by elliott west
One of the greatest and nicest players in our sport is Willie Thorne. This lad from Leicester is probably one of the most gifted players that the sport has ever seen and someone who I consider to be a good friend of mine. Despite having having a busy lifestyle he has always been there for me and I can always pick up my phone and message him when I need advice or just want to have a conversation about snooker. Now living in Spain, WT as we fondly call him concentrates his time on golf and flies back for the Seniors Tour and the Welsh Open. I first started talking to Willie several years ago and was at first in awe of him but now just realise he is just a person with an exceptional talent.
Thorne was a gifted player from the offing, becoming an under-16 champion in 1970 and had a game that thrived on break building, century breaks and multiple 147’s in practice. He graced our sport in what was considered by many as the golden era of snooker, when audience figures went through the roof and the game had instantly recognisable characters. Sadly though and I hate to say this but I feel that WT should have won more. His only title was the Classic in 1985, a win that looks very lonely on a CV that had so much potential. However, as a friend and lover of his game I will come to his defence! Willie played at a time when the wrath of genius was on the table, first Steve Davis  and then Stephen Hendry put a stranglehold on the sport with their continuous titles and it is little wonder that Thorne found it so difficult to carve his name deeper into stone of success.
Willie did however make the final of the UK Championship in 1985 and two quarter- finals at the World Championship in 1982 and 1986. His game is haunted by the blue that he missed against Davis in that 1985 UK Championship when he led Steve 13-8, the miss in the final session was as they always are, the crunch ball, causing his ascendancy to flounder allowing Davis to win the match. Willie later recounted that he thought the blue was a certainty but concentration is key in snooker and the cardinal sin is to take your eye off the ball as WT would now say from a commentator’s position.
The former number 7 has had well documented problems with gambling and I don’t really want to concentrate on that side of Willie’s private life. I just hope that after Thorne’s honesty and openness to this chapter in his life others can be helped as a result. Gambling is highly addictive and can destroy a person’s life, career and fracture relationships with friends and family. However, with honesty and help people can overcome this addiction and break the cycle.
Since hanging up his professional cue Willie has made a made a very successful career as a snooker commentator, working for the BBC and Sky. His vast knowledge of the game and humour shine through whenever he commentates and you feel like you’re listening to someone in the pub or your front room. He has a relaxed style of informing but always hammers home the point in the nicest possible fashion. But for whatever reason the BBC made an ill fated  decision to get rid of Thorne from their snooker coverage, confining  him now to one tournament a year; the Welsh Open, an event only covered by BBC Wales and Eurosport. Despite many efforts, even by myself, the BBC refuse to go back on their decision and like with the previous sacking of Clive Everton, prefer to sit on their hands.
One of the main reasons that Thorne retired was his failing eyesight, an ailment that dogs so many players in the latter part of their careers. Now after surgery and use of contact lenses Willie is making good progress in starting to play again in Seniors events. I saw him recently play at the early stages of this return and the signs are promising. His long ball game is still there but like so many older players his concentration can go when he is sighting in the balls. Silly misses ensue and another frame is lost as a result. However there is only one WT and long may Mr Maximum reign!
