 Dale was a quarter-finallist at the Crucible in 2000 |
Welsh star Dominic Dale has backed the idea of the World Snooker Championship being staged away from The Crucible. The Sheffield venue's current five-year deal expires after this year's event and five other cities are interested in hosting it in the future.
Dale, who reached the quarter-finals in Sheffield in 2000, told BBC Sport: "I think we do need a new venue or to swap it around from place to place.
"I'd be perfectly willing (to accept a move). I think all the players would."
The Crucible's small size means that it generates a unique atmosphere, but it only has room for 980 spectators.
And Dale, from Penarth, believes a move to a bigger venue would be a good idea.
 |  There would be lots of advantages if snooker disappears from the Crucible |
"The Crucible is a very small venue," said Dale, who is preparing for the Welsh Open in Newport, which starts on Monday.
"They could sell the seats twice over for each match... and for the semis and the final you could probably sell five times the tickets of the capacity the arena is.
"Plus both the players, up until the semis, have to sit right by each other, which is awkward.
"That's probably how the Quinten Hann-Andy Hicks thing happened last year. If they hadn't been sitting together it would never have happened.
"I think we do need a new venue for the world championship or to swap it around from place to place... or try it anyway.
"If you don't try it you don't know if it will be a major success or not.
"There would be lots of advantages if snooker disappears from the Crucible and goes elsewhere and it only needs a couple of years to go by and they'll associate it with that new venue."
MMIX
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