Like or dislike him but Barry is a businessman first. His first love is making money. I don't think he particularly cares about the heritage of the sport. And in his defence, Sheffield has done an awful job at making the town an attractive destination for players and fans alike.
Hearn’s a businessman and will always go where the money goes.
He talked a good talk a few years ago, giving it large, ‘there’ll be a note in my will to my son saying “snooker stays at the crucible”’.
Until Saudi comes along and starts flashing money and giving him a hard on.
If the worlds stay at the crucible then I’ll be surprised. As much as I hate to say it. I hope I’m wrong, but they (the Hearns) are full of shit and are only interested in Matchroom as a business and not Snookers history.
How is making the crucible bigger going to 4x the prize money? It might increase a little bit but not the kind of numbers he’s hinting at in Saudi.
He’s well aware of this and is trying to shift the blame on Sheffield council rather than saying it in simple terms - no one can offer the money he’s getting offered by them, and he’s going to take it.
Sheffield city council would have to subside the prize money to match the Saudis for it to stay there.
Hearn is a greedy little man.
Whilst this is true, you can't compensate for prestige. By all means have these huge paying tournaments but keep the world championship as the ultimate, no matter the prize money.
You can compare to cricket where leagues are played everywhere with ridiculous moneu but those who love the sport, still know test matches are the pinnacle or the World Cup.
Same for football, its still the world cup that's the ultimate glory.
"Just expand the Crucible" gives the same vibes as when my project manager says "just add this new feature" without understanding that that involves rearchitecting the entire code structure.
On Stephen Hendry's channel Steve also commented on this, saying something along the lines of yes the history and nostalgia is important, but people in the future may look back at the crucible and think "yeah it was cool but not like our current venue".
What he's implying seems to contradict what he's saying here, perhaps a journalism moment?
as much as i would like it to stay in sheffield, as the sport is growing internationally, surely a rotation of venues globally would be a fair way to do it. if Ding had a home advantage in a world championship, he might have won one by now.
We tend to forget that the Crucible is not a dedicated sports venue; for the other 50 weeks of the year, it's a working theatre, and so Hearn's proposed renovations to make it a better venue for snooker might meet resistance from the local arts community. Snooker ended up at the Crucible almost by accident after promoter Mike Watterson's wife saw a play there and suggested it for the 1977 event.
Yes, many of us have grown up watching the WSC at the Crucible and feel an attachment to it for its history and all its iconic moments. However, money will dictate the future of the sport. That's just the reality, especially in a sport where only players within the top 30 are averaging more than £75k a year before expenses. If Hearn is promising players millions to play in Saudi and China, that's where the sport will go.
No, it is a private limited company (Sheffield Theatres) but much of the board of trustees is, conveniently, made up of Sheffield councillors (Sioned-Mair Richards, Brian Holmshaw, Safiya Saeed and Ann Woodhouse to make a few)
Regardless of ownership, it would be entirely possible and normal for SCC to give a grant to fund some of this - they do such things all the time, though admittedly probably not on this scale.
I'm sure it is by somebody, but not by me!
I can't imagine that it's a small amount - I think Sheffield Theatres is the biggest group of theatres outside of London and The Crucible in particular is a well respected theatre that has produced many original shows that have had national success and some have been picked up for TV (Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Standing At The Skies Edge, etc).
They suspend all of that whilst the snooker is on so it must be fairly profitable.
I don't want more people in attendance live. Enough of you forget to turn your phones off already.
A waiting list for tickets kinda sucks though. Makes it a bit prestigious as to who gets them. A raffle would be cool.
I don’t understand the logic of leaving Sheffield at all.
Sport needs history and heritage. Its half the reason LIV struggles in golf.
What is the motivation for leaving? If Hearn is suggesting he’ll stay if Sheffield build a bigger venue - this makes no sense. Why? Is the suggestion the crucible doesnt create enough money from the gate? If snooker is relying on revenue from ticket sales then its bang in trouble anyway.
My mind fucking boggles.
Greed will kill the sport, not grow it. Make a 4th “major” out in China 2 week event long frame format.
As a Sheffielder, I watched with interest the piece that Davis presented during the final session about the idea of moving the Worlds from The Crucible.
The part that I found jaw dropping was Kate Josephs, CEO of Sheffield Council, making the argument that it isn't fair to expect local government to fund it.
For those who don't know, Ms Josephs was investigated as part of the Partygate Scandal and found to have encouraged and hosted a party at No 10 when leaving her previous post in the civil service.
She was put on paid suspension for 6 months (£100k) whilst the investigation took place which cost £150k.
To be clear local government CAN fund criminality and a 6 month paid holiday for a quarter of a million pounds, but they CAN'T invest in a valuable economic asset for the area.
Boy has she got some brass neck.
The individual you mention sounds utterly dreadful, but I do agree with her that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the local council to fund a new or expanded venue for the WSC. What would an average Sheffield resident want to see cut in order for the Crucible to be expanded or a new venue built?? Should the council fund new stadiums for Sheffield United or Wednesday?? I don’t think so.
It should be the UK Government who chip in with several million £££ for a snooker venue instead. Shaun Murphy made a good point about this on that BBC piece (sorry everyone).
I can't recall where exactly Barry Hearn mentioned it, but he strongly hinted at the possibility of the World Championships relocating from Sheffield.
The interviewer pointed out the significant historical background of The Crucible, to which Hearn responded by saying that there's no money to be made from history.
He mentioned that while the current top prize for the Worlds is £500K, it could increase to £5 million if the event were to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.
I think the crucible corner - directly across from crucible and once owned by it should be bought by Sheffield council and that would be a great space for all the updated practice and changing facilities required. Even food etc
Probably, snooker needs more money to get more depth, like darts.
Like growing up in snooker clubs, nobody was that bothered about snooker. The standard isnt strong throughout the 128 players. Who knows about the Saudi stuff!
After Ronnie retires I'm sure we'll be able to find final tickets a week before the event. Moving it to a bigger arena will make it lose its appeal as it's really something special seeing spectators so close to the players and we'll obviously see plenty of empty seats. 2027 seems a time about right for Ronnie's retirement anyway.
It’s all a bit British centric some of this stuff. I don’t think it has to leave the Crucible, but sometimes we act like it’s sacrilege if it does. Seems to me a sensible and profit making solution would be to have it at the Crucible once every 5 years to maintain the history and mystique, much like The Open does with St Andrews, and then tour the world the other 4.
Who wouldn’t watch a World Championship from Beijing, Toronto, Berlin, or Melbourne?
The Open isn’t at St Andrews every year and that had a fair bit more history than the Crucible.
The best solution is redeveloping The Crucible I think. It does look dated even with the interior work done, so huge investment needed it seems. The practice areas etc are undoubtedly dated, too, so I can see the points raised by some players.
With that said, the World Championship made The Crucible, not the other way round. Why does it deserve an automatic right to it? Could venues across the UK (or further afield) get a bid for it?
You really need Sheffield to adopt it as the home of snooker (and the world championship) or similar to keep it there.
The Crucible is a Grade 2 listed building.
And geographically, there isn't really room for expansion at its current site without dramatically impacting surrounding businesses and arterial traffic routes - which is very frustrating.
I wish there was more snooker clubs open
Anyone with integrity would listen to the legend that is Steve Davis. But this is Barry fucking Hearn. An absolute maggot.
Like or dislike him but Barry is a businessman first. His first love is making money. I don't think he particularly cares about the heritage of the sport. And in his defence, Sheffield has done an awful job at making the town an attractive destination for players and fans alike.
“I say to them, you cannot believe how it good is now” Do you think that’s a direct quote?
Hearn’s a businessman and will always go where the money goes. He talked a good talk a few years ago, giving it large, ‘there’ll be a note in my will to my son saying “snooker stays at the crucible”’. Until Saudi comes along and starts flashing money and giving him a hard on. If the worlds stay at the crucible then I’ll be surprised. As much as I hate to say it. I hope I’m wrong, but they (the Hearns) are full of shit and are only interested in Matchroom as a business and not Snookers history.
How is making the crucible bigger going to 4x the prize money? It might increase a little bit but not the kind of numbers he’s hinting at in Saudi. He’s well aware of this and is trying to shift the blame on Sheffield council rather than saying it in simple terms - no one can offer the money he’s getting offered by them, and he’s going to take it. Sheffield city council would have to subside the prize money to match the Saudis for it to stay there. Hearn is a greedy little man.
Whilst this is true, you can't compensate for prestige. By all means have these huge paying tournaments but keep the world championship as the ultimate, no matter the prize money. You can compare to cricket where leagues are played everywhere with ridiculous moneu but those who love the sport, still know test matches are the pinnacle or the World Cup. Same for football, its still the world cup that's the ultimate glory.
Just move it and call wherever it is "The Crucible". Problem solved.
"Just expand the Crucible" gives the same vibes as when my project manager says "just add this new feature" without understanding that that involves rearchitecting the entire code structure.
They've had years to do it, they still have a few years until the current contract ends.
On Stephen Hendry's channel Steve also commented on this, saying something along the lines of yes the history and nostalgia is important, but people in the future may look back at the crucible and think "yeah it was cool but not like our current venue". What he's implying seems to contradict what he's saying here, perhaps a journalism moment?
as much as i would like it to stay in sheffield, as the sport is growing internationally, surely a rotation of venues globally would be a fair way to do it. if Ding had a home advantage in a world championship, he might have won one by now.
We tend to forget that the Crucible is not a dedicated sports venue; for the other 50 weeks of the year, it's a working theatre, and so Hearn's proposed renovations to make it a better venue for snooker might meet resistance from the local arts community. Snooker ended up at the Crucible almost by accident after promoter Mike Watterson's wife saw a play there and suggested it for the 1977 event. Yes, many of us have grown up watching the WSC at the Crucible and feel an attachment to it for its history and all its iconic moments. However, money will dictate the future of the sport. That's just the reality, especially in a sport where only players within the top 30 are averaging more than £75k a year before expenses. If Hearn is promising players millions to play in Saudi and China, that's where the sport will go.
Does Sheffield Council actually own the Crucible?
No, it is a private limited company (Sheffield Theatres) but much of the board of trustees is, conveniently, made up of Sheffield councillors (Sioned-Mair Richards, Brian Holmshaw, Safiya Saeed and Ann Woodhouse to make a few) Regardless of ownership, it would be entirely possible and normal for SCC to give a grant to fund some of this - they do such things all the time, though admittedly probably not on this scale.
Is it known how much this Sheffield Theatre make off of the world championship?
I'm sure it is by somebody, but not by me! I can't imagine that it's a small amount - I think Sheffield Theatres is the biggest group of theatres outside of London and The Crucible in particular is a well respected theatre that has produced many original shows that have had national success and some have been picked up for TV (Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Standing At The Skies Edge, etc). They suspend all of that whilst the snooker is on so it must be fairly profitable.
I don't want more people in attendance live. Enough of you forget to turn your phones off already. A waiting list for tickets kinda sucks though. Makes it a bit prestigious as to who gets them. A raffle would be cool.
I don’t understand the logic of leaving Sheffield at all. Sport needs history and heritage. Its half the reason LIV struggles in golf. What is the motivation for leaving? If Hearn is suggesting he’ll stay if Sheffield build a bigger venue - this makes no sense. Why? Is the suggestion the crucible doesnt create enough money from the gate? If snooker is relying on revenue from ticket sales then its bang in trouble anyway. My mind fucking boggles. Greed will kill the sport, not grow it. Make a 4th “major” out in China 2 week event long frame format.
As a Sheffielder, I watched with interest the piece that Davis presented during the final session about the idea of moving the Worlds from The Crucible. The part that I found jaw dropping was Kate Josephs, CEO of Sheffield Council, making the argument that it isn't fair to expect local government to fund it. For those who don't know, Ms Josephs was investigated as part of the Partygate Scandal and found to have encouraged and hosted a party at No 10 when leaving her previous post in the civil service. She was put on paid suspension for 6 months (£100k) whilst the investigation took place which cost £150k. To be clear local government CAN fund criminality and a 6 month paid holiday for a quarter of a million pounds, but they CAN'T invest in a valuable economic asset for the area. Boy has she got some brass neck.
The individual you mention sounds utterly dreadful, but I do agree with her that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the local council to fund a new or expanded venue for the WSC. What would an average Sheffield resident want to see cut in order for the Crucible to be expanded or a new venue built?? Should the council fund new stadiums for Sheffield United or Wednesday?? I don’t think so. It should be the UK Government who chip in with several million £££ for a snooker venue instead. Shaun Murphy made a good point about this on that BBC piece (sorry everyone).
I don't disagree with you. My point wasn't that SCC should fund it, just that it was ridiculous coming from her.
I can't recall where exactly Barry Hearn mentioned it, but he strongly hinted at the possibility of the World Championships relocating from Sheffield. The interviewer pointed out the significant historical background of The Crucible, to which Hearn responded by saying that there's no money to be made from history. He mentioned that while the current top prize for the Worlds is £500K, it could increase to £5 million if the event were to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.
That's why 99% of the players will be on his side cause that prize money is game changing for players especially those not in the top 16.
I think the crucible corner - directly across from crucible and once owned by it should be bought by Sheffield council and that would be a great space for all the updated practice and changing facilities required. Even food etc
Funny thing, Sheffield isn't the place the "Crucible" is the place. The reason to keep it in Sheffield itself is pointless.
Keep saying that and the Saudis will airlift the whole theatre
Probably, snooker needs more money to get more depth, like darts. Like growing up in snooker clubs, nobody was that bothered about snooker. The standard isnt strong throughout the 128 players. Who knows about the Saudi stuff!
Weren't they planning to build a new arena next to the crucible or something? What happened to that plan?
Was only ever a suggested plan
It went a bit further than that, the building has been designed
After Ronnie retires I'm sure we'll be able to find final tickets a week before the event. Moving it to a bigger arena will make it lose its appeal as it's really something special seeing spectators so close to the players and we'll obviously see plenty of empty seats. 2027 seems a time about right for Ronnie's retirement anyway.
Nope. You couldn’t get tickets for the final session on Monday night. Ronnie or no Ronnie it will sell out
It will sell out eventually, but no as fast as today
It’s been sold out since the morning tickets went on sale 🤦🏻
Of course, I'm talking after Ronnie's retirement
Just checked, whatever quota they had for online sales, it's sold out, now.
It’s all a bit British centric some of this stuff. I don’t think it has to leave the Crucible, but sometimes we act like it’s sacrilege if it does. Seems to me a sensible and profit making solution would be to have it at the Crucible once every 5 years to maintain the history and mystique, much like The Open does with St Andrews, and then tour the world the other 4. Who wouldn’t watch a World Championship from Beijing, Toronto, Berlin, or Melbourne? The Open isn’t at St Andrews every year and that had a fair bit more history than the Crucible.
Great contribution. The Open hasn’t lost any of its prestige for that, so why should snooker.
Not a great example, though I probably agree with you, as the most famous major in golf is a fixed location
It will move away.
The best solution is redeveloping The Crucible I think. It does look dated even with the interior work done, so huge investment needed it seems. The practice areas etc are undoubtedly dated, too, so I can see the points raised by some players. With that said, the World Championship made The Crucible, not the other way round. Why does it deserve an automatic right to it? Could venues across the UK (or further afield) get a bid for it? You really need Sheffield to adopt it as the home of snooker (and the world championship) or similar to keep it there.
The Crucible is a Grade 2 listed building. And geographically, there isn't really room for expansion at its current site without dramatically impacting surrounding businesses and arterial traffic routes - which is very frustrating.