An impassioned Ronnie O'Sullivan has blasted snooker chiefs in an explosive rant about the demise of a sport that he believes is in its "worst place ever".
The Rocket has launched an extraordinary attack on the those running snooker - just one month before beginning his pursuit of an eighth world title at The Crucible Theatre.
World No.1 O'Sullivan equalled Stephen Hendry's record of seven Crucible crowns last year, but next month's Sheffield showpiece is set to be played under a black cloud, with a match-fixing scandal rocking the sport.
A match-fixing hearing involving 10 Chinese players suspended and charged with various betting offences will begin midway through the blue-riband tournament in the Steel City.
And there is growing consternation among snooker pros over a seemingly inadequate calendar, with frustration building over cancelled tournaments as well as reduced prize-money, with eminent events in China still not on the schedule post-Covid.
O'Sullivan, 47, is highly bemused by the current state of affairs, claiming an injection of prize money and fresh ideas is necessary to save a failing sport.
“Listen, snooker is in a bad place," he said. "It’s in trouble. Forget Turkey [Turkish Masters recently cancelled]. This needs at least another £50million a year just to make it a proper tour.
“When you look at the number, it’s bad. When you look at £10million prize money for 25 events across the year for 128 players, it’s never going to be good. It needs at least to triple that to make it work. Maybe you do need some proper people like Liberty [in Formula One] or someone with the vision to bring it up to date.
“You look at the people actually managing the game, they are not the brightest sparks either. So you can’t see them digging themselves out of it. But you don’t have to be Einstein. It is probably in the worst place it has ever been. The image of the sport, it’s a bit like a pub sport now."
He added: “It is probably as bad as it has ever been also because of the betting scandal. There are a lot of players I know who are really unhappy and frightened to speak out because they will get fined. They are told that.
“The game is struggling, if you look at the numbers it is in a bad way. But we all want good for the game. I can’t do more. I have carried the sport pretty much for the last 20-30 years. It’s not one player. It’s the sport, it’s not a massive sport."
O'Sullivan is concerned about the modest earnings of top level snooker pros in comparison to the lucrative sums on offer at the elite levels of tennis and golf. And the game's most box-office figure has suggested nothing will change unless players take a collective stance, stating that pros should say: "We are not playing until you listen to us."
World Snooker has responded to an exasperated O'Sullivan, insisting there is a bright future for the sport and that exciting opportunities will arise as Asian markets re-open post-Covid.
A spokesperson said: “Last week we held a constructive meeting with the players, unfortunately Ronnie chose not to attend, where we set out our vision for the future of snooker and addressed issues which are important to the players.
“The outcomes were positive, and players were encouraged by the progressive strategy set out by WST. WST is working diligently across many of the areas Ronnie has raised and is achieving considerable success as a result. We have smashed records on ticket sales for the majority of our events this season, and our global TV and digital audience is bigger than ever.
“Prize money for our UK events has increased since the start of the pandemic. Post COVID we are committed to returning to China in 2023 and optimistic about that prospect, which would put our tour in the strongest position it has ever been.
“We are working with the leading agencies in sports, whose clients include the Premier League, FIFA, Ryder Cup and The Masters. Our long-term strategy is based upon best-in-class analysis and driven by data. We would always welcome Ronnie to share his ideas and discuss our plans and strategy directly with WST.”
