Snooker star Mark Allen has a frosty relationship history with 12-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans - and even faced her in the British Open last year where she snubbed his attempt at a fist bump.
Allen - the 2018 Masters champion and a household name in the sport - grabbed headlines last weekend after he was ‘thrown out’ of the Crucible prior to his World Championship first round match against Scott Donaldson. The 36-year-old was allegedly booted out of the iconic venue as he tried to video player walk-ins prior to the start of the tournament.
“Have to retweet this one for my followers as I wasn’t allowed to video the 4 players walk ins this morning myself,” Allen wrote on Twitter. “Got thrown out [laughing emojis] done it nearly every year but someone on a power trip this morning. Sorry”
The World No. 15 is no stranger to landing among the headlines for off-table incidents or stories. He had a bitter row with his ex-partner at the Crucible Theatre last year, when Evans was working as a pundit for the BBC, who broadcast from the practice room between rooms to provide analysis.
She was preparing to go on air when Allen, readying himself for his next match, made a complaint that her presence was a distraction. Evans was subsequently asked to leave, which led to a public frenzy.
“For the sake of 10 minutes, Reanne left the players’ practice room so Mark Allen could practice before his match without distraction upon his request,” a spokesperson for the BBC said at the time. “Her broadcast commitments weren’t affected.”
Evans was said to be concerned the incident would affect any potential future TV work opportunities, while the WPBSA - the players’ governing body - said they received a complaint about the scenario. Allen tried to play down the incident when asked about his request, insisting it wasn’t a big deal.
“There have been several cases of players asking for people to be removed when they’re practising ahead of a match,” the Northern Irishman said. “I'm not sure why there is a fuss about this one.”
The pair first started dating in 2005 and have a child together before their split in 2008. They were in the middle of a child maintenance battle at the time of the now-infamous moment at the Crucible.
It was believed that Evans was looking to increase Allen’s payments, which were reportedly around £100-a-month. Allen's on-table earnings averaged £392,000 over the last four years.
Despite career earnings of £3.3million, he has since declared himself bankrupt. These weren’t the only legal difficulties Allen faced, as he was also going through a divorce to Kyla McGuigan, with whom he has another daughter.
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Evans originally awarded a two-year card for the main tour alongside fellow women's player Ng On Yee from Hong Kong. Allen surprisingly criticised the decision, saying: “I’m not really sure what the two women and Jimmy White are going to bring.”
Allen certainly possesses enough talent to compete for the world title, but the 36-year-old has traditionally struggled in Sheffield. His best outing came in 2009, when he defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan en route to the semi-finals before losing to John Higgins, the eventual champion.
The Pistol has enjoyed a season littered with ups and downs so far, with Allen securing a famous win at the Northern Ireland Open on home soil in Belfast. He also reached the final of the Championship League and the semi-finals of the German Masters, helping him to maintain his membership among the top 16 in the world rankings.
