“You just don’t know what you will get from Ronnie. I haven’t got a clue how he will play. Does he know?”
John Parrott
Introduction
John Parrott or JP as he is fondly known by his friends and colleagues is probably one of the most famous exports that have come out of Liverpool since The Beatles, Cilla Black and Ken Dodd. A player who has been on a long and successful journey since he first struck gold by winning Junior Pot Black in 1982, defeating Newcastle’s John Keers 169-70 over two frames in the final at the Pebble Mill studios, Birmingham, then a North-West junior champion and only 18 years of age. A victory that was witnessed by the watchful eyes of Alan Weeks and Ted Lowe. A quest that started in a very distinctive brown suit.
Best known these days for being part of the BBC punditry team for snooker, it is easy to forget what a great player John was in his time and won a whole list of professional titles including the UK Championship and World Championship, both in 1991, a rare feat to achieve with only five players having attained this feat. A holder of nine ranking and seven non-ranking titles, this Liverpudlian player made a meteoric rise to the top of the sport, a feat that he probably never dreamed of when he was playing crown green bowls as a twelve-year-old.
True Northern Grit
Born in the ‘Swinging Sixties’ in 1964, John was inspired to pick up a snooker cue by watching his snooker hero, Ray Reardon on television and bolstered when his father took him to Dudley Institute, local snooker on a rainy day. His natural talent for the game soon shone through and he was spotted by Phil Miller, who became his long-term manager in 1980. John soon started to reap the benefits of his snooker gift, winning the North-West regional under-16s championship on three occasions and made the final of the national championship in 1980. In 1981 he won the Pontins Junior Championship, followed by Junior Pot Black in 1982, the first of two titles and the Pontins Open crown.
Despite going on to lose in the finals of the British under-19s championship and the English Amateur Championship, defeated by Neal Foulds and Tony Jones respectively, this young player knew that his time on the amateur circuit was spent and he had to become a professional player. Turning professional in 1983, John made a very promising start, moving straight into the rankings, positioned 20th. A start that began with his televised debut, playing Alex Higgins at the 1984 Classic in Warrington.A great start that was topped over by reaching the semi-finals of the Lada Classic in his debut season, reaching the television stages by defeating Doug Mountjoy 5-4 to qualify and going on to beat Alex Higgins 5-2 and Tony Knowles 5-1 before losing to Steve Davis.
Parrott went on to qualify for the World Championship at his first attempt with a 10-0 victory over Perrie Mans and reached the last 16, losing out to Dennis Taylor in a closely fought match. Bookmakers soon tipped him to become a world champion within five years, a feat that would actually only take slightly longer, seven years in total. The Liverpudlian went on to win the European Open in 1989 and defended the title the following year.
John spent fourteen consecutive seasons in the top 16 and eleven of them in the top 6, reaching the last 16 of the World Championship every year from 1984-1995 and the final of the Masters three times in four years. A career whose highlight was definitely when he won the UK Championship and World Championship in 1991.
Sadly like so many players, John’s game started to fail after the millennium and he spent another ten years plugging away on the main tour before deciding to retire in 2010. Now a seasoned pundit and commentator for BBC snooker, Parrott still dusts off his cue for the World Seniors tour and enjoys nothing more than a day at the horse racing or watching his beloved Everton football club in action. The former Question of Sport team captain prefers now a quieter life and is a man who is very family-oriented, quitting the BBC sports quiz because he was spending too much time away from home whilst filming. An after-dinner speaker, owner of his own cue manufacturing company and keen golfer, Parrott ceases to amaze with the many strings to his bow.
