The Snooker World Championship has been a staple of sport in Sheffield and staff and fans of The Crucible are annoyed at its potential departure.
Barry Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport, issued a warning to Sheffield City Council that the snooker will be relocated unless The Crucible is torn down and replaced with a bigger capacity venue.
Hearn stated “It’s all about the money” as the venues current deal expires in 2027 on the 50 year anniversary of The Crucible hosting the Championship.
Freddie Leslie, who works in management and security for The Crucible, stated: “People over there have the money, that’s where they want it to be but I think it should be in Sheffield full stop”.
Famous snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan agreed with the move saying if the World Snooker Championship was relocated to Saudi Arabia then he would find the tournament more convenient as a player.
Hossein Vafaei, also competing in the World Championship, also disproves of The Crucible, calling it smelly and comparing the practice rooms to playing in a garage after losing his first round match.
Despite backing from popular players the people of Sheffield are convinced it’s the wrong move with many stating Sheffield is the home of snooker.