Kyren Wilson issues Masters complaint and blames Ally Pally darts fans | Other | Sport

Kyren Wilson has blamed darts fans for a sea of “empty beer barrels” crowding the corridors at Alexandra Palace. The north London venue took centre stage for the recent World Darts Championship, with fans from across the world flocking to the capital to get a taste of the Ally Pally atmosphere.

Things are expected to be a little tamer when the snooker takes over next week, as the world’s best cueists gear up for the Masters. It’s been home to the prestigious event since 2012, with the world No.2 Wilson keen to see it stick around at the Palace.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Wilson told 247Bet: “The Masters is a real showpiece event now for snooker, but it is hard for players to settle in there. It’s quite unique in terms of a playing environment. It’s hard wading through all those empty beer barrels that all of the Darts fans have gone through.”

He continued: “When something isn’t broke, don’t fix it. So whilst the Masters is still growing in numbers at the Ally Pally, we should just leave it where it is because it’s becoming recognised by people as the home of the Masters.”

Shaun Murphy enters the competition as the reigning champion, having potted his way to victory last year, beating Wilson in the final. One notable absentee from the 2025 edition was legendary snooker ace Ronnie O’Sullivan, who had taken a break to focus on his health.

The Rocket will likely return for this year’s event, with Wilson saying: “Ronnie’s always going to bring more and add an extra level to any event or any tournament. But [he’s] got absolutely nothing to prove. He’s by far the greatest player of all time, so he should just enjoy his snooker.”

Given the field is so small, it’s widely considered one of the most difficult tournaments to win. Wilson has twice reached the final, but is yet to go that one step further and claim the trophy.

His latest pursuit to become Masters champion will begin against 15th seed Si Jiahui, with the winner set to play Neil Robertson or O’Sullivan in the second round. Defending champion Murphy kicks things off against Wu Yize, with Mark Selby taking on Xiao Guodong. On the opposite side of the bracket, it’s Judd Trump vs Ding Junhui, Mark Williams vs Mark Allen, John Higgins vs Barry Hawkins and Gary Wilson against the reigning world champion, Zhao Xintong.