Mark Allen has revealed he spent 10 weeks in a mental health clinic before returning to the snooker table in Belfast. The three-time Crucible semi-finalist made his first appearance since the World Snooker Championship in May, facing close friend Jordan Brown in an opening round match.
Following the match, Allen admitted he is considering giving up snooker after a difficult period. In a statement, he said: "A statement on yesterday….. Everything I said in that interview was true. However, rest assured I’m doing my best to turn things round."
Return to the table in Belfast
Allen explained that he discharged from the clinic to attempt to play in Belfast, a decision driven by family and fans. "I have been in a mental health clinic for the last 10 weeks, finally discharging so I could attempt to play in Belfast," he said. "I owed that to my family, in particular my daughter to see me play for what could be the last time….. I also owed it to the fans who have supported me throughout my 21 years on tour."
He also thanked World Snooker for their support, specifically naming Simon Brownell and Neil Tomkins, who remained in touch regularly, with Brownell even visiting him in the clinic.
Struggles and gratitude
Allen described his recent struggles candidly: "I’m not ok, but I’m ok in that itself. I’ve been much worse in the last few months than you saw yesterday. I literally didn’t see a future in anything….. My daughter kept me going, the therapists, staff and all the other patients were amazing and helped me through some really dark days."
He added that he now sees "the light" but acknowledged it will not happen overnight, calling himself "a work in progress." He also praised Jordan Brown, saying: "Please don’t detract anything from Jordan yesterday, he’s been aware of my struggles and that can’t have been easy to play in but he handled it with grace and skill as I knew he would. I'm proud to call him a friend."
Looking ahead
Allen confirmed he will continue his treatments and thanked those who sent messages of support. "I have so much to live for and this is only the beginning of my new journey," he said. He also clarified that he was not forced to do interviews, stating: "I was simply given a choice and felt I owed it to everyone to speak." He expressed gratitude to the media team at WST, saying they have been "incredible" throughout.
