Northern Ireland Open: Mark Allen says players' contracts with WST are too restrictive

Mark Allen reached the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championship in Sheffield

Mark Allen has expressed support for players on the World Snooker Tour having more freedom to choose their playing schedule, claiming that their current contracts are "very restrictive".

His comments come after five players, including world champion Luca Brecel, John Higgins and Mark Selby, faced potential disciplinary action given their intent to take part in an exhibition event in Macau rather than participate in this year's Northern Ireland Open, which starts on Sunday in Belfast.

The trio, along with Ali Carter and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, were set to skip the Waterfront Hall tournament to accept lucrative offers to play in the Far East, with WST claiming that their actions would be "a breach of the terms of their player contract".

Agreement was subsequently reached that the Macau exhibition would be rescheduled to take place before Christmas, thereby avoiding a clash with a WST event. The five players will still not compete at the NI Open.

"I'm very strongly in the players' camp on that one," world number four Allen told BBC Sport NI.

"I understand we have a contract with WST and legally by the wording of the contract they [WST] are right, but it doesn't mean the contract is fair.

"I think for me the players need to be stronger and stand up to World Snooker and renegotiate this contract because it's very restrictive of what we can and can't do.

"I was offered the opportunity to play in Macau and the only reason I didn't was that it would clash with Belfast. I wouldn't miss Belfast. It means a lot to me and sometimes it's not just about money for me.

"If it had been an offer for me to play in Macau during the Scottish Open or English Open, then I'm pretty sure I'd have been there in a heartbeat with the money that was involved.

"I think it's a worrying sign, a sign of things to come. I think it's going to happen a lot more in the next few years.

"I think the promoters of these events overseas know that the players are unhappy and are willing to take that opportunity to cash in. It's up to World Snooker to do better in my opinion."

In response to Allen's comments WST chairman Steve Dawson said: "We understand that a small group of the top players may want to compete in extra exhibition events, and we have always been willing to work with independent promoters to find dates which do not clash with our main events.

"We never maliciously withhold this opportunity to players and will always work with them to find solutions as has been the case in this situation."

• O'Sullivan withdraws from NI Open 'for medical reasons'

The 37-year-old has been crowned Northern Ireland Open champion in each of the last two years, but believes the financial rewards on offer for these Home Nations events could be better.

"Events like the Northern Ireland Open, English Open, Scottish Open, the prize money has stagnated in the seven or eight years that they have been running," he added.

"If players see the opportunity of picking up more money overseas for less work then, no matter what business you are in, you are going to take it."

'Human rights issues none of my business'

Reports indicate that negotiations to add a new tournament in Saudi Arabia to the WST calendar are nearing a conclusion, with Allen keen to take part despite the country's controversial human rights record on a number of fronts.

"I've spoken openly about this [Saudi Arabia] and I'm not getting involved in any of the human rights issues that have been well talked about. That's none of my business," said the Northern Irishman.

"I'm just looking at it from a snooker player's perspective - there would be another tournament on the calendar, there's money involved, there's a chance for me to play in another event and provide for my family.

"That's the bottom line, that's the way I'm looking at it. If it goes ahead I'll be there."

Antrim's Allen believes some improvements could be made to the current WST schedule, which this season includes the return of ranking events in China for the first time since pre-Covid pandemic days in 2019.

"I think the schedule looks great on paper, but it could be a lot better," said Allen, winner of nine ranking events.

"It's great having China back, we're looked after really well there, you get the red carpet treatment, you want for nothing when you are in China. A lot of events here can probably learn a thing or two from them.

"World Snooker have filled the calendar with things they don't need to fill it with, lots of qualifying events that are taking six or seven days that used to take two.

"They are using less tables and more days to make the calendar look better in my opinion."

In response to Allen's comments on the issues of the calendar and Home Nations prizemoney, WST chairman Dawson commented: "We exist to protect the tour as a whole and to act for all 130 players, and this is how we have developed the calendar globally, and grown overall prize money to record levels, set to hit £14 million this season, which is an increase of 25% compared to 2022/23.

"Every tournament this season has attracted massive crowds, with ticket records consistently broken, which indicates the success of the tour.

"Mark's comment on the Home Nations prize money is not accurate as there was a significant increase in 2022.

"The calendar is based on a wide variety of factors and input from broadcasters, commercial partners, and venues around the world. It is often a complex challenge, but we build the tour with the interests of the players as the highest priority."

'I feel I've been under-appreciated'

Allen also recently lodged an official complaint to WST over how he is promoted by the governing body, alleging that he has been too often left out of their promotional and branding activity.

"It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction. I feel like it's been coming for a long time, like I've been under-appreciated in the sport," said the 2022 UK Championship winner.

"It's not that I'm saying I'm an all-time great or anything, I'm not putting myself in that category and there are other people that are going to deserve promotion ahead of me.

"I get that but I feel that there are people who weren't doing as well in the sport were getting a lot more coverage than I was.

"It felt like it was time for me to call them out on it so I pieced together a very long email going back six years, different instances of things that have happened in those six years, dates, when they happened, and what happened.

"I got a very political response, just the usual stuff, that probably isn't going to change anything going forward."

In response, WST chairman Dawson added: "We have had correspondence with Mark on these issues and we have offered to meet him in person, which so far he has been reluctant to do. We always prefer to engage with the players on a personal level and at regular player meetings.

"In terms of promotion, Mark features in a lot of our content particularly around the events where he is defending champion.

"There are more great and popular players than ever before so we have to make decisions, for every tournament. on which of them to include in promotional campaigns to maximise awareness and ticket sales. We have recently written to Mark to address this issue."

Death of 'coach and friend'

Last season Allen was named Player of the Year for the first time after winning the UK Championship, Northern Ireland Open and World Grand Prix, but in the early stages of this campaign has struggled to consistently find his best form.

He was beaten 4-0 by Kyren Wilson in the second round of the British Open in late September, but then compiled four consecutive centuries in beating Mostafa Dorgam in the opening round of the English Open.

A disappointing last-32 exit to Matthew Selt followed however, while the recent Wuhan Open yielded his best result of the season to date, falling to Carter in the quarter-finals.

Allen points to the death of his former coach Joe Shortt during the summer as one of the contributory factors for his struggles, both at a professional and personal level.

"I haven't started the season well, I've been poor up to this point," he said. "I've been practicing really hard too.

"It's been frustrating because I feel like I've been putting the work in and doing the right things.

"I had just started practicing after nine weeks off and Joe sadly died. It's been hard, it's been a big adjustment for me.

"He would have been the one who would have helped me tighten up things for the new season. He was one of my closest friends, not just my coach.

"I'm not using that as an excuse though. I know I just need to perform better and find a way to make it work and I haven't done that yet."

Mark Allen beat Zhou Yuelong 9-4 in the final of the 2022 Northern Ireland Open

'Technical kink' hindering game

The former Champion of Champions winner has referenced "a technical kink" in his game which has also been significant in hampering his early-season performances.

"There's a technical issue that has been there for a few months now and I believe it's still there. Normally I can iron out these kinks myself, but with not having Jo to sort of touch on I feel I need to try something different.

"I'm starting with a new coach this week and it may not work in time for Belfast, but I feel I need to do something."

Sports psychologist Paul Gaffney also plays an important role in Allen's preparations.

"I speak to Paul probably at least three times a week and during tournaments pretty much every day," added Allen.

"He looks after the mental side of things, so I'm keen to get a bit of a team around me."

Allen believes the absence of players like Brecel, Higgins and Selby will not detract from the NI Open as he bids to secure a third successive win at the Belfast tournament.

World number one Ronnie O'Sullivan will be an additional absentee, having pulled out of the tournament on Friday for medical reasons.

"One or two of the top 16 have probably been missing every year so the tournament will still survive," he said.

"It's a shame for the Belfast crowd, I'm sure they'd have loved to see those players that obviously aren't going to be there, but the event will still be great.

"There are a lot of events coming up before Christmas, so it would be good to hit some form and win a few tournaments before Christmas."

'I didn't handle the pressure well'

The twice World Championship semi-finalist heads to the Waterfront Hall next week with the chance to become only the fifth player in snooker history to win the same ranking title in three consecutive years if he were to collect the Alex Higgins Trophy.

A third straight triumph would see him join a very elite group of players who have won a particular ranking event for three years in a row, alongside Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Judd Trump.

Success in Belfast was not the norm for Allen for several years however as he perennially underperformed at his 'home' event for many years.

"If someone had said to me a few years ago that I'd be sitting here as a two-time defending champion I'd have said they were crazy given my early performances," said Allen.

"I didn't handle the pressure of the event well, with the pressure I put on myself.

"I've just had to learn what to do and prepare for the event the way I would for any other tournament.

"Four years ago I started staying in a hotel, rather than travelling from home, and didn't get involved with any ticket issues with family or friends.

"I played some good stuff that week, even though I lost, and since that I've won the last two years.

"Hopefully this year will be more of the same. It doesn't guarantee success, but I feel like I made those mistakes in the early years by getting too involved in other things."

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