It’s time for the annual highs and lows review, and there are many talking points over the course of 2024 in snooker to recall.
Soon we’ll take a look at some of the best moments and memories from the year gone by.
But today, let’s recount some of the low talking points that have engulfed the game over the course of the last year.
The Lows
Crexit
There is no escaping the chatter surrounding the future destination of the World Snooker Championship.
In 2024, the discussion on whether it should stay at the Crucible Theatre or leave to find a new home has rarely been far away from the discourse.
The contract to remain in Sheffield, as everyone will know by now, expires in 2027, and it is still up in the air as to what will happen beyond that date.
World Snooker Tour supremo Barry Hearn has been been consistently putting pressure on Sheffield City Council to come up with an answer.
But with aspirations to grow the sport, particularly in a financial sense, the possibility of the sport’s flagship event moving away from its spiritual home grows more and more likely.
The debate already creates conflict among fans and players, but it could get even messier and more emotional the nearer the clock counts down to the deadline date.
The Saudi debate
Crexit wasn’t the only major talking point of 2024 that split sides, with Saudi Arabia equally at the forefront of people’s agenda.
The country has been widely criticised for using international sport as a means to mask its questionable human rights record.
Snooker became the latest game to be welcomed into the country with three tournaments being staged in Riyadh, including a first ranking event that was dramatically won by Judd Trump.
There were also two invitational tournaments that introduced a controversial new golden ball worth 20 points that could only be potted at the end of a 147 break.
Players were, understandably it has to be said, pleased to be given opportunities to earn significantly more prize money.
But crass gimmicks like the golden ball, a mostly sparse turnout in terms of attendance, and propaganda levels of promotion from on-site media didn’t help to quell the popular opinion of sportswashing.
More scandals
It seems to be impossible for a year to go by without something shameful happening to one of the sport’s players.
In 2024, there were two such disgraceful instances.
After being suspended for more than a year-and-a-half, the match-fixing case involving Mark King finally concluded.
The former Northern Ireland Open champion and world number 11 was found guilty and handed a five-year ban.
Even worse than that was the dire situation involving two-time ranking event winner Michael White.
The Welshman, a former winner of the Indian Open and the Paul Hunter Classic, was sent to prison for three years in June for domestic violence offences.
The Belgian Blank
On the face of it, it might seem a bit weird to call out a player who continues to be officially ranked as the eighth-best player in the world.
But 2024 was undoubtedly a year to forget for the misfiring 29 year-old known as the Belgian Bullet.
Brecel won the World Mixed Doubles title alongside Reanne Evans and reached the finals of two invitational events in Saudi Arabia.
His form elsewhere, and especially in ranking events, throughout the calendar year was nothing short of abysmal, however.
The £500,000 prize from winning the 2023 World Championship comes off his two-year ranking tally in May, which will see his ranking plummet to outside the top 50 as things stand.
Brecel has made no secret of the fact that he has outside interests, including spending time in Mallorca and preparing to be an Ironman competitor.
Yet for someone of such talent and pedigree, it’s a shame to see his prodigious potential on the table seemingly wasted.
Farewell friends
Snooker bid farewell to a lot of familiar names who sadly passed away during the year of 2024.
Six-time world champion Ray Reardon died at the age of 91 in July after a battle with cancer, while fellow Welsh great Terry Griffiths died on the day of the UK Championship final at the age of 77.
Commentator and journalist Clive Everton, a former player who was the editor of the Snooker Scene Magazine, also passed away in September aged 87 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
New Zealander Dene O’Kane, who reached a career-high of number 18 in the world rankings, died at the more tender age of 61 following a fall at his home.
Ex-WPBSA chairman Mark Wildman, regarded as among the first to compile a televised century break, also passed away in November, aged 88.
And on the day this article was published, it was announced that former British Open champion Silvino Francisco had passed away at the age of 78.
The 2024 snooker review will continue on Wednesday with a look at some of the positive talking points from the last year.
Featured photo credit: WST
Prediction for Lows of 2025:
“Matthew Selt receives 2 year prison sentence for taking several player and referee hostage following defeat in World Championship Qualiiers. Police finally brought the situation to a close by acquiescing to Selt’s demands that the table be checked for roll offs”
Dave Hendon doesn’t think it will move away when the new deal is renewed. He’s repeated many times, despite very few acknowledging this, no offers are on the table from the Saudis. World Snooker are negotiating with Sheffield and Hendon seems bullish about it staying at the Crucible.
Brecel’s descent has been incredible. The last couple of tournaments suggest 2025 could witness a resurgence however.