Trump wants sport to move on from Crucible

JUDD TRUMP wants to be snooker’s champion for change — and he would start by moving the World Championship away from Sheffield.

The 2019 world champion says the sport is ‘miles behind’ where it needs to be, and he wants to raise snooker’s profile and see the Worlds enjoy the kind of raucous atmosphere created at the Masters, held at Alexandra Palace.

‘I just think snooker needs to change as a whole,’ the former world No 1 said. ‘A lot of the tournaments are living in the past, the venues are a bit dated.’

And Trump includes the Crucible in Sheffield, where the World Championship has been held every year since 1977.

‘Nowadays you have to have hospitality. You have it at Wimbledon, in golf or in Formula One.

‘You just wouldn’t expect someone like David Beckham to come and sit in the crowd at any other event would you? There’s no hospitality at the Crucible and you’re narrowing it down.’

On the baize, Ronnie O’Sullivan battled back from 3-0 down to take a 6-3 lead over David Gilbert into today’s second first-round session. The Rocket misfired early on but swiftly recovered.