Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses
Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses
Rather than offering snooker's elite their chance at another massive payday, Mark Allen has controversially called for the World Snooker Tour to scrap its latest idea
Mark Allen has been praised for calling to scrap one of the World Snooker Tour's latest big ideas
(Image: Getty Images )
Snooker star Mark Allen has shown his solidarity with the sport's less celebrated players in response to one of its latest big ideas.
That's after advocating for a prize fund to be shared among lower-ranking competitors rather than offering another opportunity for the elite to increase their earnings.
The World Snooker Tour (WST) has revealed the 'century of centuries' initiative will return in the 2025/26 season. This scheme, which debuted in the 2024/25 season, awards a £100,000 jackpot to the first player to achieve 100 centuries.
The inaugural winner was world No. 1 Judd Trump, who reached his 100th century of the season at the Crucible in April. The Bristolian therefore added a substantial sum to his already considerable wealth, mopping the floor with the competition.
However, Allen believes the money would be better spent supporting those further down the rankings. And his call for revolution has been championed by many fans who agree it would be a better spend of the funds.
Snooker journalist Phil Haigh commented on the renewal of the 'century of centuries' campaign, suggesting it incentivises top players to participate in as many tournaments as possible. Yet considering Trump's recent dominance, Haigh questioned whether the initiative might simply become "a 'Can Judd Trump Buy Himself Another Car?' campaign."
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In response, Allen suggested on X (via the Daily Express): "Why not take the 100k and run a side event during one of the players series tournaments for those not qualified? I think there's loads on offer for the top players as it is."
Judd Trump won the inaugural 'century of centuries' prize fund
(Image: Getty Images )
The remark puts the WST under scrutiny to reassess its player reward system and consider how many players can realistically benefit from such funds. There's an onus on the organisation to reward its biggest stars, but many smaller-profile players may struggle to maintain a career at all without lower-scale prizes on their level.
To put the figures into perspective, only twice before this season has anyone completed 100 centuries in a season. Neil Robertson was the first to do so in 2013/14 before Trump managed the feat six years later in the 2019/20 campaign.
'The Ace In the Pack' has significantly outperformed his rivals in this area this season. He has racked up 107 centuries to date for the 2024/25 campaign, with Mark Selby trailing behind as his nearest competitor on just 73.
While it's true such substantial rewards may encourage all players to participate regularly and perform at a high level, Allen's concern for those lower down the pecking order is warranted. And it points to his moral fibre that he's willing to forgo potential winnings in an effort to see his peers thrive as a whole.
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Allen has been lauded for thinking of snooker's smaller-profile stars
(Image: Getty )
Many supporters concurred with 'The Pistol' and praised him for considering the underdog. Despite an unexpected second-round departure at this year's World Snooker Championship, Allen pocketed a £45,000 bonus for making the 15th maximum in Crucible history.
"Well said Mark, couldn't agree more," wrote one snooker fan in response to Allen's comment. And another replied: "Well said. Among fans nobody cares about whether Judd, Ronnie, yourself or whoever wins this cash. It's a sideshow."
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