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Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Tubberlad

Yes, I know, no prizes for imagination with this article, and we all know what it could turn into, but at the same time I'm curious to know...who do you reguard as the top 10 players of all time? My list:

1st: Stephen Hendry; Raised the game to new heights, broke virtually all records, most importantly the Crucible World Titles record. A constantly attacking player, with bottle the likes has never been seen before. My number one.

2nd: Ronnie O'Sullivan; The most joyfully attacking player ever seen. Despite not being as decorated as Hendry and Davis, his highest standard of play is ahead of anyone elses, and is as naturally gifted as any player in any sport.

3rd: John Higgins; A masterful tactician, a truly excellent all-round player with great bottle and will to win.

4th: Steve Davis; 6 times World Champion, more professional titles than anyone else, and arguably the best safety player ever seen.

5th: Mark Williams; A player I've always loved to watch, and for around four years was the best player in the world. His single ball potting was, and still is, breathtaking, and has a solid safety game to boot.

6th: Ray Reardon; The man who dominated the 70's, winning six World Crowns and four on the spin. Made the World final in 1982, despite being well past his prime.

7th: Alex Higgins; He claimed the World Championship at his first attempt in 1972. Despite his undoubted natural ability, his off-table behaviour cost him dearly throughout his career. However, after a memorable semi-final win over Jimmy White in 1982, he went on the claim his second world title, and also completed a remarkable comeback against Davis in the 1983 UK final.

8th: Jimmy White; Undoubtedly the best player never to have won the World Championship, finishing runner-up on an astonishing six occasions, White's legendary status has never been in doubt. Won just about eveything else, and was a joy to watch.

9th: John Parrott; World Champion in 1991, and UK Champion in the same year. Parrott was a consistent winner, with nine ranking titles to his name, and was one man who really put it up to Hendry whenever they faced off. Was also the bogey-man for O'Sullivan for many encounters.

10th: Joe Davis; Obviously I never saw him play, but for his standing alone, has to be included. 15 times World Champion, even if it was very early days.

Honourable mentions: John Spencer, Ken Doherty, Cliff Thorburn, Peter Ebdon

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Wildey

if i had answered this question round about 2003 i would have put them as follows

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Steve Davis
3 Mark Williams
4 Ronnie O'Sullivan
5 John Higgins
6 Ray Reardon
7 Joe Davis
8 Jimmy White
9 John Spencer
10 Alex Higgins

but things changed

this is how i rate the very best now

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Ronnie O'Sullivan
3 John Higgins
4 Steve Davis
5 Mark Williams
6 Ray Reardon
7 Joe Davis
8 Jimmy White
9 John Spencer
10 Alex Higgins

id have Parrott at 11,Ebdon at 12 and Doherty at 13 with Thorburn at 14

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Rocket_ron

Hello, My top ten favourite players are.......

1 Ronnie O'Sullivan
2 John Higgins
3 Mark Williams
4 Stephen Hendry
5 Neil Robertson
6 Paul Hunter
7 Ken Doherty
8 Mathew Stevens
9 Alex Higgins
10 Alan Mcmanus

and my top 10 top players of all time are.....

1 Ronnie O'Sullivan
2 John Higgins
3 Stephen hendry
4 Steve Davis
5 Ray reardon
6 Mark Williams
7 Alex higgins
8 Joe Davis
9 John Spenser
10 John pulman
Last edited by Rocket_ron on 20 Feb 2010, edited 2 times in total.

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Wildey

rocket_ron wrote:Hello, My top ten are.......

1 Ronnie O'Sullivan
2 John Higgins
3 Mark Williams
4 Stephen Hendry
5 Neil Robertson
6 Paul Hunter
7 Ken Doherty
8 Mathew Stevens
9 Alex Higgins
10 Alan Mcmanus


in your dreams mate <laugh> <laugh>

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:
rocket_ron wrote:Hello, My top ten are.......

1 Ronnie O'Sullivan
2 John Higgins
3 Mark Williams
4 Stephen Hendry
5 Neil Robertson
6 Paul Hunter
7 Ken Doherty
8 Mathew Stevens
9 Alex Higgins
10 Alan Mcmanus


in your dreams mate <laugh> <laugh>


sorry wild, i was under the impression top 10 favorite players of all time. i will have to rexamine my list

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Wildey

i was thinking wheres Steve Davis,Ebdon and Jimmy White and you got Mcmanus in the mix .....

great player in his own right but suerly those three ive mentioned should be higher.

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:i was thinking wheres Steve Davis,Ebdon and Jimmy White and you got Mcmanus in the mix .....

great player in his own right but suerly those three ive mentioned should be higher.


hi wild,
i have edited my list above to contain my top 10 favorite players and top 10 best players of all time

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Wildey

that got me thinking of my best 10 players i have supported and finding the top 10 is hard top 4 much easier but heres what ive come up with.

1 Alex Higgins
2 Stephen Hendry
3 Mark Williams
4 Paul Hunter
5 Cliff Thorburn
6 Mark Selby
7 Neil Robertson
8 Steve James
9 Ken Doherty
10 Ronnie O'Sullivan

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:that got me thinking of my best 10 players i have supported and finding the top 10 is hard top 4 much easier but heres what ive come up with.

1 Alex Higgins
2 Stephen Hendry
3 Mark Williams
4 Paul Hunter
5 Cliff Thorburn
6 Mark Selby
7 Neil Robertson
8 Steve James
9 Ken Doherty
10 Ronnie O'Sullivan

very interesting read that wild, its funny how our favourite/most supported players list is different to our top 10 best of all time list.
i expected jimmy white on your list and ronnie higher up. :)

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Wildey

Ronnie is the 6th current player on my list and Jimmy is at no 11 but as i said finding top 10 not easy.

ill explain some of them.

Alex Higgins (well he was the guy that gave me the spark for snooker he was electric)

Paul Hunter (i knew when he played the atmosphere would be brilliant and couldn't wait to see him play)

Cliff Thorburn (was everything Alex wasn't....he was yin to Alex yang and their matches defined that period in the 80s when i fell in love with snooker)

Steve James (he never reached the hight his talent should have made him but he was one of the most stylish players ive seen)

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote:Ronnie is the 6th current player on my list and Jimmy is at no 11 but as i said finding top 10 not easy.

ill explain some of them.

Alex Higgins (well he was the guy that gave me the spark for snooker he was electric)

Paul Hunter (i knew when he played the atmosphere would be brilliant and couldn't wait to see him play)

Cliff Thorburn (was everything Alex wasn't....he was yin to Alex yang and their matches defined that period in the 80s when i fell in love with snooker)

Steve James (he never reached the hight his talent should have made him but he was one of the most stylish players ive seen)

i couldn't agree more with you on this wild <cool> i wish i was around to see Alex higgins and thorburn feuds. paul hunter attmosphere was good, i think selby is trying to recreate that but there was only one paul hunter for comebacks and atmoshere

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Roland

wildJONESEYE wrote:if i had answered this question round about 2003 i would have put them as follows

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Steve Davis
3 Mark Williams
4 Ronnie O'Sullivan
5 John Higgins
6 Ray Reardon
7 Joe Davis
8 Jimmy White
9 John Spencer
10 Alex Higgins

but things changed

this is how i rate the very best now

1 Stephen Hendry
2 Ronnie O'Sullivan
3 John Higgins
4 Steve Davis
5 Mark Williams
6 Ray Reardon
7 Joe Davis
8 Jimmy White
9 John Spencer
10 Alex Higgins


I can't argue against this.


My top 10 players that I've supported (so bears no relation to top 10 of all time)

1) Mark Williams
2) Jimmy White
3) Mark Selby
4) Alex Higgins
5) Ronnie O'Sullivan
6) Steve Davis
7) Ken Doherty
8) Liang Wenbo
9) Jamie Cope
10) Ding Junhui


other notables: Steve James, Joe Johnson, John Higgins, Mike Hallett, Tony Drago

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Casey

Top 10 players I have/had supported.

1. Hendo
2. Hann
3. Allen
4 A Higgins (although I was too young at his peak, I only caught the end of his career :-( )
5. Robbo
6. Mark Williams
7. Hunter
8.McManus
9.White
10.Trump

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby Tubberlad

1. Stevens
2. O'Sullivan
3. Doherty
4. Williams
5. Robertson
6. John Higgins
7. Jimmy White
8. Hunter
9. Ding
10. Selby

Re: Your top 10 players of all time

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

I've been lucky enough to see most players play live both in match's & in practice. Mark Williams playing one frame against Dominic Dale for who buys the MacDonalds, Mark Williams hitting a 142 & from a power perspective, hitting the hardest ball I've ever seen hit. "bucking hell" I said as I was sat watching when he played it, he was giggling while potting the 2nd or 3rd black straight after it during the break. Amazing. Jimmy White doing things to a cue ball I could only ever dream about, Alex Higgins making breaks he shouldn't have. Stephen Hendry doing the line up clearing 10 on the spin & being amazed at his presence on a Snooker table. John Higgins never say die attitude. Steve Davis on table 6 in Ron Gross Snooker Centre potting the straight red from the D holding for the black for a straight hour, concentrating only on that shot. Practicing against Ronnie O'Sullivan up in Blackpool & him saying to me "I'm not even trying to play position & I'm dropping on them", him just being unbelievably natural. Players who never quite made it but should have only for off the table incidents preventing them, Terry Whitthread was someone I loved watching. The list goes on.....