Sheffield city centre businesses pocket cash boost as World Snooker Championship returns

The game’s top 32 players are battling it out at the Crucible Theatre with fans from across the globe setting up base in the city for the 17 days it runs for.

And with the competition just a few days in, businesses around the venue – labelled the ‘home of snooker’ are certainly reaping the rewards.

Amelia Casson, waitress at Lynne’s Pantry said: “The snooker is a big thing for us. We get lots of different people, with lots of different accents.

“We have to plan a lot for it because it’s very busy. We get extra staff in and it’s a very busy two weeks.”

Amelia said players and former greats of the game now involved in media duties often pop in for breakfast and lunch.

She said: “Ken Doherty comes in all the time, we’ve had John Parrott in, John Virgo and Ronnie O’Sullivan.”

A little bit further down Surrey Street, Paul Taylor of Taylor Taylor Barber Shop, paints a similar positive picture about the effect of the tournament.

He said: “This bit of the city centre is buzzing. The snooker is fantastic.

“There’s lots of different people walking about and over the years we’ve had loads of players in.

“We had Alex Higgins in once and cut his hair while he had a fag, John Parrot comes in, Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry – they’re all brilliant people who love Sheffield.”

The city centre has been transformed for the duration of the tournament with World Snooker branding masking the Crucible Theatre.

A big screen has been installed in Tudor Square and the Cue Zone has once again been set up in the Peace Gardens, which also includes the BBC studio.