Snooker star calls for Crucible to be DEMOLISHED and be rebuilt but ‘on steroids’ ahead of World Championship

2 weeks ago 17

SNOOKER star Gary Wilson has called for the Crucible to be demolished and rebuilt “on steroids” ahead of the World Championship.

Saturday marks the start of the 17-day snooker bonanza, with around 1,000 fans set to descend on Sheffield.

Wilson also wants the World Championship to remain in Sheffield[/caption]

Stars like Ronnie O’Sullivan will be looking to scoop the top prize.

But some believe the Crucible must be expanded to hold more supporters.

The World Championship is contracted to the venue until 2027.

And snooker ace Wilson believes action must be taken to keep the tournament in Sheffield.

He feels other venues could pinch the World Championship after 2027 due to their size.

Wilson has now urged snooker chiefs to make plans for a new Crucible, with the shiny fresh venue ideally a version of the current arena “on steroids.”

He told Sporting Life: “It would ruin the reputation, it would ruin the whole history, it would ruin a lot of the things that you associate with the World Championship.

“It’s like taking Wimbledon away and putting it somewhere else for the tennis.

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“My dream scenario, if this is even feasible or possible, would be to knock the thing down, build it back again and just make the arena hold 2,000, 2,500.

“I don’t know the footprint of the building and all the logistics behind it, but if possible I would want to see it rebuilt, call it the Crucible, make it look pretty much the same, be the same venue essentially but just on a bigger scale in the arena.

“I love the heritage of it, I love where it is, I love the square, all of it is great. The only problem is the size. So if there’s any way to just rebuild it and make it bigger, that would be the way I would want to go.

“I don’t think you can change the insides of that building enough to make the arena bigger, you’d have to start again.

“Failing that, another option would be to build a different Crucible somewhere else in Sheffield, which wouldn’t be great I don’t think. It would be hard to find a spot as iconic as where it is at the moment.

“I would love to see a replica Crucible, just on a bigger scale. A Crucible on steroids so to speak.”