Judd Trump makes U-turn to urge snooker chiefs to crack down on fans - 'Stamp it out'

Judd Trump has urged snooker chiefs to ‘stamp out’ a darts-like atmosphere at the Crucible after his exit. The number one reached the semi-finals in Sheffield but came unstuck during his last four showdown with

He slipped to a 17-14 defeat to his opposite number, and after his elimination complained about the crowd's reaction to missed shots.

In frame 26 of the clash with Williams, the 35-year-old failed to pot a red with a fan at the Crucible appearing to call out: "What was that?" Trump then walked back to his chair, while sending a clear glare towards the audience.

And speaking after the match, the 2019 winner urged organisers to intervene to ensure atmospheres do not get too rowdy in the future. He said: 'We don’t really want the darts atmosphere.

“I don’t mind if they’re cheering when he's potted a ball or cheering ‘go on Mark’ as he’s walking to the table. I think it’s something we’ve got to stamp out immediately going forward.

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“It’s a little bit annoying because we didn’t used to have that kind of thing. Hopefully in the future that can be stamped out immediately.”

Ironically, it appears to be somewhat of a u-turn from Trump, who in 2022 called on chiefs to try and make the sport more appealing to a younger audience. He said: “I felt like the first 10-15 years of my career I’ve been silent. If no one else speaks up, at my age and where I am in the rankings, I need to speak up and be honest,’ he explained.

“I think there are things that can be done. This year I’ve been to quite a few other sports to see how things work behind the scenes.

“It’s not on the table, that takes care of itself, but around the venue there’s more stuff to do, a bit more lively, more atmosphere, DJs that kind of thing. Just having more to do in between games.

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“A lot of people I speak to who come to see me and don’t necessarily watch snooker, they say there’s nothing going on before the game, after the game, during the game. I know it comes down to money, but they need to make the investment.”

But while Trump made his feelings very clear, Williams completely disagreed. Asked about the atmosphere, he replied: "It makes no difference to me.

“I play in a club which is loud and noisy. I used to play in a club donkey's years ago where they're fighting around my table at 10, 11 o'clock in the morning. They can shout whatever they want when I'm at the table, makes no difference to me."

Heading into the final, Williams endured a tricky start against as the 28-year-old opened up a 7-1 advantage. But he managed to claim five of nine frames during Sunday’s second session to leave the scores sitting at 11-6 overnight.

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