Snooker 2024

[Lionator]

41 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Crucible Theatre: Hossein Vafaei says Sheffield venue 'smells' and the World Championship should move elsewhere

Iran's Hossein Vafaei has criticised the Crucible Theatre, saying the venue "smells really bad", the practice room is like a "garage" and the World Championship should move elsewhere.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/68871034

Trying to become one of Ronnie’s gang but I doubt an Iranian guy is gonna be too popular with the Saudi authorities lol. 

[Nalis]

Unpopular opinion but I don't entirely disagree with him as something needs to chance. Iconic venues have moved with the times like Wembley and Centre Court. Less than 1k for the world championship is quite small.

 

Maybe the whole idea of one venue of 5k as a Table 1 and keeping the Crucible as a Table 2 would work?

[RowlattsFox]

Definitely feel I'm going to need to get to the crucible in the next 3 years as it's inevitable it will move and probably to Asia.

 

I get the complaints but I also think the smaller nature of the crucible is what makes it special. It's a shame you probably can't extend it but at the same time I can see why a world championship should travel around. 

[The Bear]

It's too small for such a major prestige event nowadays. And if it's getting a bit dilapidated and rhe players aren't particularly happy then that's all the excuse Hearn needs to move it somewhere else and take the big money on offer. 

 

I don't want to see it move abroad though. 

[The Bear]

Just in the snooker club this afternoon and Dave is back in here practising. Says beating Brecel is a big confidence boost and he feels he can give any one a game now. 

 

I'd fancy him to beat either Milkins or Pang tbh. 

Edited 22 April by The Bear

[Raj]

28 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Just in the snooker club this afternoon and Dave is back in here practising. Says beating Brecel is a big confidence boost and he feels he can give any one a game now. 

 

I'd fancy him to beat either Milkins or Pang tbh. 

Picture else it didnt happen!

[Angus Scott]

If it moves to Asia it will be a disaster. The time difference alone means there will be very few watching in the UK, not to mention that crowds at the events in China are shocking.

The UK is the home of snooker & Sheffield the home of the World Championships. Why not hold it at Sheffield Arena, there would be ample room there for the 2 table set up with increased crowds.

[The Bear]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

Picture else it didnt happen!

I'm not sad enough to lie about this stuff! He was practicing with Andy Lee again. 

 

 

Edited 22 April by The Bear

[gurru991]

Selby & O'Connor battling it out today. Joe is going to win a big event pretty soon.  Classy Player. !!

 

[Raj]

8 minutes ago, The Bear said:

I'm not sad enough to lie about this stuff! He was practicing with Andy Lee again. 

 

 

That's John Higgins!!!!

 

Fair play, and you know I was only jesting with you👍🏾

[kingfox]

Unsurprisingly Murphy has his say, fair points made. 
 

We’ve been here before with The Crucible debate, especially when the contract is coming round to expiring. 
 

If it does move away from The Crucible, then departing on the 50th anniversary would be a fitting way to bow out. 
 

But with much debate recently regarding certain tournaments switching venues and lacking identity. 
 

The biggest tournament of them all has had an identity since 1977, having been there myself, the intimacy of The Crucible is what makes it so special. For such an intimate venue to create so many iconic memories, it just wouldn’t feel the same if it did move. 
 

Switching the World Championship abroad would make it lifeless, especially in a place like Saudi or Qatar. 

[The Bear]

Easy for Murphy to say when you've earned enough in your career to keep a roof over your head. 

 

Vafaei will play wherever it goes, but that doesn't mean he isn't right that the venue is a bit shit now. 

[Bert]

Selby sent packing. The first session yesterday has cost him massively. Looked a cagey affair all afternoon and I think if that started at 6-3 rather than 7-2 it could’ve been a different story. Delighted for Joe, he was fantastic in the mini session after the interval yesterday. 

[Bert]

2 hours ago, The Bear said:

I'm not sad enough to lie about this stuff! He was practicing with Andy Lee again. 

 

 

Could also be Marc Albrighton  

[Nalis]

I absolutely loved going to the Crucible and was very lucky to get weekend tickets years ago.

 

Needs to be bigger but absolutely should stay in Sheffield.

[Nalis]

Mark Allen will never have a better opportunity to get to his first final.

[Blue ROI]

1 hour ago, kingfox said:

Unsurprisingly Murphy has his say, fair points made. 
 

We’ve been here before with The Crucible debate, especially when the contract is coming round to expiring. 
 

If it does move away from The Crucible, then departing on the 50th anniversary would be a fitting way to bow out. 
 

But with much debate recently regarding certain tournaments switching venues and lacking identity. 
 

The biggest tournament of them all has had an identity since 1977, having been there myself, the intimacy of The Crucible is what makes it so special. For such an intimate venue to create so many iconic memories, it just wouldn’t feel the same if it did move. 
 

Switching the World Championship abroad would make it lifeless, especially in a place like Saudi or Qatar. 

The same thing would have been said about Darts before they moved to Ally Pally.

 

Now Circus Tavern has become forgotten about more and more.

 

The only difference there would be that Darts has the crowd thats more interested in singing and drinking as opposed to just watching the Darts.

 

Snooker seems to be the opposite in that people are there to primarily watch the Snooker and they done seem to be able to expand the crowd 3/4 times what Darts did.

 

Though Hearn made it work for Darts that you wouldn't back against him doing something for snooker.

 

Whats the biggest crowd in a snooker event?

Edited 22 April by Blue ROI

[purpleronnie]

How many sports will have their most presigious event in the smallest venue?

 

Problem is where to have it?  

[kingfox]

12 minutes ago, Blue ROI said:

The same thing would have been said about Darts before they moved to Ally Pally.

 

Now Circus Tavern has become forgotten about more and more.

 

The only difference there would be that Darts has the crowd thats more interested in singing and drinking as opposed to just watching the Darts.

 

Snooker seems to be the opposite in that people are there to primarily watch the Snooker and they done seem to be able to expand the crowd 3/4 times what Darts did.

 

Though Hearn made it work for Darts that you wouldn't back against him doing something for snooker.

 

Whats the biggest crowd in a snooker event?

9,000 attended the final of the Hong Kong Masters a couple of years ago. 
 

But if you compare the venues of the triple crown events, they all have their identity. 
 

World Championship - Sheffield 

UK Championship - York

Masters - Wembley Conference Centre, now at Alexandra Palace

 

As I stated in my post, there’s been a lot of talk recently about lesser tournaments switching venues too often, when ideally those events need a secure home to create an identity, very much like the Triple Crown events. 
 

Move the World Championship then you wreck it’s identity amongst other things. 
 

Would it feel the same if it moved to Sheffield Arena or The O2 for example 🤔

[SouthStandUpperTier]

9 minutes ago, kingfox said:

9,000 attended the final of the Hong Kong Masters a couple of years ago. 

How is anyone on the back few rows of a 9,000 capacity arena supposed to see anything that's going on on a snooker table? You'd be better off staying home and watching it on the TV.

[kingfox]

6 minutes ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

How is anyone on the back few rows of a 9,000 capacity arena supposed to see anything that's going on on a snooker table? You'd be better off staying home and watching it on the TV.

Precisely, you’d need binoculars. 
 

The Crucible holds 980, sitting near the back isn’t the greatest experience. 
 

If it does move, how big do you go? They’ll probably look at the Hong Kong tournament, that did 9,000 so just imagine what the World Championship could do. 
 

But the intimacy of The Crucible is what makes the World Championship so special, would a bigger venue create that feeling, I have doubts. 

[Nalis]

I find Bingham's table manner a bit insufferable. Decent clearance in this recent frame but very lucky to get the chance in the first place.

[Silebyfox_89]

19 minutes ago, Nalis said:

I find Bingham's table manner a bit insufferable. Decent clearance in this recent frame but very lucky to get the chance in the first place.

Thought that too. Watched him there a few years back and lumbers round the table. Not an easy watch.

[TiffToff88]

Currently watching Ding Vs Lisowski on my lunch break. It's a bit like watching Patson Daka try to play football. You can see the talent and potential but there's just no end product!

[Sir Steve Howard]

5 minutes ago, TiffToff88 said:

Currently watching Ding Vs Lisowski on my lunch break. It's a bit like watching Patson Daka try to play football. You can see the talent and potential but there's just no end product!

I'll have what you're having mate, has been an incredible match so far. Ding could/should have 3 centuries by now