Judgement Day To Be Broadcast On Facebook Live And YouTube
Which players will be joining Rob in the Judgement Day studio having made it to the Crucible?
The final qualifying round of the Betfred World Championship will be covered with WST’s Judgement Day broadcast on Facebook Live, YouTube and the Eurosport App on April 13 and 14.
The Judgement Day show will include live matches, exclusive interviews and features, with expert analysis and commentary from presenter Rob Walker and a leading player. Fans can watch FREE on WST’s Facebook Live and YouTubechannels.
Session times on April 13 and 14 will be 11am and 5pm as the players battle for one of 16 coveted spots in the final stages at the Crucible. Eight matches will be played to a finish on each of the two days.
The qualifying rounds of snooker’s biggest tournament run from April 5 to 14 at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Fans can watch two tables LIVE throughout the qualifying rounds on the Eurosport App, which shows a wide range of snooker’s biggest events throughout the season. For details see http://www.eurosportplayer.com. In the in the People’s Republic of China, fans can watch live coverage on on Youku, Zhibo.tv, Migu, Kuaishou and Huya. Outside Europe and China, fans can watch on Matchroom.Live
Jimmy White will face Stephen Hendry in the opening round, while other big names in the field include former champions Stuart Bingham, Graeme Dott and Ken Doherty and top female players Reanne Evans and Rebecca Kenna.
Barry Hearn pushing for full capacity Crucible in World Snooker Championship latter stages
Phil Haigh – Monday 29 Mar 2021
The 2021 World Championship could still see a full Crucible crowd (Picture: Getty Images )
World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn says he is pushing for a capacity crowd at the Crucible for the latter stages of the World Championship this year, describing a full arena as the ‘ultimate dream’ with discussions ongoing.
The World Snooker Championship runs from 17 April – 3 May at the Crucible, Sheffield and tickets are on sale for every session, with a reduced crowd expected.
However, there remains a possibility that there will be a packed Crucible for the quarter-finals onwards, if Hearn gets his wish.
The World Championship is being used as a pilot event, principally to collect data on the spread of Covid-19 and to learn lessons on opening up more indoor venues to crowds in the near future.
The 72-year-old believes the best way to do this is to start with a small crowd and build up to full capacity.
‘We are now looking at the practicality of numbers and I hope that there are a few things that will be resolved in our favour in the next few days,’ Hearn told the Talking Snooker podcast.
‘I can’t give you a strict number but what I would like to see is an evolving system throughout the event where we get data that can benefit, not just snooker, but sport, cinemas, theatres…
‘That will involve a level of testing of the crowd, what level we don’t know yet. It will involve post-testing, people who have been to the Crucible signing up to have another test at home. It’s quite complicated, it’s not just a question of putting half or a third or a quarter of people in there.
‘The system I would like to see brought in would be: round one is a social-distanced system with evidence of a vaccination or a negative test.
‘Round two might be a percentage occupancy, maybe 50%, then quarter-finals, semis and final, let’s go for it! Let’s have a full crowd and let’s really get some data that comes back from that, subject to testing.’
The quarter-finals will be played on 27-28 April, the semis on 29 April-1 May and the final on 2-3 May.
While firm decisions have not been made on the logistics of testing, Hearn is hopeful that there will be little to prevent a capacity crowd if everyone has returned a negative Covid test result before entering the arena.
‘The question is, if we are in an environment where everybody in the building has had a negative test, can we go back to the next level of normality? That’s what I’m trying for,’ he said.
‘I can see the side of Public Health England saying that even with a test we can’t be 100% secure, no system can be. So are we ready to roll a small risk into a deal where we get data that can set the trend for future events across a range of activities?
‘Hopefully everyone will have common sense, nothing can be perfect, but we have proved over the last 12 months that our Covid-19 policy has been exemplary and we have achieved more than virtually any other sport out there, even beyond Premier League football.
The quarter-finals will be played on 27-28 April, the semis on 29 April-1 May and the final on 2-3 May.
While firm decisions have not been made on the logistics of testing, Hearn is hopeful that there will be little to prevent a capacity crowd if everyone has returned a negative Covid test result before entering the arena.
‘The question is, if we are in an environment where everybody in the building has had a negative test, can we go back to the next level of normality? That’s what I’m trying for,’ he said.
‘I can see the side of Public Health England saying that even with a test we can’t be 100% secure, no system can be. So are we ready to roll a small risk into a deal where we get data that can set the trend for future events across a range of activities?
‘Hopefully everyone will have common sense, nothing can be perfect, but we have proved over the last 12 months that our Covid-19 policy has been exemplary and we have achieved more than virtually any other sport out there, even beyond Premier League football
‘I don’t know what too soon is!’ Hearn said. ‘I don’t know when you turn round and say we’re going back to normal?
‘At the moment 60% of the adult population has been vaccinated. When 100% has been, is that too soon?
‘You could always make a case that the data over a period of time cannot prove we’re clear of the disease. I’m afraid to say – and I’m not being heartless because I had Covid myself, it’s not at all pleasant it’s horrible and I wasn’t nearly as bad as other people – the world carries on, we have to make a call on where we want to move.
Ronnie O’Sullivan lifted the World Championship title to a reduced crowd last year (Picture: PA)
‘If we’re going to be locked away for two years, that’s the rule, then that’s what we’ll do. But the evidence says we’re entering a period of coming out of it and I don’t take too kindly to people that have opinions with no educated knowledge.
‘For someone to tell me it’s too soon, I say to them: “Please show me your doctorate so I can take your opinion seriously.”
‘This is not rumour, gossip and intrigue, we are led by the science and by people that have got more knowledge than we do and we have no choice but to go along with what they say. We hope, as the government hopes, we are approaching a return to normality, it’s the speed of that return that I don’t have enough detail on yet.’
Nothing is finalised, but Hearn expects decisions to be made by the end of the week, with the tournament less than three weeks away.
Having any fans return is difficult enough logistically, but he has confidence in achieving his ambitious goal.
‘It’s not a straightforward operation, it’s extremely complicated,’ he explained. ‘It’s a mountain to climb, but it’s a mountain we’ve climbed a few times over the last 12 months and whilst we haven’t got to the top, we’re a good way past base camp.
‘We don’t give up very easily at World Snooker, I can assure you.’
Well for me it IS too soon, especially in a cramped venue where ventilation is done via airco. Just one infected person in the crowd could infect dozens, maybe even hundreds in just one session. Is it worth the risk? Is it really a small risk? I don’t think so.
The “Science lead” covid policies in the UK have resulted in about the highest infection and death rates in the world… that’s a fact. Why? Not because the UK scientists are incompetent, but because the only voices that were heard were the ones the government wanted to hear, those that had money as the priority.
But it is BS! Must have been the wishful thinking in the beginning, since then a lot more younger and otherwise healthy people died and the nonsense called “herd immunity” by infection was the UK-govt’s first idea and it had disastrous consequences.
Excess mortality for 2020 is the same as for any other year. FACT.
Sweden (herd immunity approach/no lockdown) did not experience excess mortality. FACT.
The excess death ‘spike’ of early 2020 was due to older people dying earlier due to stress-related illness caused by lockdown. FACT.
Influenza magically disappeared over last winter. FACT.
I could go on.
These are facts but you can choose to continue to believe the 24/7 media/government brain washing.
Furthermore, your off-hand slandering of eminent immunologists/oncologists/virologists behind the Great Barrington declaration is ignorant, to say the least.
None of the above is fact except that the flu disappearewd because people were wearing masks. The excess mortality has been huge, Sweden has gor the highest toll amongst all the scandinavian countries and there are more virologists and immunologist not supporting this crap than supporting it. And I’m not believing the UK govt either. I don’t live in the UK. I live in country, Greece, that has done well implementing protective measures – lockdown and masks – from the off. As a result they have been able to have a decent summer season.
Those are the official stats: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending26february2021
On the one hand I guess it is for money and revenues and I understand his point, but it is still a little bit pushing the boat. It’s otherwise hard to comprehend why he is so interested in making the people the experiment of spreading the virus, to me it’s not too appealing. As to 60% already vaccinated: OK, we are in Scotland, not in England, but we got out first dose yesterday and were told the next dose will be in 12 weeks or so, and I’m not sure it is necessarily so much better elsewhere. I don’t see why he is not satisfied with a more gradual return.
On the other hand, the liberal in me say that if people are willing to pay for it and take the test and then the risk, let them do it, it’s their risk. The problem is that it’s the players’ risk too and that is not fair IMO.
And in general I’d advise him to refrain from irritating statements like this: ‘For someone to tell me it’s too soon, I say to them: “Please show me your doctorate so I can take your opinion seriously.”
yup… although I could show him my doctorate…
If one needs a doctorate to have an opinion on the policy regarding the pandemic, then Barry Hearn should shut up as he does not have one.
Barry should be criminally liable for the deaths / “Long Covid” health impacts of anyone who contracts COVID at the event.
I am now convinced he is nothing but a money hungry a-hole.
Sorry for the strong thoughts, but there are way too many false negatives with testing, vaccine efficacy is questionable for several of the covid variants, and cases are still going up despite the rollout of vaccines.
Yes, it all really sucks, but getting lax sooner will just result in more pain for much longer!
If nothing else, it’s completely unfair to the players – why should they put their health at any greater risk to play than they already are?
I think the players need to get together and demand no crowds.
I think that there aren’t many false negatives, and the vaccines are efficient, but they mainly protect from developping severe symptoms, not from being infected and it’s unclear at this stage if vaccinated persons can or can’t pass the virus if infected. Also, if some fans book tickets for several days in a row, will they be asked to re-test? And if so how frequently? Relying on people common sense and social awareness when they bought tickets that are anything but cheap for the latest rounds is either extremely naïve, irresponsible or plain dishonest. Most may well act responsibly but there will always be a few who won’t.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Ever heard of the Barrington Declaration? https://gbdeclaration.org/
Yes and it’s money-driven nonsense.
But it is BS! Must have been the wishful thinking in the beginning, since then a lot more younger and otherwise healthy people died and the nonsense called “herd immunity” by infection was the UK-govt’s first idea and it had disastrous consequences.
Excess mortality for 2020 is the same as for any other year. FACT.
Sweden (herd immunity approach/no lockdown) did not experience excess mortality. FACT.
The excess death ‘spike’ of early 2020 was due to older people dying earlier due to stress-related illness caused by lockdown. FACT.
Influenza magically disappeared over last winter. FACT.
I could go on.
These are facts but you can choose to continue to believe the 24/7 media/government brain washing.
Furthermore, your off-hand slandering of eminent immunologists/oncologists/virologists behind the Great Barrington declaration is ignorant, to say the least.
None of the above is fact except that the flu disappearewd because people were wearing masks. The excess mortality has been huge, Sweden has gor the highest toll amongst all the scandinavian countries and there are more virologists and immunologist not supporting this crap than supporting it. And I’m not believing the UK govt either. I don’t live in the UK. I live in country, Greece, that has done well implementing protective measures – lockdown and masks – from the off. As a result they have been able to have a decent summer season.
Those are the official stats: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending26february2021
On the one hand I guess it is for money and revenues and I understand his point, but it is still a little bit pushing the boat. It’s otherwise hard to comprehend why he is so interested in making the people the experiment of spreading the virus, to me it’s not too appealing. As to 60% already vaccinated: OK, we are in Scotland, not in England, but we got out first dose yesterday and were told the next dose will be in 12 weeks or so, and I’m not sure it is necessarily so much better elsewhere. I don’t see why he is not satisfied with a more gradual return.
On the other hand, the liberal in me say that if people are willing to pay for it and take the test and then the risk, let them do it, it’s their risk. The problem is that it’s the players’ risk too and that is not fair IMO.
And in general I’d advise him to refrain from irritating statements like this: ‘For someone to tell me it’s too soon, I say to them: “Please show me your doctorate so I can take your opinion seriously.”
yup… although I could show him my doctorate…
If one needs a doctorate to have an opinion on the policy regarding the pandemic, then Barry Hearn should shut up as he does not have one.
Barry should be criminally liable for the deaths / “Long Covid” health impacts of anyone who contracts COVID at the event.
I am now convinced he is nothing but a money hungry a-hole.
Sorry for the strong thoughts, but there are way too many false negatives with testing, vaccine efficacy is questionable for several of the covid variants, and cases are still going up despite the rollout of vaccines.
Yes, it all really sucks, but getting lax sooner will just result in more pain for much longer!
If nothing else, it’s completely unfair to the players – why should they put their health at any greater risk to play than they already are?
I think the players need to get together and demand no crowds.
I think that there aren’t many false negatives, and the vaccines are efficient, but they mainly protect from developping severe symptoms, not from being infected and it’s unclear at this stage if vaccinated persons can or can’t pass the virus if infected. Also, if some fans book tickets for several days in a row, will they be asked to re-test? And if so how frequently? Relying on people common sense and social awareness when they bought tickets that are anything but cheap for the latest rounds is either extremely naïve, irresponsible or plain dishonest. Most may well act responsibly but there will always be a few who won’t.