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Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Roland

The original master of the mind games turns 80 today. 6 times World Champion and best snooker player of the 1970s and all time snooker great, Ray Reardon.

Happy birthday sir!

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Wildey

Yea Ray Reardon used to love playing mind games on opposition

Happy Birthday

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Witz78

Happy Birthday to Ray. He looks well for his age it has to be said.

Im also wondering whether Fred Davis at 84 was the snooker World Champion to live to the oldest age?

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Lucky

Witz78 wrote:Happy Birthday to Ray. He looks well for his age it has to be said.

Im also wondering whether Fred Davis at 84 was the snooker World Champion to live to the oldest age?


so no one knocked up a century yet? With the advances made in science surely if Trump gets his finger out and wins the biggie he could chalk up the magical 147?

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Smart

Lucky wrote:
Witz78 wrote:Happy Birthday to Ray. He looks well for his age it has to be said.

Im also wondering whether Fred Davis at 84 was the snooker World Champion to live to the oldest age?


so no one knocked up a century yet? With the advances made in science surely if Trump gets his finger out and wins the biggie he could chalk up the magical 147?


Judd is a basher and bashers dont normally live past the age of 95 in my opinion. :wave:

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:Happy Birthday to Ray. He looks well for his age it has to be said.

Im also wondering whether Fred Davis at 84 was the snooker World Champion to live to the oldest age?


Fred Davis 84
Ray Reardon 80
Joe Davis 77
John Pullman 75
John Spencer 70

Terry Griffiths 64
Cliff Thorburn 64
Dennis Taylor 63
Horace Lindrum 62
Alex Higgins 61

Joe Johnson 60
Steve Davis 55
Walter Donaldson 54

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Roland

Little comments here and there, saying he was playing rubbish when he wasn't, telling his opponents they should have had him in that frame, playing on for snookers to kill the opponents will to live, working the crowd in his favour to wind the opponent up. That sort of thing, all with a smile on his face. The man's an eccentric genius. I did a piece on him chatting to Steve Davis a couple of years ago, will see if I can find it. It shows how shrewd a character he was.

Edit http://www.snookerisland.com/blog/steve ... interview/

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Wildey

Ray and John Spencer was Fierce Rivals in the day but to the Day John died they never became Friends...i guess some of Rays tactics was hard for him to forgive.

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Roland

I don't know anything about the relationship between Reardon and Spencer. Surprising as it may sound, I've never even wondered until you mentioned it. I'm intriged now though!

I just read that link again, one thing I haven't picked up on until now is that he talked of his 1976 win when he deliberately went in off in the deciding frame of the final against Eddie Charlton, but he also mentioned that from 15-15 against Alex Higgins in the 1982 final that he went in off the green on a safety and in off the brown on a safety that cost him the 17-15 defecit. It would be good to see those frames again, but talk about karma!

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Witz78

Higgins pretty much upped the ante and blew him away from 15-15. Alex wasnt gonna make the same mistakes hed done against Cliff in 80.

Steady Eddie was one player i loved when i was a kid, he was dull and boring but dunno if it was the cool name he had or the fact he was an Aussie, infact prob cos i had 2 of his books, that i always looked out for him.

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Roland

Yeah I had his trick shot book, and at first I couldn't believe he could actually be entertaining. Obviously I'd have more respect for him now, but when I was a kid I hated him! Just get your chin on the cue and hit the ball ffs

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Witz78

Sonny wrote:Yeah I had his trick shot book, and at first I couldn't believe he could actually be entertaining. Obviously I'd have more respect for him now, but when I was a kid I hated him! Just get your chin on the cue and hit the ball ffs


yeh it must have taken ages to set up them trick shots as colured duck tape was used to mark out the lines of the balls paths on the table, the table cloth must have been ruined actually, I remember trying to play a lot of them shots on a 6x3, didnt quite work haha

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby jojo

too young to see reardon in his prime but obviously the best of his time and that all you can ask

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Andre147

Witz78 wrote:
Sonny wrote: Just get your chin on the cue and hit the ball ffs


unless your Selby? :gag:


Unless you're Jamie Jones for isntance who actually doesn't get the cue under his chin

Re: Happy 80th Ray Reardon!

Postby Cannonball

Fascinating read of that interview which I'll try and catch on youtube or summat. A real character, with real personality. I can't help wonder what RR could have been, had he had the coaching of today, and dedicated time. I think I might use that in-off asap next match! No reds on, nevermind. Poor Eddy, he would have loved todays fast cloths, no side, no problem.

Classy guy that RR, and very switched on.