WPBSA statement issued over Mark Allen after he admits time spent in mental health clinic
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) chairperson Jason Ferguson has issued a statement on Mark Allen after the Northern Irishman said he is considering whether to retire from snooker after the Northern Ireland Open.
Allen played his first competitive match in six months at the Northern Ireland Open after pulling out of previous tournaments due to personal reasons. He lost 4-2 in the first round to close friend Jordan Brown.
He told TNT Sports that he was 'in a bad place', and issued a subsequent statement on Wednesday to reveal that he had discharged himself from a mental health clinic - where he had spent 10 weeks - in order to play in Northern Ireland. The WPBSA and World Snooker are providing support for Allen and Ferguson, who heads snooker's governing body, has issued his own statement on the world number 12.
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'Everybody is fully behind him...' - WPBSA chief on Mark Allen
Ferguson, himself a former professional who played at the World Championship on three occasions, described snooker as 'extremely challenging mentally' and spoke about the difficulties of spending time away from home.
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"People would say I'm biased saying this, but I think it's the most difficult sport in the world," the 57-year-old said (as per RTE). "It's a one-on-one sport, and nobody can stop you thinking about things when you're sat in that chair. Not only does your technical skill have to be at an optimal level at all times, but your mental strength has got to be the same.
"You spend so much time away from home, and you can go from the high of being in that arena in front of a live audience and television, to the next day sitting in your house on your own. You've got yourself up there to perform, and the emotions have drained out of you.
"If you add that to the things that are going on in your life, it's bound to have an effect on you."
"Mark's statement was very impressive, and fair play to him for getting it out in public because people are worried about him," Ferguson added. "Mark is a very robust player, he's one of the toughest players the sport has ever seen, and he's a lovely lad as well. Everybody here is fully behind him."
Mark Allen's statement in full after Northern Ireland Open interviews
Allen is currently ranked number 12 in the world, and will stay there regardless of what happens in the Northern Ireland Open due to Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ali Carter and Ding Junhui - all ranked behind him - having been already eliminated or knocked out.
He is also guaranteed to be able to play in November's UK Championship, which takes place in York. Allen told BBC Sport NI he would take time to consider whether to play at the tournament, but said 'something needs to change within the next six weeks' for him to enter.
What will take precedence now is Allen's treatments, with 'The Pistol' opening up on what he has been through since the 2026 World Championship in a heartfelt statement posted to social media on Wednesday.
"Everything I said in that interview [with TNT] was true. However, rest assured I'm doing my best to turn things around," he wrote on Twitter.
"I have been in a mental health clinic for the last 10 weeks, finally discharging so I could attempt to play in Belfast. I owed that to my family, in particular my daughter, to see me play for what could be the last time... I also owed it to the fans who have supported me throughout my 21 years on tour.
"I also owed that to World Snooker who have been amazing from day one in all this, in particular Simon Brownell [World Snooker Tour CEO] and Neil Tomkins [WPBSA Chief Operating Officer] who have remained in touch regularly, even Simon paying me a visit in the clinic itself.
"I'm not OK, but I'm OK in that itself. I've been much worse in the last few months than you saw yesterday [Tuesday]. I literally didn't see a future in anything....
"My daughter kept me going, the therapists, staff and all the other patients were amazing and helped me through some really dark days. I see the light now that I couldn't see before but I do now. I also know it won't happen overnight. I'm a work in progress!!! My fight and determination on the table has always been there for ones to see. I need to show those same fighting qualities off it now for a while.
"Please don't detract anything from Jordan yesterday, he's been aware of my struggles and that can't have been easy to play in, but he handled it with grace and skill as I knew he would. I'm proud to call him a friend. I hope the rest of the event is a success and I will continue my treatments going forward and then see what's ahead.
"Thank you to every single message I have received on here, Instagram, Facebook, text messages and WhatsApps, I've seen them all but a bit overwhelmed to reply right now. Just know that they have helped me a lot but I'm not going anywhere just yet!!!! I have so much to live for and this is only the beginning of my new journey.
"Also, I was not made to do any interviews, I was simply given a choice and felt I owed it to everyone to speak. The media team at WST have been incredible through all this too. Thank you all x."
Topics: Snooker
Ryan Smart