Snooker icon Jimmy White gave an ebullient defense of Barry Hearn
On April 26, 2024, according to brand writer Samir, discussions about the possible departure of the World Championships from Crucible are heating up, but Jimmy White is one of those who call on the bosses to stay in Sheffield.
Snooker legend Jimmy White begged Barry Hearn to keep the World Championship in Crucible.
The iconic Sheffield-based venue has been contracted to host it until 2027, but after that, there are big doubts about whether the sport's bosses will take it elsewhere. Crucible only has a capacity of less than 1,000 fans, which really affects the profitability of the game.
Hearn has called on Sheffield to build a new stadium that can accommodate more fans. Both China and Saudi Arabia are keen to host the event, and given the funding and luxury offerings, they are seriously considering moving away from South Yorkshire, although those who have been following the sport for years are saddened by the prospects.
White, a six-time World Championship finalist, told Eurosport: "What do we lose if we leave? Some of the new players, they're going to have to get used to the two tables, and every now and then you'll get applause from the other half of the audience. But that's only part of the magic. ”
"When you're playing at a table, there's no other venue like that, and it's the best venue I've ever played. We've all played at the London Convention Centre and it's a great venue as well. Unfortunately, it was pushed down. We loved the Alexandria Palace, it had a great atmosphere. ”
"But this is the World Championships, which have been going on since 1977. In the 80s of the 20th century, as snooker became popular, it became more and more powerful. People don't turn around and say I want to go to the World Championships. What they actually said was that I wanted to play in Crucible. ”
"For me, this opera house has great theatre and a wonderful atmosphere. The place has an electrified atmosphere. In the first round, people are close to you when you hit the ball. That's where the magic of this place comes in. ”
In the first few weeks of the game, Crucible was criticized. Even before the tournament began, O'Sullivan said he would love to play the World Championships elsewhere because they had been given five-star treatment at other venues around the world. "You walk around Fort Crucible and the smell is really bad," Wafi said. As a player, it's honestly really bad. ”
Heard, the head of the Taiwan Federation, admitted that if Sheffield wants to continue to be the venue for the most iconic event in snooker, they must "attend meetings to negotiate the construction of a new venue".
"We've been stressing over the last few years that we need a new stadium that can accommodate 2,500 to 3,000 people, because I'm fed up with letters from fans from all over the world asking me how I can get tickets," he said. I'm looking for Sheffield officials to come to the meeting. If we agree to build a new venue, we stay. If they don't, they're actually saying we don't need you, so that's not what I decided. (Welcome to click to pay attention to Runwu AB, please indicate the source for reprinting, thank you)