Silvino Francisco: Former British Open champion dies at the age of 78
Updated 28/12/2024 at 09:40 GMT
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Silvino Francisco, the 1985 British Open champion, has died at the age of 78. Born in Cape Town in 1946, the popular South African player was ranked world No. 10 in 1987, during a career that saw him reach the World Championship quarter-finals in 1982 and lift the South African Championship in 1986. He was also a four-time winner of his country's amateur championship between 1968 and 1977.
Silvino Francisco snooker 1984
Image credit: Getty Images
South Africa's 1980s snooker favourite Silvino Francisco has died at the age of 78.
The news was confirmed by World Snooker Tour on Friday night with Francisco passing away on Saturday, December 14.
Francisco's career highlight was lifting the 1985 British Open trophy in Derby, with a 12-9 win over Kirk Stevens in a final that was watched by a huge audience of 15.5m viewers on ITV.
It was a tournament which saw the former world No. 10 dubbed the 'Silver Fish' defeat Alex Higgins and Jimmy White during his run to the final. He remains the only player from South Africa to win a ranking event.
Francisco – whose brother Manuel and nephew Peter also played on the professional circuit in the 1980s and 1990s – lost 13-8 to six-time world champion Ray Reardon in the 1982 World Championship quarter-finals, before runs to the last 16 of the event four more times between 1984 and 1989.
After turning professional in 1981, his storied professional career ended in 1997 when, plagued by gambling problems, he was jailed for three years after admitting smuggling cannabis.
"WST and WPBSA extend our sincere condolences to Silvino's wife June and all of his family and friends," said a statement by World Snooker Tour.
Francisco's death comes at the end of a year when the sport has mourned the loss of his former green baize rivals Ray Reardon, Terry Griffiths and Mark Wildman.
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