WORLD HAS TO CHANGE
Judd: Time to quit Crucible and grow blue riband event
JUDD TRUMP believes the World Championship needs to leave the Crucible Theatre to help snooker grow.
The game’s blue riband event has been held in Sheffield since 1977 and has played host to some of the greatest moments in snooker history.
But the world No.1, who conquered the Crucible in 2019 when he hammered John Higgins, believes commercially the game’s biggest tournament needs to be held in a much bigger venue.
Trump said: “I think the venue should be changed. It’s outgrown the Crucible.
“It’s way too big to only have 900 people in the venue.
“Nowadays you need to have hospitality and different things in the arena, which you can’t at the Crucible. You need to have bigger audiences with lights going off everywhere. It needs to be more of a show.”
London’s Alexandra Palace packs in around 2000 for the illustrious Masters. In 2020 there was a private VIP box, as well as comfy sofas for people to watch the action.
And Trump added: “I thought what they did at the Masters a couple of years ago was absolutely brilliant. It was what the sport needs at this time. It was much more in the 21st Century.
“Everything they seemed to try at that event went very well and the crowds were amazing.
“For players it felt like we were surrounded more. It was nice for the public to be able to choose their seat rather than just one choice.
“It’s the same with VIPs who don’t want to go and sit in with the crowd.
“If you’re a famous footballer you don’t want to be sat next to someone who’s going to pester you the whole time.
“You don’t get it in any other
sport, you’re segregated in your own box. When they’re out and relaxing they just want to be left alone really.”
Former world champion Neil Robertson has previously suggested the format for the World Championship should be shortened.
The semi-finals and final are played over four sessions across two days.
Trump added: “To play snooker over two days, four sessions, the diehard fans watch it but the people who we want to appeal to, to grow the sport, aren’t going to watch all four sessions.
“They’re going to come in at the last session and watch the end, it doesn’t really get going until it gets to 12-12 or something like that. I can see where he’s coming from.
“The format needs to be long, it needs to be two or three sessions, but first to 18 might be a bit too long these days.”
Trump has also urged authorities to make the dress code less stringent to try to help the game appeal to younger audiences.