The Masters quarter-finalist got on the bad side of the crowd thanks to his jibe
Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
12:24, 15 Jan 2026
Neil Robertson made a quip towards the Ally Pally crowd(Image: Getty)
Neil Robertson found himself on the receiving end of jeers from the crowd at Alexandra Palace following a tongue-in-cheek remark about England’s disappointing 4-1 Ashes series loss to Australia.
Robertson, who hails from Melbourne, overcame Chris Wakelin 6-2 on Wednesday, securing his place in the Masters semi-finals. During his post-match interview, the 43-year-old couldn’t resist a playful dig. Robertson said: “With Australia winning the Ashes I didn’t know If I was going to get booed or cheered coming down the stairs.”
The Alexandra Palace audience responded with boos, and one particularly irate spectator even shouted “f**k you” towards the outspoken Robertson. The Aussie snooker star simply responded with “there we go” whilst chuckling at the reaction.
This wasn’t Robertson’s first time winding up English supporters with cricket-themed antics. Back in December at the UK Championship, he provoked similar ire with another cricket-related display.
Before his clash with Judd Trump, Robertson mimicked batting strokes using his snooker cue case as he approached the table.
The crowd greeted his theatrics with a wave of disapproval, though Robertson appeared amused by their response. He was heard speaking to referee Ben Williams, saying: “I was not going to do it. I nearly didn’t do it.”
Neil Robertson made an Ashes crack at the expense of England(Image: Getty)
Reflecting on that mischievous moment after his Masters quarter-final victory, he said: “In the semis in York when I came down I started doing my batting technique and I thought, ‘I better not do that here.'”
The match in York was delayed due to an oversight where neither player had been provided with towels. Neal Foulds, providing commentary for TNT Sports, humorously suggested that Robertson shouldn’t have received a towel after he made fun of England’s dismal performance.
“I would not have given a towel to Neil Robertson anyway after that walk-on where he mocked English cricket, I think,” Foulds quipped. “I would have left him with no towel, no drink, nothing.”
The Ally Pally crowd made their feelings known(Image: Alex Pantling, Getty Images)
Despite playing the role of the antagonist, Robertson took the time to praise the Ally Pally crowd following his win over Wakelin. “I can’t thank you guys enough, a brilliant atmosphere,” he said, adding: “This is the best event in terms of the atmosphere that we play in, yeah, awesome.”
Robertson continued: “I think a lot of players would share the same sentiment. I mean, it’s an amazing arena and the crowds are always brilliant every single time.
“It’s packed out for every match so if you can’t get inspired by this then you’re probably doing the wrong thing. I’m really privileged enough to do this for so long and I can’t thank the crowd enough.”
Robertson is now set to face Kyren Wilson on Friday evening. Discussing his upcoming semi-final with Wilson, he stated: “It’s a one table set up, you just have to go out and play your game and hope it’s good enough.”
