Tributes as Willie Thorne ‘pots final black too soon’
GARY LINEKER led the tributes to snooker star Willie Thorne, who has died at the age of 66 after a short battle with illness.
A long-time friend of the former two-time World Championship quarter-finalist, 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 reached two World
Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in 1982.
Thorne, who appeared as part of Barry Hearn’s Matchroom Mob on the chart hit Snooker Loopy, went on to become a commentator, and appeared on the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing.
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 which he claimed was in Thorne’s honour, tweeted: “Just want to say what a beautiful man, big heart, great company.”
Just want to say what a beautiful man, big heart, great company.
Snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan pays tribute to Willie Thorne.