Kirk Stevens v Jimmy White 1984 World Championship SF

[@brianmacpherson4913]

wow thank you for putting this on KZbin!

[@parkerbohnn]

I remember Kirk from The Golden Cue in Scarborough, Ontario Canada. The kindhearted owner Joe used to let him play for free his entire life. Kirk went to Bendale high school but never really went there as they'd always phone the pool hall to make sure he was there Monday to Friday. Kirk also played at Le Spot which was also in Scarborough. Cliff Thorburn was the 50 percent owner. They just had two pinball machines at The Golden Cue but more people knew me than Kirk as I was multiple times world champion in pinball while I was still in high school.

[@pierregauvin1183]

great times at Le spot paul thornley bobby that worked the counter, jeff white john white. I used to practise there all night until 6 am

[@hydroformer6802]

Kirks a hell of a guy, a real gentleman

[@jamiehammond7401]

Kirk is a class act, good on him.

[@yveslaflute9228]

with a noseful of powder, 13:42 sniff sniff...

[@edmundpower1250]

@@yveslaflute9228 don't be salty all your life

[@leebeardshall2888]

@@yveslaflute9228 piss off loser.

[@parkerbohnn]

@@yveslaflute9228 Kirk used to play at The Golden Cue in Scarborough, Ontario Canada. The owner Joe let him play for free his entire life. Kirk went to Bendale high school and they used to phone the pool hall everyday from Monday to Friday to make sure he was there. Kirk never went to high school ever. Kirk used to play snooker all day long at The Golden Cue with a guy named Sammy from Ireland who was also world ranked at the time. True enough about cocaine. Joe the owner of the Golden Cue was one of the few people alive who ran a 147 one-handed.

[@SnookeringU2Tonight]

Bloody great upload yet again and as someone else has commented, love the completeness of it. Never ceases to amaze me just how little the commentators actually spoke!

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

yes. because they understood the art of commentating. The understood economy and 'less is more' Today's commentators don't commentate, they just talk while the game is playing Pathetic

[@opencurtin]

Point of fact Alan MacManus the man never shuts the hell up …

[@Flubbydubbydoodoo]

Phil Yates is the absolute worst. He can’t let two seconds pass without spouting crap.

[@deconteesawyer5758]

@@Flubbydubbydoodoo Where's the cue ball going !

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

I wish Kirk had of stayed at the top a little longer. He was a fantastically entertaining player.

[@rowds]

The word you'd be looking for here is have, had have not of. But in actuality it isn't necessary, "I wish Kirk had stayed at the top.." would suffice. Remember there is no could of, or should of...it is could have and should have etc.

[@chrisevans5259]

Loved the coverage of snooker back in the 80s,.....and David vine was perfect as the presenter,...I remember the final that year , ...it was a terrific final with Steve Davis beating Jimmy white 18-16....great times,....and great memories

[@tonyalder]

Chris Evans first final I watched

[@dpow888]

Great classic match, watched every ball. Cheers for the vid 👍👍👍

[@MrStefanoborella]

Great video, people forget what a good player Kirk Stevens , this was a great semi-final to watch , the had also the 1984 B and H Masters semi final which was a great standard and iconic for Kirks 147. Kirk had a great chance to win this as he was 5 frames up. Jimmy nearly won the final

[@momentumstocks3493]

Was that the final he lost 18-17 to Davies? Poor Jimmy...should have won two finals iMHO.

[@parksyist]

18-16 after being 12-4 down overnight

[@Psalm11950]

Fantastic game between two of the games best. Kirk Stevens was a very exciting player to watch and a good sport too. Jimmy and Alex were remembered as the two most exciting from the 80's but Kirk wasn't far behind. Jimmy White faced the mighty Steve Davis in the final and what a game that was

[@jamesc7720]

Tactically it’s funny watching this. The game has certainly moved on. Having said that, the long potting is as good as anything you’ll ever see. It’s criminal neither of them won the world championship.

[@willgilbert2980]

To be know as the greatest snooker player on the planet must be a pain in the balls never to have won the world championship.

[@ianwatkins6202]

Cliff Thorburn once said that Kirk should have been a world champion at least once 😊and he is so right, Kirk such a fabulous player!

[@vmax4steve524]

Thanks for holding onto and uploading this video, great match and every bit as good as the Alex v Jimmy semi from '82. If you have Doug Mountjoy v Alex Higgins from WSC '82 then please upload that, great match that went all the way.

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

The semi finals are usually good as the finals. Very entertaining

[@jamesheyworth4370]

Thanks for the player interview at the end. Come on Jimmy!!!! Kirk was always a threat

[@Timemachine74]

Good old David vine rip he was the face of 80’s snooker 👍 top man

[@riversidewithme]

Yes I agree with you...his voice was perfect for snooker. Gareth

[@riversidewithme]

@SavageArfad Yes, I agree.

[@wildfire7250]

Couldn't agree more he was the face of TV Snooker back then...I lived and breathed Snooker in that era and David added so Much...including the interviews of the players on Final Night before they walked out to play...A Legend

[@parksyist]

Right up to early 2000s :)

[@johnmc3862]

And ‘Superstars’!

[@parkerbohnn]

KIrk was an absolute natural at snooker when he was just a kid. The first time he ever picked up a cue he could beat anyone at The Golden Cue in Scarborough, Canada. Joe the owner of The Golden Cue taught Kirk the game of snooker. Kirk and a guy named Sammy used to play all day. Sammy was world ranked.

[@XavierMarciano]

Do you have the 1980 World Championship Semi Final of Alex Higgins vs Kirk Stevens. Or the quarter final of that year between Higgins and Davis (was a great match)

[@mjt_snooker1704]

You've probably seen it already but I put together everything I have from 1980 WC here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enfIi4aHp82YpM0 . Unfortunately, there's almost nothing of that championship, and I don't know anyone who has any other recordings, which is surprising as there's more from earlier years.

[@JulesBurt]

Thanks so much for sharing this one, caught the final at the time, but never saw this semi. What a great match🙂👍

[@paradise8876]

Remember Kirk in his hayday ... such an exciting player ... it's a shame to piss away such talent ... however, I'm glad I was there to c him play.

[@opencurtin]

Were you at this match ?

[@a.tanner8524]

David Vine gave out the winner’s complete home address including postcode live on air. He might as well have given out her credit card details and PIN number. It was a different world back then.

[@TWENTYSEVENSTORIES]

When we used to leave our doors unlocked too.

[@AbCat4]

Who left their doors unlocked in the 80s?

[@a.tanner8524]

@@AbCat4 we left our doors unlocked during the daytime at least.

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

@@AbCat4 I did. The world was safe back then. The 90s was when things started to go downhill

[@andywright3450]

The great David vine he was the snooker top top presenter off all time

[@doublepick]

I wish I had an ounce of the talent of these guys, but the number of simple balls they miss is just crazy. For all the talk about equipment, cloths, chalk, the thing that has really improved for modern players, is their ability to handle pressure: Their mental resilience is so much greater.

[@sz4128]

World Snooker should be uploading these archives.

[@chrisjohnson4165]

So much talent and always going for the killer shot, like Alex Higgins. Sadly, that style doesn't usually win in the long run, but it keeps the people interested.

[@TheMattTempest]

Nice - from the days when commentators SHUT THE HELL UP during breaks, rather than droning on and on about a player's form during the season, or "for me, if he has one weakness, it's..."

[@Bloxdio_God]

Commentators today are rubbish. I can listen to Foulds and Hendry but that's it.

[@markcackett5276]

Spot on Matthew Tempest no one drones on more about players from during the season than that Phil Studd on eurosport what a very boring man he is ! a rubbish commentator !

[@TheMattTempest]

@@Bloxdio_God I like Hendry as a commentator, because he also largely shuts up, but then a player nails a shot Hendry pipes up "Ach, great shot" the INSTANT the player strikes the cue ball...he doesn't need to wait to see it go in the pocket.

[@raborian]

Yeah it was great to watch back then and much more hypnotic in a way or certainly relaxing without all the stating the obvious guff ya hear nowadays. Foulds also rambles on a lot if ya ask me

[@opencurtin]

I think they went to the bar for a pint during the match !

[@stanleyharrison7031]

I reckon kirk is one of the all time greats, despite never winning a title he was part of that rare class of Alex Higgins type players, very attacking, lots of panache and a great entertainer!

[@KP-oe8sk]

Also the Boys from Canada had zero $$$ in those days. Not like the English players who had their lives taken care of each day! The Canadian boys had to figure out where they would be staying most NIGHTS.!! All in ALL a Different era!!!! A bit of Nostalgia for you! A Canadian won the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1990-1? HIS name was Peter Kippie! He passed away in 2015 from Cancer however he is a LEGEND here in Canada! There where 100s of players in Canada that where Equal to or better than the players you all know from Canada. It's like saying WHY aren't English Hockey players in the NHL.??

[@KP-oe8sk]

@Wayne Holmes OOOPPSS! WAYNER!!! That cue is NOT a POOL CUE!!! IT IS YOU STANDARD 9.5 mil tip and is a Maple cue.!!The cue is most likely a 40-50 yr old seasoned Maple.(In those days)! Dry as you can Imagine. I am not sure who made it but these were cue Makers in Canada that to this DAY those Cues go for 500 pound-to etc!! Also the Boys from Canada had zero $$$ in those days. Not like the English players who had their lives taken care of each day! The Canadian boys had to figure out where they would be staying most NIGHTS.!! All in ALL a Different era!!!! A bit of Nostalgia for you! A Canadian won the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1990-1? HIS name was Peter Kippie! He passed away in 2015 from Cancer however he is a LEGEND here in Canada! There where 100s of players in Canada that were a Equal to or better than you talk about. English players could go home each NIGHT, Canadian Players had to look for a Place to stay!!! Totally different !!

[@momentumstocks3493]

Higgins won a few titles though. I do not think you can be called an all time great if you never won ONE title. He was good...but not great.

[@opencurtin]

The devils dandruff ruined him ..

[@bonzodog6872]

It was matches like this that made me fall in love with snooker. Two super players

[@MAli-xs2pm]

There are events that people have a photographic memory of where they were & what were doing at the time & this match is one of them for me. Of all the players at that time, these two were the only ones who played an aggressive but tidy game hence this match being addressed as fireworks at the time. Thank you very much for uploading & Rip Jack

[@TheArrow1987]

The correct word is eidetic memory. "Photographic" is wrong.

[@richardhill9549]

1:14:04 Strange how there was no applause when Kirk went into the pack.

[@deconteesawyer5758]

Back then people came to see the match. The seats weren't filled with snooker hooligans, shills, and fanboys out to influence the outcome, but to simply watch.

[@johnmc3862]

@@deconteesawyer5758 True but lol!

[@alanmctavish4802]

Brilliant !!!!! I can still remember watching this match back in 1984 and tbh i thought jimmy would win and he did. But it was always great to watch kirk stevens as well, as he played the same way as jimmy and alex higgins, fast and entertaining to watch. But i also knew steve davis was like a robot when he played the game. So hard to beat becouse he was so good. His all round game didnt have a weakness, he was a great potter, long and short, and his positional play was the best and his safety play was great, but he wasnt great to watch? Becouse of the way he played it was if he was a robot, and after an hour if that i would go and play football or watch something else on tv. Becouse as a kid in the early 1980s my hero was alex higgins, i thought he was just awe some to watch, so fast and pure electric. It was as if electricity was pumping through his body and pulling of crazy pots. Alex was so much better than the alex we saw on tv infront of millions of tv viewers becouse he played for the crowd and not for himself, there was alot i didnt know back then about alex. If he had played for himself and not the crowd alex would have won at least 6 world titles and so much more major titles and been better than davis? Becouse in 1982 when alex won the world title again, in the final against ray reardon alex didnt take as many chances as he would have and he played the best snooker all through that tournament in every round than any other player i have seen, people talk alot about the semi final against jimmy and no wonder becouse of that famouse break he did. But i would urge any big snooker fan to watch alex match against doug mountjoy in the ? It was either the second round or the quarter final. And you wont reggret a minute of it, it went to 15 each and alex played maybe the best shots ever seen on a table, and i mean his safety play, his long pots that seemend ridicoulasly good, his short pots, just his all round play to win it as mountjoy was no slouch either. I felt doug shoud have won more titles than he did, but it was at a time when there was so many great players! The best years of my life. I started watching snooker once alex higgins started playing. And then i stopped watching snooker when alex stopped playing!

[@mixolydian2010]

Forgot to say, really enjoying this match, great to Kirk and Jimmy in their prime really going for their shots, i tend to forget about those days with Ronnie around.

[@savinggracechurch4112]

Kirk Stevens has got a similar technique to Alex Higgins. Line up the shot and immediately after sticking the cue ball get up instead of staying down. Brilliant player as is Jimmy!

[@sdrtcacgnrjrc]

Amaing quality -- and 'completeness'. Many thanks for the upload

[@ZEUSDAZ]

This would have been a wonderful final, same thing that happened at the Masters a few months before where Jimmy and Kirk met in the semi's, It's as if back then the guys running the show always wanted a slow general in the final and not 2 gunslingers like Alex, Jimmy or Kirk in them, they always seemed to meet in the semi's,...another example the worlds'82 where Jimmy and Alex met, that was the real final imo.

[@thadonis.]

5:27 Did CARyl Sales win a Lada?

[@alantmac]

Thank you for this!

[@northernenglander1916]

Kirk looked a far better player on this footage than I remember him at the time

[@opencurtin]

I remember the opposite, he missed a lot of important shots at important times ..

[@CameronCorneilus]

Was games like this. That made me practice from 11am till 9pm at night.

[@jackoherts]

2:41:54 one of the best blacks I've seen potted under that much pressure such an underrated shot

[@dlamiss]

yes indeed and could even be argued the match winner. Stevens looked certain for 13/10 but was pegged back to 12/11. he certainly seemed to lose more than his share of close finishes in the early to mid 80s

[@boyddickson1751]

What a match THIS bloody was!

[@markcackett5276]

Apart from Jimmy's 126 clearance on KZbin already,have you any of his quarter final with Kirk in the 1982 world championship ?

[@bretjackson8093]

He gave out the winners' full home address. She was lucky she wasn't burgled when she was at the final 😀

[@michaelschmidt3334]

Imagine in 2020 even the dog would of been stolen

[@parksyist]

Can't imagine that now can you

[@m75s87]

@@michaelschmidt3334 Have. Would have. Ffs.

[@michaelschmidt3334]

@@m75s87 lol shot

[@a.tanner8524]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Psalm11950]

Almost 40 years ago now

[@ocn14s]

Kirk Stevens was an excellent player who never fullfilled his potential due to being hooked on cocaine - his drug habit cost him the best years of his career - very , very sad

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

Bet he has made up for it with Wild nights out

[@edmundpower1250]

@@TheJohnCooperShow a losers comment

[@DanNicholsWatercolour]

I feel Jimmy White never truly fulfilled his potential either, same reason

[@ocn14s]

@@DanNicholsWatercolour If you look at Jimmy White nowadays he looks pretty rough - the perfect deterrent for not taking drugs !!

[@vrgamestudio294]

A very entertaining match thank you, I never appreciated how good Kirk actually was, his long potting was amazing. I wonder if the ott Steve Davis fan lady sat next to Jimmy in the final ("best seat in the house") was that shot of the championship competition winner?

[@sportsmaster80s25]

message to MJT..you have in parts all of the 1992 world final..would be great for you to piece them all together

[@TedTheTree]

I was only 18 went this was on, my dad always had the snooker on back home;

[@mrghiax]

Great match. Thanks for uploading. Would love to see the full 1985 UK final between Steve Davis and Willie Thorne.

[@parksyist]

It's on here somewhere I watched it recently

[@Buz-Lunch-Punx]

Why do you want to see it? Do you have insomnia?

[@riverdean7]

kirk had the best mullet in the game

[@waynejackel2921]

Can you upload the 1984 Benson and Hedges Masters FinalJimmy White v Terry Griffiths if you have it in your Collection.

[@davidjatt3251]

Did you guys know, in the era where they had first-to-16 frames (between 1980 and 1996), they only ever had two that went 16-15, Alex vs Jimmy in 1982 obviously,then another semi-final a year later (The semi Cliff Thorburn was in, not Steve Davis)

[@Sikander---Great]

Snooker clubs opened up everywhere in the 80s back in days when snooker was a craze

[@jamiehammond7401]

I didn't realize Kirk got so close to the actual World championship final. !

[@tonynaccarato4751]

Kirk Stevens pat boones adopted son, great toronto snooker player.

[@DanNicholsWatercolour]

The days when people wrote letters into TV shows, better times

[@elliotbullman4765]

Just been reading Chimmy´s biography. The part where these pair were holed up in a hotel room cooking crack. They used the hotel room doors and wardrobes for firewood! Now then, is it just me or by frame 9, are the table's legs looking a bit off? Certainly by the looks of the pair of them, their shots were getting increasingly ragged! And then, of course, Kirk´s amazing maxie!

[@TedTheTree]

What a great match too Kirk was unlucky to get second...he would have faced Steve Davis in the final, I bet that would have been a good final too. Also I forgot that Stevens was no snail & quite quick & a very entertaining player;

[@opencurtin]

Kirk was one of the best potters of that time seemed to lack a bit of nerve when it came to getting over the finishing line at the final stages of tournaments.

[@XrpCookies]

Who was the player at 2:27:29

[@duncanholding7636]

Jim Wych

[@thespursfan7564]

at round about 3 hrs and 36 mins jack karnham says , jimmys got the smell of victory in his nostrils , this amused me as we all know what was goibg up theyre nostrils , such a pity kirk nor jimmy ever won the WC , kirk retired twenty yrs too soon cause of it , jimmy alex ronnie and kirk , my four faves ever i the game

[@glennpevy6550]

Called White to win this title from the start in 1984. I actually cried and couldn’t sleep the night Davis beat him. I was only 14 though lol

[@BadgerBotherer1]

I was 15. I nearly cried!

[@christiano8088]

David Vine was a big part of snooker in the golden years.

[@charlesscottkelly]

This was probably the biggest year for Jimmy if he win the worlds who know what could have happened for him.

[@andrevanderkant6616]

Who knows.. Jimmy once said that he would have been unable to survive a world title in 1982. But the guy was a bit reckless anyway. In fact it could be his only flaw, an unforgiving one.

[@BarneveldDarts]

Thank You :-)

[@MrGloryglorymanutd18]

High quality match which surprised me and yes I know White and Stevens were good players.

[@malikmalik-ny7tv]

The good thing about snooker back in the 80s and begin 90s is that players made more mistakes so it was actualy more fun to watch then now where every chance is almost end of frame

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

malik malik Not every chance, not even close to every chance. You clearly don’t watch much snooker these days

[@momentumstocks3493]

@@pearcegreatesteverleftback03 I get what he is saying though. Today the potting accuracy is much higher so most times the frame is over.

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

Momentum Stocks Not most times, maybe more times but not close to most times

[@jeffmanuel7452]

Fantastic old snooker downloads these have been over the last few weeks I'm just wondering whether you may have any of the following matches for upload that would be great to see again 1988 UK final mountjoy v hendry 1993 grand Prix final ebdon v Doherty 1994 world championships bond v thorburn many thanks

[@momentumstocks3493]

Mountjoy still playing in 1993??? Wow.....

[@parksyist]

No 1988

[@4picashow418]

Does this channel get monetized by posting these vids?

[@mjt_snooker1704]

No. I'm not going to risk them being taken down. A lot of them have copyright claims on them anyway, from the Drag Racer theme, so it would be impossible if I wanted to.

[@4picashow418]

@@mjt_snooker1704 yea dats wat I thought but I c there r ads in dis vid, can u explain why?

[@mjt_snooker1704]

@@4picashow418 It should say why below the video. It's been montenised by Mikis Theodorakis, Vangelis and Elton John. If I disabled ads when there's a copyright claim, you wouldn't be able to see anything, youtube would block the entire video.

[@4picashow418]

@@mjt_snooker1704 I understand now, thx

[@headgroundsman1650]

great pals. Kirk pushed Jimmy all the way....proper player.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Looking back now and knowing that Jimmy lost, I think now I would have prefered to see Kirk in the final facing Davis, Kirk never really lost his bottle on the scale Jimmy did and may have forced Davis to make more mistakes, I feel the same towards the 1983 final, it should have been Tony facing Davis and not Cliff.

[@opencurtin]

Kirk had a good record against Davis too ..

[@SnookerFan-kl1jj]

If he didn't lose his bottle then why did he never win a major tournament. Bottom line both were bottlers.

[@tonyalder]

SnookerFan2012 to call them bottlers is a bit harsh both had Davis to beat and white also had Hendry two of the best players ever they were flair players not machine oriented to win and dominate

[@johnmc3862]

@@SnookerFan-kl1jj Jimmy wasn’t a bottler. He just came across the most dominant snooker player ever in his prime. Jimmy won 10 ranking titles and 30 overall, he didn’t bottle then. He was living it up through.

[@damienspurs147]

What a match this way Beats today's Game by a mile Kirk tony Knowles jimmy all champions in there own right Wonder what kirk is at in 2021 😔💖✌

[@garethmills4383]

@2:02:39 was Kirk's last ever century at the Crucible.

[@duncanholding7636]

Is that right, wow. I know he won 4 more matches over the next two years but didn't realise he didn't make any further centuries

[@WayneAtkinsonEntrepreneur]

Wow...giving out an address on tv..how the times have changed

[@lordloxley6411]

When showing shot of the championship what was the tune that was playing ? I remember the unknown man being played in the auditorium as you entered but can’t remember the music being played at shot of the championship and that was also played in the auditorium. Wish I could remember. Any help appreciated. Thanks for uploading all of these matches

[@mjt_snooker1704]

skorpion - limelight orchestra

[@lordloxley6411]

mjt_snooker thank you so much it’s tacked my brain for years and once again thanks for all these videos of yesteryear 👍🏻

[@opencurtin]

Exciting game back in 1984 but to be honest the standard has increased a lot , 6 centuries at the semi final stage says it all , they would not get passed the first round in 2020 with the misses and wild abandon shots that's not a criticism of them as a kid these two were my favorites , Jimmy improved his all round game but Kirk faded away unfortunately due to his lifestyle a great pity ..

[@tonyalder]

David McCurtàin the reason for that is the balls and cloth have got better it’s not the players Standard was worse that’s rubbish look at whites career he made more century’s in the later years in the world championship was he better later than 1984 not so sure of that even Hendry made more later than when he was in semi final with Davis in 1989 they might of improved but I bet they would say the same the balls and cloth improved

[@opencurtin]

@@tonyalder Were they playing on a living room carpet with lead balls back then ?

[@TheJohnCooperShow]

Ted Lowe what a ledge

[@stanleyharrison7031]

How can people go on about robots like Neil Robertson being a good long potter, just look at these two, and in those days balls were heavier and cloths much slower

[@vmax4steve524]

Balls were made from crystalate, around 150-55 grammes from 1926 to 1972, changed to super crystalate in 1973, around 140-42 grammes, then changed to phenolic resin, also 140-42 grammes. The exact date of the change to phenolic resin isn't known because it was due to an industrial takeover and super crystalate was no longer manufactured so the WPBSA endorsed the phenolic resin balls produced in their place, despite them being inferior, they had no choice; it was sometime in the late 1980's early 1990's, even the players weren't told. The cloths had to be made with a finer and finer again nap because the new balls didn't work very well on the heavier napped cloths, kicks every other shot, table heaters also introduced and sets of balls graded to within 1 gramme. It was a long process of trial and error before they were manageable. Still crap down your local club though, super crystalate are best if you can get a good second hand set.

[@TheMattTempest]

@@vmax4steve524 Very interesting - thank you! Although I'm not sure what to do with that info, it's interesting. If you watch this channel's 1978 Reardon vs Mans final, they were playing on a very unique light wood 1970s table with seemingly solid sides. Ever seen any of those, or know what happened to that make? Seems like - for a while - in the 1970s tables were trying to look a bit more modern and futuristic, and now we're back to increasingly ornate Victoriana...

[@vmax4steve524]

@@TheMattTempest Those were Riley Skyline tables with the seemingly solid sides, Reardon said they were the worst tables he ever played on. They were a normal table but cheaply made and the plywood sheeting along the sides covered that up. Riley eventually responded to the feedback from the players and stopped making them. For lots of info on snooker join The Snooker Forum (TSF), there's someone on there who can give you the correct info on anything you need to know rather than reading the personal bullshit of ignorant fanboys comments on youtube.

[@TheMattTempest]

@@vmax4steve524 Cheers for that! Will do - I've already started scouring eBay for super crystalaite old-skool balls. Thought those 'solid' sides looked a bit cheap flimsy plywood. There's a snooker club near me that has a French-made table with what I can only describe as V-shaped 1960s motorway bridge-support style legs. Will try to find a pic - I quite like it. Bit Star Trek rather than all the mock-Victorian naffness. Big fan of Reardon, btw - I think his rueful chuckle when he misses showed he had the perfect temperament for snooker, beyond his pure ability. If you watch that 1978 final on here to the end, he pulls off a very classy, magnanimous c.15 minute winners speech.

[@SnookerFan-kl1jj]

Stanley Harrison: Not sure why you are having a dig at Robbo, one of the best players to ever hold a cue. He did what neither White or Stevens could and that's actually win the WC.

[@dlamiss]

This was the one that got away for Stevens 12-10 up going into the final session

[@opencurtin]

Kirk lacked the killer instinct unfortunately!

[@dlamiss]

@@opencurtin Yep there were a more than a few instances when he lost matches by a single frame when in a great position. a real shame

[@dusl0509]

@@opencurtin the Jack Lisowski in the 80s?

[@eugeneflanagan9291]

I have old matches but didnt think I'd be allowed to put them on here?

[@mikekavalerchik5226]

Kirk almost looked guilty to win. He was a great player but not ruthless enough

[@Vortigan07]

The competition winner's full name and address given out on the air, eh?! Jesus, these days there'd be a van pulling up outside of that property within an hour or two!

[@TanveerAhmed-gl5jk]

Funny looking cue's these canadians played with and played really good.

[@Butterfly07949]

It's a pity they can't remaster the original umatic tape to digital. The picture quality is terrible sometimes you just don't know what color ball is what!

[@riverdean7]

who was the better player out of kirk stevens and tony knowles

[@johnmc3862]

Knowles probably. He had a longer career but not much in it.

[@MikeBarratt-lk3gt]

​@@johnmc3862 Talent wise I would definitely say Kirk Stevens but the booze and drugs got to him

[@sj460162]

The good ole days...

[@roadofsnookerfinals6572]

I do have the other semi final between Dennis & Steve.

[@opencurtin]

Rewatching this match if Kirk had gone 13 -10 he may have won but he lost a frame he should have won , he played a few loose shots to let Jimmy back in to win 6 of the last 8 frames .. Kirk seemed to get to around the 50 mark a lot and break down to let Jimmy in to clean up, playing Jimmy must have been a daunting task as one miss could mean the end of the frame …

[@chrisjohnson4165]

They both lost frames they should have won. Great potters, big gambles, porr position.

[@stevensmith4189]

What 2 excellent attacking players! Just how snooker should be played

[@nickycotton6137]

Awe, Bless David Vine (RIP).. Proper Match here though/Classic 🔥

[@eugeneflanagan9291]

what's it the first too? I like that Kirk Douglas. great player.lol.

[@MrMartinmozz]

2:55:21 Great commentary from Ted :)

[@ENGLISHCHIEF1]

The reality here was that if Kirk had won, interest from the ladies would have boosted the game. Sadly every champion ever looked like a foot. Snooker is now dead. It was a great game but business doesn't do talent.

[@opencurtin]

Tue devils dandruff had other ideas ..

[@Bloxdio_God]

At the latter stages of the match Stevens jaw all over the place.

[@gdawgsuper758]

He was on the sniff at this point in his life

[@landshark147]

@@gdawgsuper758 So was JimmyW, AlexH, and many others!

[@elliotbullman4765]

Jimmy was throwing frames long before Higgins and Lee

[@opencurtin]

They recon he threw away few world titles some of the losses were very dodgy ..

[@TtTt-fj7wo]

สุดยอดมาก เป็นตำนานเลยนะ

[@sam29mill2]

4:30:55 Kirk was sick 🤢

[@dannydoyle7040]

Turning point came in frame 23. ANYONE else in the game at that time would have played safe, but Jimmy took on a very high tariff black along the cushion, knowing he would split the 2 reds that were together with the black. Nobody else in the game at the time, perhaps even today, takes on that black.

[@davidjatt3251]

No offence but this is finally one to get really excited about... lol

[@vule-ll8zu]

higgins at 3:30:26

[@mixolydian2010]

Remember michaela telling Ronnie off for rubbing his cue in a way she thought was offensive 41:11 ha ha we all know what he thought of that miss lol.

[@parsonsful]

David Vine legend

[@laganas2008]

Kirk has never owned a pair of black shoes.

[@johnsbox]

No respect to GDPR at the beginning