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Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby badtemperedcyril

1. Ronnie O’Sullivan OBE
2. Stephen Hendry MBE
3. John Higgins MBE
4. Steve Davis OBE
5. Joe Davis OBE
6. Ray Reardon MBE
7. Mark Williams MBE
8. Mark Selby
9. Alex Higgins
10. Judd Trump
11. Neil Robertson
12. Jimmy White MBE
13. Fred Davis OBE
14. John Spencer
15. John Pulman
16. John Parrott MBE
17. Peter Ebdon
18. Cliff Thorburn CM
19. Ding Junhui
20. Terry Griffiths OBE
21. Horace Lindrum
22. Shaun Murphy
23. Ken Doherty
24. Walter Donaldson
25. Stuart Bingham
26. Matthew Stevens
27. Paul Hunter
28. Dennis Taylor
29. Graeme Dott
30. Doug Mountjoy
31. Joe Johnson
32. Ali Carter
33. Eddie Charlton AM
34. Stephen Maguire
35. Mark Allen
36. Alan McManus
37. James Wattana
38. Tony Knowles
39. Gary Owen MBE
40. Neal Foulds
41. Barry Hawkins
42. Stephen Lee
43. Marco Fu
44. Nigel Bond
45. Kyren Wilson
46. Pat Houlihan
47. Sidney Smith
48. Willie Thorne
49. Perrie Mans
50. Kirk Stevens
51. Yan Bingtao
52. Mike Hallett
53. Fergal O’Brien
54. Patsy Fagan
55. John Virgo
56. Steve James
57. Joe Swail
58. Rex Williams BEM
59. Anthony Hamilton
60. Albert Brown
61. Tony Meo
62. Joe Perry
63. Cliff Wilson
64. Warren Simpson
65. Graham Miles
66. Ricky Walden
67. Gary Wilkinson
68. Ryan Day
69. Jackie Rea
70. Bill Werbeniuk
71. Tony Drago
72. Silvino Francisco
73. Alec Brown
74. Darren Morgan
75. Ray Edmonds
76. David Gilbert
77. Liang Wenbo
78. David Taylor
79. Jonathan Barron
80. Marcus Owen
81. Ron Gross
82. Martin Gould
83. George Chenier
84. Anthony McGill
85. Chris Small
86. Alain Robidoux
87. John Dunning
88. John Barrie
89. Mark King
90. Clark McConachy MBE
91. Dominic Dale
92. David Gray
93. Dean Reynolds
94. Michael White
95. Murt O’Donoghue
96. Geoffrey Thompson
97. Ian McCulloch
98. Willie Smith
99. Gary Wilson
100. Tom Dennis

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby Iranu

Dan-cat wrote:Nug should be above Higgins though if you are talking 'greats' still probably the most famous player alongside Ronnie.

If that’s a factor then Ding should be wayyyy higher.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby badtemperedcyril

Iranu wrote:What are the criteria for this list?
Achievements, contribution to the game, level of play - all come into the mix. I also factor in conditions in different era's. Allowance is given to a natural evolution in playing standards, techniques and general knowledge that is passed down through generations. There is also the grey area of the 50's and 60's which makes it difficult to rank players of that period. The professional game turned into a closed shop by the mid-50's and then didn't exist at all for about five years, save for four of five of them playing exhibitions. Meanwhile, the amateur game was prospering. Pat Houlihan for instance, beat John Spencer 11-3 in the 1965 English Amateur final in front of 1,300 people at Blackpool Tower Circus - undoubtedly the biggest event a player could win at that time. At the same time, the professional championship title was being contested by Pulman and Williams as part of a three month tour of South Africa. Reputedly, at one venue, no crowd turned up at all, so they tossed for it!
Last edited by badtemperedcyril on 11 Mar 2021, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby badtemperedcyril

Juddernaut88 wrote:Good list, I think Dennis Taylor maybe could be a little higher, certainly above Matthew Stevens.
I suppose a lot of this list comes down to my gut feeling and I never really thought Dennis was that good. His cue action was snatchy and he was generally quite bereft of any flare. I guess his achievements should see him a tad higher though. Maybe I'm being a bit mean on him.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby SnookerEd25

Juddernaut88 wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:No.63 eh?

Could have been a little higher, but I’ll not quibble too much :chin:


John Virgo is higher :D


:wild:

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby SnookerEd25

Wilson wins their H2H 3-2, but Virgo wins on frames 20-19.

A fairly even-matched pair on paper, but I think Wilson’s amateur achievements should have him slightly higher. The lost twenty years or so when CW should have been at his peak is the great unknown...

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby badtemperedcyril

Cliff was the original Whirlwind back in the early 50's. He reached the final of the English Amateur at the age of just 19, losing out to Geoffrey Thompson. Burroughes Hall in Soho Square had to turn crowds away, such was the draw power of "Amazing Wilson", as The Billiard Player called him. Then he gave the game up for fifteen years.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby Dan-cat

badtemperedcyril wrote:
Dan-cat wrote:Jimmy White 12th?!

Just noticed

Yes, sorry Jimbo. He was above Judd and Robbo on this list until quite recently. I'm afraid for all his fame, popularity and skill, 12th was as high as I could get a non-World Champion. :(


Your list is called 'greats'

Not 'best results'

Jimmy is undoubtedly one of the grand custodians of our game and is any chat about all-time greats. Top 5.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby Juddernaut88

Although my list would focus on the "modern era" 1970s onwards, even though 70s is still way before my time.
If I were to include just players soley from my time that I have watched then Jimmy would make the the list.

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby badtemperedcyril

Dan-cat wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:
Dan-cat wrote:Jimmy White 12th?!

Just noticed

Yes, sorry Jimbo. He was above Judd and Robbo on this list until quite recently. I'm afraid for all his fame, popularity and skill, 12th was as high as I could get a non-World Champion. :(


Your list is called 'greats'

Not 'best results'

Jimmy is undoubtedly one of the grand custodians of our game and is any chat about all-time greats. Top 5.

Unfortunately he can't be moved now until the ratings committee convene another meeting. :shrug:

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby SnookerEd25

badtemperedcyril wrote:Unfortunately he can't be moved now until the ratings committee convene another meeting. :shrug:


rofl

Re: Cyril's Top One Hundred Snooker Greats

Postby TheRocket

SnookerFan wrote:
TheRocket wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Who the hell is Tom Dennis?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Denni ... ker_player)


Bungke.


rofl

link not working for whatever reason. But you can find it on wikipedia. Looks like Tom Dennis had a rivalry with Joe Davis and it was very similar to Jimmy-Hendry. They played 4 World finals and he lost all of them.


   

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