SHOCKING NEWS: Fan at World Snooker Championship chucked out of Crucible after killing…
Fan at World Snooker Championship chucked out of Crucible after causing a scene
A fan was ejected from the Crucible during the World Snooker Championship after shouting just before a player was about to take a shot. The incident took place during Mark Allen’s match against John Higgins, with referee Paul Collier acting quickly to get the offending fan removed from the stands.
Allen was preparing to take a shot in the 13th frame of the match when he was rudely interrupted by an unruly member of the audience. The 38-year-old was in the middle of his backswing when the fan shouted loudly, prompting Allen to step away from the table.
Collier quickly sprung into action, shouting out: “Who was that? Can you escort him out please?” The security staff at the Crucible duly obliged, guiding the fan out of the arena to a backdrop of applause from the crowd.
Former snooker player Joe Johnson was left frustrated by the interruption, saying on Eurosport: “Just as the player was done on his stroke. Very ungentlemanly.”
The man from Northern Ireland has been in remarkable form this season and will surpass Ronnie O’Sullivan at the top of the world rankings if he seals Crucible glory. However, he will need to break his World Snooker Championship curse in order to do so, having never reached the final in Sheffield.Allen made it to the semi-finals in 2009 and 2023 but was beaten on both occasions. Speaking before this year’s event, his opponent Higgins admitted that he would be looking for Allen’s bad luck to continue should they lock horns at the tournament.
“Mark is an unbelievable player, but for him to only reach two semi-finals here for his talent is nowhere near good enough and he would tell you that,” Higgins told BBC Sport ahead of the tournament. “There might be something about the venue that does not agree with him so I have to hold on to that.”
Allen has already clinched two of snooker’s Triple Crown titles by winning The Masters in 2018 and the UK Championship in 2022. He is aiming to become the third man from Northern Ireland to ever win the World Snooker Championship and the first since Dennis Taylor back in 1985.