Elliot Slessor predicts World Championship will leave Crucible as 'Everest of snooker' outgrows iconic venue

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Elliot Slessor is the latest player to paint a bleak future for the Crucible's hopes of keeping the World Championship by predicting a move away from the venue beyond 2027. With the deal with the Crucible up for renewal after the 50th anniversary of it first being staged in Sheffield, Slessor is predicting change. "I think it’ll be a matter of time before it leaves the Crucible," he said.

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The winner of the World Championship will need to become a millionaire if the Crucible Theatre hopes to keep the "Everest of snooker" beyond 2027.

That is the view of four-time ranking event semi-finalist Elliot Slessor, who says any alternative decision would fail to grow the sport and would also risk a player revolt by refusing to secure enhanced prize money for the sport’s "pinnacle" event.

Slessor believes the only way the Crucible can retain the tournament after the 50th anniversary of it first being staged by Sheffield is to double the prize money to £1m for the winner and £100,000 for qualifying for the final stages.

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But he suggests even that might not be enough, with the 985-seat venue too small to meet ticket demands.

Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Shanghai in China have been touted as possible future alternatives with the potential for snooker players to earn enhanced prize money beyond the Crucible.

"I’ve played there twice," said Slessor. "Obviously, it’s an iconic venue. But in the grand scheme of things, they are on about making it a global sport and growing the game.

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"Fair enough to keep it at the Crucible if you put the prize money up, but the prize money has stayed the same the last eight years for qualifying.

"That doesn’t seem like a growing game to me. That’s the pinnacle, that’s the Everest of your sport.

"You’ve got other countries that are rumoured to be giving millions to the winner."

Judd Trump was the first player to earn £500,000 for lifting the World Championship trophy in 2019 with an 18-9 win over John Higgins from an overall prize fund of £2,231,000.

But the prize money has increased in the past five years with Kyren Wilson collecting the same first prize for his 18-14 win over Jak Jones this year and a prize fund of £2,395,000.

"I’m not being funny, but I’m going to do some maths for you. The winner this year got £500,000," Slessor told The Snooker Hall Podcast.

"He’s got tax out of that, he’s got 2.5% to World Snooker out of that, he might also have to pay a coach or a manager or something out of that.

"So let’s say he takes £300-£350,000 out of that. You can’t even buy a nice house in London for that.

"And that’s the Everest of the game. You’ve climbed the biggest stage, done every person’s childhood dream, and you’re not a millionaire out of it. That blows my brains."

"There are a lot of people who want to watch it, and there’s nowhere to build on top of it."

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Former world champions Mark Williams and have already predicted a move away from the Crucible with former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn telling Eurosport that "you can't eat history".

"I understand the history, but history doesn’t pay bills," said Slessor. "It simply doesn’t pay bills.

"If the lads further down are qualifying and getting £20,000, and they take it Saudi or Shanghai or wherever it may be, and it’s £100,000 for qualifying, I think it’s going to sell itself"

"From what Barry [Hearn] says, he wants the game to grow.

"I think it’ll be a matter of time before it leaves the Crucible."

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