Mark Allen has been spotted using a HAND WARMER between frames of his World Snooker Championships showdown with Fan Zhengyi.
When marginal gains are being sought in every sport, the Northern Irishman has adopted a tactic more often seen on the greens of golf courses rather than the baize in his bid to overcome his Chinese opponent at the Crucible.
Despite his trademark oversized glasses, there’s nothing wrong with snooker legend Dennis Taylor's eyesight, as the co-commentator spotted Allen’s unusual accessory while he watched Fan take to the table. Whether it’s to make sure his hand muscles relaxed when not holding the cue, or the Sheffield venue’s heating isn’t quote cutting it, it’s not something compatriot and 1985 world champion Taylor has ever seen before. “He's got a hand warmer there as well, the sort of thing that is used on the golf course on a cold day,” the Tyrone native said.
“It may have happened before but that's the first time I think I've seen hand warmers at the Crucible. Might be wrong. But he's very focused Mark. He has been working with a sports psychologist and that's probably helped him with his three ranking title wins.”
Allen saw his game interrupted when Just Stop Oil protestors disrupted play. One managed to jump on the table to halt the other first round encounter taking place between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry and released orange powder. Another attempted to glue her hand to the table Allen and Fan were playing on, but was stopped by the referee.
A 30-year-old man and 52-year-old woman have since been arrested. Allen described both as “idiots” and preferred not to give them further attention. He added: “I heard a bang, I thought it was on the other table, I turned round and there was someone on the table.
“I feel like even talking about it is just giving them air time that they don't deserve. They're just idiots, to be honest. What are they trying to gain from what they've done? I'm sure there's better ways of going about getting their point across.”
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