Veteran Tony Knowles won the inaugural snooker 'Super 6s' tournament being trialled at the World Championship. Facing Higgins, Meo was ahead after their first session, and at 98 was a frame away from winning before Higgins took the last two frames with breaks of 77 and 62 to claim victory. When police arrived, Ms Craig was found shaken and with a bruise and scratches on her arm. Perhaps his greatest moment was beating defending champion Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round in Sheffield in 1982. Hendry would never win another world title. But Higgins cleaned up his act enough to win his second world title in 1982, a decade on from his first. [6][20], The non-ranking 1984 Malaysian Masters was the only final that Meo reached in 198485 snooker season, but he retained his ranking of tenth for 198586. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Knowles became the pin-up boy of snooker in the early 1980s and the club in the early 2000s television comedy, Phoenix Nights, had a room called the 'Tony So he got all the girls round us and he was giving bottles of champagne away. We have estimated The pair had been in an on-and-off relationship since 2011. Hicks beat Willie Thorne and Peter Ebdon before losing 16-11 to Nigel Bond in the semi-finals. She said he grabbed the laptop and threw it down before punching her arm and towering over her shouting abusive language. View our online Press Pack. He was critical of a change to the cloths on competition snooker tables in 1986, which led to the pack breaking open more easily. Did you know? Theres a kind of sadness when you think that way. At 68 years old, Tony Knowles height not available right now. [7] At the 1978 Canadian Open, he achieved the most notable win of his career to that point by eliminating Alex Higgins in the semi-final, and led 106 in the final against Cliff Thorburn before losing the match 1517. He reached the:57:03.:57:05. quarterfinals that year and, indeed, came back to reach But when he started winning tournaments in the Seventies, he suddenly had the money to feed his love of booze, women and, later, drugs. Result: Lee Walker (Wal) 3-0 Tony Thats the problem. Jimmy admitted that his habit affected his performance. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The former world number two has entered Q School for the first time in four years, having rekindled his enthusiasm for practice. [12] Davis and Meo won the 1982 World Doubles Championship. But he is best remembered for a series of lurid tabloid exclusives, not least the story he sold for 25,000 prior to the 1984 Championships, in which he described himself as the hottest pot in snooker. Read about our approach to external linking. Higgins seemed to briefly calm down when he married his second wife, Lynn Avison, in 1980. His addiction started by drinking copiously to celebrate or commiserate after matches. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Andy Hicks completed one of the biggest upsets in World Championship history by dispatching six-time champion and number two seed Steve Davis in the first round in 1995. Snooker Legends Life is far calmer now for the former world number two, who won two ranking titles in his career. Meo claimed the next four frames, to require just one more frame at 87, having recovered from more than 40 points behind in both the 12th and 15th frames. Meo acknowledged that "It wasn't very spectacular" and added that he felt that it was "the best tactical snooker" that he had ever player. But Higgins cleaned up his act enough to win his second world title in 1982, a decade on from his first. He turned professional in 1979, and won the 1981 Australian Masters, 1983 Thailand Masters and 1985 Australian Masters. Davis built a lead of 38 points, but Meo recovered to 12 points behind with a break of 26. Tony Knowles has relaunched The White House, in Bowness-on-Windermere, and plans to turn around its fortunes after the business went into Please report any comments that break our rules. But Higgins was also volatile, often having bust-ups with officials, fellow players and even spectators. -. Did you know? Jimmy and Alex werent alone in their extreme behaviour. His last attempt to qualify for the World Championship in 2009 saw him lose 10-9 against Tony Knowles. Jimmy and Alex werent alone in their extreme behaviour. How the sport of snooker turned working class lads into cocaine I always remember him arriving at the City Hall in Manchester. Canadian Kirk Stevens, 64, admitted spending 250,000 on his cocaine addiction. On occasions, the six-time world champ was booed by crowds for bored of his success. McLeod lost 13-3 to Stephen Maguire in the second round and was relegated from the main professional tour at the end of 2018-19, before regaining his place at Q School in 2020. He says: We decided we wanted to clean him up, so we put him in this hospital this nursing home to dry him out. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Gods Of Snooker, which can be caught up with on BBC iPlayer, has unique access to greats of the baize including Jimmy Whirlwind White, 60, who provides a shocking account of how players winnings fuelled indulgence. World Seniors Championship 2021 - Jimmy White After bombing out of the World Championships in the first round he hit a press officer then stormed into a news Born June 13, 1955 Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Photos Known for The Crucible: 21 Years in the Frame TV Mini Series Self 1997 2 eps The Rothmans Grand Prix TV Series Self 19841987 12 eps Gods of Snooker 8.0 The Match Of The Day presenter is a huge snooker fan and recalls how the sports fortunes switched following the football World Cup in 1990. Amongst them,David Lilley the reigning Seniors World Champion will also be there, trying to regain his tour card. The Northern Irish hellraiser and double world champ died in 2010 of throat cancer aged 61. But fans of the game will remember his legendary match against great Steve Davis in the eighties. The 56-year-old, of Bowness, aims to develop the venue along with his professional snooker career. Cahill almost knocked out another seed in the second round but was beaten 13-12 by Stephen Maguire. Menu. Discover Tony Knowles's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. He was found guilty at a trial earlier this month. He is from United Kingdom. As a star of the 1980s, when snooker was in its glory days, Knowles was a household name. In 1986, Meo was one of five players under Barry Hearn's management (along with Davis, Terry Griffiths, Willie Thorne and Dennis Taylor) who appeared on "Snooker Loopy", a hit single about the game recorded with Chas & Dave. But in 1990, the troubled star quit the game, telling the world in a press conference: You can shove your snooker up your jacksie. He enters the qualifying event for the World Championship most years and managed to defeat tour professional Stefan Mazrocis in the first qualifying round in 2009. He earned millions but blew six-figure sums on drugs and booze. I dont think I should be deprived of that sort of thing just because I play snooker.. contact the editor here. Peter Stringfellow had a club called the Hippodrome and he used to have a champagne bar. Tony Knowles Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. As Steve lost the final, decisive frame of 35 in a match that remains the games high-water mark, he was suddenly human again. Tony Knowles Mazrocis lost 13-9 to the Canada's Alain Robidoux in the next round. He was a complete loose cannon. It was a dark time.. The court heard police were called but Knowles, 59, a three-times world championship semi-finalist in the 80s, refused to be arrested. He retired from professional play after the 199697 snooker season and became a wrist watch consultant. I like being competitive, having something to play for," he said. Former snooker star buys his second place in Bowness Peter Stringfellow had a club called the Hippodrome and he used to have a champagne bar. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. Before the tournament, he had been rated as a 2001 outsider to win. So why has he decided to enter Q School in the hope of becoming a professional on the tour again? The three-times world champion punched Nazma Craig while she was staying at his flat in the Lake District. Booze led to drugs. Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news on the BBC app. Meo had reached the final by eliminating Rex Williams 53, Kirk Stevens 52 and Mark Wildman 53. More than 200 players will compete at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Snooker WebTony Knowles was born on 13 June 1955 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK. White has been given an invitational tour card for the next two seasons on the World Snooker Tour. [24] He compiled a maximum break of 147 in his 1988 Matchroom League match against Stephen Hendry. But Higgins manager Harvey Lisberg maintains he was always a handful. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. There wont be any pool tables there though Ive managed to keep my interests quite separate and I think thats for the best.. He went on to win the UK Junior Championship twice, in 1972 (against Matt Gibson) and in 1974. As a result, he moved to no. [3] He won a second Warners Open title in 1979, 52 against White in the final. Still only 31, he was a heavy favourite for an eighth success in 2000 but nobody told debutant Stuart Bingham, who would win a world title of his own 15 years later. What I need is more matches against other players on the Star tables, if I can get that under my belt then my consistency will improve, Ill cut out the mistakes and the break-building will come back. Thats the problem. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Cahill almost knocked out another seed in the second round but was beaten 13-12 by Stephen Maguire. John Virgo, 77, as a player a contemporary of Higgins and later a respected commentator, says: It kept the game on the sports pages. How well Tony will do remains to be seen of course, and, should he succeed, the hectic Main Tour schedule might prove difficult to cope with for a 65 years old. MASTERS HOPE: Tony Knowles takes on Jimmy White in Peterborough. Davis went on to win the frame and match. Tony Knowles He reached six World Championship finals including five in a row between 1990 and 1994 but lost them all. After one kiss-and-tell story claimed he enjoyed wearing womens underwear. [11], At the 1980 UK Championship, Meo eliminated defending champion Virgo 91 before losing to Steve Davis in the quarter-finals. Last year, Brian Viner interviewed snooker's world No 4 on the day he consulted his GP about stomach pains. On Monday night, the 27-year-old died of cancer before he could fulfil his dream of winning the world title He won the 1989 British Open by defeating Dean Reynolds 136 in the final, and was runner-up to Steve Davis at the 1984 Classic. I knew all of them. [12] He reached the World Championship quarter-finals for the first time at the 1983 tournament, and finished the season by winning the 1983 Pontins Brean Sands tournament, with a 97 final victory against Silvino Francisco. So its down to getting a good draw and playing consistently.. 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In the final, he played Dean Reynolds, and won each of the first two sessions 52, thus leading 104 by the third session. Suave Tony Knowles, who is also interviewed in the new documentary, was a pin-up known for enjoying the company of the opposite sex. He has yet to make a second appearance at the Crucible. means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. , money, salary, income, and assets. He is a member of famous Player with the age 68 years old group. Higgins threw his support behind his hellraiser heir Jimmy White. I had a blast. In the final, Meo led Neal Foulds 31, but the first session finished with the pair level at 33. Meo was a frame ahead at 43 and 54, with Foulds then taking the next two frames to lead for the first time in the match at 65. His application to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association to become a professional player was twice turned down leading him to threaten them with legal action before being accepted at the third attempt.