Snooker Legend John Spencer Has Died

Boro Nut

Boro Nut

Moderrator
Silver Member
I was saddened to hear that former World Snooker Champion John Spencer passed away on Tuesday. He was my first snooker hero. I particularly liked his brand of break building, relying on deft touch and precision ball control, and often not needing to use the cushions. His cue was also something of a novelty, with hardly a straight section in it.

John was also the first player to compile a maximum 147 break in officially recognised tournament play in 1979. Ironically he was Steve Davis’ opponent in 1982 when Steve compiled the first ever televised maximum. That accolade would have fallen to John if his feat hadn’t been performed while the TV crew were on their lunch-break.

Boro Nut
 
That is sad to hear, he couldn't have been that old. John Spencer, I believe, was the best player in the world up until Steve Davis came around. He will be missed.
 
John Spencer's snooker book was the first billiard instruction book I had. I still have it. He was a very classy gentleman, an excellent representative of the game of snooker. To me, Mr. Spencer represents an era of players who play the game with the ulmost display of sportsmanship.

It is sad news indeed.

Richard
 
well put...........I recall several ocassions Cliff Thorburn saying.......John Spencer taught me how to play snooker, and John Pullman taught me to drink
 
Boro Nut said:
I was saddened to hear that former World Snooker Champion John Spencer passed away on Tuesday. He was my first snooker hero. I particularly liked his brand of break building, relying on deft touch and precision ball control, and often not needing to use the cushions. His cue was also something of a novelty, with hardly a straight section in it.

John was also the first player to compile a maximum 147 break in officially recognised tournament play in 1979. Ironically he was Steve Davis’ opponent in 1982 when Steve compiled the first ever televised maximum. That accolade would have fallen to John if his feat hadn’t been performed while the TV crew were on their lunch-break.

Boro Nut
Click to expand...
Didn't Cliff Thorburn run the first 147 on tv?
 
DUOBIS said:
Didn't Cliff Thorburn run the first 147 on tv?
Click to expand...

No, his was the first in the World Championship Finals. Funnily, Cliff was John's opponent when John made his.

Boro Nut
 
Boro Nut said:
No, his was the first in the World Championship Finals. Funnily, Cliff was John's opponent when John made his.

Boro Nut
Click to expand...

It wasn't in the finals actually, it was in the quarter-finals againt Terry Griffiths in 1983. Thorburn ended up winning the match 13-12 after 14 hours of play. It was at the time the only 147 made in the World Championships.

Spencer was a great guy and a class act. His original cue was indeed an amazing thing. Not only was it noticibly crooked, but it was also cracked in the butt and he had hammered a nail into the crack to keep it together. Those who spend multiple thousands on custom cues would freak out if they saw it, but he won two world titles with it. He lost the cue in about '76 and many said he never played the same afterwards. He still won the world title again in (I think) 1977, becoming the first guy to win the title with a two-piece cue.

Now that I think of it though, one-piece cues have remained dominant in that event even after that. Of the 29 world titles won since then, at least 19 of them have been won by players with one-piece cues (6 by Davis, 7 by Hendry, 2 by Reardon and 1 each by Griffiths, Johnson, Higgins, and Doherty. Oh well, I've said for years that one-piece cues will always hit better than two-piece cues.
 
DUOBIS said:
Didn't Cliff Thorburn run the first 147 on tv?
Click to expand...

Nope, the first 147 on TV was Steve Davis in the Lada Classic. Thorburn made the first 147 in the world championships (started the run by missing the first red in the bottom right corner and fluking it in the bottom left corner IIRC) Sometimes all you need is a little luck to make history!
 
I was one of only six people who were fortunate to witness John's 147 break. The TV cameras were all set up but the crew were all out to lunch.

John's most impressive attribute was his amazing ability to draw the cue ball back. He could screw the white back to the baulk cushion and it would then carry on a further 12' to hit the top rail.
RIP Sniffer!
 
I remember John Spencer hosted an instructional TV show in the UK that took you thrugh the fundamentals of the game. This would have been in the mid-70s. The 2 areas I'll never forget was his instruction on using the mech bridge and the effect of the nap of the cloth when potting the ball in the sides. He will be missed...
 
gromulan said:
It wasn't in the finals actually, it was in the quarter-finals againt Terry Griffiths in 1983.
Click to expand...

It's just the way we say it over here. If you've made it to the Crucible you are definitely in the finals (plural). The World Championship starts much much earlier in qualifying rounds far away from the cameras.

Boro Nut
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top