Sheffield’s city centre been filled with fury after Ronnie O’Sullivan called for the Crucible Theatre to no longer host the World Snooker Championships.
The Crucible has come under scrutiny before, as its 1000-seat capacity proves to be a limit on the scale of the World Championship, which could only be resolved by a bigger host arena.
But the event will remain at the Crucible for the foreseeable future.
Rowan Kelly, 57, from Sharrow, said: “It would be a disgrace if Sheffield was robbed of the World Championships, especially if it’s called for by a millionaire with no sense of home pride.”
O’Sullivan, 48, who has won the World Championships a record seven times, called for the event to be moved, labelling the Crucible as a ‘massive circus’.
He told The Sun newspaper: “You need a massive space to accommodate it. I think Saudi Arabia would be great. They’ve got the resources and would do it great.
“It’d be done properly. Courtesy cars will be laid on. Food will be there. Hotels will be great. Everything would be paid for. Prize money would be astronomical.”
These comments have not gone down well with snooker enthusiasts in Sheffield who understand the importance of such a global event being hosted in the city.
Michael Doherty, 32, from Neepsend, who works as a construction manager for events such as the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible, said: “This is not the first time we’ve seen British sportsmen forget their roots and go chasing money in the Middle East. It’s a shame, really.”
The Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker, with over £2.3m of prize money given out in 2023.
Altogether 32 players will compete, the top 16 ranked in the world alongside another 16 who must qualify in the week before the Championship begins.
The main event will begin on Saturday 20 April, running to Monday 6 May and the qualifying rounds are currently ongoing at the Crucible.
The sport’s most celebrated event with a history dating back to 1927, has been staged at the iconic Crucible in Sheffield since 1977, where it will remain until at least 2027. The event is organised and promoted by World Snooker Limited, in partnership with Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Theatres.
