John Parrott facts for kids
Parrott in October 2008
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| Born | 11 May 1964 Liverpool, England |
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| Sport country |  England |
| Professional | 1983–2010 |
| Highest ranking | 2 (1989/90, 1992/93–1993/94) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 9 |
| World Champion | 1991 |
John Stephen Parrott (born 11 May 1964) is a famous English former professional snooker player. He won the 1991 World Snooker Championship, which is a very important snooker tournament. John Parrott was one of the best players in the late 1980s and 1990s. He stayed in the top 16 world rankings for 14 years in a row. After he stopped playing professionally, he became a snooker commentator and expert for TV.
John Parrott reached the final of the World Snooker Championship twice. In 1989, he lost to Steve Davis. This was a big loss, 3–18, one of the biggest in a world championship final. But two years later, he won the 1991 World Snooker Championship! He beat Jimmy White in that final. Later that same year, he also beat Jimmy White to win the 1991 UK Championship. This made him one of only six players ever to win both big championships in the same year.
John Parrott reached his highest world ranking, number two, three times. This was in 1989–90, 1992–93, and 1993–94. During his career, he made over 200 "century breaks." A century break is when a player scores 100 points or more in one turn. After retiring from playing, John became a commentator and expert for the BBC. He also presented horse racing shows and was a regular on the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport.
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John Parrott's Early Life and Start in Snooker
John Parrott was born in Liverpool, England, on 11 May 1964. He grew up with his aunt and uncle from age four. John first learned about snooker from his father when he was 11. Before that, he loved playing bowls.
He played in junior snooker championships and did very well. He was second in the English Under-16s Championship in 1979 and 1980. In 1981, he won the Pontins Junior Championship. The next year, he won the Pontins Open, a big tournament with over 1,000 players. He also won the televised Junior Pot Black championship in 1982.
John became a professional snooker player in 1983 when he was 19. He had a great last year as an amateur, winning 14 tournaments. This included another Junior Pot Black title.
John Parrott's Professional Snooker Career
John Parrott started his professional career in 1983. His first TV appearance as a pro was in the 1984 Classic tournament. He surprised everyone by beating famous player Alex Higgins 5–2. He then beat Tony Knowles before losing to Steve Davis in a very close match.
He qualified for the World Snooker Championship on his first try. He reached the quarter-finals, losing to Dennis Taylor. By the end of his first year, he was ranked 20th in the world. In 1987, he entered the top 16 world rankings for the first time.
Reaching Finals and Big Wins
In 1988, John Parrott reached his first major final at the Classic. He lost to Steve Davis 11–13. The next year, he was second in four more events. He lost to Davis again in the 1988 World Matchplay final. He also lost to Stephen Hendry in the 1989 Masters final.
He played Steve Davis again in the final of the 1989 World Snooker Championship. John lost 3–18, which was the biggest loss in a World Championship final. Because the match ended early, he had to play an extra game for the fans. He finished that season as world number two, right behind Steve Davis.
John won his first big title at the 1989 European Open. He beat Terry Griffiths 9–8 in a close final. He won the European Open again in 1990, beating Stephen Hendry 10–6. He reached the Masters final for a second time in 1990, but lost to Hendry again.
World Champion and More Titles
In 1991, John Parrott reached the World Championship final once more. He beat tough players like Nigel Gilbert, Tony Knowles, Terry Griffiths, and Steve Davis. In the final, he played Jimmy White and took a strong 7–0 lead. He won the match 18–11, becoming the World Champion!
After his World Championship win, John kept winning. He won the 1991 Dubai Classic and his second Triple Crown event, the 1991 UK Championship. He beat Jimmy White again in that final, 16–13. He was only the third player to win both the UK and World Championships in the same year. He ended the 1991-92 season as World Number two again.
In 1992, John Parrott reached four major finals. He won the 1992 Dubai Classic again, beating Hendry in a deciding frame. However, he lost the 1992 UK Championship to Jimmy White and the Masters to Stephen Hendry. This was his last Masters final. He also lost the 1992 Strachan Open final to James Wattana. He finished this season as world number two for the third and final time.
The next season, John won the 1994 International Open, beating James Wattana. Later in 1994, he reached the European Open final for the third time, but lost to Hendry. He did win the European Open again in 1996, beating Peter Ebdon. That same season, he won the 1995 Thailand Classic for the third time, beating Nigel Bond.
Over the next two seasons, John reached three more ranking event finals. He lost the 1997 European Open and 1997 German Open finals to John Higgins. He also lost the 1998 Thailand Masters final to Stephen Hendry. This was his last ranking event final.
John Parrott was in the top 16 snooker world rankings for 14 years in a row, from 1987 to 2001. For 11 of those years, he was in the top 6. He was the captain of the England team that won the 2000 Nations Cup.
At the 2007 World Snooker Championship, he reached the last 16. He also made history in 1992 by being the first player to win a World Championship match 10–0. This is called a "whitewash." He beat Eddie Charlton in the first round of the 1992 tournament. He held this record for 27 years until Shaun Murphy did it in 2019.
John Parrott retired from professional snooker in 2010. This was after he lost to Zhang Anda in the World Championship Qualifiers. He played in the 2011 World Seniors Championship and the 2012 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, but then fully retired.
Other snooker players respected John Parrott's skills. Ronnie O'Sullivan said John was a "great match player" who was very brave. He felt John was the only player who could truly compete with Stephen Hendry before other top players came along.
John Parrott on Television
After his playing career, John Parrott became a popular pundit and commentator for snooker on BBC Sport. From 1996 to 2002, he was a team captain on the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport. He was on the show with football player Ally McCoist. John also loves horse racing, and he was part of the BBC's team that presented horse racing coverage.
John Parrott's Personal Life
In 1996, John Parrott received an MBE award from the Queen. This was for his charity work in the Merseyside area. In 2008, he started his own online store called John Parrott Cue Sports. It sold snooker and pool cues. Later, in 2019, it was renamed John Parrott Sports.
John is a big fan of the football team Everton F.C.. He is also the brother-in-law of former Everton player Duncan Ferguson. In 2010, John Parrott became the Honorary Patron of the British Crown Green Bowling Association.
Images for kids
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Parrott in October 2008
See also
In Spanish: John Parrott para niños
