Barry Hearn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barry Hearn
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Hearn at the Snooker German Masters, 2015
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| Born | 19 June 1948 Dagenham, England
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| Occupation | Sports promoter |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Organization | Matchroom Sport |
| Known for | Sports promotion (boxing, darts, football, snooker, table tennis) |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Hearn |
| Children | 2, including Eddie |
Barry Maurice William Hearn OBE was born on June 19, 1948. He is a British sports promoter. He is famous for starting and leading Matchroom Sport. Through Matchroom, Barry Hearn has helped many sports grow. These include boxing, snooker, darts, pool, tenpin bowling, golf, table tennis, and fishing. He used to be the chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. He also led the Leyton Orient F.C. football club for many years.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Barry Hearn grew up in Dagenham, Essex, on a council estate. His family later moved to Loughton. He went to Buckhurst Hill County High School. As a teenager, he started several small businesses. He did everything from washing cars to picking fruits and vegetables.
After studying, Hearn became an accountant. He then worked as a finance director for a design company. Later, he started his own investment firm.
Career in Sports Promotion
Snooker: The Big Boom
In the early 1970s, Barry Hearn bought a snooker hall in Romford, Greater London. Around the same time, the BBC started showing snooker on TV in color. This made snooker very popular, and many people wanted to play. Hearn saw this chance and bought more snooker halls. This was the start of his career in promoting sports.
He began promoting snooker events in 1974. In 1976, he became the manager of Steve Davis. Steve Davis became a huge star, winning the World Championship six times!
The 1980s were a big time for snooker. Hearn formed Matchroom with players like Steve Davis and Tony Meo. Other famous snooker players who joined Matchroom included Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Hearn even appeared in the music video for "Snooker Loopy" by Chas & Dave!
In 2009, Hearn became the new chairman of the WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association). He later took control of the commercial side of snooker. His goal was to make the game even more popular.
Boxing: From the Ring to the Screen
Barry Hearn moved into boxing in 1987. His first big boxing event was a fight between Frank Bruno and Joe Bugner. He sold the TV rights for this fight to London Weekend Television.
Since then, Hearn has promoted many top British and Irish boxers. These include famous names like Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, and Naseem Hamed.
In 2008, Hearn started the Prizefighter series. This was a knockout tournament for boxers. Today, his son Eddie Hearn helps manage the boxing part of the business.
Darts: Unifying the Game
Until 2021, Hearn was the chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The sport of darts had been split into two main groups since 1992. Hearn tried several times to bring the two groups together. He wanted to unify the game of darts.
Football: Saving Leyton Orient
From 1995 to 2014, Barry Hearn was the chairman of the football club Leyton Orient. When he took over, the club was in financial trouble. Hearn stepped in and invested his own money. This helped save the club and secure its future.
During his time, Leyton Orient had a long run in the fourth tier of English football. But in the 2005–06 season, they earned promotion to the third tier. This was their first automatic promotion in many years.
In 2017, Hearn left his role at Leyton Orient. He disagreed with the new owner, who he said was not paying players and staff.
Fishing: A Unique TV Show
Barry Hearn loves to fish. He came up with the idea for a TV show called "Fish-o-Mania." He first offered the idea to a TV channel, but they turned him down. Then, he sold the idea to Sky Sports. "Fish-o-Mania" became a very successful TV show that has been running for many years.
Personal Life and Achievements
Barry Hearn is married to Susan, and they have two children, Katie and Eddie Hearn. After facing some financial and health challenges in the past, he became a very successful multi-millionaire.
In 2021, Hearn was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This was for his great work in sports. In the same year, he was also added to the Professional Darts Corporation Hall of Fame.
