Ray Reardon was a giant who never lost the glint in his eye or his love of snooker - Dave Hendon
Published 20/07/2024 at 15:45 GMT+1
Ray Reardon was an "icon, a working class hero", writes Eurosport commentator Dave Hendon, following the death of the six-time world champion. The Welshman was a "giant whose star shone brightly for decades". His passing marks the end of an era but "what a legacy" he leaves for the sport he loved. The death of Reardon, who was 91, was announced on Saturday.
Ray Reardon keeps an eye on the ball as he takes a shot during the Benson and Hedges Snooker Tournament at Wembley.
Image credit: Getty Images
April 30, 1957, was a date seared into Ray Reardon’s memory. Like generations of menfolk in Tredegar in South Wales, he was a miner.
That day, he was buried when part of the mine collapsed. Unable to move, he imagined in his mind countless games of marbles with his brother, Ron.
He remained there in the darkness and dirt for three hours before he was dug out.
This near-death experience goes a long way to explaining Reardon’s zest for life, his wish to be the star of the show and zeal for dragging snooker out of the shadows and into the light of the television age.
He became an icon, a working class hero who was an inspiration to those who followed from Wales and further afield.
Born in 1932, he started playing snooker at the age of six on a small table at home bought by his uncle Dan.
By 12, he was regularly visiting the local mine welfare Institute for two hours after school. At 15, he won the local club handicap before reaching the British Junior Championship final.
At 18, he was soundly beaten in an exhibition by A. J. Ford, the reigning Welsh amateur champion. Reardon observed his opponent’s superior style of play and resolved to improve his own.
The following year he became Welsh champion himself and won the title six years running.
Reardon gave up his mining job and became a policeman in Stoke, twice earning commendations for bravery.
The professional game had gone into hibernation at this time. Between 1957 and 1964, no World Championship was held.
After winning the 1964 English amateur championship, Reardon was beaten in the 1966 final by John Spencer.
When Spencer applied to turn professional, Reardon did the same.
They encountered a closed-shop approach with the existing professionals fiercely protective of the small cake the game represented but between them ushered in a new era for snooker, helped by the launch of the BBC programme Pot Black in 1969, which brought the sport into millions of living rooms.
Reardon was the first winner and, after Spencer won the 1969 world title, became world champion himself in 1970. He regained the crown in 1973 and won it each of the next three years, but was constantly fighting what he saw as sloppy organisation.
Venues, tables, lighting, referees: they all fell foul of Reardon’s quest for better conditions for what was supposed to be a professional sport.
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Ray Reardon
Image credit: Getty Images
In the end, he got his wish. In 1977, the World Championship moved to the plush surroundings of the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Reardon won his sixth world title there in 1978.
He also captured the 1976 Masters and 21 other professional titles, including the 1982 Professional Players Tournament at the age of 50, making him the oldest winner of a ranking event. Reardon was the first of only 12 players to be world No. 1.
Earlier in 1982, he was beaten 18-15 by Alex Higgins in the World Championship final. By now, the event was a major sporting occasion watched by millions, in part because of the excitement generated by Higgins but also because of Reardon’s demanding behaviour in the 1970s.
Snooker was now a thriving professional sport with a cast of relatable characters and he was a household name.
With his distinctive black widow’s peak, Reardon was christened ‘Dracula’ and happily played up to the cameras.
He could cut a head-masterly figure, certainly in comparison to the volatile Higgins, but his personality shone through.
He held his own on the Parkinson chat show and was a regular on light entertainment programmes as one of the first stars of snooker. He liked attention and therefore helped the game gain attention.
Reardon retired from playing in 1991 but remained involved through the holiday camp exhibition circuit. One day in 2003, he received a phone call from Ronnie O’Sullivan senior.
He felt his son needed a guiding hand from someone who understood the tactical side of snooker.
O’Sullivan offered a handshake when they met but Reardon pulled him into a hug. They instantly bonded and the steel in O’Sullivan’s game was obvious when he won the 2004 world title, with Reardon proudly watching on.
Last year, I had the privilege of travelling to Brixham in Devon to interview Reardon at Churston Golf Club, where he was president.
At the age of 90, he was sprightly and his mind sharp as he enthusiastically shared memories of his playing career.
He remained in touch with snooker, enthusing about O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and the recently crowned world champion, Luca Brecel. A few weeks later, he made a century break himself in Torquay.
His passing marks the end of an era. Spencer died in 2006, Higgins in 2010. Now, the last titan of that early 70s period where the sport began to gain traction has left us.
But what a legacy. Ray Reardon was a giant whose star shone brightly for decades. He was 24 when he was buried in the mine but lived to his 92nd year. Throughout his life he never lost the glint in his eye or his love of the sport.
I asked him how he coped with the sudden fame which arrived when snooker hit the mainstream. “I loved it,” he said, his face breaking into a wide smile.
“Just to go on television was fantastic. It was magic being on the table, when you come through that curtain and down the steps.
"That’s where I felt I belonged.”
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