Starmer statement as O’Sullivan denied World Snooker Championship wish | Other | Sport
Keir Starmer visited the Crucible weeks before confirmation they would keep the World Championship (Image: Getty)
Keir Starmer statement in full as Ronnie O’Sullivan denied World Snooker Championship wish
- Snooker’s World Championship is staying at the Crucible in Sheffield after the city council and the World Snooker Tour agreed a new deal until 2045, with an option to extend the arrangement until 2050. Their current contract was due to end next year, when the venue marks the 50th anniversary of hosting it for the first time in 1977.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly stepped in to keep the World Championship at their spiritual home, the Crucible, weeks after unexpectedly visiting the venue for talks with council chiefs and local partners about the tournament’s future. The Sheffield Star claimed government funding is due to be made available so that it stays in Sheffield.
- Starmer has now spoken about the announcement, saying in a statement: “We have a deep cultural and sporting heritage here in the UK – sport, art and culture are the very best of us. It’s what makes us proud not only of the country, but the places that we’re from.”
- “I had the pleasure of recently visiting Sheffield, the home of the oldest football club in the world, to encourage partners to support a major redevelopment of the iconic Crucible Theatre to keep sport and culture thriving in this city. I’m delighted with today’s confirmation that the theatre and the city will stay host to the famous World Snooker Championships for many years to come.”
- Ronnie O’Sullivan, however, is not a fan. He said two years ago: “I don’t actually like the Crucible, to be honest, I’d much rather it go anywhere than the Crucible. I know it’s a great venue, but I don’t like playing there for 17 days [in a row]. For me, if it goes anywhere but the Crucible, it would be brilliant.”
