'Snooker would lose its magic if it left the Crucible'

Fans visiting Sheffield for the World Snooker Championship have said the tournament would "lose its magic" if it departed the theatre which has been its home for almost half a century.

Barry Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport which controls much of the professional game, said the Crucible was "no longer fit for purpose" and must be revamped or replaced - otherwise the tournament would relocate in 2027.

Fans who had travelled to South Yorkshire on Friday to watch the championship in its 48th year at the theatre said they would "lose a connection" with the game if it moved.

"You can touch the players almost, it's fantastic. I don't think you'd get that anywhere else, in a bigger arena, you wouldn't get that," said David Thompson, 54.

He has been attending the tournament with friend David Jobling, 53, since the mid-1980s - when tickets were £6.50.

"We have got tickets for this afternoon, and we are quite close to the front, even though they are a fortune now," he added.

The pair recalled applying for tickets through a postal form and being assigned seats at random when they first started going.

Mr Jobling, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, said: "It's atmosphere, and the history of it. It's been so many years."

He said it "might work" elsewhere in England, but "should stay at the Crucible".

The pair both said the tournament would "lose its magic" if it moved.

"To lose it would be a real shame, it really would," Mr Thompson said.

Newer fans from further afield would miss out on the ritual of travelling to Sheffield, said Johnnie Waters.

The 68-year-old said he would also lose his "annual pilgrimage" from his home in Dublin to South Yorkshire.

"It's the premier tournament. It's not to be given away lightly," he said.

He and his sister, Margaret Halvey, said the journey was "easy" and they would have to give it up attending if the tournament were to move abroad.

China and Saudi Arabia have been linked with bids to stage the tournament, which could also move elsewhere in the UK if future negotiations fail.

Mrs Halvey said she would "hate to see it move".

"My brother and son are the real fans, I just come along for the ride, but even I really like it – it's very atmospheric," she said.

"For every snooker player, it seems to be the highlight of their career, coming to the Crucible.

"For the people of Sheffield, it would be an awful loss."

Whether crossing the Irish Sea or walking through Sheffield to get there, the love for the home of snooker is undeniable.

"We've seen great finals and great atmosphere here – I don't think you'd get the same elsewhere," said Idrees Mohammed, 48.

"I am from here, so I am going to say that. But when you talk about Sheffield, you talk about steel and Snooker, so I think it needs to stay."

The demand for tickets and the relatively small size of the 980-seat theatre are understandable concerns, Mr Mohammed said, but you "get the best out of it" in that setting.

He has been watching the tournament since he was a child, and is hoping to pass the same tradition onto his son.

He said: "We've told him, 'we have to get you here before 2027, just in case it goes'.

"Everyone knows the home of snooker is Sheffield. It needs to stay."

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