Sheffield's Crucible could lose the World Snooker Championship in 2027, says Barry Hearn
Published 25/04/2025 at 14:28 GMT+1
The current contract to stage the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible is due to expire in two years' time, and there are question marks as to where the tournament might end up in 2027. Nothing will be announced during this year's tournament, but Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn has indicated his preferences for where snooker's showpiece could end up.
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Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn has been speaking about the future of the historic Crucible venue, which has hosted the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield since 1977.
The Crucible has a contract in place until 2027 to be the venue for the World Championship.
There is no official announcement expected during the current tournament, but meetings are being conducted about the future of the Crucible with the local council and the government.
"It's black and white: we love the Crucible, we love Sheffield, but the Crucible and Sheffield have got to love us," explained Hearn to BBC Sport.
"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."
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There have been many critics of the Crucible over the years - including seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
The Rocket mooted some ideas about taking the tournament to Saudi Arabia or China, who have both become more and more interested in hosting snooker in the past few years.
The main issue with the Crucible is the fact it only has a 980-seat capacity, limiting ticket sales and overall revenue. The facilities behind the scenes are not overly spacious either compared to those enjoyed by the players at other events.
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Options for the future include redeveloping the Crucible itself, finding another venue in Sheffield, or moving the World Championship to another city entirely - one not necessarily in the UK.
"The Crucible's been a big part of my life and a big part of snooker's life," Hearn said.
"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.
"It's as simple as that. It's not complicated."
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Eddie Hearn stepped up as chairman of Matchroom Sport in place of his father, and he believes prize money is the key factor that is causing disquiet amongst the players.
"I think World Snooker and my dad have been unbelievably loyal to the game and to the venue and to the dream of the Crucible, but at some point you've got to say we can provide greater opportunities for our players and life-changing opportunities," he said.
"If there's a way to keep it in Sheffield, of course that's the preferred option. But ultimately, behind closed doors, trust me on one thing: the players want more money and that's the same in any sport you work in."
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