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Jordan Brown admitted he broke down in tears after Mark Allen’s emotional statement on his struggles with mental health. Allen, who had not played since his agonising World Championship semi-final loss to Wu Yize in early May, lost 4-2 to close friend Brown in the first round of the Northern Ireland Open on Monday.
But following the match, Allen gave an emotional interview with TNT Sports in which he said he was “really overwhelmed”, and suggested his career could be over. Allen then revealed in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday that he spent ten weeks in a mental health clinic before discharging himself to play at Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
And Brown admitted: “I was in tears whenever I read it (Allen’s statement), I think he put it beautifully. Obviously there’s loads of people concerned out there, but it’s better for him to come out and say what he’s been going through.
“It’s so important, mental health is such a big thing these days. It’s so important to reach out. We’re grown men, but if Mark’s suffering, anybody can suffer.
“It’s a very hard thing that he’s going through but I’ve no doubt that he’ll come out the other side because everybody loves him and he’s going to have the support. None more so than me, his friends and his family. He’ll be back I’m sure.”
While Jason Ferguson, chair the long-time chairman of the sport’s governing body, the WPBSA, offered his full support to Allen.
“I do think that snooker is extremely challenging mentally,” he said. “People would say I’m biased saying this, but I think it’s the most difficult sport in the world.
“It’s a one-on-one sport and nobody can stop you thinking about things when you’re sat in that chair.
“Not only does your technical skill have to be an an optimal level at all times, but your mental strength has got to be the same.
“You spend so much time away from home and you can go from the high of being in that arena in front of a live audience and television, to the next day sitting in your house on your own.
“You’ve got yourself up there to perform, and the emotions have drained out of you. If you add that to the things that are going on in your life, it’s bound to have an effect on you.”
Before he added: “Mark’s statement was very impressive and fair play to him for getting it out in public because people are worried about him.
“Mark is a very robust player, he’s one of the toughest players the sport has ever seen, and he’s a lovely lad as well. Everybody here is fully behind him.”
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