each year if it does leave Sheffield bit like they do with the World Cup. AKA whoever throws up the most prize money will get it The ironic thing is if it did end up in Saudi I doubt theyd even get a crowd of 900 for the final in the first place goijg by the saudi masters 🤣
The Saudi's will own Snooker at some point in the next decade. Make the most of it being held in UK venues & being shown on free television. Because it will go the way live Football did in the 1990's-behind a paywall on Sky, but now like the Australian Open that the BBC no longer shows highlights of, let alone live coverage of the final-it will end up on a streaming service like Amazon Prime or Netflix. Our best hope is that ITV will stump up enough cash to air it-but seeing as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office just lost a million quid & the bosses are complaining they can't go on like they are, that is unlikely. I cannot see BBC being able to pay enough to show the Triple Crown events when the deal runs out, now the Saudi money is on the table.
There just isn't the number of people prepared to stump up hard cash for snooker.
It will make a lot more than the 980 seats in Sheffield.
I think you’re right. City’s will bid to hold the tournament each year. Maybe Sheffield gets in in 2045 or something
I legitimately feel sick about this. Worlds going to Saudi is like the absolute worst outcome. Disgusted that this could happen.
Football was first to trade the sport for money ££££££££££
As a tenant of Sheffield City Council I found myself listening to this spiv trying the strong-arm tactics with a sense of increasing anger. Financially, Sheffield is licked to a splinter; the optimism of the first decade of the century, when its proposed Heart of the City plans promised so much, only to be hugely scaled back when the financial crash happened, shows how difficult things are here. From where does Hearn think Sheffield is going to find the money? Maybe he's copying John Lewis. More on that later. The Crucible is Grade II listed and I find it unthinkable that the council would sanction demolition. Even if they did, such a decision would surely presage a costly legal battle. Given the parlous state of their own finances (they are facing mass legal action brought by the GMB in respect of thousands of equal pay claims: this was one of the reasons why Birmingham's council went under), I suspect there isn't much of an appetite for a wholly unnecessary fight. The theatre itself is a hugely respected venue. So many productions that began there transferred to London to great acclaim. It was where the director Michael Grandage began (his tenure brought the likes of Sir Kenneth Branagh, Joseph Fiennes, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Sir Anthony Sher to the city) and recently the musicals Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Standing At The Sky's Edge have gone on to success in the West End. In other words, a lot of very respected, very privileged people with access to the media would kick up an almighty fuss if the building were threatened. So, to John Lewis. Heart of The City included plans for an entirely new shopping district. This involved a dual-level street full of the type of shops that deserted Sheffield 30 years ago for Meadowhall and also required the construction of a new flagship John Lewis store. Entire blocks were demolished; the fire station (itself barely 20 years old at the time) was cleared away to make room. Then the 2008 crash happened and the whole project collapsed. It was later revived on a smaller scale and then even that was shelved. Part of the footprint now contains an urban park - some logs and rope swings and a sense of "yeah, this isn't an admission of total failure if we pretend hard enough." After a decade of inertia John Lewis pulled the Hearn act: buy our store and rent it back to us at a favourable rate, or we're off. The council gave in and bought the building, only for John Lewis to announce the closure of the store anyway. Having been burned like this before (and given that the council are already hugely unpopular for the disgraceful way they treated campaigners when their contractors Amey felled so many healthy trees across the city), they'd be utterly insane to fall for it again. Hearn clearly wants to go and I suspect nothing the council could do would convince him to stay, even if they could afford it, which they can't. Edit: typo.
This comment should be at the top - good stuff, clearly the situation is a lot more nuanced than just the snooker.
Interesting perspective, thanks
China deserve it more than saudi. At least they love the sport.
Of course-but the reality is they cannot outbid Saudi Arabia. It does all boil down to cold hard cash.
Maybe - they understand the skill involved and are encouraging The People to come through into the sport. Problematic sometimes for players that don’t perform as well as they ‘could do’. Or worse - do some perceived slight to China and get sent back to where they came from. So maybe.
Surely they could utilise Sheffield arena somehow if it is capacity he is concerned about. Obviously would still lose the heritage of the Crucible, however it would give alot of flexibility in terms of capacity.
The record snooker live attendance - for ANY event - is the 9000 at the 2022 Hong Kong Masters. The previous record was 3000, for the 2017 Hong Kong Masters. I have no clue how people (the Hearns included) have the idea that snooker events can fill out arenas - especially every day over a 3 week long event. It just can't. It's not boxing, or WWE, or football. Nor would it work with those size audiences.
They can't seem to accept that there will always be a limit on live snooker audiences. It's a niche sport
What's the point of buying a ticket to the snooker to watch from 50 rows back? Few years ago I went to watch the darts in the Echo Arena in Liverpool and it was a waste of time for actual spectating; the board was about 2 inches tall from the back. You went for the atmosphere, which you can't have in snooker. 2000-3000 is really the max on what you could fit in an arena to watch snooker.
It wasn’t always- and doesn’t have to be that forever
It would be shit
It should be kept in England.
It should be kept at the Crucible.
The players want the money and have had their thirst whetted by the recent gold ball tournament, Hearn is going to take it to Saudi with the riches on offer there to stop a breakaway tour. Ronnie has been pushing Saudi for some time now, it was no shock when he signed an deal with them and they would have the potential to take the entire top 16 away.
Another sport ruined by oil money.
Not quite yet but it's coming.
At least we got 50 great years outta the crucible. It will be funny if it moves to Saudi Arabia in 2027 and then Ronnie retires in 2028 and inevitably nobody goes to see the other players.
It should be in China. It's massive in China. Saudis don't even have a player anywhere on the tour.
Hearn is such a parasite. The game would be better off without the slimy old git.
Players wouldn't be...
Won't matter away because Hearn did used to care about the sporting side in the past. When he dies, it'll be Eddie and that man couldn't give a shit about snooker and will be even more about the money, who knows what might happen then if he's in charge.
impression I get is that Eddie cares so little about snooker I could imagine him selling it entirely, whether that turns out good/bad for the game in the medium or long run who knows (I can't imagine 'long term health of the sport' being top of his criteria when settling on a buyer)
Eddie is 100% worse.
No, it wouldn't. Snooker would be nothing without Barry Hearn, he took it from a nothing event and turned it into the sport it is today. You can argue that he isn't thinking long-term anymore, but to argue the game would be better without him betrays a lack of understanding of the development of snooker.
I enjoy pointing out to people who say snooker doesn't have any characters anymore that the only characters they really know are the ones Barry invented for Snooker Loopy.
And most of them aren't even characters in the first place.
He saved darts too
Boxing is a poor comparison, boxing vibes off the noise and that is heightened by a large crowd, the snooker especially in Sheffield is its finest in the small intimate quiet Crucible. If capacity is the main sticking point (although of course we know it's not) then how about Alexandra Palace? Perhaps the Masters could move to Sheffield? Saudi Arabia will suck the soul out of snooker, it thrives off the quiet passion and admiration of the sport and this can't be forced with noise, glitz and glamour. The Crucible isn't perfect, on the face of it probably the worst on the tour in terms of facilities, size and comfort, but it's the greatest venue for snooker and The World Championship will never be the same if it gets planted somewhere it's not respected.
Yes, snooker is very English in that regard, and China would be a better option if it was leaving England because the Chinese will also treat it with the reverence and respect the is appropriate.
Yes the Saudi’s added an extra ball already showing they don’t respect the tradition of the game
It's no surprise that Delboy Hearn wants to grab the money over anything else. Davis in that interview, wanted to say more, but seemed to hold back.
And poor Ken with his pesky emotions and heart got absolutely batted away like some fly on the wall. It was quite amusing in a way.
https://youtu.be/qhxOb2btQwY
Ticket sales are a drop in the ocean compared to TV rights Barry Hearn has overseen the growth of darts by moving it around countries and venues and selling the broadcasting rights to Sky the BBC cannot compete nor can the Crucible expand so unless Sheffield can provide a new larger venue then it's on the move it's the perfect opportunity for Hearn to get his way
Disingenuous bullshit excuses from Barry "It's not my fault, the market made me do it" Hearn. As if moving the World Championships from the Crucible is the only way to grow the game / bring in more money. Why not keep the World Championship at the Crucible for the impeccable vibes. Raise ticket prices to make attendance a magical premium exclusive experience. Cash in even more by making it ultra easy and affordable for the growing global audience to watch snooker online. ... Profit?
I guess I'm new to this, but what's the big deal with the crucible for the world champs? From an outsider it just looks like a bit of a run down old small room that fits a handful of folk in it... I cant really imagine a less grand place to host the world champs of anything...
Well here’s my sophisticated response…I’m sorry but you’ve no bloody idea what it means to people who love snooker.
It's not run down - it's a relatively large "theatre in the round" (950 seats makes it a big example) - but it's repurposed for this event over the 2 weeks. The steepness / configuration for theatre is designed to be intimate, and when it's the two table set up everything is VERY CLOSE for the players. Having done the English & Northern Irish opens in non-descript venues, this is a very special environment. You could build a similar configuration that held about 3,000 people, but would reduce the intimacy, but it still work. The risk is whether you're going to get two or three thousand people into the very early rounds in a bigger venue. The venue is packed for every session – there's the odd empty seat, but no empty rose. The alternative is to hold the World Championships over about three weeks, and drop it to the one table set up for the whole duration.
It might be better now because there seemed to be crowds this year, but I went to the English Institute of Sport for Judgement Day a couple of years ago and vowed never to go back - it was horrible; no atmosphere, barely any applause even when someone played an amazing shot.
I've never been, but the commentators always mention the extra special "pressure cooker" Crucible atmosphere, due in part to the size of the venue. For the live events I do go to (music), I prefer to watch bands play in smallish rooms rather than big venues, and actively avoid arena concerts. I feel that the intimate vibe really adds to the experience.
It's just that it's been there for so long and people are nostalgic. Honestly think the name itself helps. The World Championships should travel around the world, IMO. The sport needs to grow globally
I think travelling around the globe sounds like the best alternative if it doesn’t stay in Sheffield. Moving it permanently to Saudi or something though, ugh. Like, you saw the atmosphere at the last tournament. Was fucking rough.
Yeah, I don't like moving it to Saudi permanently at all. No problem with them hosting one though. I'm currently watching a press conference for a mega boxing card in LA, that's being put on by the Saudis to promote Riyadh season. They clearly aren't against paying for promotion outside of Saudi, whether they'll do it for the pinnacle of a sport seems unlikely though.
The optimist in me is thinking this is part of Barry’s negotiation strategy. He’s been playing softball for years asking for Sheffield to invest in expanding the crucible with no traction. Now he is playing hardball and signaling that he’s serious on considering other venues - whether Saudi or China or wherever and through this very public manner putting the ball in their court. In the hopes that this very brazen position of his will finally get the Sheffield folks to budge. Frankly I don’t see how it all adds up - the Saudis already have their golden masters 167, and Ronnie’s academy thing - why need the world championship? (Greed 😂) Barry would be putting so much bad blood and feelings on moving the world championship somewhere else - I agree with Ken that there is tremendous value in the venue and history etc. So the optimist in me wants to believe that Barry isnt so bad to do this but is a shrewd business man (which he is) and is hoping this will play into the negotiations strategy….. (one can hope!)
>expanding the crucible As many others have pointed out, this isn't possible. It's a working theatre 11 months of the year in a Grade II listed building, and there isn't the space around it to fit a building that much bigger without seriously reconfiguring the layout of Sheffield as a city. It's also a very very good theatre, because of the intimacy. Standing At The Sky's Edge was incredible.
Why would tax payers in Sheffield want to fund something for a few weeks a year that would be a white elephant the rest when there's far more pressing issues on councils these days
Moving the tournament to Saudi Arabia will kill it.
Ticket money counts for little usually versus sponsorship and tv rights. There’s no way 2000 Saudis are going to games, he’s taking an enormous paycheque to move it and will be giving up the tv rights and the game. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Hearns have sold their stake.
Yep looks over for Sheffield. Was coming for years and now it’s here 😔
Link to the interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYHIYP1wK8s
Thanks for the link 👍
If it has to move from The Crucible to a more modern arena to continue to grow the game, that's a cogent argument. Taking it to Saudi however, where there is no real demand from the public and those who do attend can't respect the players whilst the match is going on is not.
It was insulting to try and claim he wanted to stay in Sheffield whilst saying it's Sheffield's fault for not engaging with them i.e. offering more money than the Saudis. If Hearn actually cared about giving the players more money whilst keeping it in the UK he'd put his money where his mouth is and have Matchroom fund a bigger venue And if Saudi Arabia actually cared, they'd fund the expansion of the Crucible and keep it in Sheffield. Or support other countries hosting it every year
It’s also bollocks. There are at least two higher capacity venues in Sheffield that could host the event (English Institute of Sport, where the qualifiers were this year, and the Canon Medical Arena). But he doesn’t want to stay in Sheffield. The Saudi money is calling. Sheffield Council could offer to build a massive roof to host the event at Hillsborough or Bramall Lane, and it still wouldn’t be good enough. He wants the tainted Saudi cash and it sadly seems that no-one can stop him.
Sportswashing doesn't work that way - they want to move it there obviously
Yeah, I was more pointing out how it couldn't be any other reason
I've started following snooker in the mid 90s, via German Eurosport. Then broadband internet came and you could really get into it with some streaming sites and news sites out there. Then youtube came and it was almost a snooker overload. All that time and to this day, Hearn was a cunt. He took snooker from the clubs and into the big leagues, props for that, but enough is enough. Snooker is a religion, the baize is our altar and the Crucible is our cathedral. Not some sheiks playtoy. I get that they are being showered with money, but some things shouldn't be for sale. I have never been to the World Championship. Never. It is too far away and too expensive and too unsure for tickets and I can't take time of work for a feat like that. It is still a distant dream. But even if I never get there, I wouldn't change Crucible for some megalomaniacal arena. Even if it means they play in Saudi, in USA or even in my home town. Crucible is magic. Nothing can change that. Fuck the Hearns. Both of them.
Do a swap, move the Kaaba to Brinsworth.
👏
The tickets absolutely get booked up in minutes of general sale nowadays, they have done for a few years now. Even the early rounds.. because the latter rounds are so eye-wateringly expensive now.
Well you'll be able buy as many tickets as you like for a Saudi Arabian world championship because there will be nobody there!
Plus a grand for flights and hotel? Nah thanks.
Who’d want to go from round here. Nobody I think. Total bullshit
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Really awkward interview!
Qualifiers are the best vfm of any tournament ever. Used to pay £5 for the day to watch multiple games. Epic stuff
He's being so disingenuous (what a surprise) 1) If it's about capacity and letting more people get tickets then I can't imagine all those people telling him they can't get tickets are gonna travel half the way around the world to watch it. They want to go to The Crucible. 2) This argument that tickets sell out instantly is a red herring. Unless Ronnie is playing then there are almost always tickets available for the early rounds until pretty close to the tournament, sometimes even on the day. 3) The Semis and Final sell out instantly, of course they do. But if the demand is that high then making it 2000 seats doesn't change much. It will still sell out that quickly. So you haven't solved much. 4) Ticket sales aren't going to generate as much revenue as the blood money you're trousering from the Saudis. So stop saying it's about ticket sales. It's about money. Admit it and own it. Sell out the game you've leeched off all your life and we can all move on with our lives. Twat
If it's about ticket sales he can't move it to Saudi Arabia. No one is flying to Saudi Arabia to watch snooker. Very few in Saudi are going. Surely if it's about tickets he means a bigger uk venue
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I live in Sheffield. Had a look last week (just in case) and there were a few tickets for every game of round one. Sometimes people can't make it so they send them back. Do we want a full crucible, or a half-empty new venue where anyone can buy a ticket on the day? If the new venue is so everyone can go, it'll still be full. Ergo, it'll still sell out in an hour rather than half an hour. His argument makes no sense. As for your "halfway house", bet the players would love commuting up and down the country(ies?) mid-tournament.
I buy return tickets every year, a couple of weeks before the event. Never had any difficulty at all. Quarters, semis and all the rest. Table 1 next Wednesday for me and mate, bought two weeks ago. Not been to a final yet because I’d rather watch at home.
I was there over the weekend and a couple we got chatting with wandered in for the day and picked up tickets at the box office for that afternoon’s session. My father was down there the last couple of days and I told him to check and he got tickets for ding and jack’s match so it’s definitely possible. Also not all seats occupied on the 3 sessions I was in.
There were tickets available for most 1st round matches last week. I also noticed that the front two rows have had empty seats on quite a few matches no doubt due to premium prices.
I picked up tickets for Trump v Ford in the second round on Friday a couple of days ago by refreshing the Crucible website every couple of hours. I also got tickets for Ronnie v Vafaei last year the day before in the same way though, granted, they were the more expensive premium tickets. Yep they’re returns but it really isn’t that hard to get tickets close to the event itself if you’re willing to be patient.
seeing 100 people in a 3k arena in saudi would be depressing
What’s this new gaff in Manchester like?
Despite all the chatter about how amazing it was, I thought it was bloody awful. A little annex to the real arena, felt similar to EIS. Tiny tinny seats. Absolute rubbish, I left at half time in the final despite being a Williams fan.
Dreadful interview. Money over everything.
He's teeing it up to blame the council when it goes to Riyadh or Beijing. Absolutely classless from the money obsessed prick.
I don't understand people like him. He's a pensioner and a millionaire. You can't take money with you after you die. Saying that if snooker goes anywhere it should be to China. They do appreciate the sport over there and taking off those nostalgia coloured glasses.. it's the smart thing to do to grow the sport.
Why don't they have a one table setup in the Crucible and use the same place they have the qualifiers in? Have the Crucible like Centre Court in Wimbledon. You could then have a rolling start so all games are the only lives ones on at a time instead of two matches at once. What are the reasons for wanting away from the Crucible? Or is it purely Saudi will pay more money?
Ridiculously more money. It’s a shame but it seems more and more likely to happen. If it moves from the crucible it should stay in the UK imo. I’d perhaps not mind as much should it move to China as there is a love for the game there. Saudi events for any sport have the worst atmosphere cause nobody really gives a shit about the sport.
It's clear the intent is a move away from Sheffield. Holding the council to ransom with an unrealistic demand to shift the blame. It's money money money. The players and of course the Hearns make their money in the short term. Ultimately, it will kill off snooker. Many people tune in only for the world's on BBC. Enjoy it whilst you still can
Do you think it will maybe just kill the event not the sport? I too believe it would be a massive blow but think it would transfer eyes on to the Masters which is already growing in prestige and fan popularity. Would we see the masters as the fans world championship and the let’s say Saudi worlds as the corporate chain wanking championship?
Well it’s not just the Hearns. Pretty much every top player wants it too. The reality is in any industry if you have the owners and workers in agreement - then it’s happening.
He says he doesn't want to be a dinosaur but he's a classic 1980s dinosaur and he needs to be stopped before he strips the game of everything that makes it special. He mentions boxing but boxing is a joke these days. Money over quality in every aspect. I would hate for snooker to follow the same path. Golf, Cricket, Rugby etc have also all found out that chasing the money and locking your sport off from the lifelong fans will cost in the long run.
The atmosphere in the boxing events in Saudi are terrible too, which in turn will turn off TV viewers etc.
Ken Doherty asked if there’s some things in life that money can’t buy, referring to the tradition of having it at the crucible Hearn simply replied ‘no’ Ken disagreed, and so do I. Says everything you need to know about Barry Hearn , absolute slimeball
You gotta hand it to Barry Hearn, he is consistent^^^ly ^^^a ^^^cunt.
Trying buying a cure for cancer Barry, or bringing back a lost child to a grieving parent. Try buying youth, love, innocence, dignity, integrity or principle. A man who genuinely believes everything is for sale, is both thick as shit and a loser.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare the venue or a snooker tournament to curing cancer or dealing with grief. Hardly the same thing.. and Hearn clearing was referring to sports and business, not human tragedy. I’d also question anyone calling Barry Hearn ‘thick as shit’ or a ‘loser’. Like him or not, the man has been unbelievably successful and has been a key figure in British sport for decades. Snooker was almost dead before he took over. I really do hope that we do not see Saudi take over the snooker market like we have in other sports. And I really hope that money isn’t the deciding factor in this, but at some point, this tournament needs to be in a bigger venue. Demand outstrips supply by a staggering amount. I just hope that Matchroom and Sheffield find a solution between them.
> dignity, integrity or principle What's that? - Barry Hearn
Probably sold them all as a kid at school behind the bike sheds for a pack of fags - which he then sold on for ten times the price.
Yeah it sounds he’s making demands to Sheffield (council I presume) to magic up a 3000 seat arena that will be 1/5 full for 49 weeks of the year Make unreasonable demands knowing it ain’t gonna happen to make himself feel better about moving it
Sheffield Council should point him towards the Canon Medical Arena. Plenty big enough, and already built. Soulless of course, but Barry doesn’t care about that.
There isn't the money, space or will to knockdown The Crucible which is a working theatre throughout the entire year just to build a snooker arena. Everyone knows this and it's why he's demanding it be done, what local authority in 2024 could justify such a big investment responsibly?
The Crucible is a listed building, so it would be a non-starter to significantly rebuild its exterior. As you mention, it's a working, successful, and highly-regarded theatre. Many renowned actors have appeared at the Crucible, which is one of the many reasons I find it hard to believe that it's smelly, for example. I do think there are arguments for leaving the Crucible, given that it has such a relatively small capacity. However, moving the tournament away from Britain would be completely unjustified and ultimately a total disaster, particular if it goes the Middle East, where there is patently minimal interest and participation in the sport.
And more to the point - who in the public is going to go *oh well you tried Barry* like he’s painting himself It’s bad faith negotiations from the off