BBC slammed over snooker coverage as they miss historic moment at World Championship as fans rage ‘sort it, please’
KYREN WILSON punched the air as he nailed the 13th Crucible 147 – but viewers did not see it live on BBC TV.
The Warrior, 31, maintained his composure as he cleaned up the table in frame five of his first-round tie with Ryan Day on day five of the World Snooker Championship.
PAKyren Wilson celebrates his magical 147[/caption]
GettyThe 31-year-old was saluted by the Sheffield crowd[/caption]
It was the fourth time he had ever compiled a maximum in his professional career.
And he is the ninth player to achieve that magical feat at this famous Sheffield theatre.
It was also the 188th witnessed in the sport since six-time world champion Steve Davis made history with the first one in January 1982.
But the moment of brilliance by Wilson was not seen on BBC Two because TV bigwigs had already decided to end transmission at 11.15am for the Politics Live.
Though fans were directed to carry on watching the morning/afternoon session on the BBC Red Button, it was another big moment missed on terrestrial TV during this year’s event.
The gaffe led fans to take to social media in their droves to complain.
One wrote: “So funny to see the #147 at World Championship snooker on Eurosport while the BBC chose to show some video of commentators explaining how to use the rest!! Really, the BBC are just SO bad at sports coverage!”
A second scathingly tweeted: “Just watched a 147 live on Eurosport, bbc are useless.”
Another added: “Was so lucky to see it, thanks to Eurosport though. The bbc for some reason decided to show some “comic” pre-recorded video explaining how to use the rest instead of the live #147
Still, makes a change from them cutting games off to show gardening shows!”
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BBC bosses came under fire from snooker supporters on the opening day when the Ronnie O’Sullivan’s first-round clash with Chinese debutant Pang Junxu was replaced at 9pm on the Saturday night for a subtitled Danish crime drama.
Australian Neil Robertson celebrated a 147 in defeat to Jack Lisowski in the 2022 World Championship.
Wilson, who was defeated by O’Sullivan in the 2020 final, will receive a £55,000 bonus – £40,000 for the maximum and £10,000 for the highest-break – but that will be shared if someone clears up before May 1.
