Mark Allen has issued a public apology following his brutal criticism of the playing conditions at the British Open. The 38-year-old did not hold back in his assessment of the table he played on during his 4-3 win over Gary Wilson in the first round.
Allen was left frustrated by the contest being staged on Table Two in Cheltenham and launched a scathing attack on the quality of the baize in his post-match interview, which was broadcast live on ITV.
He said: “The conditions out there are absolutely embarrassing. It’s some of the worst weather outside and they’ve left the massive transport doors open. It’s so cold, it’s so humid, out there. The table needs to be burned.
“The cushions are unplayable, uncontrollable. It was heavy. The speed was decent. There’s new guys doing the tables this year and they’re clearly not up to it.
“I pride myself on preparing properly for tournaments with good conditions and you turn up and you don’t get them. It’s not good enough. I complain every single tournament, fill in table report sheets, match report sheets and nothing ever changes.”
A few hours later, Allen took to social media to apologise to the interviewer but doubled down on his criticism of the playing surface.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: “After having some time to calm down I’d like to apologise to @robwalkertv for that interview. My anger wasn’t directed at him and he definitely deserved a better interview.
“My frustrations were 100 per cent at the conditions which frankly haven’t been anywhere near good enough this season.”
A spokesperson for the World Snooker Tour told BBC Sport: “Our table-fitting team has been consistent for some time and works to the highest standards.
“The weather in the area has seen unprecedented rainfall over the last couple of days, which can negatively influence the conditions. We have raised the issue of an open door with the venue.”
Allen will be hoping for a better playing surface when he faces Aaron Hill in the next round at the British Open. He will be hoping to go one better than when he reached the final of the tournament in 2022, with Ryan Day claiming the spoils on that occasion.
