Jimmy White the snooker player
I have always been a big fan.
I used to be an avid follower of snooker starting from about 1980 right up to about 10 years ago when a lot of the personalities retired, and we were left with a lot of ‘beige’ boring type people…maybe with the exception of Ronnie O Sullivan.
Jimmy was off the same stamp as Alex Higgins,.who in fact was his mentor.
I could relate to his cheeky could not gaf general attitude, his maverick style, his casual ways, and I would have loved his wealth induced play boy sex (maybe drugs) and rock & Roll lifestyle…which probably says a lot about me.
He was also a bloody good snooker player, and entertainer, but never really got past runner up in the Embassy World Championships.
Anyhow I saw a pic of him the other day,
I was totally and utterly shocked as to how he looks now.
Seems that his lifestyle has taken it’s toll.
Just clock this ‘before and after’ pic.
iv allus thought anybody who wears a wig is a vain type .The type who also wont ever retire and let somebody new have a go. TV is littered with them,well off but .will not under no circums step down .
Someone else on tv who wont retire is David Attenborough,he should be forced to get out into these jungles/desert every single episode -itd make a good docu,film him in his limo on way to airport - instead hes doing voice overs pretending that he is actually there
Sex, drugs, rock n roll lifestyle, ex heavy drinker and ex chain smoker it takes it’s toll, has already had cancer and only has the one bollock. Certainly looks rough, that ridiculous thing on his head does him no favours.
Bald bloke walks in a pub nobody notices, bald bloke with a syrup walks in after him, the whole pub is entertained for the rest of the day…same as the bloke with a pony tail in 2024.
Nowt wrong with vanity, but best just to go with the flow, and use the skull shaver…job sorted.
I think the MPB…(male pattern baldness) hairstyle is the worst in the world and actually makes a bald bloke look older.
while since iv seen it but that hair style where you are bald on top but long lank hair elsewhere is no nonsense /memorable.Reminds me when i was at school a lad was bald on top and longish mop hair his nickname was Monk
You are right the,combovers never see them now
what dyou make of king charles hair his hairs good considering ,possibly a wig? i read hes restarting normal duties soon? The gravy train folk demand it ? I feel a bit sorry for him having to travel every week at his age . i read somewhere that when the Royals get their hair cut all the trimmings are always carefully taken away [possibly to stop Dna testing?/cloning ? ]
Have you noticed charles eyes on the new £5 note they arent straight!
you see Usyk at the Fury fight conference? hes shaved his all off [to match fury?] . Back to snooker you are right that apart from o sullivan theres nobody worth watching,its strange ,nobody worth watching the last decade or more
Barry Hearn has given him guaranteed wild card for the tour so he’s still plugging on. Fair play to him he’s more than holding his own for his age. Hendry is pi ssing about on YouTube
Hendry is probably happy pi ssing about on YouTube with his 7 world title’s while Jimmy is still being handed a tour card with 0 to his name.
Fair play to him at 62 to be able to play to the standard he does, but I do wonder if there are any regrets about his lifestyle in the 90’s - while Hendry was practicing 8 hours a day and going to bed at 9, Jimmy was drinking heavily and stuffing stuff up his nose. Perhaps that what seperates winners from losers when it comes to elite level sport/games.
He said in his documentary that he had no regrets. And openly admits he would have achieved more had he led a lifestyle more like Hendrys.
Think the 94 final still haunts him, so close.
Or if you’re Ronnie you can take a year away from competitive snooker, just turn up and win the world championship.
Yeah I remember watching that '94 final as an 11 year old desperately wanting him to win. That missed black off the spot at 17-17 deciding frame was a sucker punch. Not seen his documentary nor what he said but if he’s genuinely happy and has no regrets then fair play.
I never liked Hendry at the time, probably because he won everything and I wanted the underdog to win, but as an adult now I can appreciate the dedication, time, effort and practice to be the best and have nothing but respect for what he achieved.
Hendry was a winning machine. Arguably the 2nd best player ever. Its good to see him still active in the game, his YouTube channel has some good stuff on it but there is a lot of me me me. He’ll still be earning good money I bet with all the stuff he does in China.
Think they play each other now and again on the seniors tour circuit.
Ok Hendry was the more professional responsible type sportsman, and it paid off.
He was/is also a bit beige, and mind numbingly boring.
Jimmy was the absolute opposite…
But who had a more fun and an eventful fuller life with the same type of money ?
Ok his lifestyle has certainly taken it’s toll looking at that pic, but I think I’d me more of a Jimmy than a Hendry in the same situation.
Yep the good old days. White on form was exhilarating, Alex Higgins was totally unpredictable and also exhilarating then came Hendry, great player but no real character.
Higgins in my mind was just a one off, looked like a nervous wreck, fag in one hand alcohol in the other, (usually pi55ed up) constantly on a collision course with authority, totally fxx ked up private life. Best game I saw on TV for entertainment value, not necessarily the snooker was when Higgins had broken his leg or ankle in some fracas or summat and had to constantly hop around the table. Never to be repeated.
I went to see an exhibition match between Higgins and Steve Davies, Jeez must be about 40 years ago now😳…
(I was in a pram btw )
You could feel the atmosphere between them, that there was no love lost.
Alex raced around the table potting every ball, and stood up and sipped his whiskey while impatiently waiting while Davies took his time over every shot.
At half time one of Davies’s ‘people’ announced on the mike that there was a special stall set up in the foyer to buy SD merchandise attended to by more of his people.
At the same time Alex walked in heavily laden with his boxes of merch, t.shirts and the like, plonked them on the snooker table, and said in that unmistakable NI accent, ‘If you want any of this come and see me’…everybody thought the comparison was hilarious, and I bet Alex sold more stuff than Davies.
I often wish I had kept that t.shirt, it was great to meet him as an impressionable young lad in awe… (even though he had nothing at all to say in favour of hawking out his tat asap.)
