UK Championship Semi Final 1982 Alex Higgins v Ray Reardon (Part 1) Part 2 is in a separate video

[@deant9606]

Marvellous stuff.

[@TheMattTempest]

Interesting to hear Everton say here that Higgins' game has slowed down a bit since the late '70s. It's still breakneck speed. Shame there's so little footage of 1970s snooker (although I'm very grateful for all this 1980s stuff!)

[@ianwilliamson2980]

A lovely moment there at the end Alex talking to ray as they say waiting for John street to set up the balls.timeless memories .

[@GHOSTDOG637]

The referee is of course John Smyth (a former London Underground driver and 6 time Piccadily line champion). Smyth officiated at the first Crucible final in '77 and Higgins' second world title in '82. He also famously refereed the legendary '84 Masters semi-final between Jimmy White and Kirk Stevens. The story below puts the maximum in the match and Kirk hugging Smyth immediately afterwards into some context. With John Street, John Williams and Len Ganley they were the main referees in the 70's, 80's and 90's. In my opinion, Smyth was second only to Len Ganley and I think this was due to them both being century break players so instinctively sided with the player whereas the other where more officious. "I'd got to know Kirk when he first came over", Smyth remembered in 1998. "He didn't have much money, so I used to drive him to the exhibitions around the country for about 18 months, while he got himself settled. "There were something like 2,500 people packed into the arena, some of them standing. Kirk and Jimmy were such popular players that the atmosphere was incredible. It was like nothing else."

[@ianwilliamson2980]

@@GHOSTDOG637 yes it is Smythe right enough I mixed them up somehow.yeah these four did it all really then came Alan Chamberlain and yander Hass and co.john Virgo and his wife Avril kept Kirk at their house when he was had drug problems a very kind thing to do I thought.

[@darren2514fv]

1982-83 was the calm before the storm Higgins, Spencer, Griffiths and Reardon 4 men who won the World title and dominated Snooker in the 1970s were all on the Indian Summer of their careers with the emergence of the young stars that would go on to dominate the rest of the 1980s namely Davis, White, Taylor, Knowles, Stevens, Thornburn,

[@concam63]

Young stars ? Thorburn and Taylor were older plus also competed against Higgins in the 1970s.

[@GrooveStation1]

I went to The Guild Hall many many times to watch snooker during this time but it is only now I realise just how tight they made the playing area. No wonder the players could chat with each other whilst still sat down! The Guild Hall is a vast space and regularly held qualifiers from 85 onwards with 8 tables in action at the same time. I used to wonder around the balcony at the back as a kid and just float from table to table.

[@digeme69]

I went there once only in 1986 to see Bill Werbeniuk play Barry West in the World Championship qualifiers and agree it was a pretty big space!

[@joriah69]

Fab!..a footnote…notice how Ray keeps his chalk in the left hand waistcoat pocket, takes itmout, passes to right hand, chalks, passes chalk to left hand, back in left hand pocket…saw him chat about it once,..I do this also!, quite unusual but feels right hehe, cheers..

[@parksyist]

Rays deadly pink shirt

[@JongleurJ10]

Blue at the end of frame 5. Higgins the brave.

[@spleeeen4it]

What a class act ray is

[@johnmc3862]

Referee John Smyth.

[@ianwilliamson2980]

Interesting only ray Reardon is still alive out of everyone talking in this video.

[@TheMattTempest]

Clive Everton's still alive, thank goodness. His book on the politics behind the game is an eye-opener. Snooker's been lucky to have him.

[@freesteamer3462]

By Winning the World Championship this lets you wear the coveted leather waist coat for a year

[@brianerskine2220]

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