Snooker pays tribute to Thorne, a star in the sport’s 1980s heyday
● Potter who enjoyed chart success with Chas ‘n’ Dave dies after leukaemia battle
Willie Thorne, the former snooker player who was one of Britain’s most distinctive sportsmen in the 1980s, died yesterday. He was 66.
Gary Lineker led the tributes to the two-time World Championship quarter-finalist, who succumbed to leukaemia after a short battle with the illness.
A long-time friend, Lineker said he was “deeply, deeply saddened” by Thorne’s death at a hospital in Spain.
Lineker, who like Thorne was born in Leicester, described him as “one of life’s great characters”, adding in a tweet that Thorne was “a marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who’s potted his final black much too soon.”
Thorne, who announced he was battling leukaemia in March, had been placed into an induced coma in hospital over the weekend after suffering respiratory failure.
A message on Thorne’s Gofundme page, which had raised more than £17,000 towards his care, read: “It is with a very heavy and broken heart that I have to officially announce that at 1.55am this morning Willie Thorne lost his battle and passed away.”
Thorne was a gifted player but his talents did not always translate into trophies. In addition to his two appearances in the World Championship quarter-finals he won the Mercantile Credit Classic in 1982, his only ranking title. He missed out on his biggest title in 1985 when he blew a 13-8 lead over Steve Davis in the final of the UK Championship after missing a simple blue off its spot.
An instantly recognisable figure because of his bald head, Thorne was happy to be sent up, most notably when he appeared as part of Barry Hearn’s “Matchroom Mob” on the chart hit Snooker Loopy with Chas ‘n’ Dave, which contained the memorable line, “Old Willie Thorne, his hair’s all gawn...”
His warm personality and familiarity made him a natural for TV and he went on to become a snooker commentator for the BBC, and appeared on the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing.
But there were dark days, too, and Thorne was declared bankrupt as he struggled with a gambling addiction.
Snooker figures paid tribute to Thorne, with World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn describing him as “a larger than life personality and.. a major part of the rebirth of snooker (in the 1980s).”
Ronnie O’sullivan, who two weeks ago sported a moustache at the Snooker Championship League which he claimed was in Thorne’s honour, tweeted: “Just want to say what a beautiful man, big heart great company. Had a week in ireland with him I’ll never forget.”
Stephen Hendry described Thorne as “one of my favourite people in snooker”, adding: “I know he had faults and weaknesses (we all do) but he was one of the games greatest ever characters, I’ll miss him.”
Referencing Thorne’s reputation as a prodigious compiler of maximum breaks, Jimmy White wrote simply: “Rest in peace Mr Maximum man x.”