‘Dock the referee a frame, he is late’ – Leo Scullion leaves Ali Carter, Jak Jones waiting at World Snooker Championship

By definition, referees are sticklers for the rules – timekeeping being one of the things they keep a close eye on.

Fans and players were tapping their watches as they were back in situ for the closing session of the World Championship first-round match between Ali Carter and Jak Jones. Trouble is, referee Leo Scullion was nowhere to be seen.

Carter got up to break, only to return to his seat as there was no official to keep track of things.

“There’s some delay,” Phil Yates said on Eurosport commentary. “Maybe something is happening backstage.”

To a roar of approval from the Crucible crowd, Scullion entered from stage left.

“Ah, dock the referee a frame, he is late, Leo,” Yates continued.

But was he late? According to Scullion, the players were a little too eager as the plan was to start the match between Luca Brecel and Ricky Walden on the adjoining table at the same time.

“He is making up all these excuses now,” Yates said. “A likely story.”

Putting a little flesh on the bones of the story, Yates added: “It seems as though Carter and Jones were a little too eager to go into the arena, as according to Leo it was a case [that] Brecel and Walden were going to start back after their interval at exactly the same time.”

Order was restored, and Scullion introduced Carter to break as he and Jones settled down to battle it out for a place in round two at the Crucible.

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