I first went to the Crucible as a kid to watch and, like everyone else who has ever been there, was amazed at how small it was compared to what it looks like on TV.
Tickets are on general sale for this year's World Championship today and, if you can get one, I would very much recommend the experience.
The Crucible is the only snooker venue people outside the sport know. It has a mythology and aura all of its own.
The audience is so close to the players that it creates an intimate, even oppressive, atmosphere that adds to the drama.
It would never be chosen as the venue for our sport's premier event today but it would be a brave and controversial decision to take the World Championship somewhere else.
Further details here.
Incidentally, if you can't make it to the Crucible, the qualifiers at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport are well worth your consideration.
Look at the names in action: Steve Davis, Jimmy White, John Parrott, Mark Williams, Ken Doherty, Matthew Stevens, Judd Trump and Liang Wenbo to name but a few.
The final round - played from March 8-10 - is always full of drama as the players battle to get to the Crucible.
As it's not being streamed on the internet - which I find incredible - the only place to follow the twists and turns is at the venue itself.
7 comments:
Will you be coming up for the qualifiers this year Dave?
Yes for the final round but there are four days before that that clash with the Championship League
Surely they will begin streaming soon. This is one of the big mysteries of snooker: how something so immensely watchable can be limited to the eyes in the room. Unbelievable..
Anyone else noticed how cold it is in that EIS? It was FREEZING in there when I went to the WC qualifiers last year.
Yeah absolutely, a player told me at the UK qualifiers last December that with it being so cold the tables weren't playing great and that they preferred it at Pontins.
Seems to get warmer throughout the day but certainly during the morning session it is wise to bring a fleece I'd say.
Will there still be any tickets avadible after the draw is done?
I want to see Holt but the draw hasn't been announced.
Unless he draws O'Sullivan then I think you should be fine, people always return plenty of tickets right up to the morning of the match.
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