The Peoples Champion
Alex Higgins one of the greatest snooker players the world has ever seen passed away this week. He will always be remembered as one of the best players ever to hold a cue.
Snooker's greatest names from past and present are expected to attend the funeral when the Hurricane is finally laid to rest.
Higgins - world champion in 1972 and 1982 - died on Saturday after a long battle with throat cancer in his home city of Belfast, aged 61.
The Republic of Ireland Snooker and Billiards Association wish to express their deepest sympathies to his family and friends. R.I.P.
Please email : pjcoach147@hotmail.com / ribsa@clubi.ie
Peter Dunne;
He was a flamboyant and flawed genius who's charisma and shot making skills drew a whole new audience to snooker. He was definitely unique and controversial at times but his 69 clearance against Jimmy White in his semi-final at the Crucible in 1982 will go down as one of the greatest ever. It also includes one of the best shots I've ever seen, a blue that he took to the green pocket where he screwed with side off the cushion back down to the reds. Pure brilliance. That break sums up Alex. You had to expect the unexpected when he was playing.
Stuart Vale:
What a great a charater, Alex Higgins was a legend of the world of snooker. I hope they put a statue up of Alex Higgins outside the World Snooker Championship next year.
Bernadette Rellis:
The reason I love snooker..I remember seeing Alex play in an exhibition when I was younger and he was amazing. I got the snooker legends dvd from the Crucible and he still had the flair about him and pulled of some great pots, but was so weak he struggled to play but clearly never lost the talent..I think the game owes him a lot more than any other player because he popularized it and opened up the door for Jimmy and Ronnie to take his place in the last two decades but there was just something mesmerizing about him.