Aug 29

Aug 29 Ray Reardon: Snookers First Superstar

Ray Reardon - The first superstar of snooker

Before any of the modern greats that we know and love came along, there was Ray Reardon, a man who helped to forge the sport into the worldwide phenomenon it is today.

He dominated the professional game during the 1970s and is remembered by many as the first dominant player of the modern era.

The Early Life of Ray Reardon

Reardon’s story is a truly heartwarming one. He was born and raised in the coal mining village of Tredegar in Monmouthshire, Wales where he began working in the pits at just 14 years old. At around the same age, it is rumoured that Reardon turned down a place at grammar school so he could concentrate on playing snooker.

An incident which saw him stuck in the mine for 3 hours while a rescue team dug them out, made the Welshman reconsider his career path. He would go on to quit mining and become a policeman.

Reardon spent his whole childhood and teenage years playing snooker in his spare time, and dreaming of one day turning pro. He won various amateur championships including the Welsh 5 years in a row in the early ‘50s.

In 1966 Reardon took place in an invitational tour of South Africa where he impressed so much, he finally got offered the chance to go pro in 1967 at the age of 35.

The Professional Career of Ray Reardon

It was in 1969 that Reardon really made a name for himself across the country. He played in and won the first-ever ‘Pot Black’ which was a tournament organised and televised by the BBC which is credited in helping to give snooker the great popularity it still experiences today.

It is fair to say that Reardon never looked back from this moment on and he went on to win the World Championship on just his second appearance in the tournament in 1970 by winning a mammoth match against former World Champion John Pulman 37-33.

His next World Championship win would come in 1973 which would go on to be the start of a period of unprecedented dominance of the world game. He won 17 World Championship matches in a row, clinching 4 Championships in the process to make him a 5-time World Champion.

Reardon would eventually be defeated by John Spencer in 1997 but bounced back to win his 6th and final World Championship in 1998.

It was during the 1976/77 season that the Snooker World Rankings were introduced, and Reardon was dubbed the first-ever World No. 1, a position he would not relinquish until 1982. At the age of 51, he would go on to be granted the honour one more time in 1983.

One of the things that really sets Reardon out from the crowd was his ability to remain competitive amongst the world’s best players well into his 50s. This is especially true when you consider that the 1980s were dominated by the great Steve Davis, who Reardon managed to not just beat in his prime, but whitewash on two occasions.

To achieve what Reardon did having only turned professional at the age of 35 is truly an anomaly. To win 6 World Championships is a great achievement in any sport by anyone, but to do it in predominantly your 40’s is the sign of a true great.

Reardon’s Greatest Moment – 6th and Final World Championship

Ray Reardon’s 6th and final World Championship in 1978 was remarkable for a number of reasons. Firstly, the 1977 edition was disappointing for Reardon as he was eliminated in just the quarterfinal, which was his first loss in 5 years at Snookers top tournament.

At the age of 45, there would have been many questioning whether Reardon still had what it took to perform at the top of the World game. His answer was resounding, beating Pierre Mans 25-18 in the final.

If there was any more proof needed that Ray Reardon’s is one of the most talented players in the history of World Snooker, this is it. At the grand old age of 45 years and 6 months, Reardon remains the oldest snooker World Champion ever.

Ray Readeron died on the 19th July 2024, and will be forever celebrated as a giant of the game of snooker.