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[Other Sport] RIP Willie Thorne



Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
Sadly passed away, fantastic snooker player in his time and great character

RIP :angel:
 


Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
23,089
Sussex by the Sea
Amazing when he used to recall how his gambling got him in the doo-doos.

He was commentating on a game where his bet was going up in smoke.

Real character, RIP.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patreon
Oct 8, 2003
49,331
Faversham
Big pals with Lineker, wasn't he?
 


blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
A sad loss to the snooker world.
 








OzMike

Well-known member
Oct 2, 2006
12,891
Perth Australia
One of the characters of the day in snooker, we don't have them anymore and the old guard are getting fewer, RIP.
 


















Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Apr 30, 2013
13,763
Herts
It was only earlier this morning that I read about him being in an induced coma in hospital in Spain being treated with 3 different antibiotics for 3 different infections. I thought at the time that it didn't sound good. Very unfortunately, it's proven to be the case far too quickly.

I used to watch snooker on the tv with my Grandmother, who just loved it (almost as much as she loved wrestling). Willie was her favourite player and, through osmosis, became mine too. Apparently a really nice chap as well as being a very good snooker player.

RIP Willie.
 




Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
5,373
Very sad, just reading about his gambling addiction and how it had blighted him throughout his life. Gambling debts of over a million pounds which led to a suicide attempt, he likened the Fixed Odds Terminals in the betting shops to crack cocaine.

Again highlights that gambling is equally as damaging as hard drugs and alcohol, yet that fact gets swept under the carpet as addicts are constantly bombarded with betting options.

But lets not stop people's lives get in the way of making money!

RIP Willie
 


DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jan 3, 2012
16,536
Big pals with Lineker, wasn't he?

Both from Leicester, I believe.

My brother used to be the spitting image of Willie Thorne, and was actually mistaken for him once or twice. He wasn't as good at snooker, though. Always liked Mr Thorne. I was never aware of the gambling thing with him.... not that it would have made me dislike him.
 


Lankyseagull

One Step Beyond
Jul 25, 2006
1,839
The Field of Uck
Had the pleasure of listening to Willie Thorne doing an after dinner speech at a Sports Club Dinner in Winchester years ago. He had everyone in stitches with some of his tales from the 'unseen' side of tournament snooker and his life. Engaging and funny man. RIP.
 






Lego-Stand

Active member
Nov 6, 2003
282
RIP Willie , I bumped into him once in Sheffield a really charming man. I liked his commentary too . I think the book describing his battle against his gambling addiction was called Double or quits...
 





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