Top 20 legends of snooker

to me Top Legends are people that have changed how snooker has been played in stages.

Joe Davis because he first saw the Potential in the game

Alex because he took snooker from a nothing sport in to the 80s boom that gave Steve Davis a job to be successful then the rest is history.

my 3rd is Steve because he was the first true proffesional player that showed the way for others to follow

and my 4th is Hendry because he took what Steve started blew it out of the water and combined it with true Attacking Snooker and be successful and consistent playing like that whitch todays players are copying.

N_Castle07 wrote:Looking at it from a different angle, Davis is a legend because he has been a great ambassador for the game, has sustained a long career, and in my opinion is the most popular snooker player ever. I’m not saying he is the most loved player ever I am not saying that, but everybody knows who Steve Davis is. Jimmy White is probably the most loved player ever.

Its true in some ways from reading that, that Davis has crossed the generation gaps in snooker whereas Alex faded off the radar to many in the last 20 years and to the younger generation hes just really a name from the past, similar to the way Jimmy is going now

in a way the fact Steve still playing makes him less of a legend where as seeing Alex Higgins was still a thrill for people because hes been away so long Steve is now one of them and for that matter these days a journeyman pro.

wildJONESEYE wrote:in a way the fact Steve still playing makes him less of a legend where as seeing Alex Higgins was still a thrill for people because hes been away so long Steve is now one of them and for that matter these days a journeyman pro.

Not your average JOURNEYMAN PRO though....

True journeymen pros are the likes of Pettman, Harold, Michie, Hamilton, Burnett etc

Guys whove never really reached the heights in snooker and never will.

Davis 20+ years after his peak and almost 53 year old manages to beat the reigning World Champion and make the Quarters of the Worlds. These guys could only dream of that. For true journeymen pros like them it would be their career peak.

yes but i doubt players today see him as some up on a pederstall legend because they got to stuff him in qualifiers lol

wildJONESEYE wrote:yes but i doubt players today see him as some up on a pederstall legend because they got to stuff him in qualifiers lol

regardless of his current form, him being a shadow of his former self, its still a big thing for younger players to play the likes of Davis and White - legends of the game - and they will still see victory over these 2 as being a big scalp

Steve Davis is a greater legend to Alex Higgins. Ask someone on the street to name a snooker player (before Higgins passing away) and the odds are they'd reply 'Steve Davis'. Ask someone under the age of 20 and they'd probably say Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Didn't Rex Williams play a big part in the revival of Snooker in the late 60's. Although I suppose being WPBSA President during the 90's tarnished that.

thetubberlad wrote:Steve Davis is a greater legend to Alex Higgins. Ask someone on the street to name a snooker player (before Higgins passing away) and the odds are they'd reply 'Steve Davis'. Ask someone under the age of 20 and they'd probably say Ronnie O'Sullivan.

that does not say anything regarding legendary that says he just wont go away.....when talking about snooker the name urricane higgins gets mentioned from people that never watched snooker or sport back in the 70s and early 80s that what makes someone legendary not on only on table winning everything so you on tv more than anyone else.

Sorry Tubber but Alex as a legendary figure in Snooker is 10 times bigger than Steve ever has been or ever hope to be.

yes krazy Rex Williams is a legendary figure in the development of snooker but never really playing wise.

another way to look at it

TV made Steve.....Alex made TV (ok not literary lol) but you get my drift.

you could even say the Legend of Higgins made Steve Davis and everyone that followed

Steve Davis is also known outside of the snooker fraternity, arguably as much if not more than Higgins. It was once joked that he was on TV more often than the Prime Minister. He was the face of eighties snooker.

Witz78 wrote:

StalinESQ wrote:If your having Thorne based on "iconic" I'd have gone for Wilson..................... Thorne just makes me sick, to listen to or to look at.

Thornes the man

Thorne =

wildJONESEYE wrote:l
Kirk he was a legend wearing white suites .

and doing White stripes

thetubberlad wrote:Super thread, never thought of something like this. But let's face it, you can't stop at players

1. Steve Davis
2. Alex Higgins
3. Jimmy White
4. Ronnie O'Sullivan
5. Stephen Hendry
6. Bill Werbenuick
7. Denis Taylor
8. Ray Reardon
9. Clive Everton
10. Cliff Thorburn
11. Tony Knowles
12. Willie Thorne
13. Kirk Stevens
14. John Parrott
15. David Vine
16. Ted Lowe
17. Joe Johnson
18. Terry Griffiths
19. John Street
20. Paul Hunter

I agree with tubbs having Paul Hunter in the list

thetubberlad wrote:Steve Davis is also known outside of the snooker fraternity, arguably as much if not more than Higgins. It was once joked that he was on TV more often than the Prime Minister. He was the face of eighties snooker.

without Higgins nobody would know Steve because he wouldnt be on TV in the first place.

StalinESQ wrote:you might as well have Drago on the list as a legend....................... he is sure a one-off and the crowds love him

I don't. I think he's a pin end.

wildJONESEYE wrote:

thetubberlad wrote:Steve Davis is a greater legend to Alex Higgins. Ask someone on the street to name a snooker player (before Higgins passing away) and the odds are they'd reply 'Steve Davis'. Ask someone under the age of 20 and they'd probably say Ronnie O'Sullivan.

that does not say anything regarding legendary that says he just wont go away.....when talking about snooker the name urricane higgins gets mentioned from people that never watched snooker or sport back in the 70s and early 80s that what makes someone legendary not on only on table winning everything so you on tv more than anyone else.

Sorry Tubber but Alex as a legendary figure in Snooker is 10 times bigger than Steve ever has been or ever hope to be.

yes krazy Rex Williams is a legendary figure in the development of snooker but never really playing wise.

Ooooh, I don't know about that. You know, the day after he died, somebody actually said to me; "Did you hear that that snooker player had died?" She didn't even know what his name was, and she was old enough to remember him in his prime had she watched snooker.

It's close though. Personally I think Higgins was a bigger genius then anybody in the sport, certainly. And invented shots. Literally invented shots. He played stuff that nobody had even thought of doing. Hendry may have popularised the attacking style, but Higgins all but invented it.

To any snooker fan, the Higgins loss is sad, but in terms of legendary status amongst sports fans, amongst the public in general, I'd say that goes to Steve Davis. He had the success, and the legendary-to-all status Higgins didn't have. Higgins deserved legendary status, and got it amongst snooker fans.

Maybe there is a distinction between iconic and legendary?

ignarance isnt a excuse to diss him as the greatest legend as ive pointed out Alex Made Steve Davis a millionaire and famous.

wildJONESEYE wrote:ignarance isnt a excuse to diss him as the greatest legend as ive pointed out Alex Made Steve Davis a millionaire and famous.

Joe Davis was the greatest legend.
If anything, unlike Joe, Alex didn't invent the mousetrap, he was the original piece of cheese.
He attracted a paying audience to see the genius of his flair and charisma and a show. BRAVO!
Along comes Steve and he changed the audience expectations of the sport.
The reason Steve made millions was because he EARNED millions by WINNING.
The audience paid to see Hendry win too. Bright well-scrubbed boyish proper odds-on winners.
And then O'Sullivan shows up with Alex's genius, his own dark angst and even more brilliant winning ways
than anyone before him... he becomes the most well-known player ever.... and so on.
Alex, God rest his tortured soul, was relegated to well-deserved "legendary character" 20 years ago.


=o|

Noel

The Good Legends

Joe Davis
Steve Davis
Stephen Hendry
Cliff Thorburn
MJ Williams
Ray Reardon
John Spencer

The Bad Legends

Alex Higgins
John Higgins


The Sad Legends

Paul Hunter
Jimmy White
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Kirk Stevens
Bill Werbenuick

The Voice Legends

Clive Everton
Ted Lowe
Jack Karnehm


Snooker would not be the same without the indelible contributions of the above.



=o)

Noel

when i was compiling the list it really was a toss up between Joe Davis and Alex i thought Joe Davis built the car but Alex was the engine or petrol and a car can stand still for years going nowhere until you put the petrol in but equally if there was nothing to put the petrol in the petrol would be useless so realistic they are joint top as for the others im sorry but as far as im concerned they miles behind those 2.

wildJONESEYE wrote:

N_Castle07 wrote:Some good lists there, I would personally also have Davis at the top of the list above Higgins. Davis has done a lot for the game and remains one of the sports biggest ever names. If you had asked the general public to name a snooker player a month ago (before Alex’s death) I would bet the name which would come up the most would be Steve Davis. And rightfully so IMO.

No as a legend Alex Higgins pisses all over Steve Davis.

Steve was a better player no doubt about that but in terms of being Legendery in snooker Alex Higgins and Joe Davis are miles ahead of anyone else

Disagree about pisses all over. Davis is equally or moreso a legend than Alex.

Steve

thetubberlad wrote:Steve Davis is a greater legend to Alex Higgins. Ask someone on the street to name a snooker player (before Higgins passing away) and the odds are they'd reply 'Steve Davis'. Ask someone under the age of 20 and they'd probably say Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The fact that Davis is prepared to play in qualifiers ADDS to his legend status in my mind...... 'cos he is doing it out of sheer desire and love for the game. That is legend.

Noel wrote:The Bad Legends

Alex Higgins
John Higgins

2 6 1 K K i e v

Legend: a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits ...

Yes, I agree Alex Higgins is the legend of snooker.

Monique wrote:Legend: a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits ...

Yes, I agree Alex Higgins is the legend of snooker.

Steve

StalinESQ wrote:

Monique wrote:Legend: a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits ...

Yes, I agree Alex Higgins is the legend of snooker.

Steve

I don't think Steve exploits are romanticed or exagerated...

Steve

Monique wrote:Legend: a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits ...

Yes, I agree Alex Higgins is the legend of snooker.

if

legend
Origin:
1300–50; 1900–05 for def. 4; ME legende written account of a saint's life < ML legenda lit., (lesson) to be read, n. use of fem. of L legendus, ger. of legere to read; so called because appointed to be read on respective saints' days

=


Alex Higgins


LOL.


=o)

Noel

Monique has the definition of a legend down to a te Steve isnt worthy of that we all know what he did Go to bed at half 9 with Hot coco how can anyone exaggirate or even want to exaggirate that

seriously as well a player Steve was and hes one of the true greats of our game and a ambassador second to none but in Legend Terms sorry but he doesn't come even close to Joe and Alex.