A PACKED CRUCIBLE ISN’T CRUCIAL
Ken is happy to play Blue Riband event behind closed doors
KEN DOHERTY is desperate for the World Championship to be played – even if it’s behind closed doors.
But the 1997 world champion would love to see fans create the famous Crucible pressure cooker.
The iconic 17-day tournament in Sheffield was due to be played last month but has been rescheduled for the 31st July–16th August.
And snooker supremo Barry Hearn, inset, has put forward four senarios to try and make sure the event is played.
Part one is with a full crowd of 980 people, secondly with a reduced, social-distanced crowd of 200 people.
Thirdly with no crowd at all and lastly, which Hearn is hopeful of avoiding, is to cancel the event for the first time in its illustrious history.
“The ideal scenario is that we have a crowd, but at this stage I think everyone is just hoping it goes ahead, full stop,” said Doherty.
“We’re all desperate for the World Championship to go ahead – and that’s whether there’s any crowd there or not.
“Snooker is one of those sports that can be played behind closed doors. I think it would be able to cope with that.
It’s not going to be the same if it’s [the theatre] empty, so I’d like it to be at least stage two if nothing else.
“But if it had to be stage three, then it will just have to be.
“I think for everybody concerned, whether it’s players, officials, media or sponsors, it would be fantastic if we can have a full crowd. That’s what sport is all about.
“The crowd create the atmosphere at the Crucible, they create the pressure and the adrenalin for the players.”
And
Dubliner
Doherty, a three-time Crucible finalist, is confident that no crowd would not devalue the tournament.
The Irishman, 50, added: “I don’t think not having a crowd there would devalue the tournament, I think if anything – if it did go ahead – the TV viewing figures would go through the roof.
“It would be one of the few sports that was being televised live and people could
watch around the world. I think the public would love it, there’s no doubt about it.
“I don’t think whoever wins it will be too bothered if there was no crowd, but the crowd do add the extra pressure – and that’s what the Crucible us all about.
“When you’re not playing in front of a crowd it does take away that special feeling a little bit.
“But given the circumstances we’re in at the minute, I’d just be happy if it could go ahead.
“If you can’t a full crowd, then hopefully we can at least have some sort of crowd to create enough atmosphere to create that pressure.”