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Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Andre147

Jimmy White just gave a recent interview to The Sun saying he was a drug addict during a spell in his career, and also that it could have cost him 10 World Titles.

I wouldn't go as far as him to say that, but I also think that if Jimmy had a better attitude towards his game and not spend so much time on Gambling, etc, he could have won at least one World Title, but there was also a man responsible for that in the name of Stephen Hendry.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/snooker/29876878, BBC provides the link to The Sun, but I think you have to sign in to watch or read the whole interview.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Andy Spark

"Cost him TEN world titles"!!! It seems Jimmy's ego is even bigger than his partying lifestyle and crack habit. He is entirely wrong, the drugs never cost him a single world title. It was his own mistaken belief in being more talented than the others that cost him.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby TheSaviour

Some years ago I read an internet article that were saying that Jimmy could well be the most popular sportsmen the UK has ever produced. I can agree with that view (even I really liked George Best also). Even when I very much do think that we need to be critical about these snooker players.. Obviously in UK there are a much more widely monitored sports than snooker. But Jimmy certainly has his group of a partizan - fans who are always going to give him a huge support. When and wherever he plays. And even more importantly, basically we all here are that group too.. It would be beyond the joke to argue anything else.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby AC or LT?

He says "I know drugs probably cost me 10 world titles". What he'll be referring to is the late eighties period before the rise of Hendry, probably starting from this incident, he still tacking smack as Davis would have eaten him alive, but the likelihood is he took other drugs than coke over his career, if not then the 10 world titles isn't even vaguely plausible, never mind slightly possible.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Andre147

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29950634

Interesting to hear Jimmy's thoughts here.

Some would say all this is a publicity stunt from Jimmy, but the fact remains had he not taken any drugs plus not spend so much time on gambling he could have won more I've no doubts about that. To say it cost him 10 World Titles is silly really, but it definately cost him other victories.

Then again, if he was a "by the book" sort of player it wouldn't have been the Jimmy White we all know, same as Alex Higgins and Ronnie.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Clara8633

I suspected this ages ago; he looks like he's had drugs, you can tell by their face sometimes.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Wildey

I Wasent all that shocked about this even though it was never out there you had to be pretty Naive to think Jimmy didn't dabble in drugs during the 80s.

Kirk Stevens was outed in mid 80s and Jimmy at that time had a core of players he hang out with Tony Knowles, Kirk Stevens, Alex Higgins and Tony Meo.

it was always a possibility that Jimmy got caught up in that culture.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Roland

Kirk was high as a kite during his 147 in the Masters. You can see him sniffing a lot (a sign of coke use) and he took on and got some ridiculous shots which suggested that he was buzzing on something, plus he always wore a white suit in part I'm guessing so spilt white powder wouldn't show up.

I'm interested to read Jimmy's new book although I can't find a review of it anywhere, just articles like this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... itles.html

Jimmy played an exhibition I attended a number of years ago and I remember teammates of mine being shocked to catch him snorting a line of cocaine in the toilets during the exhibition. People just kept quiet about it because it was Jimmy and everyone loves him and ultimately it's up to him how he lives his life. So people in snooker circles have known for a long time but he's gone and made it a talking point now with this new book.

I'm afraid I do see this as a money making exercise much like his birthday dinner complete with prior TV announcement a couple of years ago. But his first book was a great read so this could be the same. I hope it doesn't kick start a wave of accusations and confessionals from other players around that time though because Jimmy wasn't a lone drug user, although with Stephen Lee possibly set to publish a book soon and with a few scores to settle there could well be more on the way.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Wildey

hope the bank balance of the publishing company that publishes Stephen Lee's book is healthy because they will need every penny in court costs.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Cloud Strife

Wildey wrote:hope the bank balance of the publishing company that publishes Stephen Lee's book is healthy because they will need every penny in court costs.


Give it a rest, you clown. <doh>

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Roland

Given he's denying all the charges against him and his wrongful conviction in a kangaroo court, I'm interested to see what he'll say in a book which can be taken seriously.

He's either primed and ready to explain how he went about fixing frames and matches, who was in on it, who else was doing it and who in authority knew about it and turned a blind eye to it. But that would mean shopping his mates and causing disharmony among players losing him sympathy from some quarters and earning lawsuits from others.

I would think it'll be more along the lines of Floyd Landis who wrote a book explaining how he'd never taken performance enhancing drugs although he knew it went on, and how he was wrongfully stripped of the Tour de France in 2006 and that the laboratory testing the samples had got them mixed up and contaminated them, only years later to confess that the book was all lies and that he did take performance enhancing drugs after all.

No one will believe a book where he proclaims his innocence whilst dishing the dirt on others. He's going to have to own up to his own dirty tricks first if he's to be believed about any of his dirt dishing, and I don't think that will happen because it will only reinforce his ban.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby snooky147

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:I registered the same shock hearing this as I did when I heard about Jimmy savilles vices.


Really? A London boy of that era, thrust into the TV spotlight in a fledgling Televised sport and your surprised he was doing Coke?.
rofl

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby AC or LT?

On the subject of Lees book the one issue world snooker have if he's guilty is they've left him nothing to lose, if there is indeed a culture in snooker circles of match-fixing, drug use, heavy gambling and other vices then someone who's been around as long as Lee is going to have collected a lot of dirt, now he knows he'll never be able to play professionally again what's top stop him throwing it all out there? Stephen Lee does actually have the potential to throw snooker into a serious disarray and national press furore if he says he guilty and who else is.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby AC or LT?

snooky147 wrote:
Ayrshirebhoy wrote:I registered the same shock hearing this as I did when I heard about Jimmy savilles vices.


Really? A London boy of that era, thrust into the TV spotlight in a fledgling Televised sport and your surprised he was doing Coke?.
rofl


I think he was referring to that "everybody bucking knew, just look at him!" cries.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby The Cueist

I feel sorry for jimmy , I always had a liking for his style.
Seems he just debilitated his raw and natural talent.
He looks old now but anyone would when they are buzzing with amphetamines.

Such a shame I hope he can sort himself out.
And for those tnat think it is funny well I dont.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

snooky147 wrote:
Ayrshirebhoy wrote:I registered the same shock hearing this as I did when I heard about Jimmy savilles vices.


Really? A London boy of that era, thrust into the TV spotlight in a fledgling Televised sport and your surprised he was doing Coke?.
rofl


Truth be told, I'm surprised he wasn't doing heroin.

Re: Jimmy reveals drug addiction

Postby The Cueist

There is wome sick little lady parts on here these days.
You dont eind me up, Just so you know.
You need to grow up and when you fo only then wil you realise how not funny you are.
The real argument is the fakers of the game that still
Exist in the sport.