Simultaneous assault on snooker tables | The Crucible 2023

It would be the worst idea just to go into the Reds. Foul. Robert Milken, seven. Joe Perry, four. Well, I don't quite know what that was for. To enjoy the snooker. I've never seen anything like this in 25 years of watching or working on the Crucible Theatre snooker. And we will now have a significant delay. Joe Perry and Rob Milken's managing to see the funny side. A packed arena on a wonderful night at an event that is always played in the greatest of spirits. So much history, so much prestige and so much nostalgia. But we will have a huge delay here. Jon Parrott. I am just about speechless. I can't actually believe what I've just seen. I actually cannot believe it. This is going to be a massive disruption. And well, honestly, what are people doing these days? We will obviously bring you an update as soon as we possibly can. But play has come to halt in the most extraordinary of circumstances here. Jon Parrott and I are just about speechless. Mike Ganley, tournament director on the arena floor, is furious. He's just gone off. He's no longer in shot. He has taken the perpetrators' belongings backstage. He has been taken off by security. And bear with us. The crowd are obviously being as patient as they possibly can be. Play has also come to a temporary halt on table 2 because clearly there's been a huge amount of disruption and noise in the whole arena. So play has been suspended this evening, Jon. And I can barely believe what we have just witnessed. No, I've never seen anything like it. And I hope I never see anything like it again. It is absolutely ludicrous what's just happened there. And you know the funny thing is, I don't know whether they're going to be able to carry on with play on this table. I really don't. I don't know whether they can hoover it off or whether it can be hoovered or what. We may not have a session here. I don't know. Well, we are all taking a step into the unknown here. Last year we had the fleeting of visits by a pigeon. But that, of course, was pure amusement and disrupted the action for no more than a couple of seconds. But the whole arena is in complete shock and disbelief as to what's just happened. If you're just joining us, we have had a disruption to play on table 1 here. A match between the two men who've lifted the most recent Welsh Open crowns with a quarter of a century of crucible experience between them. We were thoroughly looking forward to this match. But the disruption has left some orange powder all over the table. Play has been disrupted on both sides of the arena because it would be impossible for Fang Zhengyi and Mark Allen to continue being able to concentrate with such shock and such a general murmur going on here within the crucible arena. One thing's for certain, John Parrott, we will get this show back on the road. It will be, it's just a matter of when it's going to happen, Rob. I don't know whether it might be a good idea to clear the auditory with it because really people are just going to sit there and, well, do nothing at the moment. What can they do? It's going to take a while. I actually don't know whether that playing surface is going to be playable. I don't care what yet. We don't actually know what the orange powder is, Rob, for another reason. We don't know what it is at all. So that's another thing we've got to consider. And how they're going to clean that off there, I have no idea. And I don't know about you, John. I know this might sound silly. For a couple of seconds, I was a tiny bit frightened about what he was going to do. Yeah, absolutely. And you can't believe it, can you? To support an iconic event like this, I mean, honestly, what are people doing these days? We had the same nonsense on Saturday at the Grand National. Now we've got this. Honestly, it's just appalling. It's day three of the iconic World Snooker Championship in the iconic, historic, proud venue of the Crucible Theatre. But for the first time, we have to say, play is suspended and we do not know when we are going to be able to resume. We will at some stage be talking to you about a mouth-watering match between Rob Milkins and Joe Perry. But for now, whilst the tournament director and everybody connected with this sport works out how quickly we can get to a resumption, we will take a short break. But don't worry, our world-class event will be back on your screens very, very soon. We stop for nothing. What we're going to do, as is sometimes the tradition in this fabulous arena, this great divide is going to be lifted. So we will temporarily, once again, become a one-table arena. If this match finishes relatively quickly, Mike Ganley, the tournament director, will talk to Rob Milkins and Joe Perry and between them they will decide if it is appropriate to restart their match on that table. But of course, that will be dependent on how quickly this does or doesn't finish. So, the divide's going up. At the very least, you are going to see the conclusion of Mark Allen against Fan Zhengyi. If that match finishes quickly, Rob Milkins and Joe Perry will be over here as well. So we are about to recommence. I will reintroduce the players. And hey, hey. Mike, you're going to lift this. Mike, can we get this lifted now? Sorry, please. Hello! Right. This is, this is totally... This is totally, obviously, totally unprecedented. The most important thing is that no one's been hurt. And our great tournament, our great tournament is about to resume. Now, how about, how about when we get these players back out, how about we send a message with a standing ovation that we will not be stopped for anything. I will get my jacket and await instructions. We are going live again very soon. Welcome, once again, to the climax of day three of the World Snooker Championship. This is the iconic Crucible Theatre. This is world... Oh. Apparently we weren't live, but we will be soon. Ladies and gentlemen, we are all set to resume. Mark Allen, Fan Zhengyi, this great event stops for no one. Thank you. Brakes on 24. Tricky red to the middle. And considering what happened... Thank you.