'The only choice' – Snooker star Mark Allen opens up on bankruptcy ahead of Northern Ireland Open
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Updated 13/10/2022 at 08:08 GMT
Mark Allen has faced a troubling past 12 months after declaring himself bankrupt following a sustained spell of frivolous spending. The 36-year-old has also struggled with his weight and was forced to make huge changes to his lifestyle, which saw him lose five stone in the space of four months. Allen now turns his attention to the defence of his Northern Open title, which begins on Sunday.
Late crowd drama as Allen wins Northern Ireland Open
Mark Allen has declared himself bankrupt and opened up about the reasons for his current financial woes.
The Northern Irish snooker star concedes he made “some wrong moves” in the past and reflected on a tumultuous period as the money went out as fast as it came in.
"I just overspent in every aspect of my life," he told BBC Sport .
"Bankruptcy was the only choice. It's easy to read that I made £3.5m on the table, but I spent it as fast it was coming in.
"It was sad saying that given what I've made in the game and how well I've done. It's embarrassing, but the priority now is to get my life in order.
"I didn't put any aside for a rainy day and if I was having a bad season I was still spending as if I was having a good season."
The 36-year-old has also been through an arduous divorce process, explaining how the various legal fees have all added up.
"You don't put enough away for tax and everything just snowballs. All the legal stuff with the divorce, if you have to pay for lawyers and barristers, it all mounts up,” he added.
"If I could go back I would be more sensible with money. If there was a car available at £50,000 I bought one at £80,000. If there was a house available at £1,500 per month, I'd spend on one at £2,500.
"Everything just snowballed. I'm currently in rented accommodation. It's a bit embarrassing to say as number 10 in the world.
"I'm on guaranteed earnings going forward now and that takes away the risk of having a good season or bad."
There are signs that the tide could be turning for Allen, who reached the British Open final in Milton Keynes earlier this month. He recorded stand-out victories over Judd Trump and Mark Selby ahead of a 10-7 defeat to Ryan Day in the final.
Allen revealed how his dramatic weight loss played a key role in his recovery, losing five stone in the space of four months last season.
'I did it for my life, not my snooker,” he explained.
"I had conversations with my partner Aideen and just said that I wasn't feeling good in myself. I felt heavy, not healthy when I was playing snooker.
"One of my friends said he worried about me getting too big, too unhealthy, and said if you keep going the way you are going, then you're not going to be able to walk your daughter down the aisle.
"It was harsh but exactly what I needed to hear. Literally two days later I started eating better and instantly changing everything.
"The first six to eight weeks were really hard as it involved a total change when it came to eating.
"There were times last year when given my size I was uncomfortable on some of my shots, I couldn't reach certain shots and, because I play at a fast pace, I could feel it on my breathing. It should help my game."
Allen’s focus now turns to the defence of the Northern Ireland Open title which begins this Sunday, a year after he was crowned champion during the height of his ordeal.
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The Home Nations series returns on Sunday with the Northern Ireland Open live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, from Saturday at 8pm.
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