Hearn 'a Little More Hopeful' Over Crucible Future

Barry Hearn has held affirmative talks pinch Sheffield City Council complete nan World Snooker Championship staying astatine nan Crucible beyond 2027 but says nan deadline for a patient determination will travel successful December.

The statement to shape snooker's blue-riband arena astatine nan Sheffield theatre which has hosted it since 1977, expires successful 2 years.

Matchroom Sport president Hearn, 76, is heavy progressive successful negotiations complete its early has many times called for a greater financial committedness and improved accommodation astatine nan venue.

"We each want to enactment present but it has to beryllium a combination," Hearn told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I americium a small spot much hopeful aft gathering Sheffield Council - nan positivity and nan enthusiasm I saw makes maine deliberation location is much than capable chance we tin enactment here.

"Sheffield person sewage a batch of ideas, we're going to meet successful 3 months and we're moving to an schedule of knowing much aliases little wherever we are by nan extremity of this year.

"Obviously if we do move - and it's not thing we want to do, I support stressing that - we request 2 years to get it planned properly."

The Crucible's 980-seat capacity which limits summons income and wide gross has agelong been seen arsenic a problem for nan sport, peculiarly group against ambitions to raise prize money for players.

China and Saudi Arabia person been linked pinch bids to shape nan tournament, which Hearn besides says would waste retired pinch accrued capacities astatine different awesome cities successful Britain like, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

This twelvemonth nan world champion will person a apical prize of £500,000, an magnitude that is besides connected connection astatine nan Saudi Arabia Masters.

He besides pointed retired that adjacent year's PDC world darts champion will cod £1m.

However, Hearn besides stressed that nan request for maturation and accrued finance is not needfully linked to those factors unsocial astatine a venue pinch which he has a agelong individual attachment to.

"My life changed astatine nan Crucible successful 1981 erstwhile Steve Davis won nan World Championship. I've been present each twelvemonth for nan past 48 years," he added.

"Our bosom is here, our life is here, nan history is here. I deliberation discuss is successful nan aerial connected some sides and we tin do thing that maintains nan arena present and astatine nan aforesaid clip produces overmuch needed finance to spell backmost to nan players.

"We've conscionable sewage to find that further spot of assistance, which hopefully is going to beryllium government-led, successful position of keeping our events successful this country. Sheffield is nan perfect location for snooker."