Brendan Moore will referee the Dafabet World Championship final for the first time in his home city
Sheffield born-and-bred Moore has been handed the responsibility of taking charge of snooker's biggest match after proving himself on the circuit in recent years. He has previously refereed the UK Championship and Masters finals and will now officiate the World final at the Crucible Theatre on May 4 and 5.
"Since day one it has been my goal to referee the final at the Crucible," said the 42-year-old who lives in Meersbrook. "It's particularly special because it's in my home town and I live ten minutes away from the venue.
"I used to go every year as a fan, I went to ten finals in a row with my dad. I'd be there queuing for tickets in the morning. I never imagined at the time that one day I'd be out there refereeing."
Moore, who used to work as a bus driver in Sheffield and drove past the Crucible every day, started refereeing in 2002 and rose quickly through the ranks. He first officiated at the famous venue in 2008, and in 2012 he took charge of the semi-final between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Matthew Stevens.
"I don't usually get nervous because my attitude is that people are there to watch the players, so as long as I do my job everything will be fine," he said. "But when I walked out into the one-table set-up at the Crucible for the first time, I felt nerves and I don't mind admitting that. It's completely different to any other atmosphere.
"We'll wait and see how I feel on May 4th, but at the moment I can't wait, it will be a fantastic experience for me."
The tournament starts on April 19 and will feature the best players on the planet competing for a record top prize of £300,000.
Tickets and VIP packages for certain sessions are still available, for the latest availability call 0844 65 65 147 or visit Sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
The Dafabet World Championship is supported by Sheffield City Council.
