Forty years since Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins blew us away with second world snooker title

It was the second world championship victory for the Belfast man, who had won it previously in 1972 at a time when snooker had not quite captured the public imagination in the way that it would during its heyday in the 1980s.

And it was Higgins’ playing style, as well as his personality, that would help propel the game to the global phenomenon that it is today.

His speed and unorthodox but skilful style around the table earned him perhaps the sport’s most enduring nickname – the Hurricane.

The often controversial world champion was also famed for his volatile personality, and was once disciplined for headbutting a tournament official.

A heavy smoker and drinker, in June 1998 he was found to have throat cancer.

He passed away from various causes in Belfast in 2010.

The News Letter editor, Ben Lowry, remembers his famous 1982 world championship victory well.

“I was aged 10 when Higgins won and children in schools across Northern Ireland watched it with joy.

“Only older pupils would have remembered him winning in 1972, at the height of the Troubles, but the commentators kept referring to that earlier victory so we were all aware of it. Snooker was very popular at the time.

“The 1982 Higgins victory ushered in a thrilling period for Ulster sport, including Northern Ireland beating Spain in the World Cup later that summer, the Barry McGuigan boxing titles, and Dennis Taylor’s memorable final frame defeat of Steve Davis in 1985.

“Hurricane Higgins had a George Best quality which added to the drama: even as children we could see that he was a troubled genius, and it was wonderful to see him so happy that night, with his wife and daughter who came down from the audience to be with him by the snooker table as he collected the trophy.”