Barry Hearn: I let my heart rule my head to keep World Championship at Crucible
Hearn said he had “never” previously allowed sentiment to be such a big factor in his business dealings
Barry Hearn admitted he let his heart rule his head after the World Snooker Tour struck a deal with Sheffield City Council to guarantee the World Championship would remain at the famous Crucible venue until at least 2045.
Hearn, who had frequently insisted the sport would find a new spiritual home if issues over facilities and capacity were not addressed, said he had “never” previously allowed sentiment to be such a big factor in his business dealings.
“I’m still a hard-nosed b****** but there are certain things where you’d hate yourself if you did them,” said Hearn, who credits Steve Davis’s first world title win in 1981 for launching Hearn’s Matchroom Sports organisation onto the global stage.
“My life changed in 1981 when Steve Davis won the title here,” he added. “It is now the biggest sports promotions company in the world and that’s where sentiment plays a part.
“Nothing I’ve done will ever surpass the Crucible – I owe it more than it owes me.”
The agreement, which was bolstered by the support of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, means the event will stay at its current venue for the next two decades, with an option to extend for another five years to 2050.
The World Championship will temporarily vacate the Crucible in 2029 – and possibly also 2030 – while the theatre is subjected to renovation works which lift the capacity during the tournament by an additional 500 seats.
The deal follows two years of often fraught negotiations, during which Hearn once described the venue as “not fit for purpose” and noted much more lucrative options including China and Saudi Arabia. And he conceded the decision to allow sentiment to hold sway was not popular, even in his own household.
“I wouldn’t say it was unanimous,” said Hearn. “(Son) Eddie (Hearn, Matchroom chairman) is not a snooker fan, he likes the business of sport. He doesn’t have the same passion because he wasn’t there.
“He’s from a generation that moves at more speed than what snooker does. He doesn’t appreciate the Agatha Christie side, where you don’t find out who’s done it until the final chapter.”
The Press Association understands the tournament will stay in the UK during its brief hiatus due to the renovation work, with Manchester and London’s Alexandra Palace – current host of the Masters – mooted as potential temporary alternatives.
The £45million investment has come primarily from a combination of Council and Government funding, and will be used to improve the theatre as a year-round venue, including renovations to backstage areas, dressing rooms and concourses.
Starmer said: “We have a deep cultural and sporting heritage here in the UK – sport, art and culture are the very best of us. It’s what makes us proud not only of the country, but the places that we’re from.
“I had the pleasure of recently visiting Sheffield, the home of the oldest football club in the world, to encourage partners to support a major redevelopment of the iconic Crucible Theatre to keep sport and culture thriving in this city.
“I’m delighted with today’s confirmation that the theatre and the city will stay host to the famous World Snooker Championships for many years to come.”
In a separate development, snooker chiefs are yet to make a decision on the future of the Saudi Arabia Masters, which is scheduled to take place in Jeddah in October, but is in doubt due to ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
