Category: Jimmy White

A Day in the Life

By Elliott West

“I want to illuminate the darkness Jimmy dragged himself through as he lost much more than those famous six World Championship finals”.

Steven Waddington
Introduction

Jimmy White has been a dominant force in snooker for decades. A winner of ten ranking titles, the man they call ‘The Whirlwind’, plays the game how it should be played, fast, furious and with flair. Now 61, White still holds a tour card and is also busy playing on the World Seniors tour and in his work as a pundit for Eurosport’s snooker coverage. So it is good to hear that a new drama is in the offing about this legend of the game.  The actor Steven Waddington who starred as Police Superintendent Smith in the 2014 film The Imitation Game, has written a screenplay and will direct the drama. Aneurin Barnard who was in the film Dunkirk will play Jimmy and Ray Winstone is also lined up for the film. It will concentrate on and condense the colourful life of White and base it on one night when Jimmy is forced to confront his darker side.

Produced by Black Water Pictures and Lipsync Productions, filming will start this April in London. A film that looks at the genius of Jimmy White as a snooker player and how his inner demons would tear him apart. A player who reached six World Championship finals but lost all of them. Someone who blew away £35,000 on a crack cocaine addiction 

A Must

This is a script that couldn’t be turned down.  Aneurin and Ray jumped at the chance when they were offered the roles and there was no question that they would say no. Jimmy is someone that they have both admired for years. A poignant and funny script that is waiting to be told. Both are perfect for the roles because they come from the same ilk. A story that will mix the shady days of London snooker clubs in South London and the success that would ensue. A play that idolised Alex Higgins and aimed to produce his brilliance on a snooker table. The zip, long pots and breaks that came from nothing.

Jimmy remains a rock star of the sport and joins Alex and Ronnie as players who put bums on seats and sell-out venues. White might be slightly older but he has learnt from his life mistakes. He now leads a clean life and is a devoted father. A player who still believes he can win the World Championship and practices more now than he ever did in his pomp. The Whirlwind still kicks up a storm and is captivating to watch in an exhibition or on a practice table as I can vouch having met him and spent time with him on numerous occasions.

The Second Whirlwind

By Elliott West

“It’s ok to be nervous because it means you’re alive!”.

Jimmy White
Jimmy White, photograph courtesy of (Colin Poultney/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)
Introduction

Jimmy White is living proof that snooker can defy the ageing process. At nearly 61, White is currently experiencing an Indian Summer of form with a brilliant run in the WST Classic, beating a number of players including a 4-2 victory over Judd Trump to reach the last 16 of the tournament. Jimmy freely admits that he is a perfectionist and that definitely shines through in his reformed work ethic. Long gone are the late nights of drinking and partying in nightclubs, replaced by a disciplined regime of structured practice and enjoyment of playing snooker, something that would have been an alien concept to this Londoner in the past. Someone that you may have to be an ace detective to actually even find in the first place of a morning. White is a reformed wild child, a snooker player who has class oozing through his veins. You don’t win 10 ranking titles and reached six World Championship finals by accident.

With a career spanning almost 50 years, Jimmy has played almost everyone that has ever played amateur and professional snooker dating as far back as the latter days of Fred Davis and John Pulman. He took a leaf out of Alex Higgins’ genius book but carried on the blazing trail that Alex sadly couldn’t remain on. A rough diamond that has gradually been polished over time to produce a player who thoroughly entertains on the green baize, producing flair, drama and pure snooker magic. Such is his class that I wouldn’t be surprised if he surpasses Fred Davis’ illustrious career, one that didn’t end until had was 80 in 1993, playing his last World Championship match when he was 70 in 1984 and reaching the quarter-finals of the same tournament earlier in 1979 after sensationally beating Kirk Stevens 13-8 before eventually losing 13-4 to Eddie Charlton.

Nerves

Nerves and adrenalin are part of a chemical formula that drives a snooker player. The key to success is finding the right ratio and making it work for you. Jimmy White knows that only too well and as a lifelong fan of his, I know this only too well. I, like many, experienced his highs and lows, knife-edge matches that often took me to the brink and back again. If you want to be hyper-critical of Jimmy, you could throw the accusation at him that he could have won more, losing a number of crucial matches, letting his nerves get in the way and causing him to miss pots that he would never miss in practice.

The Wonder of White

Jimmy is brilliant at what he does. He literally makes the cue ball dance to his own tune and isn’t afraid to take on that near-impossible pot when he is backed into a corner by his opponent. Whether it is the zip of a banana shot or a long pot that breaks the teeth of the jaws of the intended pocket, White still makes at times an extraordinary game look easy. He has a love affair with snooker that never wanes and whether he is playing in a tournament or an exhibition, he makes every effort because he knows that if his fans pay good money to come and see. White is a crowd-pleaser, he plays snooker that comes from the heart, conviction snooker that combines naughtiness with true skill.

The Secret

The secret to Jimmy White’s longevity and success comes really from going back to the drawing board. His recent string of wins this season largely stems from incorporating the elements of his game that were missing during the bulk of his career. In the old days, Jimmy just turned up for a match and relied on his box of skills to get him over the line but now he puts in the hours of practice, hones in on the weaker side of his game and gets on a snooker table whenever he has an opportunity. He may have the odd cigarette or alcoholic beverage but these vices no longer rule his life. Long gone is the drug fuelled lifestyle that cost him a large portion of his career earnings and replaced instead with a clean life.

Jimmy also had learned to cope with his nerves better. Even when he played Judd Trump in the WST Classic and went down from 3-0 up, he didn’t fester in his chair and mull over his mistakes. Instead, he held onto the coat tails of Judd Trump and waited for his opportunities. He also handles his nerves better and tries to use them to fuel rather than hinder his game. Adored by fans and players alike, Jimmy is here to stay and I am sure that he will continue to produce these glimmers of genius well into his old age.

Jimmy in the Jungle

By Elliott West

“The things I do for Barry Hearn, eh?”

Jimmy White
Introduction

The year was 2009 and in the December of that year, celebrities from all walks of life took the long plane journey to Australia to take part in the annual event of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! Amongst the guests were one of the legends of the green baize, Jimmy White. A snooker player who decided to give up his place at the UK Championship qualifiers and swap potting balls for the complex challenges and bug eating of this highly viewed game show presented by the comical presenters’ Ant and Dec. Perhaps the reported appearance fee of between £65,000 to £100,000, sugar-coated this arduous task but such a challenge bring with it a springboard to media headlines and a potential jungle crown.

Jimmy was later followed by his fellow former world champion Steve Davis who won everything available in the snooker trophy cabinet and appeared on our television screens as a contestant in 2013. A decision that turned the spotlight on the actual person behind the snooker player persona. A campaign that left him leaving the Australian jungle in 8th place. It is actually a myth that this Essex-born ‘Nugget’ is boring, Davis has a great sense of humour and is a skilled DJ. This contrived perception of Steve led to a string of advertising campaigns and television appearances, thanks to his masterful manager Barry Hearn.

Tackling the Jungle

In a year where Jimmy White was joined by the likes of fellow contestants Gino D’Acampo, George Hamilton and the cleaning goddess Kim Woodburn, this was a challenge that gave the Tooting-born player plenty of time to reflect on life and strike up friendships with Gino and George. In this fictional world where the two caps consisted of Crock Creek and Snake Rock, Jimmy quickly lost weight, leaving Australia 22lb lighter and where one of his trials involved him having to eat a chocolate-coated cockroach.

White carried with him an abundance of public support and there was obviously a risk that this could be tarnished by a television appearance that frankly exposes warts and all of any celebrity. Thankfully this didn’t happen and although initially nervous when the cameras started rolling, presented the person that I and so many who know him admire and love. ‘The Whirlwind’ is a public image but behind the media bravado is a man who is very kind, sensitive and funny. Yes, he doesn’t take fools lightly and often says it how it is but when he forms a friendship bond with someone, he is always there for you and is highly protective of those who he cares about.

Life after the Jungle

Jimmy White finished in a respectable third place in the competition behind Kim and the overall winner that year Gino. Buoyant from his television appearance, White fancied his chances at the Masters when he returned to the UK and was given a wildcard to play in it. However, his success in the jungle wouldn’t be repeated on the baize and he was drawn against one tough cookie in the form of Mark King. A 200-1 shot at the start of this prestigious snooker event, White last won the title in 1984, beating Terry Griffiths 9-5 in the final but now at 47, White had his work cut out.

The Londoner was hungry after being in his Australian setting but alas it was not to be and probably due to a lack of practice, White lost his opening match 6-2 to Mark King. Again nervous, Jimmy couldn’t keep control of the cue ball and looked like a shadow of his former self, unable to reproduce some of the magic that earned him ten, ranking, professional titles. An error-strewn and somewhat deflated, Jimmy left the arena disappointed.

Afterthoughts

Jimmy is still one of the most popular players in snooker and now at the age of 60, still commands the respect that he deserves from his loyal fans and the snooker family. Gameshow appearances are always highly risky but in this case, the endurance was well worth the effort. White didn’t act like a diva, he rolled up his sleeves and got stuck in. He played the game as it should be played and highly entertained the ITV audience. His likeability shone though and he wasn’t afraid to wash in the creek in just his underpants. This is a man who has survived testicular cancer, bankruptcy and divorce. Feats that would test any person’s mental strength and determination. White may not always win but he is still a born winner to so many and someone who has become a very successful Eurosport snooker pundit.

I’m a Celebrity media promotion still of Jimmy White. Photograph courtesy of the BBC.