Sheffield World Snooker Crucible deal welcomed by South Yorkshire Mayor
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has welcomed the £45m deal that will keep the World Snooker Championships in its “spiritual home” of Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
Mayor Coppard congratulated Sheffield City Council today (March 24) during a meeting of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board in the city.
The deal will see the audience capacity of the Crucible main stage double to 1,000 seats when work is completed in time for the 2030 championships. It ensures the tournament will remain in Sheffield until at least 2045.
Funding has come from the government, the city council and private donors.
Mayor Coppard congratulated Sheffield on the deal “to retain World Snooker Championships in its spiritual home, the Crucible”.
He added: “It’s really good news. Congratulations to the team at Sheffield City Council.” Mayor Coppard said that the deal has involved a huge amount of from city council leaders and officers.
“It is brilliant for this city that it’s not going to China or Dubai,” he added. “It’s staying at its spiritual home.”
Brilliant
Council deputy leader Coun Fran Belbin, who was at the mayoral authority meeting, said: “The £45m investment is brilliant for theatre lovers as well as snooker lovers. Thanks to the government for their intervention.”
Referring to the maximum break score in snooker, she joked: “There are at least 147 reasons why this is good news!” She added that number should be 153 after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s record break last week.
The city council organises a festival to help entertain the 12,000 visitors to the city that the tournament draws in every year.
The next championships take place from April 18 to May 4 at the Crucible in Tudor Square. Qualifying rounds are held from April 6 to 15 at the English Institute of Sport in Attercliffe.