Kirk Stevens 147 vs Jimmy White (1984) - Benson & Hedges Masters

[@theoworboys1152]

Probably one of the greatest pressure shots on the green in the history of snooker.

[@petergreen5337]

❤agreed

[@TEDBOVIS-h9n]

And the tables were harder then , not ball friendly like todays !

[@stanlee399]

@@TEDBOVIS-h9n A wild 147... Ted they're obviously never easy, but talk about a great finish by Stevens Wow

[@Garrett1974]

Watching a maximum break never gets old or boring. I could watch stuff like this for hours and hours :)

[@dot2562]

Bit to common now,but then was an achievement, cliffs in the masters was goid aswell

[@petergreen5337]

❤agreed. A thing of beauty

[@davidgoulden5956]

Met him once on Park Lane. Bonfire Night, late 1980s. He was alone, walking ahead of us. My younger brother recognised him. We only talked with him for a few moments but he could not gave been friendlier. Cool guy, GREAT snooker player.

[@ianheaver3217]

I remember this well. Widely regarded as one of the best, if not best matches ever!

[@simonlevett4776]

1984 much happier days.

[@freespirit3508]

So was the Charlie chan . Lol

[@mikeb6385]

Here after Mark Allen's brilliant 147 at the 2024 Masters. Great to see Kirk at his best, a great and charismatic player in his day.

[@rockywaters9592]

This is brilliant, not all pros have made a 147, Dennis Taylor, Terry Griffiths, Ray Reardon, even Alex Higgins, all of them never hit a 147 in a professional tournament. That green to brown was superb from Kirk, great clearance.

[@allthekingshorses7178]

Kirk Stevens seemed to have a relaxed and skilled style of play, really good to watch. If only he'd been more consistent

[@rockywaters9592]

​@@allthekingshorses7178 definitely underachived with his skillset and composure. He was the pinup of snooker in them days, i can't say for certain but maybe the lifestyle of being THAT guy was detrimental to his consistency, like George Best I suppose but not as extreme.🤷🏼‍♂️

[@paleshelter5376]

..as a fellow Canadian...I agree...another one is Bob Chaperone...1990 British open champion

[@dot2562]

My m8 hit a 146, works in a snooker hall llf no interest in turning pron😂 my highest breK 45😂😂 shite lol

[@dot2562]

Ciiff thorburn in the crucible is good,,people from the next table stop playing and watch! Big bill werbenek 😂😂

[@joe2grand]

Love that pale ash looking BCE table ! Lovely colour !

[@castleanthrax1833]

Yeah... and the 147 was alright, too. 😂

[@JJmoony]

I was thinking that too great looking table.

[@UguysRnuts]

I watched Jimmy win the Canadian Masters back in 1987. Went out celebrating with him and Cliff Thorburn that evening. Fun? You bet!

[@pudsrus2]

I imagine a few 🎱 were sniffed that night👃

[@ianwatkins6202]

I've seen all the 147 breaks on the tv, In my humble opinion, this is the best one!!

[@SahilC1912]

Really man 🔥

[@gaskellr44]

I prefer the 139th one myself.

[@adamtod1863]

Ronnies 5 minute special the best for me

[@lew115]

no. it is 24th best. moron.

[@Thenameonthegraveisarchstanton]

You forgetting Jeff’s?

[@kashattack]

You never see that level of joy from players when making a 147 anymore. Great to see Kirk celebrate like that.

[@eryhasmie6769]

what about ding first 147?he shouted after he made that break

[@Hi-kq1vi]

Probably because they come along as often as buses in this era-they ceased having the same meaning years ago, because they are made so often due to the ultra fine cloths & attacking style of today.

[@BiggyInHD]

Yeah, he probably had a gram of cocaine stuck up his nose at the time.

[@davidmellish3295]

​@@Hi-kq1vi It's down to the players playing to a MUCH higher standard today,not just because of the cloths the players are simply better

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@davidmellish3295 Yeah if it was down to the clothes then Kirk's white suit would make him a winner every time.

[@jchopra]

Good ol' Jack Karnehm - best snooker commentator of all time. As for the 'break' - top 3 147's ever.

[@bernarddover1442]

John virgo is

[@bonkersbeast]

@@bernarddover1442 Lol

[@nathanwilliams2152]

I still think "Whispering" Ted Lowe was the greatest, but Jack was very good.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

I remember seeing this when it happened, I was and still am playing snooker myself and as I said then to this day probably the most beautiful 147 break ever seen, not too fast, not too slow, just a wonderful break from the 1st pot to the 36th.

[@dlamiss]

+Zeusdaz - The Unemulated Retro Game Channel Agreed it was a lovely sophisticated break with very few shots "to recover position" also like the commentary of jack karnhem... very understated

[@paleshelter4002]

Yes agree.. and left little up to chance, owned and steered that ship in👍

[@eugenefarrar1959]

​@@dlamiss Jack was one of the best commentators. Why on earth the BBC sacked him, daft decision.

[@Mssmaimone]

I think that was the most difficult 147 in history... Look where the colours were... Simply amazing, you've gotta love Kirk, his hapiness is wonderful!

[@Mssmaimone]

***** That was a wornderful maximum as well (and again with two great figures involved, Jimmy and Tony) but in my opinion Kirk was more difficult. Two great breaks and players though, gotta love them both.

[@poolmaster18]

+Mssmaimone colours are in open play, not that difficult

[@morriszachrisson8359]

+Ryan Mannie Totally disagree, Ronnie's fastest 147 is impossible. The best 147 in former and future history.

[@Firestone1]

If Kirk had not sucked coke up his nose for years, he might have ended up a legend.

[@LIVERNIL723]

Completely agree. Very understated in terms of the calculated effort put in. It was a steady and smooth and don't forget this is a Kirk Stevens who in general during this particular point of planet earth was a flamboyant talent. Cheers

[@parkerbohnn]

Kirk was a natural he could always play snooker. He grew up at the Golden Cue in Scarborough, Ontario Canada. He played for free his whole life there thanks to Joe the owner. Kirk never went to school they used to phone from Bendale every morning to make sure he was there at the Golden Cue. Kirk played a lot for money and Joe would back him. He took a guy from America a pool player for 15 thousand when he was only 14 years old.

[@Firestone1]

He used to hustle at Times Square Billiards at Yonge/Dundas in 1979-80. He cleaned everyone out. I saw him a few times at Golden Mile Billiards, and at Cliff Thorburn's pool hall at Yonge and Gould. He was the best player to ever come out of Canada with the possible exception of Thorburn and George Chenier.

[@cambellblack9166]

parkerbohnn if it was not for crack cocaine he would have been at the top level for another ten years... Shame, was a really good player and character.

[@ihaveatalkingpenisanditsay6699]

@@cambellblack9166 Not only crack and powder coke but he liked to drink as well.

[@ihaveatalkingpenisanditsay6699]

@@Firestone1 At the time Cliff Thorburn was ranked #1, Kirk Stevens was #2 and Jim Wych was #3. I think Jimmy was way better than Chenier ever was.

[@Firestone1]

@@ihaveatalkingpenisanditsay6699 I saw Wych play at the CNE back in the 80's, and he was good. Kirk was probably the best shooter of those 3, but he was inconsistent.

[@Giskard1000]

What an awesome final green that was - and the pink to black was fantastic!

[@97channel]

Fresh from the disco.

[@seanscanlon9067]

This was a best of ten match and Jimmy was leading 5-3 at the time, so this 147 meant Kirk was Staying Alive.

[@jerryjungle5717]

​@@seanscanlon9067 🎶Ah ah ah ah staying alive 🎵

[@eugenelafebre921]

And it was on a saterday night?

[@glxxyz]

@@seanscanlon9067best of ten?

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@glxxyz Sorry best of 11. I only wanted to do the Staying Alive joke really but looked up the result online and the first two times they played each other in 1984, the website I used said Jimmy won in the Professional Snooker League 6 (10) 4 and this one in the Masters with Jimmy winning again 6 (11) 4. But between me switching back and forth between browser tabs from the snooker website and here to type my message, I inadvertently looked at the best of 10 match, where because it is a league I think you can have a 5-5 draw, even though Jimmy won 6-4 anyway.

[@theinvisibleman9410]

The pressure The adrenaline The heart pumping away...nice one Kirk...

[@chrisevans5259]

Like all sports in the 70s and 80s there seemed a more magic atmosphere in these times, the 80s was golden time for snooker with some great characters

[@lifeisyours8250]

Certainly was, sports like these have been killed by forcing players to be robotically professional at all times. I dont want to see that, i want the dramas of your MacEnroes and Higgins's with characters and humour. These are the very concepts that give the public someone to route for. Who we going to route for if they are all forced to act the same... what a shame.

[@lardy70s]

Brilliant times. Unfortunately the media and society have ruined the future of great sporting moments. In those days we had 4 tv channels available unlike the hundreds we have now. We had great tv shows and great sporting events which were there for everyone to watch. Today you need satellite or cable and then pay for PPV. We have crap reality tv and snowflakes on our screens 24/7. Those glory days from my childhood are gone forever I'm afraid.

[@nuntana2]

Indeed it was. Being able to have a beer or smoke, sponsored by booze and cigs firms etc. The camaraderie while still being professional. Ok, cutting out those vices is probably a good idea and the game has never been to a higher standard and cleaner than today, but at what cost? It is staid and tough to watch some matches as a result. Just look at the 147, for example. Kirk probably got paid £100k for that, 300k today's money? What's it today, 10k, and then you have to split it if there's more than one maxy? Ok, more of the money goes to lesser players, but it's a farce, which is why Ronnie has turned it down on more than one occasion. Get to that level and not be paid properly for it...

[@HippieChick]

I remember this well.....sitting in the audience!!

[@prostynick]

Damn.. you.... old ;) I was 1 back then

[@brianethompson768]

My late wife and I also attended, and so did Donald Sutherland who jumped up to congratulate Kirk immediately after he sank the final black -- I think it's Donald (off camera) who shakes Kirk's hand after Kirk hugs the referee and his opponent, and before Kirk went back to his corner.

[@jamiehammond7401]

Brian Thompson Cool , Kirk is a nice guy , talked to him a couple times in Kitchener Ontario Canada . couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

[@thechessstick]

I was fortunate enough to see all 3 of these 147's live.

[@samcoburn9527]

Kirk Stevens was the coolest snooker player ever!

[@forgive7449]

cos he was high all the time 😛

[@eddt430]

Haha Tom cruise!!!

[@copee2960]

Watching this you can see the difference concerning the nature of the table compared with todays tables not that i'm complaining, this is still one of my all time fav 147's.

[@adriancooper554]

Bought back so many memories.. Was only 11 years old when kirk made that awesome 147... That last green to brown was just a magnificent shot.. Last pink in and out of baulk perfect for the last black..😊😊😊.. What a player...

[@Chigleybus]

40 years on, still superb 👍

[@arnie8604]

I can just remember walking in front school at age 13 to this.... simply magic.

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

You walked in front of your school while watching this at 13? How did that work exactly?

[@mickrodgers4294]

without a doubt the finest 147 ever. kirk was the essence of cool!!! legend.

[@nuntana2]

In your opinion maybe, but no, it wasn't/isn't. Kirk was great and the golden era of snooker was a fine time to be around to watch the sport. This was good (I remember watching live) and probably on par with Thorburn's (also watched live), but there were just too many loose shots and faffing for it to be considered 'best' material. There have been so many great 147s over the years but none can be compared to O'Sullivan's maximum in the 1997 World's of just over 5 minutes. Not just because it was so fast, but because of the flow/quick decision making and the pretty much spot on positioning throughout the break. He had the white on a string. As a fan and player of the game of many years, that is about as good as it gets... IMO.

[@davidmellish3295]

​@nuntana2 You're totally right,Ronnie's maximum break in world record time of 5.08 was the best ever. The white on a string ,never goes out of position and does it quicker than most pros make a ton. Just incredible

[@aristotle358]

Quality! Great to see this after so many years. I remember Kirk but I didn't realize that he was that good. I can't believe I used to have hair like that then.

[@jonathanmeehan7910]

Everybody had hair like that back then lol

[@jbdoggy]

Certainly one of the finest 147s ever played.

[@1987-8]

Love the hug he gave the ref, the ref sounds like a serious school teacher and the way he hugged him first classic

[@spleeeen4it]

best break ever made in terms of atmosphere

[@sphericalempirical9359]

This is what it’s all about. Sheer class is this. Apparently, seconds before he broke of, a fellow countryman, Donald Sutherland had walked into the arena, having arrived in Britain only to see Kirk Play!!! ...... what a treat.

[@doctorsocrates4413]

Canadians have graced us with some wonderful maximum breaks in televised snooker..i remember cliff thorburns and now kirks...incredible stuff...

[@damienabbott9805]

This was one of the best Snooker matches I have ever seen, made all the more special by this incredible 147 maximum break by Kirk Stevens. Kirk was at his best from 1980 to 1984 which coincided with the golden era of the sport. Kirk and Jimmy were both worthy of being World Champions.

[@jester5019]

The final green was a great shot, perfect positioning around the table

[@sallysmith1484]

The ref was John Smyth, who was a driver on the London Underground for many years. When Kirk came over from Canada aged 20 in '78 John used to drive him around to exhibitions - Kirk never passed his driving test while living in the UK, just like Alex Higgins. Both needed chauffeurs in England their whole professional careers.

[@tomfullerton9388]

John Street

[@Hi-kq1vi]

Pretty lucky considering what substances they had in them, the roads were much safer with them as passengers.

[@MarkLane-r5n]

Oh shut up

[@johnsrabe]

And that explains the big hug for the ref. Thank you.

[@duncanholding7636]

It was John Smyth. John Street was a different referee from Devon

[@TheCadandbounder]

My two favourite players as a lad, remember that match, it was awesome

[@krisorgan]

For me, the greatest 147 in snooker history. Those shots on the colours were absolutely outstanding. The pockets on them tables look tiny too.

[@duncanholding7636]

Agreed. Classic break

[@killerqueen501]

This is easily the BEST played 147 you'll see. The amount of tough shots he pulled out the bag is mind boggling. Truly deserved. Who else thought he'd missed the last black tho ha ha!

[@paulwilliams8389]

I think the black had decided to stay out until Jack Karnehm shouted "GERRRIN!!!"!

[@davidmellish3295]

Not the best at all,the mere fact that he had to pull off tough shots just shows how he lost the white and ran out of position. In a real decent break the white is on a string and no tough shots are needed because of the top notch cue ball control

[@georgemorley1029]

@@davidmellish3295Bet you’re fun at parties. “Actually this isn’t their best song ever, a really good song demonstrates more lyrical variety and tonal distinction”. 🥱

[@duncanholding7636]

​@@davidmellish3295 so how many 147s have you seen when the cue ball is on a string. This was 40 years ago and Stevens was brilliant in executing it

[@davidmellish3295]

@@duncanholding7636 I've definitely seen better 147s, yes he pulled out some great shots but come on, it's all about cue ball control and so many great breaks look easy ( I know they're not for most of us) because the top pro's don't lose the cue ball, they're that good that they rarely run out of position

[@kalistalev]

Love the unstained wood table look...Oh and the pool cue, quality

[@ianholmes5964]

Doesn't look like a pool cue to me..pool cues had screwable tips and brass ferrel was longer

[@thegodofpez]

Stunning skill. Every shot was picture perfect.

[@eugenelafebre921]

The most beautiful 147 I have ever seen! Very exiting till the end! You could not follow the green ball going in the cornerpocket because of the color of the cloth 12:00. I hold my breath when Kirk potted the last pink ball! What a fantastic maximum break Kirk! Love it!

[@marieadams3720]

Just great, and I love that Jimmy kept back at the end there and let Kirk have the glory.

[@darkarts59]

Wonderful performance by Kirk St Moritz; my God, we need that kind of flamboyance once more.

[@philipriggall5271]

Absolutely fabulous break, and Kirk’s joy 👏🏼

[@opencurtin]

It doesn’t get much better than this the location , that cool looking table and two of the most exciting players of that era and to top it off a 147 by Kirk !

[@rokerlad49]

Fantastic my era brakes my heart thinking of the Canadian 3 who came over and gave our UK lads a scrap . Well done Kirk lad happy days rip big bill what a turn he was .

[@BillODriscoll-jo2ve]

I love this old snooker archive footage Really brilliant 👏 👌 The tables looked so different back in the 70s and 80s compared to now in 2024

[@leightonsteven7059]

Great to see this again , my favourite 147 from my favourite player of that era

[@sjake8308]

Kirk Stevens was also my favourite player back then!

[@rokerlad49]

those were my favorite times in snooker where are they now big bill rip , cliff , kirk , no one since from over the atlantic happy days thou

[@eugenefarrar1959]

green to brown is as good a shot as you'll see by anybody, under that pressure!

[@sphericalempirical9359]

... sheer class wasn’t it.

[@eugenefarrar1959]

@@sphericalempirical9359 , yeah, I remember watching live and calling the max after approx five reds. The standard is much higher generally now, but for entertainment cand tension, these were the golden years of Snooker! Fantastic.

[@yukinakai4683]

Natural man.kirk is underratted in history.beautiful break that.classic

[@dav5595]

What an incredible 147! Some proper snooker shots in that break!

[@JesusIsTruthAndWayAndLife]

The most beautiful maximum break ever seen.

[@martindavison75]

Best 147 to date i think. Let's not forgot his all white all right outfit to play in. Super stylish great shoes. Love it

[@anthonykilgannon3443]

I remember watching this and turning round to my brother and saying"I'm gonna do that one day"...................still haven't.

[@58710victor]

ha ha

[@daveboxer8486]

How I miss the snooker from these days and this maximum from Kirk was just sensational I probably celebrated it more than he did around my telly

[@digitalsketchguy]

Those were the days and the B & H Masters was always electric

[@eugenefarrar1959]

very true! Stevens is often overlooked when people mention the naturally talented entertaining players, waa always great to watch.

[@VinegarTom68]

Gotta admire the man's panache-that suit is worthy of Tony Montana,minus the Cuban heels!

[@sjake8308]

If I recall correctly, he bought that suit because it was the only one he could afford! 😆

[@garywallace5602]

That green is one of the best shots ever...under such pressure. The Dennis Taylor brown and blue in THAT final frame come close!

[@paulhiggins8662]

Whatever happened to Canadian snooker? Back in those days Cliff Thorburn (aka The Grinder) was a world champion and a perennial contender, Kirk Stephens was one of the most exciting and talented players on the tour and Big Bill Werbeniuk was...well a big character! But since they all left the scene I haven't been aware of any Canadian players on the world snooker circuit.

[@djknox2]

I just met Cliff at the Crucible less than a month ago. I had a chance to reminisce about the snooker tournament held every summer at the CNE throughout the 70s. Cliff was surprised to meet some who remembered those matches...

[@scottthomson9813]

Daryl Wouters played in the UK briefly back in the mid 90's. And Marco Fu was Vancouver based of course.

[@simonbrampton]

A 147 was truly rare and special back then which made it even more emotional. And is definitely my fave of all time along with the O sullivan fastest

[@eddie7112]

Brillant that Shot right from the start by Kirk Stevens. Red into the mid and a touch in the red cluster open up an awesome 147 break

[@growlerthe2nd712]

Highlight of his career

[@dtyne67]

There are 4 key 147s. Davis - 1st televised, Thorburn - 1st Worlds, O'Sullivan - fastest & Kirk's - the best.

[@kevinbrookes4870]

The shot on the green was out of this world.

[@boonholistichealth64]

My heart was racing all the way through got out of position throughout but got it back so brilliant

[@JJmoony]

That was the best 147 I’ve ever seen

[@johnbrand1893]

I remember watching this break of 147 from Kirk, it was enthralling to witness, he seemed so calm, but I’m sure he was trembling inside, also these were the days when there was quite a few Canadians in snooker.

[@jupiter-8405]

The skill level was astounding! He kept it all together when it got tough!

[@JD-eq4dp]

Beautiful looking snooker table. The natural wood colour against the baize. Oh yes, I remember the break as a kid. Great times.

[@haworthtrevor]

I remember watching this match. Both players were brilliant throughout, and Jimmy White won it 6-4. At the time this was only the 3rd televised 147, and it was a few years before the 4th. Nowadays they happen every month....

[@inthenameofjustice8811]

I liked Kirk Stevens. He was a talented player ruined by drugs but he would sit and cheer with the rest of us if his opponent did something special on the table. Just a bloody shame he dressed like an ice cream man.

[@simonmallett9310]

The famous all white suit. Only Kirk Stevens. What a break. Love the table, wish they had them now.

[@TEDBOVIS-h9n]

My mates claim to fame was spilling a full pint of beer down the back of kirks white jacket . It was on the back of a chair , he was doing an Exhibition night in Newcastle at a Working Mens Club , i will never forget it . Everyone falling about laughing ! . . . 😂😂😂

[@201081hero]

"Good heavens above Rex isn't that marvellous?"

[@shubhammalgaonkar]

201081hero

[@newname2600]

10K in 1984? No wonder O'Sullivan isn't happy.

[@DM-kv9kj]

10k then was the equivalent of about 31k now - however, there is more money in snooker and advertising now than there was then, so really the standard prize money for a 147 in a major tournament now should be notably more than 31k.

[@vincesplc]

newname fuc osulivan he a prize KNOB!

[@lusiratna8385]

147 is very hard at that time.

[@paleshelter5376]

@@lusiratna8385 yes, I think the equipment and cloth are better now

[@Nanogenium]

Darin Thompson The cloth back then was slower so that the cue ball has had more grip. You can See that when they hit the cue ball with side/spin. And the pockets were a Little bit bigger i guess.

[@thespursfan7564]

seen everey maxi as im 49nthis is by far the best all things considered , that running side green to brown was off the hook , magic thanks Kirk Stevens

[@ianferguson4439]

A thing of beauty..

[@gordonmathers6489]

White was brilliant that night. Kirks 147 was great. Been a lot since but no-one enjoyed it more.

[@anthonydear4708]

What makes this 147 so special is that Kirk Stevens is such a maverick player. An ordinary guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Such a lovely guy who even hugs the referee. They don't produce these kind of characters anymore

[@Thailandescapades]

That green was utterly stunning

[@mez7736]

Green to brown was an absolute beauty! 🤌🏻

[@mstevens113]

Love the 70s and 80 fashions and decor. So much more character.

[@johnmc3862]

Co-incidentally Jack Kahrnem is the commentator who was also the commentator when fellow Canadian Thorburn got a 147 the year before at the crucible.

[@Mogget5]

Thorburn made that world championship 147 a year earlier than Kirk (in 1983)

[@UXB-p5u]

Fabulous break with some incredible shots for instance Green to Brown 😀😊

[@jameshickey1294]

After watching dings 147 I came back to the first in this competition an I remember watching kirk do it -it was a great moment in snooker history- magnificent 147.by kirk

[@desimahool9235]

Mind blowing really old iz gold

[@cjones1499]

Cracking 147.

[@lardy70s]

The interaction with the crowd is magic. You'll never see that again.

[@SAJuk-lb4dh]

I still remember watching this , it was played on a Saturday night , if i remember correctly, this maxi was sandwiched between to tons + from jimmy ,,,,,,,does anyone remember the two commentators on here ? I think it's maybe jack karnhem and rex Williams ?

[@maxlee8183]

When he first opens the pack,that was a Lovely shot.

[@julian1471]

For me , the yellow , green , and pink were up there with the best of them. The green was all about the pace and what a pink he had to cue it like a dream,when it came to bottle seems like kirk had a little more than Jimmy.

[@gboladeokuneye1196]

Looked more like a pool player...more fluid than most snooker I've seen, though I'm more into pool. Great clearance.

[@bhatmursaleen2555]

one of D best 147's i have eve seen 👍

[@CRyan71]

Brilliant. Some fantastic shots. Back in the day when 147's were rare. He obviously wasn't a fan of the rest. How he didn't rip the arse out of his trousers I'll never know😆

[@sjake8308]

Almost nobody liked using the rest back then.

[@PaulCole-71]

Great green, super break, fabulous suit!

[@djcpianist]

The table roll-off from pink to black was astounding 🤯

[@alanmansell9845]

The greatest 147 of all time, out of position on every shot, love the way he hugs the ref at the end.

[@ouroborosoroboruo]

after potting the last pink kirk keeps his leg on the top cushion to increase the tension of the rubber enabling the cue ball to get a bigger bounce onto the black

[@robertmeadows1657]

Oh, bull.