Record Sales For Crucible Snooker Tickets
http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsAr ... 68,00.html
The tournament runs from April 16 to May 2 and it's one of the most keenly-anticipated events on the sporting calendar, as the best cue-ball wizards on the planet compete for the famous trophy and £250,000 top prize.
The top 16 line up was confirmed after the recent Welsh Open, with Australian Neil Robertson to defend his title at the Crucible against the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Selby, Shaun Murphy and Sheffield-based Ding Junhui. They will be joined by the 16 players who come through the qualifiers in March.
The last four days of the tournament, as well as several other sessions, are completely sold out. Overall, sales are up around 15 per cent on last year.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "This year we decided to change the way we sell tickets for the Championship, getting rid of the old postal booking system and allowing all fans to buy tickets much earlier with an open telephone and online service. We felt this would make it much fairer and easier for everyone.
"The change has proved very successful and this is reflected in the fantastic figures for ticket sales. There's still six weeks until the event starts so I'm urging anyone who hasn't got tickets yet to get them booked up as I want to see every session sold out. People in Sheffield love their snooker, and we're getting more and more fans from overseas each year which is very encouraging.
"The atmosphere at the Crucible really is one of the most magical anywhere in the world, and with the incredible standard of snooker the top guys are producing now, this is really an event not to be missed. We're looking forward to working with Betfred.com and our partners in the City of Sheffield to make this an outstanding tournament."
The Leader of Sheffield City Council, Councillor Paul Scriven said: "Sheffield is quite rightly the world home of snooker and we're proud of that reputation. This year's event will no doubt build upon that success as we welcome thousands of visitors to the city. There's no better place to experience snooker than the Crucible and with wonderful countryside on our doorstep, great city attractions to visit and a vibrant shopping experience on offer, there's so much to do in Sheffield and something for everyone during the Championship."
David Fletcher, Director, Creative Sheffield, added: "The Masters earlier this year saw the first ever major final between two Asian players, a tangible sign of the game of snooker becoming truly international. Now that all ticket sales for the World Snooker Championship are on-line, this most prestigious of events in the snooker calendar is accessible to fans far and wide. Sheffield's pride in being associated with this growing international sport cannot be overstated."
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