Cliff Thorburn On Luca Brecel, Money Games & The 1980 Final

Cliff Thorburn, A.K.A The Grinder, is welcomed onto the channel to play Stephen in a frame at The Crucible! Covering subjects such as the Canadian snooker scene, playing for money, winning the World Championship in 1980 and what he makes of Luca Brecel, this episode is not to be missed. Cliff is a really funny guy who tells some hilarious stories, he's also still got some snooker skills in the locker. We couldn't ask for a better venue to film this one in too! If you enjoyed this video, give it a like and ensure you subscribe to the channel for more.
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[@dannygray-mi3xn]

Cliff was the first player ever to achieve a 147 at the crucibal. For that alone, the mans a legend. Fantastic interview, cheers!

[@ArtistFormerlyKnownAsShitlord]

@Old Man New too Powerlifting Channel Even though it took 3 days. 😃

[@obi-potobi790]

And he invented the dump shot. Some may not like it ie it can make for a tactical game, but it's an important shot and Cliff deserves the recognition for coming up with it and a superb 147 must've been so much pressure being the first one.

[@sarcastaball]

Where's the crucibal?

[@dannygray-mi3xn]

@@sarcastaball wherever you want it too be

[@sarcastaball]

@@dannygray-mi3xn in my butt?

[@CianMcCarthyMusic]

"Always admired you, man." Class act is Cliff.

[@CaribSurfKing1]

Love Cliff. He looked 60 in 1980 and looks 60 in 2023….amazing! Lots of these seemingly boring great players are actually really interesting chatty blokes! Who knew!

[@MetteC5]

Most of us did

[@danielsmith411]

@@MetteC5 Cliff is boring

[@TheEricthefruitbat]

Well, maybe 65 now.

[@brianmacpherson4913]

mustachio men can somehow pull this off easier.

[@peaceandLove220]

I removed my like to make it 147

[@Greggieboy76]

Imagine having Cliff Thorburn say "I've always admired you!" Thoroughly enjoyed this, two absolute legends!!!

[@vinylrulesok8470]

Cliff is a gentleman. I'll never forget his crucible 147. I used to try and emulate his tremendous pot on the yellow (badly). Great ambassador for snooker through the years

[@VonBlade]

Always good to see Classy Cliff doing his thing and listen to his endless stories.

[@jakhaughton1800]

Two men who were legends chatting together. Can’t beat it. The stories could’ve chatted for hours. Brilliant.

[@John_2Much_Coffee]

It is so great to see Cliff Thorburn (147) play and have chat with Stephen Hendry. I grew up in Northern Ontario Canada. I remember watching snooker. I was born in the 70s and remember watching snooker championships in the UK. I was so proud and in awe seeing a Canadian play and win the championship. I also later remember watchin Steve Davis play and it seemed he could never lose for a while. Then later someone near my age seemed to come out of nowhere and start winning and later dominating, it was Stephen Hendry. I loved watching him play. Then when I was in my 20s in London Ontario at a snooker / pool hall, called Strokers Billiards at its original location. I went their one weekend to play, and there was a snooker tournament going on, and my heart almost stopped as I seen my hero as a child, Cliff Thorburn play. It was one of those Wow moments. I never got a chance to say hi, but I was so happy to see him play. All the the best to Cliff Thorburn and Stephen Hendry, so many great memories watching you both play and excel. Cheers

[@Daz555Daz]

What a gentleman and a superb player in his day. This is now the best snooker channel on KZbin by miles.

[@jimblob44]

I went to see Cliff play Jimmy White in Glasgow years ago, I had the impression that Cliff was a dour, serious deep kind of guy but I changed my mind. He was very personable, funny and gracious with the audience, he smiled and chatted a bit with those sitting closest to him in between games.

[@brentpatterson5715]

What a true gent of the game. I was watching an interview with him recently about his 147...one of the most amazing and fondly remembered moments in Snooker history, yet when Cliff rang his wife after the match to tell her he got a 147 she told him that she had a miscarriage :( ...how hard that must be that every time a fan of the sport that made him a star sees him he gets asked about this moment they remember so fondly, yet to him is eternally tied to such a tragic moment in his life...yet he still conducts himself with such good grace!

[@defaultroute]

Didn’t know that story. Honestly, I wish she’d just managed to keep that for a different moment.

[@tytn9978]

I had the privilege of seeing Cliff Thorburn in action at Queen's University, showing off with trick shots! I think, looking back, that was right after he had won the World Championship, so sometime between Sept. 1980 and April 1981! I started watching snooker in the 2nd half of the 1980's, when it was televised on Cable TV in Seattle, and I caught it in Victoria, BC! Those were the days. Nowadays I get to enjoy it on KZbin!

[@jannerkev]

Had the great pleasure of having an evening of playing chess and drinking brandy with Cliff , after he had played in a tournament in Torquay. I was chef at the hotel he was staying at , and after the match, I cooked him dinner. We had a talk and he asked if I played chess. I did and we played for the next 4/5 hours. He gave me a signed poster with to kev, a fantastic chef an Great chess player. I've still got it

[@suide3275]

I like how genuine Stephen and his guests are in these interviews

[@brianmacpherson4913]

Agreed. Only thing is Stephen is more interested in winning these table talk games lol. He needs some interviewing coaching from BBC to keep the flow going.

[@SMITH-lw3rv]

Nah he needs no interviewing coaching as this is what makes it real and special.

[@Topazium1]

@@brianmacpherson4913 the table talk games flow pretty much exactly the same as any conversation you have while playing snooker, that pause in conversation as a shot is lined up and then before the ball is potted or missed you're back up talking, it gives it a very familiar feel they're just missing the beer and crsips :)

[@DrumsTheWord]

Here's to Cliff. Great player and character. First ever 147 at the crucible. Superb!!

[@dannyb763]

For anyone interested in snooker trivia, at 13:06 they are talking about the 1987 International Open semi-final, where Cliff beat Stephen 9-1 with breaks of 129, 94, 88, 73 and a whole bunch of granite safety. Steve Davis then beat Cliff in the Final.

[@markstockton6918]

I remember that match. Cliff was superb!!

[@Cranndaddy]

Wow cliff thorburn is one of the most charismatic charming characters I’ve ever seen around a snooker table! What a joy this series is, hearing stories from legends, hearing great insight from current competitors, Hendry really is blessing us with this content ❤️

[@ArmyofLove]

I remember first seeing Stephen late 80s making snooker look effortless and noticing how much better he was to anything else we had seen.

[@TJMack-]

Absolute pleasure, indeed. I think this is the longest I've heard Cliff speak and as always your interviews aren't long enough.

[@chazzer8888]

Great to see Cliff looking well and playing some good shots.

[@arnyt2002]

Was lucky enough to meet Cliff at a Legends event some years back. Absolute gentleman and had so many stories for everyone.

[@Echochamber79]

Soooo nice to see Cliff again!!

[@ifyourethere]

So happy for you bringing cliff on! This is incredible and he’s a true gentleman and legend. Ray reardon next?

[@jamesk6126]

Don’t think ray reardon is in the right shape to do that

[@Bloxdio_God]

@@jamesk6126 He was still playing made a 83 break last week.

[@MalcolmMXTaylor]

To hear him say he learned using different type of balls makes his skills and prowess around the table in the early 80s even more impressive!! A classy player who never lost his cool

[@sharpvidtube]

Apart from the legendary cue extension incident😂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaeqp3-EmdyIi6s

[@dabiguy77]

​@@sharpvidtube was just gonna say that. He was really pissed that day!

[@kimreeves2702]

@@sharpvidtube That is a pretty mild reaction to neither the ref nor Higgins honouring his call on the green. The ref, sure but Higgins knew what the call was!

[@sharpvidtube]

@@kimreeves2702 He definitely lost his cool, because Alex Higgins won easily after that incident, Cliff was so angry, he couldn't concentrate. Should've just laughed it off.

[@aliorr9356]

I haven’t seen cliff for years. Good to see he is looking well and still able to knock them in like crazy.

[@strictlyp532]

The content Hendry is putting out week on week is incredible. Thank you- so rare to see such a great conversation with a true legend.

[@steve-marsh]

Incredible guest, incredible story to tell!

[@johnwhittaker311]

It’s great that you do these with some of the older players. I only really got into Snooker 4 or 5 years ago so whilst I’ve heard of Cliff, have never heard him speak or knew much about him before this. It’s nice to learn Snooker history

[@TooMuchInfoSir]

Me too, and hearing the passion in these players is inspiring!

[@miniwizard]

I remember watching Cliff playing on a small black and white TV back in the day. Always looked forward to his matches. True legend in my book. Still remember those classic commentators lines such as "for those watching in black and white, the brown is to the side of the red"

[@Richard56er]

I met Cliff back in the 80s when he played an exhibition match with Willie Thorne at the Holiday Inn in Leicester in front of an audience of sporting and other celebs. I was an amateur Billiards & Snooker referee at the time and had the honour of refereeing the match. Cliff & Willie were a right pair of comedians. It was a great time.

[@TheAmelesdad]

I remember you were so seemingly shy when you came on the snooker scene. To watch you now as you share your sense of fun and joy within the snooker community, I am humbled and excited to see your shows. Thanks mate.

[@karlsmith5343]

Best one yet steven. Cliff is the og. Stories from these make me smile.. 👍

[@Czechbound]

The sharpest dresser back in the day, and still with a great head of hair. That was a great chat !

[@cutlerlon8468]

What a brilliant character. Love the old school players. It's really hard to believe he's 75. Looks great.

[@garyhilyer64]

Love cliff, I'm old enough to remember the 80 final

[@badbadleroybrown]

Was my snooker hero as a kid. The Grinder! What a nickname!

[@nickberetanos7541]

Cliff makes my Canadian heart warm. I met the man about 25 years ago at a exhibition. Playing 9 Ball I broke. Made a ball and fluked a hook for the run out. I was walking on clouds for a week. He's a National treasure.

[@brenthall5147]

Another great episode Stephen and to have Cliff as your guest was extra special for me. I'm from Alberta and it was nice to see that Cliff is still in good health being our one and only World Champion. I wish we had more interest in Canada when it comes to snooker. There are few places anymore to play snooker. What we call pool halls are getting very rare outside of the larger centers. When I was a kid there were pool halls in every little town and snooker was a common game growing up if we could sneak in and play. A person was supposed to be 16 years of age to enter the pool halls legally. Shortly after reaching the golden age of 16, I began noticing that many pool halls were shutting down and it wasn't long before the one in our town followed suit. Pool tables in bars became the norm and they were just 4x8 or smaller and only for pool games and no snooker and of course you had to be 18 to enter liquor selling establishment. Anyway enough rambling, I look forward to your next episode.

[@brianmacpherson4913]

It was same when I was a teenager, there were snooker tables in most smaller towns even, then they just started disappearing. I think Cliff drove so much of the national interest but by the mid-90s it was much harder to find a table, mostly because the sheer amount of space they took up probably wasn't making them financially worthwhile. There is only one snooker table left in Halifax where you can pay to play, in a Dooley's nonetheless, which is pretty sad :(

[@brianmacpherson4913]

Snooker tables in bowling alleys, must have been a Canadian thing in the 70s-80s because that's exactly where I started playing in Canada! I was in a shopping mall in '95 and who do I stumble upon promoting a new Dufferin store? None other than Cliff, and for a few bucks you could play a fun game of 9-ball (which I waited in line to do). Standup guy, Great stories, wonderful to see Cliff back in the Crucible :)

[@terryallen5328]

Was always a class act and looking good at 76yrs of age. Great to hear his stories from back in the day.

[@samisalman541]

Thanks Stephen for your wonderful programme and chosen players.

[@Mcqlfc]

What a bloody legend!!

[@garymacdonald7165]

Canada went snooker crazy in summer 1980,after Cliff won the world title! I had a game every day with residemts in a condominium,Dixie rd,Missisauga,with residents who had never played before and i remember they put on a snooker show in the mornings,Kirk Stevens,Bill Werbenuik etc! I remember Peter Sellers passing away during that time!

[@Host4l]

Great lads Cliff & Stephen

[@johnfarnall6849]

Wow, what a guest! He spoke of snooker very differently to how the modern game is today. Fascinating. I was just a kid when Thorburn hit a 147 at the crucible. Just magic.

[@ianwatkins6202]

Yes Cliff's yellow on his 147 was superb!!

[@johnmc3862]

It’s legendary!

[@ianwatkins6202]

@@johnmc3862 It sure is!😊And the green was top class also!😃

[@jacksonmiked]

Fantastic interview. If there was ever a biopic of Cliff Thorburn’s life, Harrison Ford would be the perfect actor to play him.

[@SSDDify]

Alot of love for Cliff wonderful personality

[@snookerstones]

It’s a shame Cliff has never been a regular commentator at the crucible, he’d be brilliant, him and Taylor together.

[@bottlecap57]

Very interesting listening to the grinder and good to see he can still pot a few.

[@6611haggis]

A legend is in town. Great stuff.

[@saqibmulla9839]

I liked the way Cliff was explaining what he was trying to do with the cue ball , great content

[@peaceandLove220]

Great interview Stephen, Cliff is an all time great and gentleman, immortalized forever as World champion and the first to achieve the elusive 147 at the Crucible theatre! 💚

[@pot10]

I was lucky enough to get to meet and have a couple lessons with Cliff in Toronto. Very nice man and just it's just like talking to an old friend of yours.

[@Split2ndRecords]

Just discovered this KZbin channel - been binge watching video after video today - Stephen Hendry is a legend and these interviews and insights from some of the games best are fantastic 🎱

[@MJK808]

Cliff is an absolute class act. Something about your interviews with ' the old boys' is so much bettter. The snooker world seemed to peak and the stories are all so much more romantic. Cliff's story is almost The Color Of Money.

[@charlesscottkelly]

Great too see the grinder, one of the best of the 80s. Class guy.

[@canadiansensei]

Our home towns are 4 hrs apart so what amazes me is how he got to such a high level while growing up on Vancouver Island where snooker players were few and far between. To me it makes his accomplishments even more impressive.

[@jimm.3845]

I once had the pleasure of playing against Cliff at an exhibition. well, I say pleasure - he made a 144 clearance and that was that!

[@sonicdiablo8968]

Wow, when was that?

[@jimm.3845]

@@sonicdiablo8968 That would have been 1985/6, at a Matchroom club in Kent. He broke, I made what I thought was an ok safety. I came back to the table to find myself in all kinds of trouble and it was all downhill from there. 😞

[@RetroSwan]

Just wow, 2 legends. Great to see Cliff. Love this channel.

[@browninplay]

This series is amazing, I never thought I'd see Cliff play at the table again - and the conversations in-between are so much fun to hear! Thank you, Stephen, I hope we can see you and the Grinder get through some more stories in the future! :)

[@tomcat7661]

Another lovely interview and so nice to listen to those former champions and greats.

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

If the BBC made this an actual TV show, it would be huge.

[@alanoshea2132]

It wouldn't be as popular I think, it's a great addition to KZbin's platform.

[@johnmc3862]

@@alanoshea2132 Oh yeah and how does he think? 😂😂😂

[@michaeldoyle1222]

Fantastic episode! Cliff was my favourite player as a kid and it’s such a thrill to see him with Stephen again. Tremendous!

[@iancohgneetoh3494]

Love this, remember watching Cliffs 147 when I was 12. Great to see not only his emotion, but Terry Griffith's, Big Bill and pretty much EVERYONE there watching..... Great memories

[@JamsODonnell100]

Love what you did with your name 😁

[@kwilson5832]

Cliff is such a gentleman. Even as he describes his relationship with Alex Higgins 'It was a love-hate relationship, well, there was no love'! But he says it without any malice. What a legend. Thank you for inviting him.

[@gunneronfire]

This series is like revisiting your childhood. Hard to believe that so much is packed into one frame. It is a good historical record of the game of snooker and the characters who shaped it. Well done Stephen.

[@dermotspollen]

Brilliant and great seeing cliff look so well.

[@robmiller2811]

Lovely to hear Cliff chatting about snooker, absolute legend of the game. I remember his 147 on Saturday afternoon on grandstand - one of the defining moments of the sport.

[@Stratboy999]

Cliff Thorburn, hero, legend and absolute Gent.

[@darksidecowboy2383]

Cliff Thorburn… such a lovely, friendly gentleman & a cracking snooker player. Absolutely loved this. Thanks again Stephen for the great videos. Cheers!

[@rejapgee]

What an absolute treat - wonderful to see The Grinder on your channel! Fascinating insight into Cliff's journey to the heights of snooker success. Thank you so much for this episode, Stephen.🙏

[@stewartmcrae8007]

Huge thanks for this great to see Cliff on the channel i have been fortunate enough to meet him on a handful of occasions and he has always been a class act

[@butters_147]

What a fantastic episode Stephen. Boring little story... when I was 14 (in Canada) I discovered the "big table" at the pool hall. At that time, our national sports channel (TSN) carried snooker and that was in 1990 so guess who was on my TV MOST of the time. Mr. Stephen Hendry. The only names that stick out to me from the time were, Stephen, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and Nigel Bond. No Cliff Thorburn. I didn't learn who he was until 2010 when I started following snooker close on the Internet. They stopped showing it on television for good in the mid 90's. I'm so happy for the internet. I've met loads of fans and pros alike on Twitter. There's also a careless fellow I became quite fond of by the name of snookerbacker. 👍😉 Him and his wife are some of the good ones. Give his blog a read, you won't be disappointed. Outspoken, funny dude. I know Stephen knows him (from Twitter and in real life). If you're still reading, I appreciate it. lol. Sorry for rambling but it's fun to remember and I don't have many real life friends who enjoy snooker. It's a shame really. Most play pool buy have no interest in snooker. 🤷‍♂️

[@jonhaslam3699]

Great interview. Gotta love Cliff. Such a great story teller.

[@gurdipthandi25]

Another fantastic, fascinating vlog with a great gent and champ in Cliff. Wonderful stuff

[@deavo74]

This channel is fantastic. I love these interviews, chilling over a frame on snooker. Great format.

[@rwt8410]

Hi Stephen. I'm from Aberdeen, currently living in Shanghai. I was never so into snooker, but I grew up knowing you were a legend. I think you're channel is really good - you're really good at interviewing people and asking great questions. Keep up the great work!

[@john_michael_white]

Wonderful episode, could listen to Cliff for hours!

[@michaelwalters3680]

This channel just keeps getting better 👍

[@ianwatkins6202]

Cliff Thorburn & Doug Mountjoy my two favourite players from back in the day 😊😊

[@chrisjohnson4165]

Fantastic! Thanks Steven for doing what you do.

[@mabbrey]

2 legends of the game well done chaps

[@danshewell8746]

Loved this interview. Stephen giving the legends the respect they deserve, and really enjoy seeing Stephen's personality come out. Quite humourous at times as was Cliff.

[@mannym7849]

This is a fantastic channel, thank you Stephen! Can’t go wrong with Cliff Thorburn, love his personality and stories. Still enjoy watching his Crucible 147 in 1983. Really enjoyed this!

[@noelperies8406]

Just discovered these chats with legends, Awesome work Stephen. Watching them miss on occasion shows how tough this sport really is

[@jordanwillrog]

Stephen Hendry hats off sir for this channel :)

[@richardfairlamb9728]

What a lovely man Cliff is, and with a great sense of humour. His battles with the greats of his day are legendary. Fantastic content as usual Stephen.

[@DanGamsby]

As a Canadian, this warms my heart ❤❤

[@lilchris26]

Brilliant video Stephen, love the stories you guys tell.

[@rikgay857]

Outstanding...love this channel! Heaven for a non playing snooker anorak like me!

[@TheBuddhaBilly]

What a beautiful interview! Love it.

[@RaymondScullion]

This is awesome…! Would love to see Cliff do some commentating, his anecdotes and stories around his time being a pro would be incredible to hear. He clearly still loves the game!

[@843thebear]

Love your videos when you interview the big players of the past, especially the 80's & 90's era which is the period when I really got into watching the game on TV. Thanks Stephen.

[@philipcarthy2977]

I grew up on thorburn, higgins,Reardon, griffiths,white,parrot,Taylor, davis,stevens,white,werbunik,charlton, all fantastic players.as cliff said young players do bring the game forward and keep it evolving. Great video.

[@markjones5230]

Had the absolute pleasure at the 2022 Masters to have lunch with Cliff Thorburn. What a gentleman and fascinating guy. We chatted for a good hour or so about many things and he was so engaging. Total legend of snooker. Wishing him and his family all the very best. Mark Jones.

[@iainmackenzie3704]

What a guy. Absolutely love him.

[@elmondo3543]

Great to see another vlog form the GOAT Stephen Hendry!

[@davidmellish3295]

Nah sorry, Hendry's no 2 ,Ronnie's the GOAT

[@yippeeki-yay1691]

​@@davidmellish3295 someone had to get triggered.

[@davidmellish3295]

@@yippeeki-yay1691 😂 You think I'm triggered ? What tipped you off ? Was it my long rant on the subject? How on earth did you come to the conclusion that I'm ' triggered ' when all i did was make a simple statement, saying that Hendry isn't the 🐐 Ronnie is.

[@user-mc5ve7ju7c]

Ronnie O'Sullivan is the most successful player in snooker history.True GOAT RONNIE 👍

[@yippeeki-yay1691]

@Wayne Anthony Holmes - I never said Hendry was the GOAT, it's just that when someone does happen to give that opinion - all the Ronnie "bum boys" - to use your words - start jumping on the wagon immediately. Nothing to do with getting triggered obviously....

[@alanchamberlain9902]

Cliff The Grinder what a legend, one of the best tactical players of all time.

[@donalonzo63]

KZbin GOLD served up again. Great stuff Stephen & Cliff.

[@framebadger]

Cliff talks about the magic of his discovery of snooker - I'm no proper snooker player but for me and probably loads of others, it was his 147. We had a recording of it on a VHS tape and I played that thing over and over. Our player had a play backwards option so I'd watch it backwards too, with the balls popping out of the pocket to land perfectly on his cue. Him dropping to his knees at the end is *the* iconic celebration in all sports for me. The joy, the relief.