Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Peter Stringfellow had a club called the Hippodrome and he used to have a champagne bar. I had loads of drug dealers all over the place too. [3] He won a second Warners Open title in 1979, 52 against White in the final. He reached the semi-finals of the World Championship on three occasions, coming within a frame of the final in 1983, losing a decider to Canadas Cliff Thorburn. But even Davis lampooned as the Romford Robot due to his emotionless demeanour and conservative style of play enjoyed the trappings of fame. And he tried to get off with the nurses.. Knowles will face Bradley Cowdroy in the opening round of the first of three events. Tony Knowles in February 1984 (Picture: Eric Whitehead). He was a complete loose cannon. He was critical of a change to the cloths on competition snooker tables in 1986, which led to the pack breaking open more easily. The world number 92 compiled eight half century breaks to end Hendry's dominance at the Crucible, with the Scot sat shaking his head in disbelief. Sport doesnt go on for ever. When you don't even have a world ranking, beating the best player on the planet, the fans' favourite who is going for a sixth world title, seems a stretch of the imagination. He reached the World Championship semi-finals on three occasions (in 1983, 1985 and 1986), but never the final. On occasions, the six-time world champ was booed by crowds for bored of his success. Knowles was one of snookers biggest stars of the 1980s, winning the International Open, Professional Players Tournament and Australian Masters. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. He is not dating anyone. WebSnooker player Tony Knowles's professional Match results, Frame scores, centuries, prize money, statistics from season 2022-2023 - Snooker Database of Results & Statistics View our online Press Pack. Jimmy White v Tony Knowles - World Seniors Snooker Championship 2021 - LIVE Watch Along 3,642 views Streamed live on May 7, 2021 32 Dislike Share Save In the final, he played Dean Reynolds, and won each of the first two sessions 52, thus leading 104 by the third session. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can 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 inaccuracy or intrusion, then please He became the UKs richest sportsman at the time and the first player to clinch a seven-figure sponsorship deal. But Mazrocis, a 250-1 outsider, said he had "a few" beers to help him relax and he turned the tables with a 10-3 win. I have still got the knowledge of the game. He earned millions but blew six-figure sums on drugs and booze. But Higgins was also volatile, often having bust-ups with officials, fellow players and even spectators. In a match between Jimmy and Steve Davis, whom Higgins viewed as dull, Higgins took his protege to aside and advised him: Shove the f***ing cue up the ginger c***s a***.. contact the editor here. Fittingly, the man who dominated the game in its golden era won his sixth and final world title in 1989. The colourful sporting life of snooker player Tony Knowles The court heard that Knowles threatened to call police and, following a struggle over the fax machine and phone, neither was aware a call had been made. Veteran Tony Knowles believes he has a realistic chance of making it through Q School and achieving his ambition of regaining a place on the World Snooker Snooker Davis went on to win the frame and match. After one kiss-and-tell story claimed he enjoyed wearing womens underwear. Gary says: You wouldnt ever imagine snooker would become as popular as football but it did. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to He became the UKs richest sportsman at the time and the first player to clinch a seven-figure sponsorship deal. Tony has entered the 2021 Q-School and has been speaking to WST about his expectations and ambitions: Veteran Tony Knowles believes he has a realistic chance of making it through Q School and achieving his ambition of regaining a place on the World Snooker Tour at the age of 65. He was ordered to pay 100 compensation to Ms Craig. 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. He won the 15th frame by a single point after requiring two snookers, then added the next two frames to win 98. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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 Knowles Suite' in his honour. Gray's time at the tournament soon ended as he was thrashed 13-1 by Dominic Dale with a session to spare, scoring just 208 points in their last-16 meeting, a record low for a best-of-25 match. -. MASTERS HOPE: Tony Knowles takes on Jimmy White in Peterborough. "Im actually at the point now where I can go and play snooker and enjoy it. I remember I had 35,000 in an account and I drained that on crack. He says: We decided we wanted to clean him up, so we put him in this hospital this nursing home to dry him out. He was a complete loose cannon. Sports promoter Barry Hearn said: Alex was dangerous but that was also what made him exciting.. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. One of the eras greats missing from the doc is Alex Hurricane Higgins. 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. I have a table at home and Im using some of the practice methods I used many years ago, working on my long potting and cue action. They had daughter Lauren the same year. Snooker Legends [26] In the post-match speeches, Reynolds complained that he had been "totally bored" by Meo's cautious style of play. Having won seven world titles during the 1990s, few would have believed that Stephen Hendry's time at the top of the sport was approaching an end. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. The Northern Irish hellraiser and double world champ died in 2010 of throat cancer aged 61. [2] He was nicknamed "The Cat" and "Meo, Meo". 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. It was a dark time.. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Knowles shot to prominence in 1982 when he defeated defending champion Steve Davis 101 in the first round of the World Championship, earning him overnight stardom in a period when the sport was reaching the peak of its popularity. Tony Knowles in February 1984 (Picture: Eric Whitehead) Ive got to put a pair of glasses on to see your pretty face but Ive still got all the shots! The 'Ladies Man' Jimmy said: We were partying all the time. contact the editor here. The Legends Cup saw debuts for 10 times world champion Reanne Evans. The draw always provides plenty of intriguing match-ups and the potential for a star name to fall at the first hurdle. I couldnt believe that you could take this drug and it would straighten you up and you could start drinking again.. [3] He was a schoolfriend of Jimmy White at Ernest Bevin Comprehensive, and the pair regularly skipped school to play snooker together. 4 in the 1983/1984 world rankings. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's 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. A staggering one in five 16-to-24-year-olds have taken cocaine in the last year. Snooker Tony Knowles - IMDb This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 00:36. Now, aged 65, hes been retired for 20 years and running a wine bar in the Lake District. However, he missed a relatively simple pink in the 17th frame allowing Cahill, the first-ever amateur to make it through qualifying, to regain the lead. And I havent lost the thrill that comes with playing in tournaments.. [9] He eliminated David Taylor from the 1979 UK Championship 97, and then lost to the eventual champion John Virgo 69 in the following round. World Seniors Snooker Head Office: World Seniors Snooker, 75 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2NT, Welsh Winners on Opening Night of World Seniors Championship, Wins in Sheffield for White and Figueiredo. Tony, now 67, posed with half-naked women in photoshoots alongside headlines like: Why girls call me the hottest pot in snooker.. WebAnthony Christian Meo (born 4 October 1959) is a retired English snooker player. Thats the problem. He issued a public statement assuring the world he had no such fetish. Ive got to put a pair of glasses on to see your pretty face but Ive still got all the shots!. Read about our approach to external linking. McLeod, a 46-year-old, 1,000-1 outsider, trailed 4-0 but fought back to seal what he called "the biggest win of his career" in a match that was extended because of slow play. [24] He compiled a maximum break of 147 in his 1988 Matchroom League match against Stephen Hendry. [34] After retiring from snooker in 1997, Meo managed a wristwatch and jewellery store in Hatton Garden.[32][2]. Cocaine had come into my life. Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news on the BBC app. [21][22] He won the 1985 Australian Masters by defeating John Campbell 72 in the final,[12] and the 1986 English Professional Championship. He was ranked among the top 16 for most of that decade and reached three Crucible semi-finals. His performances in ranking tournaments led to him moving up from 31st place to 14th in the rankings for the following season, during which he won the round-robin 1990 International League by winning four of his five matches, and drawing the other one. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? [1] He began playing snooker at the age of 9 on the tables at the Tonge Moor Conservative Club, which was run by his father, Kevin. The three-times world champion punched Nazma Craig while she was staying at his flat in the Lake District. Steve, another working-class London lad also nicknamed the Nugget for his ginger hair, said: I dont think the worlds a better place now because of it.. Tony is one of the many WSS players who will compete in Ponds Forge in the coming weeks. He is the oldest in the draw. My business is well looked after and Im coming up to my pension," he said. He reached six World Championship finals including five in a row between 1990 and 1994 but lost them all. Meo added the 12th frame, but Foulds moved ahead again by claiming the 13th. A 2021 BBC2 show, produced by documentary maker Louis Theroux, shows how snooker stars turned to sex, drugs and booze as they struggled to cope with their new-found fame and fortune. From 8-5 behind O'Sullivan rallied and made breaks of 104 and 89 on his way to levelling the contest. I could barely stand up at the end. Watch World Seniors Snooker Championship LIVE - BBC Sport The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Suave Tony Knowles, who is also interviewed in the new documentary, was a pin-up known for enjoying the company of the opposite sex. Three-times World Championship semi-finalist Knowles is bidding to rejoin the WST ranks at the age of 65. Comments have been closed on this article. 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. He won the British under-19 title in 1978, as well as other junior titles. Snooker started to get slightly less interesting and football kind of re-emerged. 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But Higgins would also get himself into fiery rows. This Saturday the Bolton-born snooker player will take on The Whirlwind Jimmy White at the Peterborough event. After one kiss-and-tell story claimed he enjoyed wearing womens underwear. Fittingly, the man who dominated the game in its golden era won his sixth and final world title in 1989. A year later, spurred by Englands success at Italia 90, football begun the resurgence that led to its dominant position today. So why has he decided to enter Q School in the hope of becoming a professional on the tour again? The Northern Irish hellraiser and double world champ died in 2010 of throat cancer aged 61. contact the editor here. [12] Meo finished as runner-up, losing 39 to Davis. It took Bingham another 11 years to win his first ranking title, beating Mark Williams 9-8 in the final of the Australian Open. Did you know? [12][30] Meo was ranked 160th after the 199697 snooker season, but did not participate in any further tournaments in the following seasons. Jimmy admitted that his habit affected his performance. Ms Craig told the court she was owed 30,000 by Knowles, cash which he had invested in a hotel next to the winebar he owns at Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. WebThe only players the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) have successfully prosecuted for match-fixing are Lee, Leo Fernandez, Yu Delu, Cao Yupeng, David John, Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon and amateur player John Sutton. Ramped-up TV coverage made it a dream ticket to fame and fortune, while footie was marred by hooliganism. So, how much is Tony Knowles worth at the age of 68 years old? Amongst them,David Lilley the reigning Seniors World Champion will also be there, trying to regain his tour card. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. That knowledge remains very important and thats why you see a lot of the older players on the circuit still doing well. When the event at Ponds Forge in Sheffield starts next week, hell line up against some 200 other players, all hoping to land one of 14 golden tickets to the pro circuit. Former player Rex Williams, 89, then chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, says of Higgins: He could cause a riot in 30 seconds. Hicks beat Willie Thorne and Peter Ebdon before losing 16-11 to Nigel Bond in the semi-finals. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, 1st Floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, Wales, NP20 1DW Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. They had daughter Lauren the same year. The pair had been in an on-and-off relationship since 2011. [25], In the 198889 snooker season, he reached the quarter-finals of the 1988 International Open. CueTracker - Tony Knowles - Snooker Results & Statistics The year before O'Sullivan's first Crucible triumph he fell to a dramatic 10-9 defeat by 200-1 outsider David Gray. Knowles, originally from Bolton, Lancs., splits his time between homes in Manchester and the Lake District. He issued a public statement assuring the world he had no such fetish. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Tony Knowles Q-School Ambitions | The WPBSA World Seniors Tour But Higgins was also volatile, often having bust-ups with officials, fellow players and even spectators. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. He would turn up for matches wearing burgundy flairs and a matching fedora in stark contrast to the traditional black trousers, waistcoats and bow ties. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 68 years old? Tony Knowles has relaunched The White House, in Bowness-on-Windermere, and plans to turn around its fortunes after the business went into Tony Knowles (a) 4. Tony Knowles was born in Bolton on 13 June 1955. [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. 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 was found guilty at a trial earlier this month. "Ive been practicing, I can still play all the shots, I have the experience to find my way around the table and although my eyesights not what it used to be, I have been knocking in a lot of long balls in recently.. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. "Wed turn up and thered be two or three hundred people at the stage door, trying to get in.. Higgins seemed to briefly calm down when he married his second wife, Lynn Avison, in 1980. 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 was handcuffed, bundled into a police vehicle, taken to Kendal police station and detained overnight. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. He quickly became the Peoples Champion and claimed the games biggest prize, the World Championship, in 1972. The 56-year-old, of Bowness, aims to develop the venue along with his professional snooker career. FOR decades, football fuelled youngsters imaginations by turning working-class boys into superstars., but in the 1980s snooker was the glamorous sport. Anthony "Tony" Knowles (born 13 June 1955, in Bolton, Lancashire) is an English former professional snooker player. FOR every Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry, snooker also boasted others players who left their own small but indelible mark upon the sport. APPLAUSE:56:54.:56:58. The 56-year-old, of Bowness, aims to develop the venue along with his professional snooker career. He was a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 13 June. His last attempt to qualify for the World Championship in 2009 saw him lose 10-9 against Tony Knowles. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can I like being competitive, having something to play for," he said. Ive got a realistic chance this time because of the time I have put into practice, he said. [31] He became a wrist watch consultant. Reynolds reduced his deficit to 610, but Meo won the next three frames to claim victory at 136 and achieve his first ranking title victory. Tony Knowles Knowles said: His love for the game is still second to none, despite the devastation of those finals. Knowles will be competing in the three Q School events which offer 14 places on next seasons professional tour, starting today, Thursday. He reached the final of the 1984 Lada Classic but lost in the deciding frame. 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. Did you know? 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. Davis built a lead of 38 points, but Meo recovered to 12 points behind with a break of 26. Zhiwei Jin wins the World Seniors Championship Qualifier in Beijing, Alfie Burden credits WSS Tour for renewed motivation ahead ofQ-School, 2023 Seniors Crucible The line-up is nowcomplete, 2023 Seniors Crucible First roundSchedule, The Draw for the 2023 World Seniors Snooker Championship isout, 2023 Seniors Crucible news and GoldenTicket, Follow The WPBSA World Seniors Tour on WordPress.com. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Cahill almost knocked out another seed in the second round but was beaten 13-12 by Stephen Maguire. His addiction started by drinking copiously to celebrate or commiserate after matches. [32], In 1982, Meo signed up to be managed by Barry Hearn, Davis's manager. The three-part documentary, from Therouxs new company Mindhouse Productions, has rare access to giants of the game including Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, Cliff Thorburn and Ray Reardon. I dont think I should be deprived of that sort of thing just because I play snooker.. How the sport of snooker turned working class lads into cocaine Editors' Code of Practice. After some particularly sordid revelations he was fined 5,000 by the governing body for "bringing the game into disrepute". A Gannett Company. The potter from Bolton was one of the main cast in the soap-opera decade that followed, with the sport featuring as much in the front pages of newspapers as it did on the back. Jimmy, whose speed and flair as a player earned him the nickname Whirlwind, was one of the sports most popular and gifted stars. But Higgins manager Harvey Lisberg maintains he was always a handful. Tony Knowles 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. I had loads of drug dealers all over the place too. Tony Knowles is most famous at the table for inflicting the Crucible curse on Steve Davis in 1982. Sports promoter Barry Hearn said: Alex was dangerous but that was also what made him exciting.. WebTony Knowles was born on 13 June, 1955 in Bolton, United Kingdom, is an English snooker player. He made a break of 147 in his 1988 Matchroom League match against Stephen Hendry, and won the 1990 International League. A Gannett Company. So instead The Bolton News looksback at the Knowles career, a real Bolton legend. Comments have been closed on this article. Lee's 12-year-ban, the longest ever handed down in the sport, will run until October 2024. 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 Knowles Suite' in his honour. Knowles is crowned Super 6 king. She was crying and went to the bathroom. Before I knew where I was, Id see my best friend crawling around the floor trying to find little bits of rock and seeing someone who you trust with your life get a bit of a rock and hide it in his pocket. But Higgins manager Harvey Lisberg maintains he was always a handful. WebAlex Higgins, Jimmy White, Tony Knowles & Kirk Stevens attempted their own Snooker Loopy song. Higgins threw his support behind his hellraiser heir Jimmy White. It usurped it. [12] In December 1983, Davis and Meo retained the World Doubles Championship. Former world number two Tony Knowles believes he can still succeed on the professional tour after entering World Snooker's Q School. Tony Knowles was born on 13 June, 1955 in Bolton, United Kingdom, is an English snooker player. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. Rd 2. Snookers World Championships should be underway but have been postponed while the country due to the current crisis. His last attempt to qualify for the World Championship in 2009 saw him lose 10-9 against Tony Knowles. He won the 1989 British Open by defeating Dean Reynolds 136 in the final, and was runner-up