Crucible decision expected soon The Crucible is facing competition from other venues Sheffield hopes to learn next week if its bid to continue hosting the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre has been successful. David Fletcher, Marketing Director for the Sheffield First for Investment agency, expects the venue for the 2006 tournament to be named on 23 March. He said: "It is my understanding that Sheffield, Liverpool and Birmingham are the cities now left in the running. "We are awaiting a decision from World Snooker's board, which sits next week." World Snooker could only confirm an announcement would be made before the 2005 tournament begins on 16 April. The Crucible in Sheffield is the temple of snooker and so the Championship has to remain there Sheffield's future as the World Championship's host city has been in doubt ever since snooker's governing body invited venues across the UK to bid for the right to stage the tournament from 2006. "I hope a decision is made soon," Mr Fletcher told BBC Sport. "Everyone working behind the scenes in Sheffield needs clarity. There's not a lot more we can do at the moment. "It's getting to the stage where World Snooker will have to commit themselves to a venue, because the Crucible needs to plan its season around the tournament." End of an era for the Crucible? Mr Fletcher added that Sheffield would still explore the option of developing a purpose-built 'Billiardrome' snooker venue to replace the Crucible, regardless of whether the city wins the 2006 World Championship. "A bespoke facility is something the game is crying out for," he said. "All current venues have their compromises, whether it's the seating capacity at the Crucible, or the acoustics somewhere else. "Sheffield would like to work with World Snooker to develop such a facility, even if the decision over the 2006 tournament goes against us. "There would be a two to three year gestation period for something like that. It would be designed specifically to host snooker, but we would also look at alternative uses for it." Talán most....