Ronnie O'Sullivan calls for World Snooker Championships to leave Sheffield
Ronnie O'Sullivan has called for the World Snooker Championship to be moved from the Crucible.
In a newspaper interview he's suggested Saudi Arabia and China could be possible alternatives.
The Sheffield venue has hosted every edition of the tournament since 1977 but the seven-time champion says he wants to see a change.
The 48-year-old will seek to win a record eighth title when the championship begins on April 20, having recently competed in the Saudi capital Riyadh and the Chinese city of Yushan.
He said to a newspaper:
"I don't like the Crucible,"
"I don't think you can get in and out of it. I think definitely it's a wise decision to take it away from Sheffield.
"Still have a tournament there. Why not? But just not the world championship over 17 days. It's a massive circus and you need a massive space to accommodate it.
"I think Saudi Arabia would be great. They've got the resources and would do it great. If you're going to take it to China, you'd have to take it to Shanghai. Or another major city like Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
"It'd be done properly. Courtesy cars will be laid on. Food will be there. Hotels will be great. Everything would be paid for. Prize money would be astronomical.
"The snooker becomes secondary. What are the facilities like? What's it like for the fans? What's the access like? You don't need a 10 out of 10 venue. But everything else has to be right."