2024 Players Championship: Mark Allen Speaks Out on Snooker Officials’ Poor Handling

In an exclusive post-match interview with SportsBoom.com, Mark Allen reflected on his triumphant 6-4 victory over Mark Williams in the first round of the 2024 Johnstone's Paint Players Championships. Expressing satisfaction with his performance, Allen remarked, "That's as good as it's been for a while for me. Played some really good stuff there, felt in control." He highlighted the importance of solid safety play and execution against a formidable opponent like Williams.

Despite acknowledging his game's current state, Allen remained optimistic about future performances, stating, "My games not where I wanted to be, but performances like today's going to increase the confidence and hopefully I can start showing that more regularly. Consistency hasn't been exactly where I want it to be, which shows, given the fact that I'm only number 12 on the one-year list, so I need to be improving on that. " He addressed the issue of consistency, recognising the need for improvement to meet his high standards.

Reflecting on the potential impact of a successful week at the Players Championships, Allen underscored the transformative power of victory. "A good week changes everything," he remarked, highlighting the pivotal role a triumph could play in shaping the trajectory of his season and even the early part of the following year.

Undeterred by facing setbacks and challenges, Allen maintained a resilient outlook, recognising his achievements thus far while setting ambitious goals for himself. "I've won a lot of matches, don't get me wrong. I've still done a lot to be number 12, and a lot of people would snap your hand off for that, but it's just that the high sort of targets that I set for myself that I'm a bit disappointed with that”, he acknowledged. This candid admission reflects Allen's relentless drive and determination to continuously elevate his game, driven by a hunger for success that transcends mere accolades.

Moreover, Allen gave his verdict the organisational shortcomings he experienced and shared across social media prior to the event, particularly regarding scheduling and communication. He criticised the snooker authorities for leaving him in the dark regarding his match schedule until the eleventh hour, leading to last-minute logistical challenges. 

"To not get in touch with me and let me know, that’s where I’m disappointed. I understand that there's more to it than what the outside people normally see. But the disappointing thing from my point of view was that as soon as that semi-final finished on Saturday night, my match was guaranteed to be Willow [Mark Williams]”, Allen said, expressing his emotions. 

The Pistol continued to highlight the lack of communication and responsiveness from the player liaison, which left him in limbo regarding his match schedule. This disregard for player concerns led Allen to further express his disappointment stating: “I messaged the guy that's meant to be the player's liaison to sort of get a bit of info. He read the message and didn't even reply. Even if he'd replied to say we don't know anything, at least it would've been a reply, but just to completely ignore the message was very poor. So, then you could take the social media really because your next step and then all of a sudden, the phone calls come in. That's a story state of affairs in my view.”

"There’s more to my life than snooker, I’d get to spend much more time with my daughter if I knew these things in advance. It’s not good from a scheduling point of view and it affects your mentality going into each tournament.” Allen's outspoken remarks underscore the personal toll of last-minute scheduling, impacting both his family life and mental preparedness for competition.