Matchroom president Barry Hearn has sparked anger among snooker fans with his latest threat to Sheffield City Council to do more in their effort to keep the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible.
Snooker's biggest event has been held at the Crucible ever since 1977 and has become synonymous with the sport.
It offers a unique experience with a small capacity of just 980, making tickets extremely difficult to come by for fans wanting to go.
The Crucible's contract to host the world championships expires in 2027 and Hearn, the former World Snooker chairman, insists his first preference is to renew the deal.
But Hearn wants to see a new venue built having grown 'fed up' with the number of letters he receives from snooker fans wanting tickets to the Triple Crown event."
Nothing has changed other than I am absolutely doing everything to stay in Sheffield," he told the BBC.
Barry Hearn has been upfront with his demands to the Crucible
BBC
"It takes two to tango. I'll stay here while we're wanted and I think we're wanted.
"I know we're wanted by the BBC, I think we're wanted by Sheffield but they've got to be realistic.
"We've said for the last few years we need a new venue that seats 2,500-3,000 people because I'm fed up with getting letters from people all over the world saying 'how do I get a ticket?'.
"We run out of tickets tomorrow or the day after for next year. This is crazy and I'm looking for Sheffield to come to the party.
"If they do, we're staying. If they don't then they're really saying to me that we don't want you so it's not really my call.
"The Crucible's future hosting the World Snooker Championships was sparked back up in the build up to the tournament when Ronnie O'Sullivan said he would be in favour of the tournament moving to Saudi Arabia or China.
Hearn feels there is no room for sentiments despite the Crucible's historic association with the world championships.
"Money has the edge every time," he added.
"We live in the real world. If there are deals out there that are gonna change people's lives and increase money 10 times what it is.
"Families apart and if you leave out the romantic stuff about that, in the business sense - and snooker is a sport played by professionals - their first demand across any sport is prize money.
"They want to see it as big as possible and we as custodians of the sport have a fiduciary duty to those players."
Ken Doherty then asked: "Can't they create their own history or their own tournaments that are as big as the World Championships and leave the Crucible the way it is?"
The Crucible has been home to the World Snooker Championships since 1977
GETTY
Hearn replied: "They certainly can but it's a shortcut and these people are not renowned - the Middle East backers mainly but also Chinese backers - in their life to not getting what they want and they want it now.
"Take the emotion out of business because life doesn't work like that.
"I'd love to tell you that it is and we all live in a fairy story.
"There's never enough. It's all about money. Get used to it because the world is changing and I'm sorry, I'm not going to be a dinosaur and not change for the world."
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Ronnie O'Sullivan would be in favour of the World Snooker Championships moving
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But Hearn's brash remarks about money ruling the world hasn't gone down well on social media.
One fan fumed: "If it moves to Saudi I won't be watching it any longer. I'm sure Barry Hearn wouldn't care less."
Another moaned: "If they move the World Snooker Championship to Saudi Arabia, it will be a disgrace."
A third complained: "Jesus that Barry Hearn interview on the BBC was grim. Clear he’ll sell his and the soul of snooker for the right money and putting it on Sheffield to build a new venue which they maybe can’t do or can’t justify is a horrible level of gaslighting."
One other person said: "Barry Hearn would sell his lungs if the offer was right. Crucible for snooker and Ally Pally for darts won't exist come 2030."