Snooker news: Dennis Taylor keen to see World Championship held for fans in lockdown

Taylor - whose 18-17 win over Steve Davis on the final black ball was watched by a record 18.5m on TV - is backing the decision by organisers World Snooker Tour to attempt to stage the event in late July.

Chairman Barry Hearn announced on Wednesday plans to reorganise the delayed event at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield between Friday July 31 and Sunday August 16 after the global coronavirus pandemic forced its cancellation earlier this month.

While it might not attract the viewing figures of his classic battle with Taylor, Northern Irishman Taylor feels it would be a positive step for the public stuck inside due to the health crisis.

"I would like it to go ahead because there is a lot of people at home. If they haven't got big gardens, they can't manage to get out too much," said Taylor, speaking to BBC Scotland.

"It would be great for them to sit at home and watch snooker coming from the Crucible live. It would be great."

Judd Trump claimed a record sixth ranking event of the season with a 4-3 win over Kyren Wilson before the snooker season was halted last month. Taylor suggests the levels of that final should illustrate why the World Championship can be held behind closed doors.

"I was in Spain when we had to come back three days early because of the lockdown," said Taylor.

"The boys were in Gibraltar playing in the Gibraltar Open. They had to stay to play in the final, and in the first three frames there were three century breaks with Judd playing Kyren.

"The snooker was unbelievable, but there was no applause. It was very strange, it was surreal."

The four-times world champion John Higgins admits it would be a "surreal" experience.

He said: "Who knows if that is going to come through, but it would be pretty surreal to walk out into the Crucible Theatre with no fans."