Snooker stars fear a player could be STABBED and warn of ‘Monica Seles moment’ after World Championship protest fury
MARK ALLEN and Mark Williams both feared that snooker could have experienced its own ‘Monica Seles moment’.
And former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn has called for tougher punishments for protesters who disrupt major sporting events.
Play on Monday evening was halted as two protestors stormed the Crucible floor – with one guy jumping on a table and ruining the cloth with an explosion of orange powder.
Though nobody was hurt and security took away the two activists, the incident shook up the players, officials and fans.
Since the first World Championship were held there in 1977, supporters have loved the privilege of being so close to the action in this Sheffield theatre.
Yet it was in the back of everybody’s minds that events could have taken a turn for worse.
Tennis star Seles, 49, was subjected to a horror attack from a crazed man when she was stabbed in the back on April 30, 1993 when playing rival Steffi Graf in Hamburg, Germany.
Three-time world champion Williams slammed the two anarchists and then said: “Only problem is they could have had knifes on them. Mad.”
While the Robert Milkins versus Joe Perry tie was stopped, Allen was fortune to carry on his first-round match with Fan Zhengyi because referee Olivier Marteel had blocked a woman from damaging the table.
The Pistol, 37, said: “Safety is paramount at this event for players, staff and audience. That situation was far from ideal.
“Like Mark Williams said, it could have been a lot more serious.
“It makes what Marteel did even more impressive. He just instinctively acted.
“It could have been a lot worse. It could have been weapons, knives, whatever. Who knows?
“The security people here do an amazing job, so I’m not going to criticise them.
“It’s hard to watch 900-plus people in that crowd and keep your eye on everyone all the time.
“They did their best, in hindsight maybe they could do things a little bit differently but they handled it very well.”
Qualifier Perry, 48, said: “I was in a state of shock when it happened.
“You don’t expect to see anything like that anywhere, especially at the Crucible. I didn’t know what to think in the beginning. It was bit unnerving at the time.”
Security was beefed up on Tuesday with fans patted down by staff as they entered the Crucible, bags thoroughly searched and there was a notable police presence in Tudor Square.
World Snooker Tour said: “We have increased existing security measures around the event at the Crucible.
“Extra security has been positioned within the arena and on the floor of play.
“Only very small bags will be allowed into the arena and these will be vigorously searched. Any larger bags must be left in the cloakroom.
“We also continue to liaise with local law enforcement authorities regarding these procedures.”
Hearn – who stood down as snooker boss two years ago – said: “It wasn’t so long ago someone jumped over and knifed a player in the back.
“So for the players, officials, the first reaction is fear, isn’t it?
“In this world we live in. Is it a terrorist? Is it someone with a mental disorder? No, it’s some silly bloke throwing paint powder everywhere.
“It’d help me a lot if there were more clearly-defined penalties for people that are subsequently found guilty of an offence of this nature.
“I don’t see any deterrence. We do live in a black and white world, there are rules to follow. It’s called a democracy. It’s not an anarchy, it’s a democracy.
“If people break those rules then there must be a deterrent to stop others doing it again.
“I don’t think they’re in place, because like everything else, we’ve all gone a bit soft.”