THE World Snooker Championship will no longer be held at the Crucible unless it’s given a major upgrade, Barry Hearn has revealed.
The hallowed Sheffield venue has been the World Championship‘s home since 1977 and has the hosting rights for the competition until 2027.
The Snooker World Championships have been held at the Crucible for the last 47 years
But the Crucible’s deal to host the event expires in 2027
Snooker supremo Barry Hearn has revealed the tournament could soon leave the Crucible
The Crucible is beloved by snooker fans, although Matchroom supremo Hearn believes the World Championship has outgrown the famous theatre.
When asked if the tournament will stay in Sheffield without a revamp of the venue, Hearn told The BBC: “No.
“It’s black and white: we love the Crucible, we love Sheffield, but the Crucible and Sheffield have got to love us.
“We want to stay, but the financials have to be taken into consideration.
“The facilities where the Crucible is are no longer fit for purpose, that’s the key issue.”
Despite being adamant that the Crucible can no longer serve the needs of the World Championship, Hearn admits it will pain him to move the competition away from the iconic venue.
He said: “The Crucible’s been a big part of my life and a big part of snooker’s life. But it has to move with the times.
“And someone, whether it’s the Government or Sheffield, have to come up with a way of showing us that they’re going to treat us with respect and give us the type of facilities we require.
World Snooker Championship 2025
WE are BACK at the Crucible for another thrilling fortnight of snooker action!
There will be a new champion this year after reigning champ Kyren Wilson crashed out in the first round after a stunning performance from Lei Peifan.
Ronnie O’Sullivan will take to the snooker table after missing recent tournaments, while world No 1 Judd Trump heads into the tournament as the favourite.
The likes of Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and John Higgins are also expected to be contenders.
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“It’s as simple as that. It’s not complicated.”
Hearn’s warning comes just five months after he floated Saudi Arabia as a potential new home for the World Championship.
When asked if Saudi could land the competition, the 76-year-old told talkSPORT: “Yes. Of course.
“I mean, look, it’s very straightforward. Saudi, we do events in Saudi now, and they’re getting bigger.
“But they’re still not the crowd and not the atmosphere. I understand all that.”
“Instead of me selling the Crucible out and making £3.5million, £3.7m on gate, I get a £20m site fee from Saudi.
“If I get £20m from [the] site fee, I can double, treble the prize money.
“All the players say, ‘Oh, we love the Crucible, we don’t want to leave.’
“I’d say, ‘I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, I’ll treble the prize money.’
“We’re gone, straight away. We’re led by money, let’s not kid ourselves.”
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