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Higgins in ‘mad man’ snooker rant
Thursday, 19 February 2009
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Snooker player Alex Higgins has been dropped from a charity event in Limerick next month after he allegedly threatened and verbally abused spectators and a referee at a separate match.
The Belfast-born former snooker world champion is reported to have reduced a 10-year-old boy to tears, threatened to smash a snooker ball into a spectator’s face and told the referee at last Thursday’s exhibition match in Kildare that he would stick his cue “up your a***”.
Higgins’ latest debacle took place in Athy, Co Kildare during a game against Jimmy White.
As a result, Limerick and North Tipperary Carer’s Association, who had arranged for the 59-year-old to play in a charity match in Limerick next month, have dropped him from the schedule and replaced him with seven-time world champion, Stephen Hendry.
Sports Editor with the Kildare Nationalist newspaper, Brendan Coffey, acted as referee at last week’s match and experienced Higgins’ abuse and threatening demeanour at first hand.
Mr Coffey claimed Higgins behaved like a “mad man”.
“Alex didn’t seem drunk. He wasn’t acting like a drunken man, just a mad man,” he said.
“At one stage he picked up the cue like someone with a spear in Braveheart and said that if anyone annoys him, he’d stab them in the chest with it.
“He shoved a ball in front of one person’s face and said he smash him between the eyes with it if he distracted him again,” Mr Coffey claimed.
Higgins was also alleged to have scolded a 10-year-old boy sitting in the front row for apparently distracting him. The boy was reduced to tears.
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21 Comments
Good on, the auld Limerick and North Limerick Carers association in cancellation Alex's attendance at the charity match. Remember Alex you might need the local carers association some day soon.
Posted by elaine | 08.03.09, 16:34 GMT
Sad - very sad! Yes, Alex exhibited talent for a relatively short period but he was never an adornment to the sport. He was rude, ill tempered, arrogant and not pleasant to be around. His attitude towards young people, as reported, comes as no great surprise - The sooner promoters drop him from the exhibition circuit the better. But then, perhaps, he is engaged for "shock" value. I do hope not.
Posted by Terence | 23.02.09, 15:55 GMT
To say that snooker owes its success to Higgins' flamboyance is ridiculous to say the least. Yes, he drew crowds but they all did and Davis, Hendry and O'Sullivan would surely have done well without hitcing an alleged ride on his coat tails.
Posted by Claus Christensn | 20.02.09, 15:27 GMT
Thanks for your support on this important matter of table stability, Strucker and Snooker Loopy, I think this issue needs further study.
If there are any students of engineering or construction who can advise us on the fundemental principles of snooker table stability and the surfaces required to support such a solid and weighty structure, could you please make you comments known?
Also, I was wondering, if snooker was to be played in Liam's back garden, would a outdoor drinks licence be required to service the thirsty viewing punters? I'm not sure this garden snooker idea has much legs, as there must be a host of legal issues to overcome before it could ever get the green light?
Posted by Plum (concerned) | 20.02.09, 14:56 GMT
Another story most likely blown out of all proportion because Alex Higgins is involved. Higgins is a legend and made the game - O'Sullivan, Hendry & Co have made their millions because of him, as without him, the game would never have made it on television. No doubt Liam would rather watch today's snooker robots when what he should be doing is reading a book on the history of the game to fill in the many gaps in his knowledge. It's not Alex Higgins that's the fool!!
Posted by Elvis | 20.02.09, 08:44 GMT
Well, well,well, George Best, Alex Higgins 2 truely great Norn Ir'aan alcoholics
Posted by BH | 19.02.09, 22:10 GMT
No doubt about it, Higgie has always had an attitude problem, but what an entertainer he was. Watching him play was always exciting and snooker has become boring since he left the scene. Northern Irish sports stars seem to live life in the fast lane, Alex, Eddie Irvine and George Best to name a few were great to watch and added excitement to their sports......unlike Dennis Taylor, what a boring old woman!
Posted by William | 19.02.09, 20:02 GMT
Snooker hasnt lost any such stars at all. It has players like Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry etc All superstars and a complete joy to watch and none of them behave the way that alex higgins has in the past and also in the present. He's a complete disgrace to the game. Usually i would be proud to see someone from Northern Ireland that has done well like Liam Neeson, Snow Patrol etc but to be totally honest, I'm embarrassed that alex higgins comes from this country.
Posted by Joe | 19.02.09, 19:50 GMT
Higgins has no personality, he is a loner, talks to nobody and no one talks to him because he is so ignorant. I frequent the same Bookies and Pubs he goes to and leave him well alone as do most people.
Posted by Trevor | 19.02.09, 19:40 GMT
I agree with Liam, I have been on the recieving end of a Higgins rant, through absolutley no fault of my own. He is an arrogant, rude and self opinionated man. I
He had the opportunity most people would have loved to have had and instead he decided to throw it away.
It's about time the rose tinted glasses came off and people started to see Higgins for what he is.
My advice to promoters and snooker fans, don't waste your time or money on him. USe the time and money and take your kids to your local snooker hall and have a game of snooker with them yourself, I guarantee you will enjoy it and so will the kids.
Posted by Philip | 19.02.09, 17:31 GMT
Yes Laim Plum is right cause of the sheer fact the table is so heavy you couldn't possibly get the table to sit level on a normal back garden thus incurring a roll off. Then again if put down some good foundation's in most ordinary garden's ie: concrete you would likely solve the said roll off problem. A nice carpet would also be a must also just to make it look good.
Posted by Snooker Loopy | 19.02.09, 17:12 GMT
The word toe-rag springs to mind ! ! !
Posted by Jack | 19.02.09, 16:46 GMT
Yes, he was the best for a short period but he had the ability to dominate the game for many years like Hendry or O'Sullivan now but threw it away.
He goes to these exhibitions (probably his main income nowadays) and ends up acting like a complete idiot and people begin to dislike him. He will die a lonley old man that everyone has forgotten about if he keeps this up.
Posted by Liam | 19.02.09, 15:47 GMT
sad for me to hear this report about higgy. i experienced something similar durring an exhibition between him and jimmy in larne years ago. this was at the beginning of his cancer battle. jimmy had to restrain a member of the crowd from attacking alex that nite. all this after abusing the ref and a couple of teenagers in the front row how had the audacity to be eating sweets. a great player and many of these so called stars of today wouldnt be earning the living they are from the game if it hadnt been for higgy. like i said earlier one of the greats, a personal hero of mine. but away from the table a different kettle of fish. for me it was embarrasing to see alex behave the way he did that nite in larne. i made me wish i had never gone to the match in the first place. i am sure many in the crowd at this recent gig felt the same.
Posted by davy | 19.02.09, 15:46 GMT
That's a very valid point Plum.
I once had a snooker/pool table which we tried to keep in the back garden. We were fortunate in that we had a paved area and a grassy area. After some futile attempts to stabilise the table on the grass, we decided to use the paved area instead.
However, this was also not successful as my parents had used a right cowboy to pave that area and the paving had more undulations that The Big Dipper at Barrys.
Keep snooker tables indoors, that's what I say!!
Posted by Strucker | 19.02.09, 15:33 GMT
Unfortunately the game of snooker is slowly losing it's appeal, for many because it has lost its' stars like Alex Higgins.
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I think that boat sailed along time ago Richard. Snooker now is played by robots with zero personality or zeal. With the exception of Ronnie O'sullivan todays players will be all but forgotten until the next model of robotic player comes of the production line. When Higgins was at his best players had different styles of play and most of all had character. Even the slow player like Terry Griffiths are remembered because, alhtough their style may not have been to everyones liking, it was party of the varity of the playing styles.
Posted by terry | 19.02.09, 15:18 GMT
"He had the opportunity to become one of the best snooker players in the history of the sport yet he threw it away."
Perhaps it is splitting hairs but Alex Higgins WILL always be remembered as one of the greats of the sport (Like it or not Liam). During the era in which he played he won pretty much every available competition at one time or another. Let's not forget that that included the World title.
He was a star who burned out and faded away far too quickly because of his volatile personality. I am not condoning his actions in this article as I'm sure his behaviour was disgraceful, but there is no denying that at one time, albeit for a brief period, Higgie was the best.
Unfortunately the game of snooker is slowly losing it's appeal, for many because it has lost its' stars like Alex Higgins.
Posted by Richard | 19.02.09, 14:39 GMT
"He had the opportunity to become one of the best snooker players in the history of the sport yet he threw it away."
Perhaps it is splitting hairs but Alex Higgins WILL always be remembered as one of the greats of the sport (Like it or not Liam). During the era in which he played he won pretty much every available competition at one time or another. Let's not forget that that included the World title.
He was a star who burned out and faded away far too quickly because of his volatile personality. I am not condoning his actions in this article as I'm sure his behaviour was disgraceful, but there is no denying that at one time, albeit for a brief period, Higgie was the best.
Unfortunately the game of snooker is slowly losing it's appeal, for many because it has lost its' stars like Alex Higgins.
Posted by Richard | 19.02.09, 14:38 GMT
I doubt if you'd get a snooker table to sit with full stability in a back garden, Liam. There would probably be a roll on the table which would spoil the game.
Posted by Plum | 19.02.09, 14:28 GMT
What a disgrace to our city this man is,no one should doubt the talent he had a lot of years ago but he always thought the world owed him a living,he never showed any respect or humility to his fellow players,remember he was going to get Dennis Taylor shot and not to mention head butting referees and urinating in the flower pots. He should be banned from appearing in front of kids and the public who i suppose had to pay good money to see this sad case,do us all a favour Alex and dissappear along with the talent you once had.
Posted by steve | 19.02.09, 13:15 GMT
21 Comments