Six-time world snooker champion Reardon dies aged 91 Ray Reardon: Six-times world snooker champion dies aged 91 - BBC Sport
Sad news - great character and player
Six-time world snooker champion Reardon dies aged 91 Ray Reardon: Six-times world snooker champion dies aged 91 - BBC Sport
Sad news - great character and player
A fine old age, recall him from my childhood.
If I had to guess I’d have assumed he was even older.
When I lived in Bolton for 3 years in the mid 1980’s I used to see Ray driving around in his top of the range Vauxhall Senator (supplied by a large local dealer) sporting the registration that I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, of QUE 1.
I wasn’t aware of Ray living locally & believe his fairly frequent visits to the area were probably to the snooker club owned by John Spencer, who I was told was a good friend.
I recall he had a good sense of humour & thanks to TV, was possibly the games first ‘superstar’ player, RIP.
Fangs for the memories.
Quality player. RIP.
Yes, very sad. Enjoyed watching Pot Black as a child
Interesting. That’s a way off. Spencer actively disliked Reardon and is on record as having said so on several occasions. Some of it stemmed from the same sorts of accusations of gamesmanship which were levelled at him from Steve Davis some years later and some of it from the fact that Reardon who was amongst the many who didn’t contact Spencer when his career was effectively ended by double vision. He certainly never entered Spencer’s club. I believe they played doubles briefly under duress but as Spencer’s eyes deteriorated he advised Reardon to consider finding another partner if medication didn’t improve things. Medication did, temporarily, improve things so Spencer was a bit naffed off to find that Ray had long since found a new partner.
Some rumours in Wales that Ray was a ladies man so he’s more likely to have had a lady friend around Bolton when he was playing around Manchester.
Nevertheless a legend of Welsh sport and the modern game simply wouldn’t have existed were it not for the likes of him.
He was a gentleman and one of the group of players who kick-started the popularity of snooker to the tv masses. Reardon, Higgins, Davis and White were the big characters of the 80s.
He had a long good frame. RIP Ray.
Don’t forget Terry Griffiths.
I know. There’s many more like Thornburn, Thorne, Taylor, Meo……. But I think the ones I named were the characters that helped drive the sport the most.
I find it extremely sad how many traditional pubs here have shut with loss of excellent snooker/billiards/darts rooms/facilities.
Many clubs still exist but generally in more deprived areas it seems.
When we had the log burners installed the slate hearths were fashioned from reclaimed snooker table slate.