Allen takes a swipe at Hearns after UK win

Mark Allen booked his place in the second round of the williamhill.com UK Championships in York yesterday and immediately launched an attack on World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, during which he suggested he should leave his post.

World No 12 Allen was rarely troubled as he brushed past Adrian Gunnell 6-3 but, rather than celebrate his win, he chose to hit out at Hearn, who moved in at the head of the game 18 months ago. Northern Ireland’s Allen claimed Hearn, who was voted in by the players, had vowed not to make changes to the sport’s major tournaments, and is therefore unhappy that the first and second-round matches of this event, considered to be the second biggest on the calendar, have been reduced from 17 frames to 11.

The 25-year-old reckons the World Championship could be the next to suffer, believing snooker is starting to replicate one of Hearn’s other sports, darts, and said: “The players don’t really matter, so **** the players.

“When Barry came in, one of the first things he said was that the World Championships, UK and Masters wouldn’t be touched. Only 18 months later, the UK format has changed. I don’t think he’s pleasing too many players, but anyone who voted for him has only got themselves to blame. I wasn’t one of them. I’ve got no doubt he’ll tweak the World Championship. Barry’s just there to make money for himself, it doesn’t really matter about the players. The tradition of the game is going to pot.

“It’s not all about bringing people in to watch and have a good time, shouting and having a drink. He [Hearn] needs to get away from the darts factor. It’s getting close to that. I think in the long run he’ll probably do good for snooker, but not for my generation. It’s time to let someone else have a go.”

Meanwhile, Judd Trump had a patchy 6-4 win over Dominic Dale and will play Ronnie O’Sullivan in a mouthwatering last-16 clash this afternoon. Twenty-two-year-old Trump has emerged as the heir apparent to O’Sullivan as the people’s champion, but he said O’Sullivan will be favourite to win today.

He said: “Ronnie is playing the best he has played for a long time. Hopefully I can give him a good game but I think the pressure is on him. He is expected to beat me. He is expected to beat everyone.”