By Elliott West
“The achievement made the front page of The Sun and the Guinness Book of Records, with my name mentioned, almost as an after-thought, because I was on the receiving end”.
Mick Price
Introduction
Mick Price or the Postman as he was nicknamed in snooker, is most remembered for being at the receiving end of the fastest 147 made in snooker history in five minutes and twenty seconds, a break attained at the 1997 World Championship and a match that Ronnie win 10-6. A feat that has become a habitual quiz question. A professional from 1988-2001, this lad from Nuneaton actually did better than everyone thought. Although only on the main tour for several years, he managed to rise to an impressive 21st in the rankings in the 1995/6 season. With 31 career centuries under his belt and career earnings of £258,499, Mick was no walkover and it’s time to remember the other facts about this promising, bespectacled player.
Career
Born in 1966 and now aged 55, Mick first made an impression on the tour a year after joining it at the 1990 Benson and Hedges Satellite Championships. Here he set a snooker record, making three consecutive century contributions of 139, 137 and 100 to beat Tony Knowles 5-4. Mick also qualified for the World Championships in 1992 and 1996, reaching the second round in 1992 after defeating Dennis Taylor 10-6 before losing to Alan McManus 10-13.
In the 1996 World Championship, he only reached the first round, losing to Alan McManus again 8-10 and reaching his highest world ranking of 17 as a result, remaining in the top 32 until 1999.
His best ranking performance came in the 1993 European Open where he beat Dave Harold, Willie Thorne, Joe Johnson and Mark Johnston-Allen to reach the semi-finals. However, he was finally knocked out by Stephen Hendry 3-6. Mick retired from snooker in 2004 and went on to become a maths teacher but still plays snooker in his local league. A player who made his highest break of 141 in the 1994 Benson and Hedges Championship.
