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Those of us old enough to remember him will recall what an exciting player to watch he was. The George Best of snooker really. A mercurial talent but sadly had a few demons.
"A+++++", "Great Comms, would recommend", "Thank you, the 12 inch black mamba is just perfect" - Ebay.
Professional snooker owes Alex Higgins a considerable debt. He popularised it in a way nobody else did.
Snooker was and still is a minority sport/pastime. Pot Black appeared on tv in the 70s. A one frame competition. Fred Davis, Ray Reardon, John Spencer, etc. enjoyable. Then Higgins appeared. He won the World Snooker championship in 1972 37-31 against Spencer in what was said at the time the best match anyone had ever seen.
Higgins was exciting, fast, box office. Nobody had seen anything like it. Don’t get me wrong, when Steve Davis appeared on the scene in the early 80s he was the player I wanted to be because he took the game to a new level. Till Hendry, the best. But Higgins even then was the one people wanted to see.
Even by 1982 his game was waning and so was he. Volatile, fidgety, who knew what’d happen next? He didn’t and neither did the audience. But he deservedly won in 1982 Worlds against Reardon.
Alex Higgins was the last person you’d want to meet. Crude, offensive, stupid, you name it. But a ticket to see him play would be top of your list.
Alex Higgins gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure in his life. What a player. RIP Alex.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2023 22:39]
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Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 22:51 - Apr 19 with 2304 views
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 22:37 - Apr 19 by Churchman
Professional snooker owes Alex Higgins a considerable debt. He popularised it in a way nobody else did.
Snooker was and still is a minority sport/pastime. Pot Black appeared on tv in the 70s. A one frame competition. Fred Davis, Ray Reardon, John Spencer, etc. enjoyable. Then Higgins appeared. He won the World Snooker championship in 1972 37-31 against Spencer in what was said at the time the best match anyone had ever seen.
Higgins was exciting, fast, box office. Nobody had seen anything like it. Don’t get me wrong, when Steve Davis appeared on the scene in the early 80s he was the player I wanted to be because he took the game to a new level. Till Hendry, the best. But Higgins even then was the one people wanted to see.
Even by 1982 his game was waning and so was he. Volatile, fidgety, who knew what’d happen next? He didn’t and neither did the audience. But he deservedly won in 1982 Worlds against Reardon.
Alex Higgins was the last person you’d want to meet. Crude, offensive, stupid, you name it. But a ticket to see him play would be top of your list.
Alex Higgins gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure in his life. What a player. RIP Alex.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2023 22:39]
Watching his technique, its amazing he potted anything. He would snatch at the cue ball, jerk his body, lift his head. All the things you'd be taught by a pro not to do basically! But that's what made him special I think, and he played the game in a bold way, never afraid to attempt a spectacular pot to entertain the crowd. He was definitely instrumental in the rise of snooker's popularity, and as you say, snooker owes him a lot. RiP Alex
"A+++++", "Great Comms, would recommend", "Thank you, the 12 inch black mamba is just perfect" - Ebay.
Had a dream once that I was in the audience watching him playing Terry Griffiths. Alex missed the blue, and as Terry was lining up to pot it, Alex leant across the table and shot poor Terry in the head.
John Higgins was there and thought it was hilarious, I told him to stop laughing and get an ambulance.
When we got to the medical centre, for some reason it was the medial centre on Centre Court at Wimbledon, there was just a nurse there, who told me that she'd be with me, "as soon as I've put all these toilet rolls away".
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 22:55 - Apr 19 by blueasfook
Watching his technique, its amazing he potted anything. He would snatch at the cue ball, jerk his body, lift his head. All the things you'd be taught by a pro not to do basically! But that's what made him special I think, and he played the game in a bold way, never afraid to attempt a spectacular pot to entertain the crowd. He was definitely instrumental in the rise of snooker's popularity, and as you say, snooker owes him a lot. RiP Alex
In his prime, before tv, he was I gather as still on the shot as it was possible to be. In later years he developed all sorts of habits and hopped around ever more so. But up to the mid 80s he was actually pretty still until he hit the cue ball.
Naturally gifted, then some.
Great game is snooker, but boy is it tough to play to any sort of standard.
1
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 08:01 - Apr 20 with 2083 views
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 23:08 - Apr 19 by Churchman
In his prime, before tv, he was I gather as still on the shot as it was possible to be. In later years he developed all sorts of habits and hopped around ever more so. But up to the mid 80s he was actually pretty still until he hit the cue ball.
Naturally gifted, then some.
Great game is snooker, but boy is it tough to play to any sort of standard.
I used to play a fair bit. Loved snooker when I was a teenager. I used to get coaching from some old pro. I got to an OK standard, could knock in a 50/60 break. Then I reached 18 and clubs/girls/cars took over!
"A+++++", "Great Comms, would recommend", "Thank you, the 12 inch black mamba is just perfect" - Ebay.
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 08:31 - Apr 20 by blueasfook
I used to play a fair bit. Loved snooker when I was a teenager. I used to get coaching from some old pro. I got to an OK standard, could knock in a 50/60 break. Then I reached 18 and clubs/girls/cars took over!
I used to go to coaching with Ted Brown at The Executive in Oak Lane. Good club, but couldn’t wait to step over the threshold of The Lucania, pass the Rastas, find a table with the least rips. Think Wast Ham or Man U tried to have a pop at it, about 82’? When was Higgins break, when he cleared the table, but the white was never under control or in the ‘right’ place. Every shot was a stunner.
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 10:32 - Apr 20 by Bluespeed225
I used to go to coaching with Ted Brown at The Executive in Oak Lane. Good club, but couldn’t wait to step over the threshold of The Lucania, pass the Rastas, find a table with the least rips. Think Wast Ham or Man U tried to have a pop at it, about 82’? When was Higgins break, when he cleared the table, but the white was never under control or in the ‘right’ place. Every shot was a stunner.
I think that was a final against Ray Reardon and 14-15 to Reardon. Reardon just needed to win that frame to win the match and was about 50 pts in front. Higgins got in and cleared up to take the frame and then the next one to win the match. As you say, he was out of position constantly and had to pull off all kinds of long shots to keep the break going. Amazing stuff. You could see Reardon was rattled.
[Post edited 20 Apr 2023 11:30]
"A+++++", "Great Comms, would recommend", "Thank you, the 12 inch black mamba is just perfect" - Ebay.
Was it Dennis Taylor he said he was going to have shot on the Shankhill Road?
In the spirit of reconciliation and happiness at the end of the Banter Era (RIP) and as a result of promotion I have cleared out my ignore list. Look forwards to reading your posts!
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 11:28 - Apr 20 by blueasfook
I think that was a final against Ray Reardon and 14-15 to Reardon. Reardon just needed to win that frame to win the match and was about 50 pts in front. Higgins got in and cleared up to take the frame and then the next one to win the match. As you say, he was out of position constantly and had to pull off all kinds of long shots to keep the break going. Amazing stuff. You could see Reardon was rattled.
[Post edited 20 Apr 2023 11:30]
I may be wrong but I think it was the semi final against Jimmy White. The final was less close affair. But then memory does strange things.
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Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 13:27 - Apr 20 with 1915 views
But for me, the best is still playing - Ronnie O'Sullivan. When he fancies it and has a settled mind, he is unbeatable - no-one can get anywhere near him. He's done it now for over 30 years, longer than anyone else in the sport has played at the very top level (and by a long way I'd imagine).
And if he fancies it, has a good few more world titles to come.
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 16:50 - Apr 20 by Radlett_blue
No it was the semi final v Jimmy White. Higgins was 15-14 down & 51-0 down in a frame he needed to win to stay alive.
[Post edited 21 Apr 2023 9:40]
Yes, it was in the semi v White when 14-15 down and on the brink of going out. I was a massive Higgins fan and could barely watch I was so nervous. Despite being 41 years older, I felt much the same on Tuesday night when Broadhead stepped up to take the pen. I sometimes wonder if it isn’t healthy to get so invested!
1
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 20:22 - Apr 20 with 1783 views
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 23:08 - Apr 19 by Churchman
In his prime, before tv, he was I gather as still on the shot as it was possible to be. In later years he developed all sorts of habits and hopped around ever more so. But up to the mid 80s he was actually pretty still until he hit the cue ball.
Naturally gifted, then some.
Great game is snooker, but boy is it tough to play to any sort of standard.
Too right. I've hit 180's in darts, scored hat-tricks in football and hit sixes in cricket. I have tried snooker but the table is a really imposing thing.
That whole skill of potting more than two or three balls while keeping the cue ball where you (even vaguely) want it to end up is totally awe inspiring and really fascinating to watch.
Lovely program on bbc4 just now about snooker player Alex Higgins on 22:37 - Apr 19 by Churchman
Professional snooker owes Alex Higgins a considerable debt. He popularised it in a way nobody else did.
Snooker was and still is a minority sport/pastime. Pot Black appeared on tv in the 70s. A one frame competition. Fred Davis, Ray Reardon, John Spencer, etc. enjoyable. Then Higgins appeared. He won the World Snooker championship in 1972 37-31 against Spencer in what was said at the time the best match anyone had ever seen.
Higgins was exciting, fast, box office. Nobody had seen anything like it. Don’t get me wrong, when Steve Davis appeared on the scene in the early 80s he was the player I wanted to be because he took the game to a new level. Till Hendry, the best. But Higgins even then was the one people wanted to see.
Even by 1982 his game was waning and so was he. Volatile, fidgety, who knew what’d happen next? He didn’t and neither did the audience. But he deservedly won in 1982 Worlds against Reardon.
Alex Higgins was the last person you’d want to meet. Crude, offensive, stupid, you name it. But a ticket to see him play would be top of your list.
Alex Higgins gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure in his life. What a player. RIP Alex.
[Post edited 19 Apr 2023 22:39]
Higgins gave the game an impetus it really needed. A lot of the pro's at that time had their background in billiards and it all seemed a bit conservative. The 80's saw a rise of real showmen in the game with Higgins himself added to Jimmy White. There were others like Kirk Stevens, Dennis Taylor and Tony Drago too.
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