Iranu wrote:I’m not sure what you mean with the bit in bold?
Yeah of course the deal will be reviewed and isn’t guaranteed. If somewhere else offered a better deal then fair play to that city but it seems unlikely, right? Part of the reason Sheffield offers such a good deal is because of the iconic nature of the Crucible and the fact that the Worlds have been part of the city for so long that the whole of Sheffield* is taken over by for 2.5 weeks.
I didn’t mention history so I’m guessing that bit’s directed at Prop, but history certainly can be destroyed (though not in a way that’s relevant to sport.)
Newer and bigger isn’t always better. What happens if snooker leaves the Crucible and moves to a venue that’s worse?
The bold comments in my original post were quotes from Kyren Wilson's interview, as was the phrase 'best-of-the-best'. But my problem is that words like 'iconic', 'sacrilege', 'magic', etc. are emotive terms. It's as if the World Championship is a cult thing, with rituals and superstitions. I think it should be a major 21st century sporting event, with the best conditions to ensure that the players can pay to the best of their ability.
If a bad choice of venue is made, somebody resigns, lessons are learned, a new venue is chosen which addresses the issue, and it becomes part of snooker's historical narrative.
But other sports have dealt with similar issues. Wimbledon tennis went through major developments, a new No.1 Court, redeveloped Centre Court (with roof), new media centre and practice facilities. They even changed the type of grass to suit more players. Wembley Stadium was completely rebuilt. Lords' cricket ground had a new media centre and several new stands, and an indoor training facility. Several new cricket grounds were built for international games (Riverside, Rose Bowl, etc.). About half of the Premiership football clubs have had completely new stadiums, others had major redevelopments. In all cases after a couple of years everyone said how wonderful the new facilities were.
Yet in snooker we have a provincial theatre with two tables separated by a curtain that leaves insufficient space for some players to line up the shot. It's embarrassing really...