6.1.11

MASTERS MOMENTS: THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT

In the 1980s, a triumvirate of Canadians played their part in the snooker boom that put the game front and centre in millions of British living rooms as a constant television presence.

They were three very different men: Cliff Thorburn, a Tom Selleck lookalike and arch grinder, Bill Werbeniuk, a gargantuan beer guzzler, and Kirk Stevens, a heart throb in a white suit.

Stevens was stylish, exciting and a great talent. His Saturday Night Fever attire, good looks and confidence made him a natural crowd favourite.

There had, by the time of the 1984 Masters, been only two televised maximums. Steve Davis made the first at the 1982 Lada Classic; Thorburn compiled the second at the 1983 World Championship.

Among the Wembley audience for the Jimmy White v Stevens semi-final was Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, in town and keen to see what the fuss surrounding snooker amounted to. Needless to say, he found out.

It had been an entertaining semi-final up to that point played in a great spirit between two close friends.

After eight frames, White led 5-3. Early in frame nine Stevens knocked in a mid range red, quickly developed a few more and went about taking reds with blacks until it became apparent the perfect run was on.

Down to the colours and the hard work began. Stevens needed the rest for the yellow and came wrong side of the green, meaning he needed to take the cue ball around the table for the brown.

He played the shot perfectly, or very nearly, but still finished wrong side of the blue, leaving himself the pink to the green pocket.

He potted it, running the cue ball off the baulk cushion the full length of the table before it bounced off the top cushion to leave Stevens nicely on the black.

And then, pandemonium. He hugged the referee, John Smyth, and then White before collapsing in his chair, the cheers of the capacity crowd ringing around Wembley Conference Centre.

He didn’t win the match – White made a century of his own in the next frame – but the break is forever etched into snooker memory and it took 23 years for there to be another 147 at the Masters, courtesy of Ding Junhui in 2007.

Sadly, Stevens would develop a cocaine habit that nearly killed him and brought his career to a premature end.

In terms of titles it was unfulfilled but his maximum is still fondly remembered as one of those great moments in a sport full of great moments.

Stevens was introduced to the Wembley crowd before the 1999 Masters final as the tournament celebrated its 25th anniversary. As he was warmly applauded into the arena he had to wipe away a tear.

No doubt he was thinking of that Saturday in 1984 and perhaps what might have been too.

12 comments:

snooker147 said...

Shame Kirk Stevens got involved in what he did. He was a good snooker player, he could have won a major title probably. About the 1985 BritishOpen Final why was it so controvesial?

Redandblackblog said...

Wasn't there more to the Sutherland story?

Betty Logan said...

Was that the time when Silvino Francisco accused Stevens of being "as high as a kite"? Francisco was fined for bringing the game into disrepute before Stevens' cocaine addiction was exposed. Maybe someone can tell us, did Francisco get his fine refunded after it all came out?? How times have changed...25 years ago cocaine was the height of decadence and these days it's the party drug of choice!

Betty Logan said...

Apparently the Sutherland story goes something like he just came in to watch one frame, and that frame was the max. Sutherland apparently said afterwards there didn't seem to be much to the game! I don't know how much truth there is to the details of that story, it's probably been embellished over the years. Fantastic actor though...Klute/Invasion of the Body Snatchers/Don't Look Now/MASH/Casanova...

Anonymous said...

it MIGHT be your party drug of choice betsy, but i dont do drugs at all, so tar yourself if you wish. not me.

shame ks and his career has a cloud over anything he did as many dont give credit in case he was using....

Matt said...

Kirk Stevens did well butr drugs got the better of him it was a big story when the 1985 Dulux British Open and Francisco accusing Stevens and it was on the front page of the Daily Star i think it was.

Kirk reached the semi-finals of the World Championship at the age of 21.

Matt said...

Stevens 147 was brillant. He was an popular player/ Not many people reach a world championship semi at the age of 21

DavisFan said...

Shame we don't have any snooker players in Canada isn't it?

Leon said...

Shame our once great sport is riddle by drug and gamble problem. Even 30 years ago there was problematic player.

Player like Stevens and Higgin (John) bring the game bad name. So do many other.

Anonymous said...

That semi-final against White is one of my best memories of the 80s snooker era. Stevens makes a 147 and White clears the table with a century in the next frame with extravagant exhibition flourishes on the final colours.

I always bracket Kirk Stevens with Alex Higgins and Jimmy White as my favourite players from that era. It's a shame the drugs messed his career up, but I was very glad to hear he is appearing in the Snooker Legends this year.

Betty Logan said...

Shame our once great sport is riddle by drug and gamble problem.

Ah the 70s, when drugs and match-fixing were unheard of in the world of snooker...

Joe Davis' nickname was the "Emperor of Pot" you know ;)

Anonymous said...

betsy, if you believe this:

Ah the 70s, when drugs and match-fixing were unheard of in the world of snooker...


there is something very very wrong with you