World Snooker tour may decimate player numbers - Mark Allen
Northern Ireland's Mark Allen has warned that snooker's revamped tour could lead to the loss of half its professional players next season.
Asia is an increasingly important market for the sport, with five of next season's 11 ranking events set to be played in China and one in India.
And Allen, the world number six, believes the travel expenses involved will decimate player numbers.
"There will be far more players who can't afford to play," said Allen.
"There will be 128 players starting next season but three or four months later that will be down to under 100.
"Six months in and that could be down to 64, because so many people won't be able to fork out for expenses."
Mark Allen factfile
- Born: 22 February 1986, Antrim town, Northern Ireland
- Nickname: The Pistol
- Highest/current ranking: 6
- Career winnings: £752,854
- Highest break: 146 (twice)
- Century breaks: 176
- Tournament wins: Two ranking, one minor-ranking, one non-ranking
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn says the total prize money in snooker has risen from £3.5m to £8m in the three years he has been in charge.
But Allen, a long-time critic of Hearn's new measures, says paying for their own travel expenses has offset these supposed gains.
Players pay for their own flights and hotels for most overseas events, although a spokesman from World Snooker said most of their hotels are paid for in China.
"If I'd have lost in the first round at the World Open [Allen won the tournament in China], I probably would have been struggling to pay my bills," Allen, 27, told BBC Sport.
"There are just so many outlays, especially if we're going to China six or seven times a year. The expenses have probably tripled or quadrupled since Barry took over.
"When we started going to China we used to get our flights paid for but when Barry came in he stopped that, so that's probably another £10,000-£15,000 a year we have to pay out.
"I'm lucky to play the game I love for a living but I'm number six in the world, I deserve to have a bit more money."
According to World Snooker's latest figures Allen is ninth on the current money list, with £278,273 earned over the past two years. However, outside the top 48 no player has earned more than £50,000.
Allen says one way to alleviate the financial burden and mental strain would be to have an 'Asian swing', with two or three months of the season based in China.
"It would make more sense if we, like the European Tour in golf, spent six to eight weeks in China and then came back to Europe," said Allen.
"I could probably count on the fingers of one hand how many days I've spent at home in 2013 so far.
"I've got a daughter who lives in England with her mum and I don't get to see her that much. It does take a mental toll."
Comments
All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules.
All posts are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules.
More from Snooker
Elsewhere on the BBC
A roaring success?
Could social media help turn a dinosaur-themed hotel into a big hit?
-
Comment number 16.
stevieeng3415 Minutes ago
Snooker is not that we'll paid unless you win thr real big tournaments. I earned more than all but the top five last year yet don't consider myself in the top ten at my job.
Report this comment (Comment number 16)
Link to this (Comment number 16)
Comment number 15.
BBCSportwebsiteaddict22 Minutes ago
Unusually reasonable criticism from Allen this time.
Report this comment (Comment number 15)
Link to this (Comment number 15)
Comment number 14.
pemby531 Minutes ago
@10
However, I struggle to feel sorry for Mr Allen on £139,000 per year
The problem is, is that you're not number 6th in the world in a sport that received a high level of media exposure, whilst travelling so much
I think the point he is trying to make is that not all of the top 10 are benefitting from this, nor are the lower ranked players.
Just the sport is getting more sponsors
Report this comment (Comment number 14)
Link to this (Comment number 14)
Comment number 13.
Riggadon31 Minutes ago
There's two ways you can look at this. It's either very good for snooker or very bad. In one way, yes, lower rank players will suffer but you might also say, there's a lot of dross in the lower ranks and you might call this natural selection.
Life is tough. Most of us accept that and get on with it as best we can. If a few snooker players cannot, its no skin off my nose.
Report this comment (Comment number 13)
Link to this (Comment number 13)
Comment number 12.
stenic31 Minutes ago
if there was more than 11 ranking events then maybe you could have situation like tennis or golf were players pick and chose what events they enter but at the moment no player can do that because it might prevent you from qualifying for the crucible, etc. common sense would dictate that all the Asian tournaments should be played in a 2 month block at the beginning of the season
Report this comment (Comment number 12)
Link to this (Comment number 12)
Comments 5 of 16