Barry Hearn has as soon as once more referred to as on Sheffield to fund a much bigger venue that may stage the World Snooker Championship.

The World Snooker Tour supremo, previously the chairman however now working in a president function, mentioned the contentious matter stay on the BBC on Wednesday.

Debate surrounding the way forward for the Crucible Theatre has been rampant to this point throughout the 2024 version of the World Snooker Championship.

The well-known venue in Sheffield has staged the celebrated event since 1977, however its present contract expires in 2027.

With restricted capability and aged services, there have been rising whispers that the game’s blue-riband occasion may very well be moved elsewhere.

China has lengthy been touted as a attainable vacation spot, whereas Riyadh Season’s current curiosity in snooker has elevated the chance that it might transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Hearn, who previously managed Steve Davis to 6 world titles on the Crucible Theatre, insisted that he would like to see the World Championship keep in Sheffield, however that cash finally talks.

“Nothing a lot has modified,” Barry Hearn stated on the BBC forward of the first-round match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jackson Web page.

“I’m doing completely all the pieces to remain in Sheffield, and it takes two to tango. I’ll keep right here whereas we’re needed, and I feel we’re needed.”

“I do know we’re needed by the BBC. I feel we’re needed by Sheffield, however they’ve bought to be life like.

“We have now stated for the previous couple of years we want a brand new venue that seats 2,500-3,000 individuals, as a result of I’m fed up of getting letters from individuals everywhere in the world asking how they’ll get a ticket.

“I’m trying to Sheffield to come back to the occasion, and in the event that they can we’re staying. In the event that they don’t, they’re actually saying to me, ‘we don’t need you’. So it’s probably not my name.

“Cash has the sting each time, we stay in the actual world.

“If there are offers on the market which can be going to alter individuals’s lives and enhance profitability, there’s probably not a option to make.

“The Crucible has a incredible historical past, it has been a large a part of my life.

“However we’ve all bought to stay in the actual world, there’s a value for all the pieces in as we speak’s world whether or not we prefer it or not.

“I don’t prefer it and I wish to keep right here. I can’t do any greater than say I need assistance, I would like a purpose to remain right here.

“I can’t be extra loyal to Sheffield than I’ve however all people wants to tug in the fitting course.

“Let’s be trustworthy, if you happen to miss the romantic stuff and issues like that, in a enterprise sense, snooker is an expert sport performed by skilled sportsmen.

“Their first demand throughout any sport is prize cash. They wish to see it as huge as attainable.

“We, as custodians of the game, have a fiduciary responsibility to these gamers.

“The Center East backers, but in addition the Chinese language backers, are usually not famend of their life to not getting need the need, and so they need it now.

“Take the emotion out of enterprise, as a result of life doesn’t work like that.”

Earlier this week, Hossein Vafaei created headlines when he bemoaned the state of the Crucible Theatre following his spherical one loss to Judd Trump.

“The whole lot is so dangerous,” Hossein Vafaei stated. “When you ask me if I wish to come again right here, I’d let you know no means.”

“Overlook the historical past. You wish to go someplace very nice as a participant. You stroll around the Crucible and it smells actually dangerous.

“You go to different international locations, and all the pieces is shiny. However right here it’s fully totally different. The observe room – do you see something particular?

“I really feel like I’m practising in a storage.”

2024 World Snooker Championship Draw

Click on right here for stay scores and session instances.

Spherical 1 (bo19)

Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian

Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) vs Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams

Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui

Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) vs Jackson Web page

Spherical 2 (bo25)

David Gilbert vs Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire vs Shaun Murphy (8)

Joe O’Connor vs Kyren Wilson (12)
Higgins/Jamie Jones vs Mark Allen (4)

Judd Trump (3) vs Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones vs Si Jiahui

Jack Lisowski vs Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day vs O’Sullivan/Web page

Quarter-Finals (bo25)

Gilbert/Milkins vs Maguire/Murphy
O’Connor/Ok. Wilson vs TBC

Trump/Ford vs Jak Jones/Si
Lisowski/Bingham vs TBC

Semi-Finals (bo33)

TBC vs TBC
TBC vs TBC

Ultimate (bo35)

TBC vs TBC

Featured photograph credit score: WST