25 Quotes by John Virgo

The better players need to be out there in front of a big crowd, the TV cameras, with the adrenaline going. That is a test for any player to be able to do it on the big stage.

The game really started in 1969 with Pot Black, but in 1970, along came Alex Higgins and the game took off.

People often talk about George Best and Alex Higgins as two similar personalities... but the truth is that Best did not like Alex.

I was born in March 1946, almost exactly 10 months after V-E Day, so I imagine my parents got carried away when peace was declared.

It took my parents years to save up for 'luxuries' like a fridge or a television, and we were always among the last in the street to get them.

In 1983, I played in a new tournament called the Professional Snooker League. I won eight of my 11 matches, beating Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and Dennis Taylor, among others.

When my father retired, all he did was twiddle his thumbs. I don't want to go down that road. As long as I'm still in demand, I'll work.