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Talking about The Crucible...

Postby SnookerFan

These are just rumours, but I have heard talk that tickets for this season's World Championship will go on sale at the end of October, and instead of being the usual application form method, they'll just be on sale on the internet, and you can choose where you want to sit etc....

The problem is, of course, with the new ranking system they go on sale in October, but you won't know until February or March even who the top-16 players are. So, you'll be buying tickets blind without knowing what matches will be on. This is fine for something like Telford or the Welsh Open where you are booking tickets on a Sit Where You Like basis, and can decide which match you feel like watching on the day. But if you get a numbered seat, this seems odd. I don't want to lose tickets, or risk them being sold out. I have to go to The Crucible. If I stopped going to snooker all together, The Crucible would still be the one exception.

What do people think? Are there any truth in these rumours? And if so, will people really wait until 2011 before buying the tickets? Seems a bit risky to me.

Re: Talking about The Crucible...

Postby Wildey

well we will not know the seeds until February so we will not know who plays on what day until then apart from Neil Robertson who plays first Saturday as defending champ..

its the risk you will have to make get tickets blind or wait until the format comes out in february to see who plays where and hope tickets still available.

i know this system not ideal for fans to get tickets however its a better system and more exciting than a stagnated ranking...

just got to take pot luck mate.

Re: Talking about The Crucible...

Postby SnookerFan

wildJONESEYE wrote:well we will not know the seeds until February so we will not know who plays on what day until then apart from Neil Robertson who plays first Saturday as defending champ..

its the risk you will have to make get tickets blind or wait until the format comes out in february to see who plays where and hope tickets still available.

i know this system not ideal for fans to get tickets however its a better system and more exciting than a stagnated ranking...

just got to take pot luck mate.


That was always my issue with rolling rankings. It's not the fact that they change during the season that bothers me, it's the fact that there will be some hardships buying tickets that comes with it. At a time when we are trying to get more people through the doors.

On break-off, we discussed this once. And somebody suggested we changed the rankings after every tournament. Bearing in mind this was a season we had the Northern Ireland Trophy and the Bahrain Championship. There was a ranking tournament every month of the season(except for January, which had The Masters). I thought it would be an administrative nightmare, if the people hovering around 15th and 16th didn't know if they would be in the following tournament or qualifying until a few weeks before each event. Also not being able to see what matches are avaialable for tournaments (particularly The Masters and The Worlds where there is no roll on roll off format) would negatively effect ticket sales.

This system is slightly better. I personally aren't going to buy my annual Masters tickets until I know who I am seeing, but they won't sell out and will be announced in a few weeks anyway. But I do feel those who go to The Crucible every year have been somewhat shafted. I don't believe this way will do anything to bring in new fans to the event, but is going to irritate those who already come to it.

Re: Talking about The Crucible...

Postby randam05

SnookerFan wrote:
wildJONESEYE wrote:well we will not know the seeds until February so we will not know who plays on what day until then apart from Neil Robertson who plays first Saturday as defending champ..

its the risk you will have to make get tickets blind or wait until the format comes out in february to see who plays where and hope tickets still available.

i know this system not ideal for fans to get tickets however its a better system and more exciting than a stagnated ranking...

just got to take pot luck mate.


That was always my issue with rolling rankings. It's not the fact that they change during the season that bothers me, it's the fact that there will be some hardships buying tickets that comes with it. At a time when we are trying to get more people through the doors.

On break-off, we discussed this once. And somebody suggested we changed the rankings after every tournament. Bearing in mind this was a season we had the Northern Ireland Trophy and the Bahrain Championship. There was a ranking tournament every month of the season(except for January, which had The Masters). I thought it would be an administrative nightmare, if the people hovering around 15th and 16th didn't know if they would be in the following tournament or qualifying until a few weeks before each event. Also not being able to see what matches are avaialable for tournaments (particularly The Masters and The Worlds where there is no roll on roll off format) would negatively effect ticket sales.

This system is slightly better. I personally aren't going to buy my annual Masters tickets until I know who I am seeing, but they won't sell out and will be announced in a few weeks anyway. But I do feel those who go to The Crucible every year have been somewhat shafted. I don't believe this way will do anything to bring in new fans to the event, but is going to irritate those who already come to it.


well why doesnt everyone not buy tickets till nearer the event when you know who will be playing so they dont sell out. I dont think they will sell out anyway because people will think the same and wait till they know who they will be buying tickets for.

Re: Talking about The Crucible...

Postby SnookerFan

randam05 wrote:well why doesnt everyone not buy tickets till nearer the event when you know who will be playing so they dont sell out. I dont think they will sell out anyway because people will think the same and wait till they know who they will be buying tickets for.


Good idea. Let me just obtain a list of adresses of everybody that has brought tickets in the last five years, wonder around the country and talk to them individually before tickets go on sale to make sure they don't sell out. :roll: rofl

I'm hoping you're right and that is what happens. Like Wild, I wonder if people will rush in and buy them anyway, so at least they have tickets. I'm considering it just to have tickets myself. If there on the internet, I might keep an eye on them to see how well they sell, then buy tickets if they start selling out.