Lucky Crucible fan bags £25,000 prize as Mark Allen makes history with 147 at World Championship despite trailing 10-2
MARK ALLEN had the Crucible crowd on their feet and he celebrated the first 147 of this year's World Snooker Championship.
The
2
Mark Allen hit the first 147 of the World Snooker Championship this year
Credit: PA
The Northern Ireland potter managed to keep the cue ball under control and put his hand up in the air in celebration before the final black went down just before Noon.
The 980 fans were on their feet in jubilation and one lucky punter, selected pre-game by sponsors Midnite, earned themselves £25,000.
Allen, the world no.8, will receive a £40,000 bonus from the World Snooker Tour for this perfect frame.
It is the 217th 147 ever in professional snooker, the 15th seen at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and the fifth of Allen's competitive career.
READ MORE ON SNOOKER
He will also share the £15,000 highest break prize with Welshman Jackson Page -- who made two 147s in qualifying but then failed to make it to the main draw.
Should Allen hit one more maximum break in this encounter, then he will get a £147,000 prize – a cash incentive for the feat across the Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Masters.
The way he raised his right hand in the air was reminiscent of how his hero
Wakelin – who dominated the frames on Friday morning and threatened to win with a session to spare – rose from his chair and shook Allen's hands.
Most read in Snooker
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
It was a remarkable feat given that Allen had not scored a single point in frames 10-13 before one of the best moments of his life.
The crowd roared in approval and
Moment Mark Selby pretends to hit snooker rival Mark Allen with cue during Masters defeat
2
It's a moment you can only dream of, to make a 147 at the Crucible.
'It is something you dream of all your life as a snooker player, a moment he will never ever forget in his life.
'The person who probably didn't enjoy it the most was Mark Williams's good friend, Jackson Page, who had two 147s at the qualifiers.
'Though he won £147,000 for that, he will now have to share the high break prize of £15,000 with Mark, who also wins the £40,000 for making a 147.'
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
1969 - John Spencer
1970 -
1971 - John Spencer
1972 - Alex Higgins
1973 - Ray Reardon (2)
1974 - Ray Reardon (3)
1975 - Ray Reardon (4)
1976 - Ray Reardon (5)
1977 - John Spencer (2)
1978 - Ray Reardon (6)
1979 - Terry Griffiths
1980 - Cliff Thorburn
1981 -
1982 - Alex Higgins (2)
1983 - Steve Davis (2)
1984 - Steve Davis (3)
1985 -
1986 - Joe Johnson
1987 - Steve Davis (4)
1988 - Steve Davis (5)
1989 - Steve Davis (6)
1990 -
1991 - John Parrott
1992 - Stephen Hendry (2)
1993 - Stephen Hendry (3)
1994 - Stephen Hendry (4)
1995 - Stephen Hendry (5)
1996 - Stephen Hendry (6)
1997 -
1998 -
1999 - Stephen Hendry (7)
2000 -
2001 -
2002 -
2003 - Mark Williams (2)
2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2)
2005 - Shaun Murphy
2006 - Graeme Dott
2007 - John Higgins (2)
2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3)
2009 - John Higgins (3)
2010 - Neil Robertson
2011 - John Higgins (4)
2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)
2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)
2014 -
2015 -
2016 - Mark Selby (2)
2017 - Mark Selby (3)
2018 - Mark Williams (3)
2019 -
2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6)
2021 - Mark Selby (4)
2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7)
2023 -
2024 -
Most World Titles
(modern era)
7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan
6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby
3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams
2 - Alex Higgins
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Incredible rise of Luke Littler from £2m winnings, record world title and MBE – one of seven darts stars to get honour
FROM Alexandra Palace to the Royal Palaces, what an extraordinary ride it has been for Luke Littler. Two years ago, he was just a normal, Advertisement 5 Luke Littler has risen to the top of darts in a rapid rise Credit: Getty 5 He became world champion in January Credit: PA What has happened since is one of the most sensational stories in British sport. A shock World Championship final run in 2024, turning pro, taking the oche by storm, global popularity, And now he will go, by royal appointment, to collect an MBE as part of the King's Birthday Honours list. Advertisement READ MORE ON DARTS It is not often Littler swaps his darts shirts for a suit but, at 18 years old, he is one of the youngest people to be bestowed a gong by the Royal Family. Littler's ranking rival and They are two of only seven darts stars to have been acknowledged for their exploits. The late Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Trina Gulliver, Fallon Sherrock and Keith Deller are the other tungsten members of the British Empire. Advertisement Most read in Darts Breaking JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Sixteen-time world champ Phil Taylor had been set to receive an MBE in 2001. But his nomination was annulled after a controversial court case saw him found guilty of assaulting two female fans in the back of his camper van and fined £2,000. Luke Littler reveals he's signed up to HUGE reality show alongside YouTuber mate 5 Luke has a deal with boohooMAN Credit: BooHoo Advertisement 5 He is also a multiple world-record holder 5 He will appear on Gogglebox alongside AngryGinge Barry Hearn, the promotion mastermind behind darts' global rise, got an MBE in December 2021 and pins it to his cricket bat when he plays for Essex over-70s. Honours committees have tended to be snobbish towards working-class sports like darts and snooker. Advertisement But with Littler's five major titles, added to eight for Humphries — and two PDC world crowns between them — there is no denying their incredible impact. Particularly Littler. Grown men wear his shirts, emblazoned with his nickname The Nuke, while magnetic dartboards with his face on them sold out. As an amateur, he reached the Ally Pally world final — aged 16 — losing to world No 1 Humphries. Littler's rookie season was one of sport's most incredible debut years, seeing him voted second behind Olympic 800 metres champion Advertisement Littler has been a credit to the sport, constantly polite and co-operative with the press, the PDC and their sponsors. This kid from humble stock — his dad was a taxi driver, his mum worked in a Yankee Candle shop — now joins the establishment. Who knows, maybe one day he will work his way all the way up to a knighthood? Sir Luke Littler? That really does hit the bullseye. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Emma Raducanu gets treatment for back injury in worrying scenes as she crashes out of Queen's 17 days before Wimbledon
EMMA RADUCANU took a medical timeout and struggled with a niggling back injury as she crashed out of the Queen's tournament. Seventeen days before Wimbledon opens its doors for the 2025 Championships, the biggest name in British tennis is once again having to Advertisement 3 Emma Raducanu needed treatment during her quarter-final at Queen's Credit: PA 3 She was beaten by Qinwen Zheng Credit: Getty After losing the first set of her quarter-final tie with Qinwen Zheng, on the hottest day of the year thus far, the Kent hitter went to the changing rooms to undergo treatment. It all relates to back spasms she suffered before the French Open and prior to arriving in Paris, the 22-year-old had to It was on these grounds nearly 12 months ago that Andy Murray injured his back and ended up never playing another singles match. It is not as severe as that but still, those in Raducanu's camp will be praying this incident does not disrupt her plans as she hopes to play in Berlin next week and then Eastbourne before a fourth appearance in the Wimbledon main draw. Advertisement READ MORE ON TENNIS Zheng, the world No.5, won 6-2 6-4 in a drawn-out affair and will now face an American in the semi-finals – it will either be Emma Navarro or Amanda Anisimova on Saturday. Before walking out into the Andy Murray Arena, How Zheng would cope mentally with a packed crowd cheering against her would play a significant role in the outcome of this contest. The Olympic singles champion, 22, was not exactly in the fans' good books when she decided in game six, while on break point on Raducanu's serve, to change her shoes. Advertisement Most read in Sport Live Blog JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS The Asian star slipped on the grass and told the umpire that she needed to swap her footwear. Pimm's-fuelled punters were not having any of it and slow-clapped while she sat on her chair and booed when she returned to the baseline, even though Zheng apologised several times for the interruption. 'It's wildly inappropriate' - Moment Emma Raducanu's opponent intervenes and ushers cameraman away 3 Advertisement There were two chances, at 4-2 down in the first set, where she might have broken back immediately but Zheng, a huge star in her homeland, fought off those moments. Zheng – who had only won FOUR matches on grass before facing the 2021 US Open champion – sealed the first set with 49 minutes on the clock. It was in bizarre circumstances as she was on the floor, having slipped over again, but Raducanu failed to find the open court, hitting the ball into the net. Advertisement A set down, Raducanu went backstage and took a medical timeout as she had treatment on a troublesome lower back region. During the first set, she could be seen stretching her back during a changeover. These were worrying scenes but unfortunately a situation that has become all too familiar with Raducanu since that Perhaps a surge of adrenaline explains how she came out looking like a different player in the second set, racing into a 3-0 and then 4-2 lead, the first break in game one courtesy of a Zheng double fault. Advertisement But with the temperature gauge recording 27.5 degrees, Raducanu felt the heat and soon it was 4-4 apiece as she gifted a break to her opponent due to her sixth of seven double faults in the match. Though she managed to stave off three match points in game 10, Zheng progressed when Raducanu's forehand sailed long.
Sunday World
7 hours ago
- Sunday World
Liverpool agree potential British record deal for Florian Wirtz
Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed a club-record deal worth up to £116million to sign Florian Wirtz after Bayer Leverkusen finally settled on a fee for their playmaker. The Reds had two bids rejected, the last one of £113m which would have seen £100m paid up front with performance-related add-ons, but have finally got the deal over the line. Liverpool will still pay an initial £100m – comfortably surpassing their own record outlay – but the performance-related add-ons, if achieved, would make it a potential British record. Liverpool have broken their club record to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (Peter Byrne/PA) Leverkusen had valued the 22-year-old Germany international around £125m but regardless, Liverpool's overall outlay could surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton in 2023 for Moises Caicedo – who turned down Anfield after the Seagulls had accepted an offer which was subsequently matched by their Premier League rivals. Striker Darwin Nunez was their previous record signing in 2022, although they have not paid the full £85m as he has not met all the requirements for certain add-ons to be due. Liverpool, like a number of top European clubs, had been watching Wirtz for some time but did not consider themselves front-runners for his signature. However, after Manchester City pulled out, reportedly due to the spiralling costs of the whole package, and Wirtz expressed a preference for Merseyside over Bayern Munich, sporting director Richard Hughes changed gear. The signing of Florian Wirtz will take Liverpool's summer spending close to £200million (Matthias Schrader/AP) Talks were already ongoing with Leverkusen over Jeremie Frimpong, who became the first new addition to Arne Slot's squad in a £30m deal late last month, which made the line of communication easier. Hughes' connections with his former club Bournemouth mean he was also well-placed to progress talks with the Cherries over the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez, a player he originally brought to the Premier League. The full extent of Wirtz's fee will only be paid if Liverpool enjoy a sustained level of elite success and the club's view is that should that be the case, the considerable cost will have been recouped on the pitch. With Kerkez next on the list their summer spending could edge close to £200m, made possible by financial discipline in the last two windows which saw only Federico Chiesa brought in for a cut-price £10m last August. Milos Kerkez has been linked with a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool (Nick Potts/PA) That approach was justified when Slot's team won the title but with their rivals strengthening it was apparent additions were required in certain areas. It is likely to be their biggest summer window since 2018 when Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker were recruited for around £170m, with Virgil van Dijk having signed for £75m the previous January. Owners Fenway Sports Group have, despite their 'Moneyball' reputation, not been afraid to splash out big fees for transformative players like Van Dijk and Alisson – and Wirtz, one of the hottest prospects in Europe, falls into that category. The fact the forward, who only turned 22 a month ago, opted for Anfield over more lucrative offers from other European clubs is also seen as validation of the work Slot has done and the squad he already has at his disposal.
