Not for the primary time, Shaun Murphy has queried why Barry Hearn continues to be the face of the World Snooker Tour.
Hearn allegedly stepped down from his position as chairman of WST in 2021 and was changed by Steve Dawson.
However whereas the latter has barely been seen or heard since his promotion, Hearn stays the important thing spokesperson on all issues associated to the principle tour.
On Wednesday, the 75 year-old was interviewed stay on each the BBC and Eurosport on ongoing issues associated to the World Championship and the professional circuit.
Final 12 months, Murphy questioned the whereabouts of Dawson, and the Magician repeated his sentiments on the most recent episode of his podcast with Phil Seymour.
“I imply, I believed Barry had taken a step again,” a bewildered Shaun Murphy mused on the OneFourSeven Podcast.
“Why was he right here? I do discover stuff like that bizarre. You understand, we’ve had an entire personnel change at WST and Matchroom and all the remainder of it.”
“Barry Hearn is meant to have stepped backwards. Why does he maintain getting rolled out because the figurehead and the mouthpiece?
“The place is Steve Dawson in all of this? Why isn’t Simon Brownell and Steve Dawson – the CEO and Chairman of WST, the choice makers for the tour – why aren’t they within the studio being quizzed by Hazel Irvine and the group?
“Why is it Barry Hearn? He’s purported to have stepped down. Now, does Barry Hearn nonetheless make many selections at World Snooker Holdings and Matchroom Multisport?
“How a lot…he’s purported to have stepped again! And I respect that everybody is like, ‘oh properly, he couldn’t have stepped again completely.’
“Effectively don’t say it then! Now are you continue to driving the ship or not?”
One of many main subjects that Hearn was discussing on Wednesday was the contentious subject surrounding the Crucible Theatre’s future because the venue for the World Snooker Championship.
The famend businessman and promoter, father of boxing magnate Eddie Hearn, challenged Sheffield Metropolis Council to fund a contemporary improve.
The Crucible, which has staged the World Championship since 1977, has a contract to stay as host till 2027, however past that its future is unsure.
“I need to admit, I’m not a commercially minded particular person actually. I’ve slightly curiosity in it, a bit right here and there,” Shaun Murphy mentioned.
“However I don’t suppose having this dialogue publicly and Sheffield Metropolis Council being pressured publicly on each social discussion board and each information platform on the market, Barry Hearn being wheeled out and saying these items, I’m unsure these are nice negotiation techniques.”
“If I’m the chief of Sheffield Metropolis Council, I’m not having fun with the truth that that is now public info, and also you’re to some extent public enemy primary.
“I’m unsure it’s serving to, any of this. I don’t suppose it’s serving to the negotiation level. I believe it’s actually unusual how that is within the public area in any respect.
“I don’t need it to go away the Crucible. I do (suppose it’ll go away) for one easy motive – it’s our greatest occasion in our smallest area.
“These two issues don’t go collectively. It labored in 1977 and it labored till very lately, I believe.
“I simply suppose the world has modified in a short time, and quite a bit. And though lots of us like to think about snooker’s increase interval as pre-pandemic, it’s truly not the case.
“By any metric you need to use, snooker is doing the largest and finest it’s ever finished proper now.
“The one metric it’s down is participation right here within the UK. The quantities of snooker golf equipment have closed.
“That was due to the smoking ban, nothing else. That was years in the past. There was once a membership on each nook – they’re not there any extra.
“It was the smoking ban that killed it. Nothing to do with snooker.
“So participation in snooker golf equipment within the UK is probably down. The golf equipment that survived are busier than ever.
“You stroll into some golf equipment I do know within the morning, and there’s a ready listing to get a desk.
“My outdated membership in Northampton – Barratt’s Snooker Membership the place Kyren Wilson performs these days – have gotten the bones of 20 tables in there.
“There’s a queue, no pun supposed. By lunch time, there’s a ready listing. Very wholesome.
“By any metric you need to use, it’s the finest and healthiest it’s ever been.
“Snooker, globally, is one of the best its ever been. This event that we’re right here for this week is our flagship, flag-bearing event.
“That is it, our greatest occasion that we might promote out 5, ten instances over, and it’s in our smallest constructing.
“These two issues can not go collectively for for much longer. One thing goes to have to alter.”
Shaun Murphy trails Stephen Maguire 5-3 within the second spherical of the 2024 World Snooker Championship after their first session concluded on Friday night.
2024 World Snooker Championship Draw
Click on right here for stay scores and session instances.
Spherical 1 (bo19)
Luca Brecel (1) 9-10 David Gilbert
Robert Milkins (16) 10-9 Pang Junxu
Ali Carter (9) 7-10 Stephen Maguire
Shaun Murphy (8) 10-5 Lyu Haotian
Mark Selby (5) 6-10 Joe O’Connor
Kyren Wilson (12) 10-1 Dominic Dale
John Higgins (13) 10-6 Jamie Jones
Mark Allen (4) 10-6 Robbie Williams
Judd Trump (3) 10-5 Hossein Vafaei
Tom Ford (14) 10-6 Ricky Walden
Zhang Anda (11) 4-10 Jak Jones
Mark Williams (6) 9-10 Si Jiahui
Ding Junhui (7) 9-10 Jack Lisowski
Gary Wilson (10) 5-10 Stuart Bingham
Barry Hawkins (15) 8-10 Ryan Day
Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) 10-1 Jackson Web page
Spherical 2 (bo25)
David Gilbert 10-4 Robert Milkins (16)
Stephen Maguire vs Shaun Murphy (8)
Joe O’Connor vs Kyren Wilson (12)
John Higgins (13) vs Mark Allen (4)
Judd Trump (3) vs Tom Ford (14)
Jak Jones vs Si Jiahui
Jack Lisowski vs Stuart Bingham
Ryan Day vs Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
Quarter-Finals (bo25)
David Gilbert vs Maguire/Murphy
O’Connor/Okay. Wilson vs Higgins/Allen
Trump/Ford vs Jak Jones/Si
Lisowski/Bingham vs Day/O’Sullivan
Semi-Finals (bo33)
TBC vs TBC
TBC vs TBC
Remaining (bo35)
TBC vs TBC
Featured photograph credit score: WST
