Given its 24-year span at the Crucible, it seems odd that only two players from outside Britain have won the world championship. The competition arrived in Sheffield in 1977 when the theatre-going wife of organiser Mike Watterson pointed out that the venue would be perfect for watching snooker. Since then only Canada's Cliff Thorburn (1980) and Ireland's Ken Doherty (1997) have managed to usurp local domination. Obviously Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor have both won it but they've been categorised as British players.

The press area in the Crucible is smoky and overcrowded. The players area is worse. However, Jimmy White has criticised calls to move the event to a different venue in order to give the championship a bigger profile. The Crucible holds 980 people but organisers believe more people and media outlets are becoming interested. A move to London has been mooted as Embassy's sponsorship is forced to end and the next year or two will probably signify the end of an era for snooker in Sheffield.