With the 2022 World Snooker Championships approaching fast, the debate about the suitability of the current venue will inevitably crop up again. As the sport continues to grow, the most prestigious event of all is still held in Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, a tiny venue with a capacity of just 980.
Time to move on
Judd Trump, the favourite for the world title in this year’s Betfair snooker betting odds, is one player who has previously suggested that the tournament needs a bigger stage. “It’s an amazing venue, but is it the best place for the World Championship now? Probably not, I don’t think,” Trump told the Metro in 2021. Former world champion Neil Robertson is another who has made the claim.
Where it all began
But if the event is going to move when its contract ends in 2027, where should it be held? Many claim that the Crucible should be untouchable because it is like the Wimbledon of snooker and is the spiritual home of the World Championships, but it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, Birmingham could claim to be the real home of snooker.
The first two World Championships were held at Camkin’s Hall in Birmingham in 1927 and 1928. Inaugural winner Joe Davis won six pounds ten shillings, while the favourites in the World snooker betting tips today will battle it out for the first prize of half a million. The event then returned to Birmingham in 1971 when the World Championship was staged at Selly Park British Legion. The city was also the venue for the Pot Black TV show, which is widely credited for bringing snooker to the masses in the 1970s.
On the road
Throughout the years, the World Championships has been held at numerous locations including many overseas. Nottingham, London, Chesterfield, Kettering, Blackpool, Manchester, Jersey, South Africa, Bolton, Sydney, and Melbourne all hosted the finals before they finally arrived at the Crucible in 1977, where John Spencer won the title beating Cliff Thorburn 25-21.
Nostalgia vs practicality
Snooker has outgrown the Crucible – lesser events often sell out capacities of 2,000 or more – but it is the nostalgia factor that makes the subject so controversial. The Crucible holds a mystical appeal that outweighs the impracticalities for many. Despite that, there is a growing feeling that it will need to move sooner or later to a venue worthy of its global stature. If snooker continues to grow in popularity, the contract’s end in 2027 might be the right time to move on.
