Ssb - fears grow for alex higgins

[MySockPuppet]

Alex Higgins, the world champion in 1972 and 1982, is reported by several media sources to be down to six stone and living on baby food after his teeth fell out following radiotherapy treatment for throat cancer.

A website has been established asking for donations towards the £20,000 Higgins needs for teeth implants. The 61 year-old speaks in a whisper due to the cancer.

Higgins did as much as anyone and more than most to elevate snooker from folk sport to major television attraction.

His mesmeric playing style and chaotic private life created a heady mix loved by newspapers and the public.

His capture of the 1982 world title, after which he tearfully beckoned his wife and baby daughter on to the Crucible stage, are fondly remembered as some of the most iconic images in the sport’s history.

Higgins was a hellraiser and an anti-hero. He craved the limelight and seemed addicted to self-destruction.

Many of the things he did, notably his treatment of people, could not be defended. Ken Doherty was among those who organised a benefit night for him in Ireland in 1997. Higgins repaid this generosity by refusing to sign any autographs afterwards.

This sums him up: a stubbornly rebellious spirit walking a tightrope between genius and madness.

But any other sport would have erected a statue to Higgins by now. Without him, snooker may never have reached the peaks of popularity in the late 1970s that led to the creation of the professional circuit as we know it today.

Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins once stood on top of the snooker world. The game today should offer its compassion to a fallen star.

Donations can be made here.


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[Mr P]

Get well soon Alex, this is really, really sad.

[gem]

I don't think he deserves a penny.
Just my opinion, many will totally disagree with me.

I just can't find any sympathy for him.
There are a lot of people in as bad or worse position than Alex who deserve help more.
Maybe if he had been a nicer person over the years he may have people in the game queuing up to help him out.
The fans loved him due to his unbelievable snooker ability and most would not have a clue what he was really like.

[wildJONESEYE]

i think you need a history lesson about Alex Higgins.

the Alex you see today and the last years is a man thats been taken advantage of..... his manager in the 80s Howard Kruger took him for a mug bleeding him dry then the cancer hes been fighting for over 10 years all in all its made him bitter and not a nice person but underneath he is the same guy that needs showing there are nice people out there and not everyone will look at him and take for every penny he has.

Alex was seen as a cash cow all of his life and its taken its toll on him.

he was the first snooker superstar there wasn't a blue print of how to be he made it up as he went along.

[Monsoon]

There is absolutely no doubt that snooker became a recognised and incredibly popular sport mainly due to Alex and laterly Jimmy, but Alex knew it and thought not only the players but the fans owed him something in return. He is a true legend of the game and the stars of yesteryear (and today) owe him a great deal of gratitude. Unfortunatley what comes with genius is all to often madnessed!! As a player he is a legend as a person he was unpredictable and there are many sroties of his disregard for the fans which is a shame. As Jimmy White has said Alex is great when everthing is going well for him. Its all to easy to idolise him and make excuses for his behaviour!!

[1lawyer]

I don't think he deserves a penny.
Just my opinion, many will totally disagree with me.

I just can't find any sympathy for him.
There are a lot of people in as bad or worse position than Alex who deserve help more.
Maybe if he had been a nicer person over the years he may have people in the game queuing up to help him out.
The fans loved him due to his unbelievable snooker ability and most would not have a clue what he was really like.

I totally agree with wild...

Snooker was not even a proper sport until Higgins came along and made it a world renowned sport.
People like Hendry, Davis Higgins, Williams and White and many others all had a sport to play that they could actually earn a very good living at thanks to him making it popular. You sir would not probably be talking on this forum making these stupid comments about a seriously ill man either.

You absolute looser.:snooker:

[hotpot]

I too agree with Jonseye , well said :snooker:

[wildJONESEYE]

the first ever television coverage of any world championship happened in 1973 that was on the back of the exposure snooker had with Alex World Champion in 1972.

round about 1974 ITV Did a documentary about Alex Higgins his life what its like being a snooker pro.

let nobody and i mean nobody underestimate the effect Alex Higgins had on snooker and every player that plays today.

[Terry Davidson]

Read Alex Higgins autobiography and see what he says about himself first before you give him all the credit for making the sport what it is today.

I've heard, but third hand with no confirmation, that the WPBSA covers his rent and some of his expenses to this very day, 28 years after he won his last world championship. I believe the money comes out of their benevolent fund, which Clive Everton feels needs a good audit review after the way they treated Chris Small I believe it was.

Certainly Alex was naturally gifted and certainly he was a major force in making the sport what it is today and was in the heyday of the 80's, but he didn't do it alone. I will agree though that he sure selected some crappy managers who took advantage of him, but he managed to lose most of his money himself through betting and booze at the very least, and he even mentions his enjoyment of grass in his book.

Terry

[1lawyer]

the first ever television coverage of any world championship happened in 1973 that was on the back of the exposure snooker had with Alex World Champion in 1972.

round about 1974 ITV Did a documentary about Alex Higgins his life what its like being a snooker pro.

let nobody and i mean nobody underestimate the effect Alex Higgins had on snooker and every player that plays today.

Post of the week.....:snooker: Happy again

[wildJONESEYE]

Terry

the television was the car but without a engine that car is worth nothing and Alex was the engine that drove the car that became a Juggernaut.

theres to much snobbery that doesn't want to Accept Alex was the main reason snooker took off like it did.

[imy147]

I don't think he deserves a penny.
Just my opinion, many will totally disagree with me.

I just can't find any sympathy for him.
There are a lot of people in as bad or worse position than Alex who deserve help more.
Maybe if he had been a nicer person over the years he may have people in the game queuing up to help him out.
The fans loved him due to his unbelievable snooker ability and most would not have a clue what he was really like.

Have a heart fella. The poor guy is in a serious condition here, if the snooker fans can unite to do something to help then that would be fantastic.

[spike]

round about 1974 ITV Did a documentary about Alex Higgins his life what its like being a snooker pro.

The "Hurricane Higgins" documentary aired not long after (Alex won his first World Title), which earned him a blaze of publicity at the time which mainly resulted in the making of the documentary.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever without Alex Higgins (major contribution) to Snooker would it have reached the heights it had in the late 70s and throughout the 80s..

[gem]

I totally agree with wild...

Snooker was not even a proper sport until Higgins came along and made it a world renowned sport.
People like Hendry, Davis Higgins, Williams and White and many others all had a sport to play that they could actually earn a very good living at thanks to him making it popular. You sir would not probably be talking on this forum making these stupid comments about a seriously ill man either.

You absolute looser.:snooker:

Alex was one of the main reasons snooker became popular along with colour T.V coverage.
He made more than enough money to have set himself up for life. He threw it all away so why should he be bailed out now?

As I said, this is just my opinion and as expected, most others don't agree.
I feel he has not shown enough respect towards others throughout his career for me to start liking him now he is gravely ill.

[noel]

Whatever it is.
It's not just about "The Hurricane".
Alex Higgins and his needs now are the price we must pay for "Snooker" as we know it and love it.
We owe him for our sport, for God's sake.

How can there be any disagreement?


=o|

Noel