{"id":9913,"date":"2026-05-12T06:48:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9913"},"modified":"2026-05-12T06:48:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:48:49","slug":"who-knew-the-world-seniors-snooker-championship-could-be-so-controversial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=9913","title":{"rendered":"Who knew the World Seniors Snooker Championship could be so controversial?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND \u2013 APRIL 21: Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan of England chalks the cue in the first round match against He Guoqiang of China on day 4 of Halo World Championship 2026 at Crucible Theatre on April 21, 2026 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Tai Chengzhe\/VCG via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The World Seniors Snooker Championship has gone through a fair few makeovers over the years, but now it seems bigger than ever, it is also creating more talking points than ever before.<\/p>\n

Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan lifted the trophy on Sunday night, beating Joe Perry 10-4in the final at the Crucible and making the bookmakers correct as they priced him as a clear odds-on favourite before a ball was struck in Sheffield.<\/p>\n

The 50-year-old was making his debut in the tournament after a rule change last year which meant any player, anywhere in the world rankings or an amateur, could compete as long as they are over 40.<\/p>\n

Previously a player had to be outside the world\u2019s top 64 and it is not only O\u2019Sullivan who has taken advantage of the change, with the likes of Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham also taking to the tables in Sheffield.<\/p>\n

Gone are the days of Cliff Thorburn making 12 while cracking jokes with the crowd.<\/p>\n

How appropriate this change is has split opinions, as did other things during the event, while some incidents were not opinion-splitters, but unanimously condemned.<\/p>\n

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You’re in the right place. I’m Phil Haigh, and I cover the game we all love for Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In my newsletter, The Table, I analyse the biggest talking points, pull back the curtain on the sport and crown the biggest winners and losers every week.<\/p>\n

We’ve just seen one of the greatest World Championships of all time, so there’s no better time to sign up.<\/p>\n

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Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

There is no doubt that the World Seniors Championship has got snooker fans talking and it\u2019s gone from a gentle, exhibition-style event to a hot topic. Here\u2019s a look at what has caused the most chat.<\/p>\n

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Mark Williams was due to play but pulled out late in the day (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A late change to the line-up<\/h2>\n

This was a blow before the event began as Mark Williams, the second highest-profile player in the field, pulled out and was replaced by Nigel Bond.<\/p>\n

The three-time world champion was due to play but was called up by his sponsors to attend an exhibition in China. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no suggestion of chicanery here, but it\u2019s bad admin at least, with Williams saying he was contractually obliged to be at the Chinese event. Fans who bought tickets to see the Welshman were not impressed.<\/p>\n

Tablegate<\/h2>\n
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Let\u2019s get the white tables out of the way. They were genuinely shocking on the eye at first, but became less so over the tournament as you got used to them. Love them or hate them, they were designed to ruffle feathers and get people talking. A harmless discussion point really.<\/p>\n

How the tables played was much more controversial and led to a shambolic Thursday evening in Sheffield. The tournament organisers had very little time to get the tables up and the whole set built as World Snooker Tour had the Crucible booked until Wednesday lunchtime. <\/p>\n

In the past the Seniors were allowed in to set up before then, but were not this year because there is something of a snooker civil war ongoing.<\/p>\n

World Seniors chairman Jason Francis is leading a revolt against WST and the WPBSA, with his NST Worldwide alleging anti-competitive practices and suing the snooker powers-that-be for over \u00a310m.<\/p>\n

That rumbles on, but while Francis is battling snooker bosses, he is not going to get any favours out of them. It probably wasn\u2019t the wisest decision to start the tournament on that date, leaving so little time to get things ready.<\/p>\n

The tables were getting poor reviews from players on the opening couple of days and there was a remarkable scene as a slate dropped on Table Two, with balls jumping around the place and play cancelled as a result.<\/p>\n

Dominic Dale and Matthew Stevens were hauled off mid-match and returned later on Table One, but Alfie Burden and Igor Figueiredo were forced to play their game in the practice room.<\/p>\n

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Look at some of those shots \ud83d\ude33Due to a fault with table two, Matthew Stevens and Dominic Dale have concluded their match and will play in a private area. pic.twitter.com\/lhurI3j77w<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Channel 5 Sport (@Channel5Sport) May 7, 2026<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

A sad scene for any two players who were expecting to walk out at the Crucible, but for defending champion Burden it felt like a hefty kick in the teeth. He lost 4-0.<\/p>\n

\u2018To say I\u2019m disappointed would be a huge understatement, don\u2019t remember feeling this low after a snooker event,\u2019 Burden posted. \u2018I wasn\u2019t in the mental state of mind to play that match in a practice room to be honest I was in a state of shock at what was unfolding. Literally heartbroken.\u2019<\/p>\n

He added: \u2018Can I make it perfectly clear I wasn\u2019t given an option to play my match in the morning, I asked could I play the next morning was flatly refused was told I had to play in the cupboard. Dale Stevens was given a choice , I wasn\u2019t and I should have refused to play.\u2019<\/p>\n

Francis told The Express: \u2018I\u2019ve written to Igor and Alfie and apologised that we were unable to provide a table for them to play on. It was obvious that there was a major joint and slate drop on table two, which meant it was unplayable.<\/p>\n

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