Mark Allen makes feelings clear on £100,000 payday as he puts forward new proposal

 Northern Irish snooker favourite Mark Allen has offered a different take on one of the sport's biggest bonuses.

Mark Allen has proposed a radical change to one of snooker's newest initiatives

Snooker ace Mark Allen is nothing if not a man of the people. That much has been proved after he advocated for one prize fund to be distributed amongst lower-ranking players rather than handing the big names another crack at a reward only the elite will realistically win.

The World Snooker Tour has announced the 'century of centuries' campaign will once again make an appearance in the 2025/26 season. The concept made its debut in the 2024/25 season, awarding the first player to reach 100 centuries a £100,000 jackpot. World No. 1 Judd Trump was far and away the inaugural winner of the prize. He celebrated his 100th century of the season at the Crucible in April, adding another six-figure payday to his already bulging bank balance. But Allen, 39, doesn't see the point in the rich simply getting richer. Rather, he'd prefer to see those lower down the pecking order get the wealth spread among them.

Snooker journalist Phil Haigh commented on the 'century of centuries' initiative being renewed for another season, suggesting it encourages big names to play as many tournaments as possible. However, given his dominance this term, Haigh pondered whether it could become little more than "a 'Can Judd Trump Buy Himself Another Car?' campaign."

Allen took to X and responded: "Why not take the 100k and run a side event during one of the players series tournaments for those not qualified? I think there’s loads on offer for the top players as it is."

The comment puts pressure on the WST to examine how it is rewarding players, and how many competitors will realistically have access to those funds. For context, the feat had been achieved just twice prior to this season: by Neil Robertson in 2013/14 and Trump again in 2019/20.

Allen won a £45,000 bonus for his maximum at the 2025 World Snooker Championship

'The Ace In the Pack' has been miles clear of his competition in that sector this season. He reached 107 centuries for the 2024/25 campaign, while Mark Selby was his closest rival on just 73.

While it's true such lofty sums may incentivise all players to play regularly and compete to a high standard, Allen's concern for those down the food chain is valid. And the six-figure sum would arguably have a bigger impact helping to fund new tournaments to grow the game.

Many fans agreed with 'The Pistol' and commended him for thinking of the little guy. Despite making a surprise second-round exit at this year's World Snooker Championship, Allen hauled in an impressive £45,000 bonus for making the 15th 147 break in Crucible history.