Shaun Murphy makes feelings abundantly clear on row over Crucible vs snooker prize money
With snooker at a fork in the road between history and finances, Masters champion Shaun Murphy continues to fight the good fight.
The Magician was knocked out of the World Championship by Judd Trump at the last 16 stage, but has used his platform to hit back at Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn.
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Hearn has been the mastermind between the incredible growth of snooker and darts over recent years, and thinks the next step for the former may be to leave its spiritual home.
The 76-year-old has mooted the possibility of moving the snooker world championship away from the Crucible due to its 980-capacity seating.
The threat is real with the Sheffield venue’s contract expiring in 2027, which would make 50 years since it first began hosting the event in 1977.
Hern contested that players would jump at the chance to leave the Crucible for more prize money, but Murphy isn’t so sure.
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"As a nine-year-old boy I came here in 1992 and it bit me,” he said speaking at the venue. “I got the bug and it was in this room.
“Barry's making the link between finance and payments and size of audiences - that's not the only income stream for World Snooker Ltd or Matchroom Sport, they make a lot of money in a lot of other areas.
"He's making a very strong link between the financial rewards of professional sport and ticket sales. There are other avenues."
Murphy also doubted the idea that bigger venue would guarantee bigger crowds.
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"While we sell out the Crucible for three sessions a day for 17 days, could they sell out a 4,000 or 5,000-seater arena for three sessions a day for 17 days?” he pondered.
“There's a bit of a question mark over that.”
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Hearn initially made the comments on the BBC, which led to assumptions he could be talking about a bigger UK venue, or even China where the sport’s popular, or Saudi Arabia, where it’s not.
"I have to live in the real world," he said. "While every player says there's nothing like walking out at the Crucible, every player would jump at the chance to earn double or treble the prize money. That's the world we're in.
"We have got to try to find some middle ground. We're not going to be difficult, our heart says we want to stay here because we're fans as well. Players need to be paid - that's what it comes down to."
Snooker made its Saudi debut with the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in August to September 2024, dipping its toe in the controversial but lucrative world of the Public Investment Fund.
The tournament came with snooker’s second biggest prize fund of £2,302,000, and also featured a ‘Golden Ball’ to be potted after a 147 maximum break for another £350,000.
However, not only was the addition seen as a gimmick, but the stands were largely empty and no players managed the feat.
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Snooker’s biggest name, Ronnie O’Sullivan, was all-in, though saying: “I’m sure that it will be a hefty prize.
“Listen, the Saudis can just do what they like. They are a powerful outfit.”
Meanwhile, another big name among the elite, Australian Neil Robertson, has welcomed change in the form of a new Crucible while speaking to talkSPORT.
"For me that's fine. We have to move with the times, I don't think the championships should continue at the Crucible itself,” he said.
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"I want a new Crucible built which I think would be amazing, like the new era is beginning. We have to move on with the times and with sport, sport is always growing and if you don't look to always take a sport forward then you're going backwards.
"Barry is absolutely right, none of the players want to leave Sheffield despite what some may say but we need a new venue. The prize money would at least double instantly, Barry Hearn has said that."
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