By Elliott West
“People fell in love with Alex, a working-class fellow from the back streets of Belfast. That’s what brought the game alive”.
John Higgins
Introduction
It’s exactly 40 years since Alex Higgins won the second of his two World Championships in 1982, defeating Ray Reardon 18-15. In an era when snooker was considered to be more of a traditionalist game, Alex brought the required fire needed to stoke the cinders of a game that would be revolutionised by this mercurial character who could literally light up a snooker table with his shot choices and in his pomp, could win a match with pots that few would dare to attempt. Higgins could be a puppy dog or a beast, he was liked and often loathed by even his closest friends but something that can’t be denied is his natural talent for snooker and many would class him as a genius of his time.
The Maverick
Alex grew up in the troubled years of Northern Ireland, a time when being a Catholic or Protestant could affect your existence. However, Higgins sought sanctuary in the Jam Pot, a snooker club in Belfast that your parents would forbid you from going to. It was here that Alex cut his teeth on a snooker table, playing the money games and impressing those who saw him with his multitude of talents. He was fearless and that’s what made him so dangerous. He knew how to deconstruct a frame and reassemble it in his favour. Impressive for a player who first started playing snooker at the age of 11
A brief venture to England to train as a jockey didn’t come to fruition and he returned to his beloved Belfast. A return that led him to make his first century break in 1965 and winning the Irish Amateur Snooker Championship in 1968, beating Maurice Gill 4-1 in the final. A victory that made him the youngest winner of the tournament, aged 18. A week later, he would go on to win the Ireland Amateur Championship, defeating Gerry Hanway 4-1.
Alex was a ‘People’s Champion’, winner of the now almost forgotten 1972 World Championship at the age of 21, a final held at Selly Park British Legion in Birmingham with temperamental lighting powered by a generator. Alex became the youngest winner of the event, beating John Spencer 37-31 and a paltry winner’s prize of £480 despite making the highest tournament break of 133. Higgins would go on to reach two further finals before winning the 1982 World Championship, losing drunk to Ray Reardon in 1976, losing 27-16 and angering the Welshman by conceding the match. He also nearly claimed victory in 1980 against Cliff Thorburn, going 9-5 up before losing 18-16.
Alex would also win the 1983 UK Championship, and the Masters twice in 1978 and 1981. His last swan song was the 1989 Irish Masters at Goffs where he beat a young Stephen Hendry 9-8 in the final. The man who had won 24 non-ranking titles and 1 ranking title then became a shadow of his former self, retiring as a professional in 1997. A man who battled throat cancer and survived, Higgins was probably his own worst enemy, ending up in a rented flat, placing small bets on horses and not being able to eat due to his teeth being ravaged by earlier multiple chemotherapy sessions.
His last appearance in a Legends event against Cliff Thorburn before his death in 2010 was heart-wrenching. A skeletal Alex appeared before the audience for what would become his last public appearance. In the end, it was malnutrition that killed him, found in his flat after not answering calls for several days. He would probably have survived if he had accepted the offer of a monetary collection by snooker players to pay for a new set of teeth but the stubborn Northern Irishman flatly refused.
Afterthoughts
Alex Higgins paved the way for a new brand of snooker, one that inspired the likes of Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan to play the game. Higgins knew how to turn up the heat in them in a match and produced his best snooker when he was under pressure. He could make a cue ball dance and propel balls into pockets that didn’t seem possible by the naked eye. A journeyman who made the grade, Alex had a legion of fans who would go on to support Jimmy, Ronnie and Judd. He invented naughty snooker but in the end, he was destroyed by a savage media and his own life failings. A man who remains a legendary giant amongst snooker players.
