Mark Williams thinks it’s “inevitable” that the World Snooker Championship will transfer away from the Crucible Theatre.
The Welshman, who has received the game’s blue-riband event on the well-known venue 3 times throughout a glittering profession, believes it can depart Sheffield.
Dialogue has ramped up in current months surrounding the opportunity of a change in venue for the World Championship, which was received this yr by Kyren Wilson.
The Crucible Theatre has hosted the distinguished occasion since 1977, however its present contract to stay there expires in simply three years time.
The intimate setting has produced lots of snooker’s biggest moments in historical past, however there are various who imagine that its capability of lower than 1,000 seats is just too small within the present sporting local weather.
World Snooker supremo Barry Hearn has been placing strain on Sheffield Metropolis Council to provide you with an answer.
Nevertheless, with Saudi Arabia turning into an rising presence within the recreation this yr, the opportunity of it leaving Sheffield has develop into very actual.
“Just a few years in the past I used to be one of many individuals saying that snooker in all probability wanted to maneuver,” Mark Williams stated on Membership 501 with Wayne Mardle, which is backed by William Hill.
“However I’ve modified my thoughts now, and I feel it ought to keep on the Crucible.”
“You’ll be able to go to Saudi Arabia and have £1 million to the winner or £2 million to the winner in a 3,000-seater stadium.
“It’s nice, however you’re solely going to get a few hundred watching it in a 3,000-seater stadium.
“You’ll be able to’t generate the identical environment that the Crucible has with 900, you simply can’t do it.
“On the finish of the day, with the way in which sport goes now, cash talks. I simply suppose it’s inevitable, as quickly as that contract runs out, it’s gone.
“Whether or not it’s Saudi or China, I don’t know. Cash appears to be the principle ruler of sport as of late.
“I believed China would’ve been entrance runners if the World Championship ever moved from Sheffield.
“Clearly Saudi has simply put a event on not too long ago, and it looks like they’ve nearly acquired each sport from boxing to soccer.
“If the gamers had a vote, I feel most of them would vote for it to go to Saudi or China.
“In case you have one million or two-million for the winner, then that cash would filter down.
“As a substitute of getting £20,000 to show up on the Crucible, you can be on £70,000 or £80,000 to show up in Saudi.”
Mark Williams, in the meantime, shall be in motion on the World Snooker Tour subsequent week when the Shanghai Masters takes place in China.
The reigning Tour Championship winner will face one of many wildcard gamers within the profitable 24-player invitational competitors.
Featured picture credit score: WST