Jimmy White

 

Brief Biography

"Jimmy White carries the mantle of being one of the most popular players the game has ever seen. Although now 39 years of age, he remains for many the perennial Peter Pan of snooker, the local London boy with the impish grin and precocious talent. Ever since his first world final appearance in 1984, he has been burdened with the tag of the greatest player never to win the world championship - and as the years go by seems less and less likely to shake it. He has been runner-up on six occasions in total. Aside from the world championship, White's record is phenomenal. He won his first major professional event in 1981 and can still compete with the very best in the game. In January 2000, he helped his English team to victory in the Nations Cup. Although he slipped out of the top 16 for the second time in May 2000, he was well placed on the provisional rankings. Last season he reached the final of the British Open and the semi-finals of the Grand Prix to boost his ranking, but was bitterly disappointed when he failed to qualify for The Crucible. It was White's father, Tommy, who first introduced Jimmy to the game when he was 11 years old. The youngster was hooked and school quickly went out of the window as he spent hour after hour on table. So quick was White to master the game, that within a year he had made his first century, and was hustling around the clubs of London. He won the British Under-16 title when he was 15, added the English Amateur title in 1979 and in Tasmania in 1980 he became the youngest-ever world amateur champion - a record which stood for many years - before turning professional. A gallant loser, White could have made the final of the world championship in 1982, but for an extraordinary performance by Alex Higgins in the last two frames of their semi-final. White was also on the receiving end of the only ever 147 in the B&H Masters when Canadian Kirk Stevens compiled the magical break in 1984. But he also has many great successes in his past - and in his future too, if his fans get their way. White compiled the second ever maximum at The Crucible in 1992 during a golden spell when he came close to threatening Stephen Hendry at the top of the world rankings. He led Hendry 14-8 in the final of the world championship that year only to fall foul of a legendary Hendry comeback, and lost ten frames in a row to lose the final 18-14. Ever the sporting type, White's reaction to losing a fourth consecutive final at the Crucible was to announce that Stephen Hendry was "beginning to annoy" him. Now back in the top 16 - and easily its oldest member - it remains to be seen how White will compete. Jimmy is married to Maureen, a childhood sweetheart and they have four daughters, Lauren, Ashley, Georgia and Breeze and in 1998 they added a son to the collection, Tommy Tiger, named in honour of Jim's dad, his ever-present supporter on the circuit. Other high profile supporters include Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who can frequently be seen at venues watching Jimmy's matches. He is also a great supporter of Chelsea Football Club."

 

TOURNAMENT VICTORIES

1992 - UK Championship

1988 - Canadian Masters

1986, 1992 - Grand Prix

1987, 1992 - British Open

1992 - European Open

1987, 1991 - Classic 1984 - B&H Masters

1985, 1986 - B&H Irish Masters

1981 - Scottish Masters

 

 

FACTS

Jimmy White (MBE) was born on May 2nd, 1962 in London, England.

As an amateur he won the 1978 English Amateur Championship and the 1980 World Amateur Championship, turning professional in that year.

This season, he is ranked 11, thanks to a great start last year that he sadly didn't keep up.
Thanks to Steven Hendry, Jimmy has never been ranked number 1, his best efforts getting him second place in the world.

Nicknamed the "Whirlwind", Jimmy has lost the Embassy World Final six times, on four occassions to Stephen Hendry, once to Steve Davis and once to John Parrott.

Still, he has 22 tournament victories to his name, has made 169 career centuries, and was only the second player to attain a maximum 147 break at the Crucible, in 1992.

He has also defeated Stephen Hendry at his best in two classic matches, once in a hard fought 13-12 victory in 1988, and again in a shock return to form in 1998.

He is the most popular player because of his great natural talent, his flamboyant style and his amazing sportsmanship and easy going character.

JIMMY AND THE CRUCIBLE

It has been said that the theme of Jimmy Whites' entire career at the Crucible was defined when he lost the Embassy Semi-final in 1982 against Alex Higgins. Leading 15-13 and seemingly on his way to victory, a fresh faced 19 year old Jimmy saw his hopes dashed by an amazing 72 break and (in the next frame) an astonsihing 69 clearance from 0-59 down by Higgins that at several points seemed impossible to continue. Somehow, Higgins took the decider as well, winning all three remaining frames and stealing the match in an amazing reversal of fortune. Had Jimmy won, he would have gone on to the final, and perhaps the entire course of his career would have been altered.

Then in 1984, Jimmy made himself another real chance at the World title. Sadly, when matched in the final against the now dominating power of Steve Davis (now returning to defend his 1983 title) Jimmy quickly fell behind and seemed hopelessly outmatched at 12-4 down. However, though he did eventually lose the match, he also surprised everyone by beginning the second day with a 119 break and winning 7 out of 8 frames in the third session, nearly toppling Davis. Jimmy fought on, going from 13-11, 15-11, and 16-12 down to win three more frames, taking the match to 16-15 before going down 17-15, 17-16 and finally running out of frames to catch up in and losing at a respectable 18-16 down.

For another chance, Jimmy had to wait until 1990, but this time the new King of the table Stephen Hendry bestest him in an 18-12 victory that only lastest six hours and three minutes. Hendry compiled a break of 108 in the last frame of the first day to lead 9-7 and won the first four of the third session in just 45 minutes. White, who had beaten Steve Davis 16-14 in the semis, never recovered.
Jimmy had found the best form of his career, and would continue to play great snooker for the several 'golden years' to follow but each time, Stephen Hendry would be there, and Jimmy would never attain the glory he tirelessly strived to attain.

In 1991, Jimmy tried in vain to capture the title, but John Parrott produced one of the finest sessions ever seen at the Crucible in claiming a 7-0 lead, a margin that remained as Parrott claimed an 18-11 victory. Jimmy had reduced the lead to 7-11 but never closed the gap any further than that.

Then in the next two years Jimmy suffered a pair of tragic defeats at the hands of Hendry, who first won 10 successive frames from 14-8 down in the 1992 final, and then simply 'blew away' Jimmy with a session to spare at 18-5 in the following year. White, though playing the best snooker he was ever likely to play, would never use it to take the Embassy crown.

Finally, in 1994 the White - Hendry final went down to a decider at 17-17. Jimmy's chances looked great, beginning a clearance that seemed fairly straightforward and then suddenly to the despair of perhaps even Stephen Hendry, inexplicably missed a straight black off its spot and left the table knowing he wasn't getting back off his seat until the match was over. Hendry ruthlessly cleared up to claim his fourth world title, and Jimmy never made it to the Crucible final again.