by TheRocket » 21 Nov 2016 Read
I think we can all agree that Alex Higgins and Jimmy White have been the most popular snooker players of all time. They had more supporters than any other player. When they potted match or frameball you had by far the biggest roars. More than even Ronnie O'Sullivan ever got in any tournament. I'm saying this as a ROS supporter.
But who was more popular among the fans? What do you think?
For clarification. I'm not asking, who has done more for Snooker and the future of Snooker and so on. Then Alex Higgins would be obviously ahead.
I'm just speaking about the popularity among the snookerfans.
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by Cloud Strife » 21 Nov 2016 Read
Ronnie is more popular than both, and by some distance too, if you are going by global audiences and fanbases.
In the UK Jimmy was number 1 followed by Alex.
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by snucar » 21 Nov 2016 Read
Jimmy for sure. The fact he's English played a big part though.
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by Dan-cat » 22 Nov 2016 Read
Pink Ball wrote:White was beloved. Alex Higgins was entertaining but at times a wankshaft.
hehehe. Yeah we watched him because you just didn't know what he was gonna do next - insult the cue ball, lick the referee...
With Jimmy it was different. Pure love.
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by gallantrabbit » 22 Nov 2016 Read
Hate to say it, but I wanted Alex to beat Jimmy in the 82 semi...(oh the shame of it!!!), but soon learnt the error of my younger ways. Met them both at an exhibition in about 92. Jimmy chatted for ages and Alex was a kin superstar
Met Higgins again a couple of year later and he was even more of a plum...
So Jimmy for me. Still as popular as ever today.
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by Andre147 » 22 Nov 2016 Read
Jimmy for sure, and not surprised Higgins didn't get any votes so far... he could be a bit of a d.i.c.k at times, whereas Jimmy surely is the People's Champion, and people were even more fond of him watching him lose al those World Finals without winning one...
Snooker though wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Alex Higgins, then followed by White and then of course Ronnie.
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by Holden Chinaski » 22 Nov 2016 Read
It's obvious Alex, Jimmy and Ronnie are the most popular snooker players ever. But I've often wondered who could be considered the fourth most popular?
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by sundaygirl » 23 Nov 2016 Read
If we are talking globally its Ding
He is an absolute superstar in the most populous country in the world
Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton type famous
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by snucar » 23 Nov 2016 Read
Andre147 wrote:Snooker though wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Alex Higgins, then followed by White and then of course Ronnie.
None of the above three player would have been THAT popular without a certain...Steve Davis OBE. Especially Alex and Jimmy. But snooker is what it is today because of these three??? A so called hero is not really a hero without an enemy. And Davis, without even wanting it, embraced that role with grace and brought snooker to a whole new dimension. He was the one who carried all the frustration of trying to bring the highest level of professionalism to an amateur sport, not Higgins and White. They were bothered drinking, doing coke and hookers. Without Davis and Hearn snooker would never be what it is today. Higgins and White got rich because of Steve and not the other way around.Hence young Ronnie NEVER copied anything from those two and focused exclusively on Steve, by his own admission. Not even on Hendry who also admitted that trying to copy White as a youngster would never work and changed his attitude and based his game and general attitude on Davis. Hell, even Hearn owns more to Steve's brilliance than Steve owns to Hearn's managing skills.
Davis is still today everything that defines the game of snooker.
Last edited by
snucar on 23 Nov 2016, edited 1 time in total.
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by Dan-cat » 23 Nov 2016 Read
snucar wrote:Andre147 wrote:Snooker though wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Alex Higgins, then followed by White and then of course Ronnie.
None of the above three player would have been THAT popular without a certain...Steve Davis OBE. Especially Alex and Jimmy. But snooker is what it is today because of these three??? A so called hero is not really a hero without an enemy. And Davis, without even wanting it, embraced that role with grace and brought snooker to a whole new dimension. He was the one who carried all the frustration of trying to bring the highest level of professionalism to an amateur sport, not Higgins and White. They were bothered drinking, doing coke and hookers. Without Davis and Hearn snooker would never be what it is today. Higgins and White got rich because of Steve and not the other way around.Hence young Ronnie NEVER copied anything from those two and focused exclusively on Steve, by his own admission. Not even on Hendry who also admitted that trying to copy White as a youngster would never work and changed his attitude and based his game and general attitude on Davis. Hell, even Hearn owns more to Steve's brilliance than Steve owns to Hearn's managing skills.
Davis is still today everything that defines the game of snooker.
Beat me to it. Well said Snucar. Steve was the villain of the piece, stealing all the trophies, and I loved him for it.
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by Holden Chinaski » 23 Nov 2016 Read
Pink Ball wrote:I respect Davis, moreso than any other player in history. He is undoubtedly snooker's greatest ever ambassador.
Agreed.
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by Andre147 » 24 Nov 2016 Read
snucar wrote:Andre147 wrote:Snooker though wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for Alex Higgins, then followed by White and then of course Ronnie.
None of the above three player would have been THAT popular without a certain...Steve Davis OBE. Especially Alex and Jimmy. But snooker is what it is today because of these three??? A so called hero is not really a hero without an enemy. And Davis, without even wanting it, embraced that role with grace and brought snooker to a whole new dimension. He was the one who carried all the frustration of trying to bring the highest level of professionalism to an amateur sport, not Higgins and White. They were bothered drinking, doing coke and hookers. Without Davis and Hearn snooker would never be what it is today. Higgins and White got rich because of Steve and not the other way around.Hence young Ronnie NEVER copied anything from those two and focused exclusively on Steve, by his own admission. Not even on Hendry who also admitted that trying to copy White as a youngster would never work and changed his attitude and based his game and general attitude on Davis. Hell, even Hearn owns more to Steve's brilliance than Steve owns to Hearn's managing skills.
Davis is still today everything that defines the game of snooker.
Yes I agree, Higgins made the start, but what we see today is a direct product of what Davis used to be: professional, dedicated.
yes Ronnie tried to copy every single thing Steve made, early on in his career Ronnie even used to wear the same waistcoats Steve did. He was his role model, and to so many other players. Also Ronnie's father helped him a lot maintain that discipline, even if he was too straight at times with him...
Davis is and will always be the perfect role model, and even today not playing anymore he's the greatest embassador the game, promoting it everywhere he goes.
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