John Higgins has hit out at facilities in Saudi Arabia

John Higgins – I was told to get changed in a toilet in Saudi Arabia

By Nick Metcalfe

Snooker

Fri November 28, 2025 · 3w ago

John Higgins has hit out at the organisers of last week's invitational event in Saudi Arabia, saying "backstage facilities were so below par it was unbelievable" and revealing that the tournament director told him to get changed in a toilet.

The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship attracted plenty of headlines for its glitzy Boulevard City setting, and its "Golden Ball", which if potted after a maximum break could earn a player a one million dollar bonus.

But Higgins has painted a very different picture of the facilities behind the scenes, revealing there was no dressing rooms for the players.

"There really needs to be things done," Higgins told Sporting Life. "I was staying an hour away and I went over with my clothes to get ready and I’m asking the tournament director, have you any dressing rooms, he said you can change in a toilet there or you can change behind the stairs with a black curtain.

"It’s not good enough. I don’t know who is there actually fighting for the players to say, no that's not good enough. There has to be dressing rooms, there has to be more space for the players.

"We realise it is an incredible event with a lot of money, but the backstage facilities for the players to get themselves ready and get themselves up for the event were so below par it was unbelievable. It was poor."

John Higgins also bemoaned table conditions

Higgins had previously been critical of the table during the tournament, saying it was too high. "I don't know who has passed that but it's pathetic – it's as if there's beer mats underneath the whole table," the 50-year-old Scot said on TNT Sports.

Responding to those comments last week, a World Snooker Tour spokesperson said the table was, "regulation height in accordance with the WPBSA Official Rules of Snooker" and that the tournament director "demonstrated this fact to John after the match to prove all legs of the table were comfortably within regulation tolerance".

Asked by Sporting Life if he was left satisfied by that explanation, Higgins replied: "No, because apparently there’s a threshold of three inches. I didn't know there was that threshold, but they told me there's a threshold, the table has got to be within three inches. It’s the first I’ve heard, after playing the game for so many years.

"It’s like tennis players trying to play and sometimes the net has risen by an extra three inches. They would know the difference when they’re trying to play certain shots and snooker players just know right away what it's like when you're out there.

"The practice table was like playing on the Titanic. It was incredible how out of sync the measurements were on the practice table as well, which was worse than the main table."

The World Snooker Tour pointed out that the variance of the table height is half an inch, as outlined in the official rules of the game.

Higgins did also point out that there were positives at the tournament, including increased crowds compared with past events in the country.

"As if there’s beer mats under the table!" 😤

John Higgins speaks on the conditions after his 4-0 win over Ding Junhui 🗣️#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/CqDPaNS1fj
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) November 19, 2025

"It was supported so much better which is great," he said. "They’ve done a ten-year deal and obviously you would think it will grow and grow. The whole set-up and the production on the table was fantastic, absolutely fantastic.

"I’m sure that the powers that be, the Saudi people, the organisers, I'm sure if there were people complaining about certain things, they would have done 100 per cent to try and rectify that.

"It just seems to be that the people going out there from our organisations are maybe just putting things up willy-nilly and just saying, ‘the players will just have to deal with this’. That’s the impression I was getting."

Higgins is the chairman of the newly created Professional Snooker Players’ Association, which he said in the summer would give players a "stronger voice" in the sport.

Speaking at the Crucible Cup tournament in Reading this week, Higgins confirmed that "nearly half the tour have signed up now, from top players to bottom ranked players".

The four-time world champion was asked whether the issues encountered in Saudi Arabia would be the kind that the new association would be looking to address.

"That's what will be happening I'm sure," Higgins said. "That's what you'd be hoping it would be helping with."

Higgins has taken up a new role as chairman of the Professional Snooker Players’ Association

Responding to the comments from Higgins, a World Snooker Tour spokesperson said: "Firstly we are glad that John agrees that this was a fantastic event and set-up. The arena was packed from the first session and we feel that snooker is really growing in Saudi Arabia.

"Regarding the backstage facilities, there is limited space at the venue and given the circumstances we provided the best possible facilities for the players, including an improved Players Lounge area.

"This season we are gathering more feedback from players, sharing that information with them and looking at ways we can improve each tournament, working with our partners.

"Given the global nature of our tour and a wide variety of venues there are always challenges but we will embrace these challenges as we continue to grow our sport.

"Regarding the height of the table, it was regulation height in accordance with the WPBSA Official Rules of Snooker, and this regulation has not changed in the time that John has been a player!

"Our leading table fitters were at this event to ensure that the playing conditions are as good as possible and they continue to do a superb job, and this was indicated in the high standard of play throughout the tournament.”