Former snooker world champion Terry Griffiths has died aged 77 after “a prolonged battle with dementia”, his household has mentioned.
Griffiths’ son Wayne wrote on Fb: “To our mates and snooker followers usually, we’re deeply saddened to share the information of our loss.
“Terry Griffiths OBE handed away peacefully on 1st December, after a prolonged battle with dementia. He was surrounded by his household in his beloved home-town in South Wales.
“A proud Welshman, Terry was born in Llanelli, introduced delight to Llanelli and now he has discovered peace in Llanelli. He wouldn’t have had it every other method.”
A ‘triple crown’ profession
Born in 1947, Griffiths began enjoying snooker on the age of 13. He additionally labored as a miner when he was 15, and later had jobs as a bus conductor, a postman, and an insurance coverage agent.
Impressed by fellow Welsh snooker participant Ray Reardon – a six-time world champion who died in July – Griffiths turned skilled and later received the World Championship in 1979 as a qualifier.
He went on to finish snooker’s illustrious “triple crown” – one in all solely 11 gamers to take action – by profitable the Masters in 1980 after which the UK Championship in 1982.
Griffiths stayed on the prime finish of the game throughout the Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties, reaching a minimum of the quarter-finals of the World Championship for 9 straight years, and reaching the ultimate once more in 1988.
After retiring in 1997, Griffiths grew to become a coach, inspiring the likes of Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams and Mark Allen. He additionally acquired an OBE in 2007 for companies to snooker.
‘A legend of a person’
Williams – a three-time world champion – was among the many first to pay tribute on social media, describing Griffiths as a “mentor, coach, pal, legend”.
Allen additionally mentioned on social media: “What a legend of a person who helped form my profession and life each on and off the desk.
“Completely heartbroken. He wasn’t only a coach, he was household.”
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After profitable the UK Championship on Sunday, present world primary Judd Trump mentioned: “It’s extremely unhappy information. He’s a legend of the sport.
“Terry was a really witty man. At any time when I used to be on the Welsh Open, he would come over and make a joke. I had a very good reference to him.
“It’s arduous to attach with a few of the older technology however he was somebody I felt I might get together with. It’s a unhappy day for Welsh sport.”
In 2020 when requested about his coiffure that appeared just like the Welshman’s, Trump mentioned: “I wish to be like Terry Griffiths. Hopefully I can play as gradual as him in the future as properly.”
Former world champion Shaun Murphy additionally mentioned: “Simply listening to the information that Terry Griffiths has handed away. My deepest condolences to his household and family members.”
The Welsh Billiards and Snooker Affiliation – of which Griffiths was president – added it was “deeply saddened” and sends its “deepest condolences to Terry’s household”.