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i was involved in the Irish Professional Snooker C'Ship a few years back, it was the first year in a long time it had been run. We had an idea to get Higgins to play in it. 2 men and his dog watched every game in the first round except one.
Higgins played a young local kid (now a pro but can't remember his name Joe something or other). RTE and TV3 covered it and people queued for 2 hours to get into watch it. Incredible crowd puller, but not a particularly nice man. He got beat 5-1 i think but made a 50 break in the frame he won that was a joy to behold, to see some of the shots he could make in his state of ill health was incredible. |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5BYbSfOtVU
Ivory balls and pockets the size of mouses ears,different class. |
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Bill Borrows biography on Higgins is the reference tome for Alex Higgins.
It is a brilliant read and there is so much material. |
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Them were t'days. Snooker in shades of grey.
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One of the broadsheets did an interview with him a few weeks/months ago (has anyone else noticed how elastic time is?). Vague recollection his cancer had returned. The snooker world would kill to have a young Higgins back. He was television magic but the flame that burns twice as bright etc... Used to bump into him (literally) at the Cheltenham Festival. What memories he would have, had he not destroyed most of his brain. Death claims us all eventually - though he must be tired of waiting for Alex.
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met him recently in the old arcade pub in cardiff he has spent a lot of time here over the years also in that day was Barry John.
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Higgins used to live about 100yards from me in Ramsbottom in the mid late 80's and he used to go to the local boozer (with his tribly on) and play al the birds at pool while drinking Baileys out of an enourmous snifter. Always seemed v affable,adn at the time he was still a big draw in the game.After that though his wife threw him out the bedroom window and it all went Pete Tongue.Ollie Reed famously helicoptered in and collected Higgins and took him to Guernsey where Ollie lived at the time (jst the man you need when you've got a drink problem!!)
Anyway years later in Manchester Higgings was sleeping in a caravan in someones back garden in Eccles a seedy suburb of manchester.After a long days drinking we hatched a plan to rescue/kidnap alex and take him back to mine ,sober him up and pimp him out playing snooker round the northwest halls etc.So about 12am utterly drunk i drove (yes i know...) us to eccles to try and find higgins.We finds the caravan and 2 of us sneak upto it gently tapping and whispering "Alex" etc.There's movement and the door opens..but alas it's not Higgins but an ENOURMOUS Rastafarian with just a teacosy style hat on stark b0llck naked non too pleased..he bellowed at us (sounded like jive) and in time honoured fashion we made our excuses and left We decided there and then to call of the hunt for higgins. Got loads tales about him he was actually begging near manchester train station yrs back what sad waste. |
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Did more for snooker than all the rest added together, if you were there he is an absolute hero.
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I had £10 on jimmy @33:1 for the championship when higgins knocked his 69 break in. Nice break mind, can just about appreciate it after 28 years to mellow.
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Lf, you could play my Grandmother in Cheetham Hill up till a year ago. Sadly, she never made it like he did.
Like most top sportsman, a complete**t which is why they are/were so good at what they do |
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I SAW HIM,YEARS AGO IN THE WILLIAM HILLLS IN MANCHESTER PICCADILLY,HE DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH HANDS TO KEEP PUTTING THE BETS ON,HE WAS RUSHING ABOUT EVERYWHERE,I ALSO SAW HIM WITH A VERY GOOD LOOKING LOADY AT THE BARRY MCGUIGAN FIGHTAT THE OLD MANCHESTER CENTRAL STATION STADIUM,I FORGET ITS NEW NAME
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who bet most u or him ?
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I saw this the other day
was the ghost of Jim Henson hiding in the rafters and pulling his strings? |
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RIP
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