By Elliott West
Introduction
Alex Higgins was a genius on a snooker table but a tortured soul off it. A man who grew up learning the hard knocks of life in the streets of Belfast, he was the player who always dared to take a punt, sneaking his way into the smoke filled Jam Pot Snooker Club as a youth and laid down his gauntlet to those there with a daring invitation to challenge him. Fuelled by alcohol and cigarettes, he was like a toy you wound up and watched it do its thing, a phenomenon that produced raw, undiluted talent and someone who could make a cue-ball produce shots that few would dare to attempt.
Alex, was loved and at times disliked by those around him. You never knew which Higgins would turn up, the shy and gentle soul or the arrogant and brash character that was inflamed by the media spotlight that was constantly cast on him. He was an instant headline for all the right and the wrong reasons. Even if you were his closest friend, you had to be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from being a close ally to being his worst enemy.
Living on the Edge
Like a cat, Alex Higgins believed he had nine lives, he once stated this following an accident when he was in a car with Jimmy White. Both players had been on a drinking spree. Whilst in the car, a Mini Metro that White had been given as part of a photo shoot, the car skidded into a wall and Alex was propelled through the windscreen, landing on the other side of the bonnet facing Jimmy. Covered in rubble, Higgins started shouting:
‘I have nine lives, baby, nine lives’.
Alex Higgins
This was not the end of the story. When White eventually got home to his house in Surrey, Alex wanted to go and play snooker for money, £300 a frame but let’s say there was a disagreement between the two, and both went to bed. However, in the night, Alex went around to Jimmy’s neighbour and started arguing with him, despite the fact there was a dispute over a tree between the two properties. After a heated exchange, Alex persuaded the neighbour to drive him to Reading.
Alex could have won more titles than he did especially World Championships. His victories in 1972 and then ten years later in 1982, were hard fought, especially in 1982 when he had to go into a clinic to dry out prior to the start of the tournament. His wife, Lynn Avison and the birth of his daughter Lauren, were crucial in keeping together for preparation for this event. Alex found that he had a purpose as a father and adored spending time with his daughter and watching her grow up.
However, Alex was Alex and that moment was a moment. Higgins was fragile and could easily be enticed by the need to drink and gamble despite the fact that he very rarely won a bet. Alex and Lynn’s marriage lasted five years from 1980-1985 before they split and Alex moved on with his new girlfriend Siobhan Kidd. This was the start of the end and Higgins very quickly was involved in various incidents that reached the media. A battle with throat cancer in 1998 also encroached on his life but he was able go into remission.
Higgins could have won the 1976 World Championship but was drunk for the whole final. Rather than playing a cautious game, he continued with his attacking style and Reardon exploited it. Alex couldn’t play blind drunk and this annoyed Ray, he wanted to win the match fairly and squarely. However Alex decided to carry on his path to defeat and lost the match 16-27 with a session to spare.
Similarly Alex had his chances in 1980 against Cliff Thorburn to win again and even led in the match but it was Cliff who dominated the last frames and won the match 18-16. Both this defeat and the one in 1976 hurt Alex. During this period of time, his manager was actually having to pay members of the public to lose to Higgins. His game was shot and he just couldn’t get over the winning line when it was needed in these crucial finals.
Higgins spent years travelling on his own, travelling to venues across the country, living out of a suitcase. Alcohol became his emotional crutch and he stopped him thinking about reality and momentarily blocked out the strains of fame. He once ignored an autograph hunter after a match, replying when he had a pen and piece of paper pushed into his face:
“I haven’t been home for four days”
Alex Higgins
Snooker consumed the Irishman as he felt the need to play to the crowd. The People’s Champion became a shadow of his former self and his last hurrah was his win against Stephen Hendry in the 1989 Irish Masters final. By 1997, he had retired from the professional tour and by the early ’00s was living in sheltered accommodation in Belfast. He became emaciated and almost skeletal in appearance, only recognisable by his trademark hat. His death in 2010 was largely due to malnutrition, caused by his teeth being destroyed by countless sessions of chemotherapy for his throat cancer. By the end, Alex was living on a diet of Guinness and betting slips. A tragic end to a snooker genius and Triple Crown winner, who left this world at the age of only 61.
