Hearn looking for Barbican to follow in Crucible’s success

World Snooker chairman Hearn is a massive fan of the Crucible, his ‘theatre of dreams’, and yesterday’s double revelation that the UK Championship will return to the 1,500-seater York Barbican and the Masters will be switched from Wembley to Alexandra Palace is part of his long-term plan to revolutionise snooker.

The Barbican last hosted the UK Championsip - snooker’s second largest event after the World Championship in Sheffield - in 2006, but after a £2m revamp which sees the venue re-open its doors next month, the ranking event will return on December 3-11 and be screened to millions with TV deals in place for coverage on BBC, Eurosport and China’s CCTV.

Hearn has a winning formula at the Crucible, record ticket sales and over 40,000 people will attend the 17 days of snooker in Sheffield, but it’s the atmosphere and drama which he hopes to replicate in York and the Ally Pally.

“The Barbican is an atmospheric venue, and that is what we wanted to create,” said Hearn.

“We are looking for that intimacy that makes it so special. We have to create that, even watching snooker on TV at the Crucible, it can make you tingle. We want to create that at the Barbican and Alexandra Palace.

“We go back to the Barbican where we had such enormous success and i know the people of York will be thrilled that we are coming back.

“The UK Championship has had several homes, but returns to York, its rightful home.

“Apart from the races, this is going to be the second biggest sporting event in York,” said Hearn, who also revealed a new National Snooker Week from July 25-29, where Rileys snooker clubs across the country will open their doors and offer free play and coaching.

The Barbican deal was described by Hearn as “an initial one”, but stressed: “This is a long-term commitment, it’s not a quick date, it’s a marriage.

“These are just initial deals now, but they are going to be extended, because I have no reason to think we won’t be there for the next several years.”

The UK Championship’s return to York has been greeted with delight by the city.

“It’s a real coup for York and the refurbished Barbican, so we are very excited about that,” said Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York. “We like to thing we welcome all of our seven million visitors to York, but this is a bit special. It helps put York on the map for hosting prestigious events. What better way to do it than host an event like this.”

Paula Wilson, marketing manager at York Barbican, added: “We are thrilled. We really wanted snooker to come back to the Barbican, that was one of our main aims. It’s fantastic we have been able to secure it for the people of York.”

At the Betfred.com World Championship last night, Graeme Dott staged a fightback to trail this year’s surprise package Judd Trump 11-5.

Dott had been 11-2 down and looking at losing with a session to spare before breaks of 72, 120 and 122 cut the deficit.

And it was the same 11-5 scoreline on the neighbouring table, as Welshman Mark Williams continued his fine form to lead Mark Allen.

In the other two quarter-finals, Sheffield-based Ding Junhui leads Mark Selby 5-3, while Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins are tied at 4-4.