Sunday 10 March 2019 16:18, UK
Mike Watterson, the man who brought snooker's World Championship to the Crucible Theatre, has died aged 76.
The Sheffield venue has become synonymous with the sport's biggest tournament since Watterson, a former player turned promoter, opened negotiations to stage the event there after his wife noticed while watching a play that it could be an ideal snooker venue.
A joint statement from World Snooker and WPBSA chairmen Barry Hearn and Jason Ferguson read: "Mike made a huge contribution to the history of our sport. Without him, the World Championship may never have been staged at the Crucible, and he played a vital role in the creation of many other tournaments.
"On behalf of World Snooker and WPBSA we send our condolences to his family at this sad time."
Watterson was a professional player during the 1980s, with a peak world ranking of 34th, a highest break of 140 and competitive wins over Alex Higgins and Perrie Mans.
He then became a promoter in snooker and other sports including darts and had a spell as chairman of football club Derby.