Alex Higgins - His Own Worst Enemy 

@David Robinson Honestly, and this comes with no disrespect to the man, but I think he might have been gay and that's where the issues stemmed from. Personally I couldn't give a shiny shite if he was or wasn't, but he always seemed he had a certain effeminate flair and perhaps a little flamboyance about him to me.

@@IAmPez If Higgins was still around, he’d tell you to stick that comment up your jacksie.

He's already revered Kelvin, one of the very, very few immortals of the sport.

@@IAmPez I reckon if he heard you say that he'd deck you, you low life fcking muppet.

@@martinclark8162 Probably, a lot of closeted homosexuals get irrationally agitated and aggressive when they hear, or even read, the word "Gay"

No he wasn’t lol. He won a couple of world titles and got a bit giddy around the table. A good player with natural ability and a tremendous amount of luck but not even close to the snooker greats.

@@greatdelusion7654 dunno what you're talking about, a genius is a genius in any era, watch 'The impossible Break' a 69 clearance against Jimmy at his 'talent' peak.

@@dav147 No doubt he had a brilliant snooker brain which he fully relied on. He could have been one of the greats but he sadly chose the booze over discipline.

...was thinking the same thing - the whole thing tasted of vinegar, unnecessarily critical and tactless, especially the bit about his family.

The hurricane the best entertainer and talent ive ever seen. People keep raving abiut o,sullivan and trump with all this so called naughty snooker but they only do it when the frames were won, alex played them when the frame was still live.

I know, I put 100 quid on Alex to win the world title at the start of the tournament and won two and a half grand

@@JohnSmith-su3ze Great punt, well done make those bookies cry😂

@@JohnSmith-su3ze a lot of money in those days

@@JohnSmith-su3ze bet it felt amazing. 😊

@@jaynestag95 Best feeling ever! I'm not sure what felt better though, winning the money or the Hurricane reclaiming his title!

That comment sounds exactly like Alex talking. 😂

And his cue action was atrocious

Despite his flaws, he entertained the public and put snooker in the limelight in a way that you could never do. Not even in your wildest dreams. That’s why he’s a legend and you’re a nobody.

@@aldo874 Still shot better than most "Orthodox" shooters, hell even Steve Savis caleed him "The only real genius in the history of Snooker, and I've played both Ronnie and Hendry."

Why didn't. Higgins open a pub THE HURRICAINE PUB 🍺

He could still hit shots u Will never make

I never warmed to him I must say. I'm not sure I'd describe him as 'revolting' - just not a particularly nice person. He forged his own path and refused to listen to others who cared about him. A lesson for us all really.

hahaha came for the snooker and find Colorado Springs

@if.. Theres different stages of addiction. Like george best for example greatest player ever, but at one point after he retired at age 27 he became a binge drinker, drinking for a week then would stop for months maybe or just a week or two. Alex higgins became the same. But in the end a think george best became a slave to it and also alex too, and when your at that stage its so hard to stop becouse your body and brain cant function properly with out it, from the binge drinker to the functioning alcoholic, they could drink all day but appear normal and walk fast while making fast clever conversation with some one. But its a horrible way to live, being unshaven and not really botherd how you look as thats now the least of there worrys, i had never seen alex higgins with a beard in my life, till he did an interview in a pub not long before he died, about a year or two a think. He was so frail looking just like best was, he even beat throat cancer...a mean that just stunnend me that. I was lost for words, becouse tbh alex didnt look after himself long before he got that, plus not alot of people beat it becouse its so hard, but alex beat it then said cancer hasnt a chance becouse it hasent got a snooker cue! And i had to laugh as only alex would say that. But to then die with malnutrition becouse he hardly ate, some how is hard to work out as if we had been cheeted and alex too after beating cancer. He had to claim welfare benefits to Iive on as he had spent all his money. I felt so sad but cheeted. As this great player was found dead in bed after a day or two on his own age just 61.

That's because he never learned to drive!

My dad couldn’t drive or swim he was too busy on the table he never bothered to learn ha

@@jordanhiggins2554 So your Alex Higgins son, eh? His daughter did an interview for a documentary on him which is on RU-vid. I doubt people will believe you are his son as you have never given any interviews or even made any videos on RU-vid.

I don't think anyone really considers him a snooker god, as you put it. It's more about his character and engaging personality, not to mention a country that would love to see him and Jim together during the Big Break days, that made him more of a national treasure than a sports star per se.

@joseph the uk wasn't considered a major in those days it was only open for uk professionals

@joseph the seedings was based on the previous season world championships results the quarter finalist was seeded to the last 16

John Virgo may not have been an elite player but his knowledge of the game is as good as anyones, and his commentary is excellent.

John Virgo is a top fella he is a really nice guy same with Steve Davis John the trick shot master lol

No. Nick something.

Yep.. Not good.

Aren't they all , just thinking about artists, comedians, actors and actresses.....

Did you think you were going to win? 😂

No@@markchambers3833

@Joe Box No sorry, Top 5 players only

@Joe Box Yes, but I might put Patsy Fagan and Jim Meadowcroft in there as well....and also Rex Williams

You missed out Graham Miles!

Laughable that players table u haven't got a clue sorry to say.

@@vivprice5926 Why is my players table laughable?

He was a lovely man, fuck you

He was a flawed genius.

@@JohnSmith-su3ze He used to batter his wife and put alcohol before his child....yeah, a fucking gentleman alright.

Yes, because sectarians are all lovely people.

Great entertainer and showman. Probably had some unresolved issues.

Where do u get this fucking shit from my my who he married if catholic so that there is bullshit he never let the fam go to his head he probably didn’t handle it the best so stop talking shit about things u don’t have a clue about

Not a word of the above pile of trash by @Touhou forever is true. Complete lies. Not only does he attribute the quotation to the wrong person, he can't even get George Best's words or meaning right. (Best said if he hasn't left the Cregagh estate he might have ended up throwing stones at Catholics.) Just to clarify, Higgins wasn't prejudiced or sectarian in any way, he was friends with anyone he liked. Despite what this gobshite says.

Liar

@@duncanbirss8923 I'm not lying it's a well known fact about him I'm afraid he was a great player I'm not talking shit about him or his career this has been documented information

​@@Touhou-forever😂 If it's a well known fact, why are twisting someone else's words. I wonder if we scratch a little deeper, who would be the bigot? Alex Higgins, about whom you have to lie, or you? Any possibility, I wonder, if you don't like Higgins just because he was a prod?

your sister thought it was ok

Yep ask Ronnie O'Sullivan lol

@@Keenangoal Well sadly for Jimmy Steve Davis and Hendry got in the way and between them they have 13 world titles.. Alex was playing the worst world champions in the history of the game.. These guys would often struggle to get a 70 80 break never mind a 100.. You are right though as you can only play what's in front of you and that was the standard of the day.. I guess Alex would play differently today but he would not be allowed to carry on like he did.. He was a greedy selfish self absorbed bastard and that came from Oliver Reed who was the same of him lol. YOu couldn't give Alex advice, he died alone basically and even after the funeral Jimmy was upset but he tried to get Alex to eat but he refused. Alex was a spoiled brat with no manners simple but when he was on it he looked good but he played an awful lot of terrible matches too. He's nowhere near the class of Jimmy or Ronnie if you ask me but that's my personal opinion.. Each to their own I guess.

@@dfstarborn Actually Higgins was playing against steady players in a closed club. Perry Mans? Who was he? He broke open the snooker "club" that existed at that time. Without Higgins snooker doesn't become popular. Dracula does not get to grin on TV. Virgo would never be relevant (UK Champion to shit Jim Davidson sidekick in 10 years?) Davis earned his place, the other champs did too. They were supported though. Higgins did what he did cos he did. Snooker was more interesting because of him.

@joseph Century breaks weren't as common as they are today and that's a fact.. Players today have much better training and are much more advanced. This type of training was just not around back in the days of Alex and co. I think if he were around today he'd be a different player because of the culture we now live in. It's hard to say how the likes of Higgins, Griffiths, Spencer, Reardon, Joe Davis, Steve Davis, Thorborn, JOhnson, Knowles and Taylor would fair out today.. Even Steve Davis who was much more advanced than Reardon and Higgins said he couldn't cope with Hendry who was on another level.. Then Hendry couldn't cope with the likes of Higgins, Sullivan, Mark Williams,Doherty and Ebodon and the rest that came with them as they moved up a level from Hendry.. We are now seeing Higgins, Sullivan and Williams coping with the likes of Selby, Robertson and Trump which is a miracle within itself judging by the age gap.. We are now waiting for the next generation to have a go at the top lads of the moment.

Look Davis has said on a few interviews that he realized Hendry was on a higher level and saw his reign ending. Steve admitted that he was much better than his opponents during his reign and he was proven right as nobody could cope with his all round killer game. Joe Johnson and Dennis Taylor went on to burst his bubble but Davis came back to beat Johnson, Parrot and Griffiths to claim six world titles. That was the end of Stevens dominance as Hendry came on the scene and sadly Jimmy White would appear in the next five world finals beating four times by Hendry and once by Parrot.. Jimmy disrespected these opponents by being careless and also being guilty of wanting the adoration of being the crowd pleaser. So Hendry had it easy against White in my mind and even Hendry confessed that he always thought he could beat Jimmy mentally on the table. Hendry would go on to win another two world titles beating Bond and Ebdon.. But Hendry did speak about the batch of players coming through and he just didn't have it in him to put in all that work only to get beat by the new kids on the block. They indeed did take over.. Doherty would appear in two finals, Ebdon in three.. Ronnie and John appeared in 7 finals each with Selby and Williams turning up in 4 finals. Doherty is the one who put the dent in Hendry's armor for me and then Ebdon dealt the final blow in 2002 beating Hendry 18-17. Hendry would not appear in a final again after this. .From 2001 to 2008 we see Ronnie win three world championships John Higgins winning in 2009 after been beaten by Ronnie 8 years previously in 2001.. Williams beat Doherty in 2003 and Shaun Murphy plus Graham Dott were in there too winning a final each. Higgins beats Selby in 2007 and also beast Murphy in 2009. Dott beat Ebdon in 2006 so Ebdon got to three world finals.. He was a great attraction in his day, and one of the most focused players I've ever seen. Dott is no joke either as when he's on it he's well capable of winning another final. Neil Robertson wins in 2010 but he never dominated the world championship like we thought he would.. Higgins would win again in 2011 and Ronnie again in 2012 and 2013 to show their dominance over the rest. Now comes in Mark Selby who dominates for the next four years with Bingham winning one of those world titles in 2015 Mark Williams then in 2018 with his famous naked post match winners interview.. Trump then comes on the scene to win in 2019 as Ronnie raps up his 6th world title in 2020. From 2017 to 2019 Higgins appears in all three finals losing all of them. But what a player he is to be able to still compete with the younger players in their prime. It looks like Trump is being backed to take over the reigns but I'm not quite sure he has the mentality to pull of back to back world titles.. I can still see both Selby and Robertson with another couple of titles for the pair of them. If Ronnie stays mentally and physically fit I'd say he can get that 7th world title but he needs to get it in the next few years as I don't think he's be mentally strong enough closing in on his 50's. Hendry is also making a comeback this year and I wonder is this him trying to get into Ronnies head? It remains to be seen and also, will Wilson excell now having gotte4n to his first world title. He seems eager and fresh along with being Trumps bogey man.

Hang on a moment. Was Ray Reardon a “nobody” when Higgins beat him in the 1982 final?