Latest news with #DennisTaylor
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Snooker legends meet seaside care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield. "Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before. "A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment." The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said. "I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More related stories Disabled snooker player 'blown away' by donations 'Snooker really saved my life' Snooker hopes to secure Paralympics return for 2032
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Snooker champions meet Great Yarmouth care home residents
Residents at a seaside care home have been treated to a visit from two former snooker world champions. Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty visited Eversley Lodge Nursing Home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to play snooker and share memories with residents. Their visit came 40 years after Taylor's big win in a memorable black-ball final at the 1985 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield."Here we are still loving every minute of it... It's a great bit of fun," Taylor said. Both players said they were not sure what they were in for when they headed to the home. "We didn't know what we were coming to, really. When we turned up we were so surprised... What a beautiful place," Taylor said. Doherty said: "It's brilliant... We haven't done many exhibitions in care homes before."A lot of people here would have watched snooker over the years and really enjoyed it, so it's great to see them in such a wonderful environment."The 1997 world champion reminisced about the last time he visited Norfolk's coastline. "It's been over 40 years since I was last here playing in the Home Junior International in Hemsby... I've always really enjoyed it here," he said. The care home's manager, Danielle Bullent, said a lot of work went into setting up the home for the exhibition. She said it took staff four hours to get the snooker table ready. Speaking about the anniversary of his championship win, Taylor, famous for his unique "upside-down" glasses, said he was glad people still talked about it. "Forty years on and people still turn their glasses upside down, raise an imaginary cue above their head and wag their finger at me," he said."I hope they keep doing it for many more years to come." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The greatest year in sports history? Why it has to be 1985
I've been putting this off for years, but the recent Live Aid nostalgia has pushed me over the edge. We've all had the debate in the pub about the greatest sporting year – no, just me then? – so I'm here to argue the case for 1985. After 40 years, it is time to tell 1985 that I'm crazy for you. There are, of course, many factors involved when it comes to picking your favourite sporting year. Allegiance matters. Therefore, Manchester United winning a treble, Europe collapsing in the Ryder Cup and Australia winning two World Cups means I don't want to party like it's 1999. Yet pushing all this irrational stuff to one side, there can be no doubting the credentials of 1985. Yes, it was a year when I didn't have a care in the world. Approaching the ripe old age of 10, I felt as if I spent that summer walking on sunshine, even if the weather was often dreary. It's easy to romanticise the past but hopefully the stories below dismiss the notion of all of this being wistful tosh. Where to begin with the year that Marty McFly was so desperate to get back to? Approximately 12.23am on the morning of 29 April at the Crucible and the black ball final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. Davis, a three-time world champion racing into an 8-0 lead against Taylor, the lovable Irishman with the unusual glasses. The comeback of all comebacks. The final frame, the final black. Ted Lowe's simple exclamation of 'no' as Davis fluffed his chance. Approximately 18.5 million watching on BBC 2 as Taylor celebrated and his local community were dancing in the street. It was a fine year for Northern Ireland in sport. Barry McGuigan boxed four times in six months, winning the world featherweight championship and the BBC Sports Personality award. The national football team also qualified for the World Cup, something they have not managed since. Timing is everything. If I had stumbled on cricket in 1989, I'm not sure I would have fallen in love with the sport so easily. If I was a Gen Z child, cricket might have passed me by completely. But 1985 provided the perfect ingredients. Success in the Ashes helped. Admittedly these were not vintage England and Australia teams, but winning the urn got me hooked on the sport, and from this point on I was trapped. That first summer, the joy of hearing Soul Limbo and listening to Richie Benaud, new heroes in Tim Robinson, David Gower, Allan Lamb, Ian Botham and Richard Ellison. The Wayne Phillips incident. It wasn't just the Test match scene that we could cherish in 1985. Most summers in the 1980s seemed to involve a nail-biting one-day final or two, with the 1985 NatWest Trophy final a fine example. Give me this any day over the tournaments we now have to endure every August. A wise man once said that timing is everything. I thought I was lucky enough to experience Seve Ballesteros winning at St Andrews for my first Open Championship in 1984, yet 12 months later Great Britain's search for a champion golfer ended with Sandy Lyle's triumph at Sandwich. And there was more to come. The Ryder Cup had been on the road to nowhere for decades before the introduction of European golfers in 1979 gradually turned the tide. At the Belfry in September 1985, 28 years of hurt ended as Sam Torrance sank the winning putt to seal Europe's victory. And like any young sports fan, I jumped on this glorious bandwagon. Things would never be the same again. Europe's win in 1985 helped to create the great event we see today. As we move closer to the 2025 Ryder Cup and Americans asking for appearance money, you may think 1985 has a lot to answer for. But those three days at the Belfry were glorious. Before Wimbledon 1985, my only real interaction with tennis had been viewing clips of John McEnroe moaning at umpires during tournaments, the 'you cannot be serious' shout a favourite of many impersonators at the time. Viewing Wimbledon for the first time, I fully expected McEnroe to win the tournament again. What I didn't cater for was a 17-year-old unseeded German arriving on the scene, playing tennis that seemed to be years ahead of its time. Boris Becker had won Queen's in the run-up to Wimbledon, so those in the know may have been aware of his abilities. Yet watching the young German dive around Centre Court, playing keepie-uppies with a tennis ball, and going all the way at Wimbledon added to that amazing sporting summer. I'm not going to completely bury my head in the sand. Not everything was perfect in 1985. Football was in a right mess. The horror of Heysel saw English clubs banned from Europe, with the tragedy of the Bradford fire highlighting the state of stadiums and disregard for fan safety. A TV blackout at the start of the 1985-86 season added to the despondency. But a fine team still emerged from this year of darkness. Liverpool's dominance was becoming boring to those outside Anfield, three consecutive league titles and three trophies in 1983-84 adding to their growing reputation. But the one trophy that got away in 1984 pointed the way to a new challenger. Everton winning the 1984 FA Cup completed a remarkable change of fortunes under Howard Kendall, and the momentum behind his superb team continued. A stunning unbeaten run propelled the team to their first league title since 1970 and the European Cup Winners' Cup. Sadly, the FA Cup final proved one match too many. It takes a lot for football fans to appreciate a rival. But what a team. What memories. One of the finest goalkeepers to have ever played the game; the Derek Mountfield and Kevin Ratcliffe. defensive partnership; that midfield quartet of Kevin Sheedy, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell and Trevor Steven; Goodison Park's finest night. Even their appearance on Wogan cannot take away any of the love and pride Kendall's team created for their supporters. Convinced yet? Well here are a few more memories as I completely drown in a sea of reminiscence. The classic Challenge Cup final; commentators such as Peter Alliss, Harry Carpenter, David Coleman, Barry Davies, John Motson, Ray French, Bill McLaren, Murray Walker, Richie Benaud, Sid Waddell, Ted Lowe, Brian Moore and Dan Maskell; A Question of Sport in its heyday. Nigel Mansell winning his first Grand Prix in an era of Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna; admittedly there were no major athletics championships, but what about Steve Cram breaking three world records in 19 days; unforgettable FA Cup semi-finals at neutral club grounds; the emergence of Mike Tyson; Marvin Hagler v Tommy Hearns! The BBC Sports Personality of the Year review summing up the year in a way that we can only dream of now. OK grandad, give it a rest. I'm sure you have your own favourite years and I would be delighted to hear about them in the comments below. I'm your man when it comes to arguing for 1985. I've probably crammed in a few too many song titles from that year into this article. But 1985, I'm saving all my love for you. This article is by Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Shaun Murphy clears up awkward Dennis Taylor moment as he admits 'I didn't understand'
Shaun Murphy clears up awkward Dennis Taylor moment as he admits 'I didn't understand' Shaun Murphy has opened up on his awkward exchange with BBC commentator Dennis Taylor during the World Snooker Championship final at the weekend Shaun Murphy has opened up on the tense moment with Dennis Taylor (Image: George Wood, Getty Images ) Shaun Murphy has confessed to being baffled by BBC commentator Dennis Taylor's remarks about Zhao Xintong during the World Championship. A particularly uncomfortable exchange between the snooker star and the broadcaster became something of a viral sensation following the weekend's final. Murphy, who was on co-commentary, quickly shot down Taylor after he suggested that he had friends who had never seen Zhao play and were shocked by his talent. 'They must be fairly new to the game then, Dennis, because we're watching a former UK champion here,' Murphy responded. Taylor hit back: "They don't live in the UK, Shaun, that's what I was saying." The clip of the conversation, in which the exchange was followed by a long silence from both men, was widely circulated on social media. Murphy has since disclosed that he discussed the comments with Taylor off-air, but remains perplexed by their meaning. The 42-year-old highlighted that the UK Championship, along with other tournaments won by Zhao, are viewed globally, reports the Express. "I still don't understand what the thing was. I don't know. Sometimes you wonder whether some of these things are lost in translation a little bit, between generations. I don't know if it was just a little throwaway funny line that Dennis thought he was saying," Murphy said on the OneFourSeven Snooker Podcast. Article continues below Shaun Murphy remains confused by Dennis Taylor's (pictured) comments about Zhao Xintong (Image: Getty ) "I don't know if it just got missed, but I didn't really understand what he meant. I did say that to him off-mic between frames because he [brought it up]. "I said, 'Sorry, I didn't really understand what you were trying to say. Xintong won the German Masters and the UK Championship [three] and [four] years ago'. The UK Championship, this isn't 1984, it gets watched in almost every single country around the world. "Last year, we had over a billion eyeballs on snooker throughout the season. A sixth or a seventh of the planet watched snooker at some stage last season. These might just be things that Dennis isn't aware of, and other people of his vintage, they're not aware of... I don't know. But I just didn't really understand, I didn't get it." Shaun Murphy endured an awkward moment with Taylor live on air (Image: Getty ) He continued: "I remember before I got involved in broadcasting, you'd hear certain people on certain channels making mistakes and saying things that were just incorrect. The one that gets me is when a commentator says, 'Oh, I haven't seen much of this player, I don't really know anything about this player'. And they wear it like a badge of honour. Article continues below "They say it as if it's a good thing. It's not a good thing because it makes it look like you're turning up, taking your wages and then leaving. You're not putting any effort in. I've pulled up a couple of my co-commentators in the past because it's not a good look. Even if you haven't seen this player, don't say it. Don't tell the world that you can't be bothered to do your job. "That wasn't the thing with Dennis. I still don't understand how that blew up as big as it did. There was a little ruffle of a laugh that went round The Crucible, which is why I went quiet. "Dennis is a friend of mine, it's no axe to grind with Dennis. Dennis and I, we haven't fallen out. There was no exchange of words. I think it was meant to be funny, but wasn't funny. It's not the first time Dennis has told a joke that wasn't funny."
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
‘I won the World Snooker Championship and then blew £50,000 on silly buy'
Dennis Taylor won the World Snooker Championship in 1985, narrowly beating Steve Davis in the final, and it didn't take him long to splash the cash after his Crucible success Dennis Taylor splashed out £50,000 on a swanky car following his World Snooker Championship win in 1985. The 76-year-old hailing from Coalisland, Northern Ireland, burst onto the scene in 1972. He secured his first and only world title 13 years later, narrowly defeating Steve Davis in the famous 18-17 black-ball final at the Crucible. Taylor pocketed a cool £60,000 cash prize for his win. However, he quickly put a significant dent in his winnings. The vast majority of them went on a sleek dark blue BMW 750, which cost £50k. Reflecting on his extravagant buy, he said: "I did allow myself one extravagant purchase after I won the world championship. I went and spent £50,000 on a car, and I couldn't believe I did it really. "When I thought back to when I first moved to England at 17, the first car I bought cost me £15. I often joke about it, it was the same price as a block of new chalk cost. "To spend £50,000 on a motorcar was a bit silly back then, but I suppose I earned it anyway." Taylor's 1985 World Championship victory wasn't without its trials as he trailed 9-1 against Davis at the Crucible before staging a comeback to clinch victory. After that memorable night in April four decades ago, he never managed to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the tournament. Davis, during his celebrated career, hoisted six World Championships of his own. His inaugural win came in 1981 and his final championship in 1989. It comes as Zhao Xintong clinched the 2025 World Championship on Monday evening, overcoming Mark Williams with an 18-12 win in the Crucible finale. The prodigy from China triumphed in 111 frames across nine matches, spanning a gruelling 29 days, including qualifiers, to lift the title and etch his name in history as the first Asian to claim the prestigious accolade. Reflecting on his Sheffield success, he told the BBC: "This is like a dream. I can't believe it. There was big pressure and big nerves. "I knew if I missed he could come back quickly. I was so nervous tonight. Mark is still a top player and put me under so much pressure. He's the best." With this monumental win, Zhao pocketed a whopping £500,000 prize and catapulted to 11th in the world rankings, setting a robust precedent for the 2025/26 season.
