From the obituary in today's Scotsman:
Trying to tell someone what Higgins was like at the table is like attempting to say why Best, or Pele, or Muhammad Ali was so great. Like them we can see the pictures, but you cannot explain the sheer buzz, the electric atmosphere that crackled even in the practice rooms when Higgins strolled forward, chalking his cue and checking the balls, playing out the next 20 shots in his mind with the dexterity of a chess grand master.
Then he would bend over and zip, zap and zoom – ball after ball would crack into a pocket, or else he would craft a deliciously slow drop to place the white bang in line for the next shot. It was mesmeric stuff. You could not take your eyes off him as he compiled break after break, and it was all the product of the greatest natural talent snooker has ever seen. . .Higgins was there first and foremost, blasting opponents off the table, and that, and not the pernicious headlines, is why he is a legend.
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For us kids growing up in Northern Ireland in the 70's and 80's there were only two idols: George Best and Alex Higgins. Both were flamboyant, outrageous, gifted; both to some extent squandered their talent on drink, women, gambling and self destruction. Still, when they were good they were very very good. George Best now has an airport named after him. There's a nice summary of the good, bad and ugly of Higgins in his obit in The Independent, here.
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20 comments:
A cracking player, and that twitching, edgy persona just added to his allure. Did you see him playing on TV recently, Adrian? He was just out of hospital after a bout of pneumonia, desperately ill and looking much older than his 61 years. He still had the fire in him, though, giving a photographer a bollocking for some misdemeanor. The ref admitted after the game she had been terrified!
I'm working summer school with a bloke from Belfast who had a drunken argument in pub with Higgins. Suspect he isn't the only one.
He had a very interesting face. And I loved how the people brightened up in unison at one point toward the end of that film. If you can bring a group of people a moment like that every once in awhile, that's a lot.
He was certainly a antidote for the thoughly exciting Steve Davis. I don't think Higgins was ever asked to go on Bullseye was he?
Doh! I meant John Virgo's 'Big Break' not Bullseye. Got darts on the brain.
Don't know anything about snooker, but was Mr. Higgins the equivalent of Willie Mosconi?
Michael
I'll bet, even weighing five stone and dying of cancer he had presence in spades.
Paul
The Independent obit says his only source of income in the last year was playing amateur players in clubs and pubs in Belfast. I have a feeling that there were a lot of drunken arguments.
Seana
He lit up the room every time. And he always managed to be the underdog and have the crowd rooting for him. He was quite the character.
Frankie
I liked this documentary I saw about the Annual Snooker Awards or something. Higgins was never invited, for obvious reasons, and made it clear that if he ever were invited he would never come.
Brian
Without Willie's long term success. Higgins won the World Championship twice but died penniless in a flat in Belfast.
I can see both why women would have been attracted to him and why it would have been a mistake.
I met him once at Terry Griffiths' snooker rooms. He was absolutely wasted and just sat there mumbling.
It was horribly sad
Seana
Exactly. A good one night stand maybe but a terrible husband.
Rob
It's a real shame. But then again we all got to go some time.
Thanks for posting this. I stink, but I've loved ball and pocket games since my dad got a 9 foot table when I was a kid. Watch THE HUSTLER every couple of years. I've seen Steve Davis play, but had not heard of Higgins, which is surprising and a little sad. (For me.) I sent this on to my father, who I'm sure will enjoy it. That was an amazing run. His control of the cue ball is sick.
Higgins and Davis were perfect for each other because they couldn't have been less alike. Davis turned out to be quietly humorous man and I think he accepted that no matter how many titles he won, he'd never be loved like Higgins was. Perhaps only Denis Taylor came close but he was nowhere near as good.
Dana
Reading the blogs over the last few days its been interesting how many people said Higgins had poor technique but comp'd for that by sheer natural talent. To be honest I'm not sure if I really understand that but still I guess it made him interesting to watch.
David
Yes thats why their matches were so great. One was all poise, tedium and passive agressive brilliance and the other was a crying, ranting, borderline lunatic who wasn't happy until he was nine frames down so he could mount his miraculous come back.
Adrian,
Funny you should mention that, about the technique and talent. I was surprised to see Higgins use an open bridge (laying the cue across the top of his hand, instead of making a ring with his index finger for it to go through.) That's highly unusual for a top flight player, as it's not considered to be as stable and consistent. I wonder if that's part of what they were talking about.
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