F-word row with Barry Hearn could see Mark Allen charged

Mark Allen could be charged with bringing the game into disrepute after he swore during a post-match tirade against World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn.

The Northern Irishman slammed Hearn's decision to shorten the early rounds of the UK Championship in York, where he beat Adrian Gunnell yesterday.

Allen claimed Hearn was trying to create a similar atmosphere to that which exists in darts and said: "The players don't really matter, so f**k the players.

"When Barry came in, one of the first things he said was the World Championships, UK and Masters wouldn't be touched but 18 months later, the UK format has changed."

The World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association disciplinary committee will now decide whether to punish world No14 Allen (right).

A World Snooker statement read: "Our governing body, the WPBSA, expect members to behave in a manner which is appropriate to their status as professional sportsmen."