Snooker Legend Ray Reardon Passes Away at 91: A Tribute to the Six-Time World Champion

Ray Reardon will forever be remembered as a snooker icon.

The six-time world champion, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest snooker players, sadly died on Friday night after a battle with cancer, aged 91, his wife Carol confirmed.

Nicknamed ‘Dracula’ due to his trademark widow’s peak hairstyle, Reardon was one of the most popular and charismatic figures of his era, loved by millions of fans for his brilliance on the table and good humour off it. 

The much-loved Welshman dominated the sport in the 1970s and won six world titles during a decade of success.

“Ray was one of snooker’s iconic heroes,” said Ken Doherty, the former world champion, who grew up wanting to follow in Reardon’s famous footsteps.

The 1997 Crucible King added: “He was instantly recognisable; everybody knew him, and he had such a wonderful aura about him.”

“He was just such a very distinguished gentleman; he was very polished and a really lovely bloke,” he told SportsBoom.com.

“I had the pleasure of meeting many times – he’ll be sadly, sadly missed.”

“What a legend, a true gentleman and what a great ambassador for the sport.”

Reardon loved the green baize and was still playing snooker in recent months.

He even made a century break in November last year, just a few weeks after his 91st birthday.

Born in 1932 in Tredegar, Reardon followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the mining community aged 14.

But after leaving the area he became a policeman for seven years, whilst still playing snooker as an amateur.

Then, aged 35, he quit and turned professional having won the English Amateur Championship.

His timing was near-perfect, as in 1969 the BBC broadcast Pot Black for the first time, finding snooker an ideal showcase for the advent of colour television.

This was a key moment in the sport’s history as, within a decade, it led to extensive live coverage of snooker on the BBC and the boom in popularity. Reardon was the first Pot Black champion, beating Spencer in the one-frame final, and won it again in 1979.

Credit: ITV Snooker

In 2004, Reardon mentored seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, helping the Rocket to add strategic nous to his formidable break-building. 

The result was a Crucible title, and O’Sullivan always references Reardon as one of his great influences and friends.  

Shaun Murphy used one of Reardon’s cues to win the 2005 World Championship and received guidance from him in 2007. 

Reardon was awarded the MBE in 1985. He was inducted into the snooker Hall of Fame in 2011, and each year the winner of the Welsh Open is presented with the Ray Reardon Trophy.

“Without a doubt, Ray and players like Alex Higgins laid the benchmark and foundations for the likes of myself and other players to make our own mark in the sport,” added Doherty.

“Ray, as the ‘Prince of Darkness’ and Alex, ‘The Hurricane’, had a great rivalry, a really competitive one during the 1970’s, and that was great for the sport.

“And there was John Spencer, Dennis Taylor and then Steve Davis came along, Ray really was at the start of that golden era for the game.”

“It was such a special era growing up watching Ray and those players on Pot Black and in the World Championship.”

“I’ll never forget the first time I ever met him in 1990, it was at the Norbreck Castle in Blackpool.”

"I was a young lad coming through the ranks. He was still playing, and he came over to my practice table and gave me a few little tips on how to get better.”

“He’d always try and help the young pros coming through, that was the sought of gentleman he was.”

“It meant a lot to me because he was such a big name in the game.”