Mark Williams slams 'pathetic' snooker chiefs after claiming son was banned at Crucible

Updated 20/04/2019 at 22:22 GMT

Mark Williams hit out at “pathetic” World Snooker chiefs for allegedly denying his son access to his dressing room before his first-round match with Martin Gould at the Crucible Theatre.

Mark Williams in action.

Image credit: Eurosport

World Snooker Championship results/schedule

The world champion - who completed a 10-7 win to progress on the first day of the tournament in Sheffield - was left in a state of disbelief after being informed his 12-year-old son Kian would not be allowed to see him before his match because he had used his allocation of two backstage passes.

Williams feels it is the latest in a long line of shabby treatment he has been subjected to since winning a third world title a year ago with an 18-16 win over John Higgins.

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“They’ve obviously got some kind of grief with me," he said.

“Whatever it is, you’ll have to ask them. I’ve been having this sort of nonsense over the season, and this morning..I couldn’t believe it.

“The boy tried to get in, and they wouldn’t let him in. I was told I couldn’t have any more than two passes.

“My missus said would it be okay to go in to say good luck, and they said no. It is unbelievable.

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They will say: There’s nothing wrong, great world champion, they’d love to see me win it again. what a load of cr*p. They’re strict, but they wouldn’t let a 12-year-old boy in to say good luck. That’s strict or pathetic? Pathetic in my eyes.

“That’s what he comes up for, that’s what he likes. My missus put it out there. It was the last straw.

“If you are world champion you expect some kind of privilege. I’ve been on the outside tables at the events in China.

“In Shanghai, I played in this little hotel room. I wasn’t even in the same building as the main arena. Frightening. But it’s only my opinion.”

World Snooker denied claims they had banned any children from the backstage area.

A World Snooker spokesman said: “Every player in the event is allocated two backstage passes. And they can make their own decisions who give those to. At no point were his children refused entry.”

First-round results and latest scores (best of 19 frames)

Mark Williams (Wal) 10-7 Martin Gould (Eng)
David Gilbert (Eng) v Joe Perry (Eng)
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Li Hang (Chn)
Kyren Wilson (Eng) v Scott Donaldson (Sco)
John Higgins (Sco) v Mark Davis (Eng)
Stuart Bingham (Eng) v Graeme Dott (Sco)
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Luo Honghao (Chn)
Neil Robertson (Aus) 9-0 Michael Georgiou (Cyp)
Mark Selby (Eng) v Zhao Xintong (Chn)
Luca Brecel (Bel) 5-4 Gary Wilson (Eng)
Jack Lisowski (Eng) v Ali Carter (Eng)
Mark Allen (NI) v Zhou Yeulong (Chn)
Judd Trump (Eng) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha)
Ding Junhui (Chn) 6-3 Anthony McGill (Sco)
Stephen Maguire (Sco) 4-5 Tian Pengfei (Chn)
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v James Cahill (Eng)

Desmond Kane

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