World Snooker: Barry Hearn sets Crucible deadline after crunch meeting with Sheffield City Council chiefs

He wants £1m prize money to rival darts and says Saudi Arabia is a serious alternative if the Crucible can't keep up financially.

A meeting was held with council leader Tom Hunt and chief executive Kate Josephs at the Radisson Blu hotel in the city centre this morning, Thursday May 1.

A contract to stage the contest at the Crucible in Sheffield expires in 2027.

Barry Hearn is the former World Snooker Tour boss, president of Matchroom Sport and still involved in negotiations.

Speaking to SportsBoom afterwards he said they agreed to meet in another three months “with a view to knowing exactly where we are by the end of this year.”

He added: “The pressure is on, it's one of those things, both sides are really happy here with each other, but we can't turn away from the realities of sports life, which is centred around prize money. And we have to do something big for the players because they deserve it.”

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Despite the lure of big money overseas, Hearn reiterated his desire to stay in Sheffield — but insisted government backing was essential to make the deal work.

“This is something where Sheffield can only go so far, but with government assistance it can go further, and it can be maintained.

“So, the onus is still on Sheffield to come up with something in line with our thinking.

“This is a major event in England and yet the prize money is nowhere near where I want it to be. So, everyone understands each other's problems.

“Fingers crossed the government understand the significance of this event remaining in the UK and remaining in Sheffield.”

Last week he said the facilities and capacity at the Crucible were “not fit for purpose” and continuing to hold the contest there was letting down many people.

He said he wanted 3,000 people watching per session - the Crucible has 980-seat capacity - and prize money similar to darts.