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Snookers most influential person? - vote for up to TWO

JOE DAVIS
5
8%
TED LOWE
0
No votes
ALEX HIGGINS
20
34%
MIKE WATTERSON
0
No votes
BARRY HEARN
5
8%
STEVE DAVIS
4
7%
JIMMY WHITE
3
5%
STEPHEN HENDRY
4
7%
RONNIE O'SULLIVAN
14
24%
DING JUNHUI
4
7%
OTHER (please state)
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 59

Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Witz78

Who is the most influential and important person in snookers history?

VOTE FOR UP TO TWO PEOPLE

Joe Davis
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Godfather of snooker who created the World Snooker Championship and subsequently won it 15 times. His name and legacy remains iconic to this day and he helped propel the game of snookers popularity.

Ted Lowe
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Legendary snooker commentator who was the voice of snooker throughout the 70s, 80s & 90s who brought it to the masses during the days of 10million+ viewers. He was also influential in persuading the BBC to air Pot Black once colour television coverage began, which was a key factor in snooker going mainsteam,

Alex Higgins
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The original Peoples Champion who was the rebel who broke the mould of the stereotypical snooker player of that era who was a 40 or 50 something perfect gent who played sensible snooker. His attacking play and wild temperament and personality made him snookers first true superstar, and his on the table play and off the table antics helped generate plenty of headlines and made him captivating viewing throughout the 70s and 80s for millions.

Mike Watterson
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Influential promoter who brought the World Championship to the Crucible Theatre in 1977 and had a hand in many of the big decisions in the early days of the "modern" era of snooker such as arranging contracts with the BBC and ITV for coverage, as well as creating the UK Championship. He also turned his hand to playing and commentating too. (Also he is Ryan147s great uncle for those who didnt know)

Barry Hearn
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Formed Matchroom Sport stable of players in the 80s and marketed them as characters to maximise their popularity and earnings potential. A shrewd businessman his Matchroom Sports Premier League has ran for over 25 years and he also organised events like the World Matchplay, as well as Pools Mosconi Cup. He now has returned to snooker full time as head of World Snooker and has revolutionised the sport which was struggling badly in just over 2 years using his persuasive powers and vast contacts, to arrange a full calendar of new televised events around the globe.

Steve Davis
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The first fully professional player in snooker who changed the face of snooker into a serious sport rather than a jovial exhibition with his serious demeanour and dedication. He was a winning machine and one of the most famous faces in Britains in the 1980s and the only snooker player to win Sports Personality of the Year. At his peak he was Britains highest earning sportsman and he remains on tour playing in his mid 50s now.

Jimmy White
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Snookers most popular player throughout the 80s and 90s, and remains popular to this day. His hard luck stories, flambouyant style of play and housewives favourite / loveable rougue characteristics endeared him to the public and for many his epic battles with Hendry in the early 90s were snookers peak.

Stephen Hendry
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Another single minded winning machine similar to Davis, who played in a more aggressive manner and has the record haul of 7 World Titles for the modern era. His influence helped sparked a snooker boom in Scotland.

Ronnie O'Sullivan
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Arguably the most naturally gifted player of all time, he has at times been the only man keeping snooker going during the wilderness years pre-Hearn as hes generated 99% of headlines for on and off the table antics, as well as being the only player the casual fan would tune in to see. Another Peoples Champion who carried the baton on from Jimmy, hes now got 20 years at the top under his belt and could easily have another 20 years, if he so wished.

Ding Junhui
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Figurehead for the Chinese snooker revolution that is taking place and is transforming the sport and securing its future.

Other

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Wildey

the 2 i voted for was Joe Davis and Alex Higgins.

Joe Davis virtually safeguarded the sport in the early years when most wanted it to die in favour of at that time the more popular sport of Billiards.

Alex Higgins because if Joe Davis was the engine of the Sport Alex was the sparkplug that braught the sport to life. on the back of this mercural Irishman winning the World Title in 1972 the Final of the 1973 World Final between Ray Reardon and Eddie Charlton was televised plus it braught the sport and potential to the atention of Barry Hearn Back then.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Casey

I think the most influential person would have to come from the 80's or before. I think many bricks were already put in place for the likes of Hendry, Ronnie and Ding.

I think Hearn for his work in the 80's, Higgins for getting the game into the headlines and Davis for the professionalism he brought to the game.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby SnookerFan

Alex Higgins played a style that had not been seen before, but now all of them play it.

Fast attacking snooker may have been popularised by other players, but when Alex played it nobody had seen some of his shots before. To the extent that people thought he was cheating.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:Alex Higgins played a style that had not been seen before, but now all of them play it.

Fast attacking snooker may have been popularised by other players, but when Alex played it nobody had seen some of his shots before. To the extent that people thought he was cheating.

Joe Davis once comenated after seeing Alex Play how the hell did he pot balls lol

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Witz78

SnookerFan wrote:Alex Higgins played a style that had not been seen before, but now all of them play it.

Fast attacking snooker may have been popularised by other players, but when Alex played it nobody had seen some of his shots before. To the extent that people thought he was cheating.


ABSOLUTE TRIPE

No-ones ever played in the style of Alex Higgins, before or since, bar the great man himself.

The closest things to Alex Higgins "style of play" and i include mannerisms around the table, cueing action, stance and explosive personality within this comparison, are fellow Peoples Champions Ronnie, Jimmy and Judd.

These 3 have similar natural talent mixed with flair, arrogance and the wow factor which makes them all box office like Alex was.

However none of them come close to Alex for pure "style of play" in terms of unorthodox technique, almost kamikaze shot selection etc

Id also give a notabe mention too to Drago, Mafin, Hann and Figeurido who have some characteristics of Alex in them.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby SnookerFan

Witz78 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Alex Higgins played a style that had not been seen before, but now all of them play it.

Fast attacking snooker may have been popularised by other players, but when Alex played it nobody had seen some of his shots before. To the extent that people thought he was cheating.


ABSOLUTE TRIPE

No-ones ever played in the style of Alex Higgins, before or since, bar the great man himself.

The closest things to Alex Higgins "style of play" and i include mannerisms around the table, cueing action, stance and explosive personality within this comparison, are fellow Peoples Champions Ronnie, Jimmy and Judd.

These 3 have similar natural talent mixed with flair, arrogance and the wow factor which makes them all box office like Alex was.

However none of them come close to Alex for pure "style of play" in terms of unorthodox technique, almost kamikaze shot selection etc

Id also give a notabe mention too to Drago, Mafin, Hann and Figeurido who have some characteristics of Alex in them.



To be fair, I was referring more to the speedy/attacking shots favoured over safety game rather than personality type or natural ability. For that, of course, there was only one Alex.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Muppet147

Smart wrote:DING <ok>

He comes from China I believe and therefore he has more influence and has made more people watch and play than anyone EVER, solely by the fact that the population of China is bigger than any other snooker playing country.

I rest my case. :hatoff:


Those Chinese would probably have watched the snooker even if Ding wasn't playing.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Gnomy

Muppet147 wrote:
Smart wrote:DING <ok>

He comes from China I believe and therefore he has more influence and has made more people watch and play than anyone EVER, solely by the fact that the population of China is bigger than any other snooker playing country.

I rest my case. :hatoff:


Those Chinese would probably have watched the snooker even if Ding wasn't playing.


population of China is probably >> population of all the other snooker playing countries put together

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Smart

Gnomy wrote:
Muppet147 wrote:
Smart wrote:DING <ok>

He comes from China I believe and therefore he has more influence and has made more people watch and play than anyone EVER, solely by the fact that the population of China is bigger than any other snooker playing country.

I rest my case. :hatoff:


Those Chinese would probably have watched the snooker even if Ding wasn't playing.


population of China is probably >> population of all the other snooker playing countries put together


yeah, so I was right :dance2:

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby vodkadiet

How David Vine was mentioned is disgraceful.

He really got the audience involved. It was though he was speaking to you personally. I remember when he said on the first Sunday night of one Crucible, "We'll be back at 10.30 in the morning. Have your coffee and your toast ready".

He was great.

Re: Snookers most influential person - POLL

Postby Andy Spark

Hasn't it got to be snooker's first genius Alex Higgins? All the others I could imagine modern televised snooker without, but if you subtract Alex Higgins from the equation then there's a really good chance the snooker world as we know it wouldn't exist.


   

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