And finally… roll out the green carpet

Snooker royalty will be present in Sheffield on Good Friday, with people encouraged to line the streets to cheer for their heroes.

On April 18, the Halo World Championship will kickstart at the Crucible on Tudor Square, with a literal green carpet rolled out for the world’s top 16 players to gather on in the centre of Sheffield.

Sheffield City Council is laying on entertainment from 11.30, including live music.

At 12:15, Master of Ceremonies Rob Walker will start the party, and from 1-2pm players, including defending World Champion Kyren Wilson, plus the likes of Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy, will grace the green carpet.

After 2pm, a few of the top stars will also play frames against fans on snooker tables in the Fanzone area, outside the Crucible.

The Halo World Championship starts the following day and runs until 5 May.

The top 16 will be joined by 16 qualifiers to battle for the famous trophy and a top prize of £500,000, watched by a global broadcast audience of 500 million.

Cllr Martin Smith, chair of the economic development and skills committee at Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield loves snooker, and the World Championship is monumental for the city.

“This new event means everyone can be involved in the celebrations and the excitement, whether you have a ticket for the main event or not.”