John Virgo facts for kids
Virgo in 2003
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| Born | 4 March 1946 Salford, Lancashire, England |
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| Sport country |  England |
| Professional | 1976–1994 |
| Highest ranking | 10 (1979/80) |
| Best ranking finish | Semi-final (x4) |
John Trevor Virgo was born on March 4, 1946. He is an English snooker player who used to play professionally. He is also a well-known sports commentator for snooker.
John Virgo became a professional snooker player in 1976. He won four big titles during his career. These included the 1979 UK Championship, the 1980 Bombay International, and the 1984 Professional Snooker League. He was one of the top 16 players in the world for seven seasons.
He also reached the semi-finals of important tournaments like the 1986 British Open and the 1979 World Snooker Championship. He was a runner-up at the 1980 Champion of Champions and the 1984 Australian Masters. John Virgo stopped playing professional snooker in 1994.
After his playing career, Virgo became famous for his work with the BBC. He co-presented the TV show Big Break from 1991 to 2002. He also works as a snooker commentator for the channel. In 2023, he was added to the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. This is a special group for important people in snooker.
Contents
John Virgo's Snooker Journey
Starting as a Professional Player (1976–1978)
John Virgo first played in a major tournament in 1973. This was the American Pool Tournament for The Indoor League. He reached the semi-finals there.
He became a professional snooker player in 1976. At that time, players like Ray Reardon and John Spencer were very famous. Even though he was 30, John Virgo was still one of the younger players on the snooker circuit. In 1977, he made it to the semi-finals of the 1977 UK Championship. He lost a very close match by just one frame.
Winning the UK Championship and Top 10 Ranking (1979–1990)
John Virgo's best time as a snooker player was in 1979. He reached the semi-finals of the 1979 World Snooker Championship. After that, he won the 1979 UK Championship. This was a huge win, even though it wasn't a ranking event back then.
On his way to the final, he beat famous players like Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. In the final, he played against the world champion, Terry Griffiths. John Virgo won the match, even after losing two frames due to a misunderstanding about the game's start time. He reached his highest ranking, world number 10, in the 1979–80 season.
In 1986, Virgo reached the semi-finals of the 1986 British Open. He finished the 1989–90 season as world number 14. However, he dropped out of the top 16 players the next season.
Later Career and Retirement (1991–1995)
In 1993, John Virgo tried to qualify for the main events of the Grand Prix and the UK Championship. He didn't make it to the main events. John Virgo officially retired from playing professional snooker in 1994.
In 2023, John Virgo was honored by being added to the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. He was the 35th person to receive this award.
John Virgo's Television Work
When John Virgo performed snooker shows, he would often do amazing trick shots. He also did funny impressions of other snooker players.
From 1991 to 2002, John Virgo was a co-presenter on the TV game show Big Break. He hosted the show with Jim Davidson. The show was 30 minutes long and had three contestants team up with three professional snooker players. They played three rounds to win prizes.
John Virgo was known for his catchphrase, "Pot as many balls as you can." He would say this when explaining the rules for the first round. After that round, he would show a special "trick shot." The contestant who lost would try to copy the trick shot to win a prize.
Today, John Virgo is a snooker commentator on television, mainly for the BBC. When he is commentating, he is known for saying, "Where's the cue ball going?" He says this if he sees the white cue ball heading towards a pocket, which could be a foul.
In September 2021, John Virgo announced that he and his fellow commentator Dennis Taylor might leave the BBC. However, in April 2022, it was reported that they would stay with the BBC for the 2022-23 season. Later in 2022, the BBC told Virgo he would continue working for them for a long time.
Other Activities and Books
John Virgo has also written books. In February 2011, his book about snooker legend Alex Higgins was published. It was called Let Me Tell You About Alex. In April 2012, he released another book titled Amazing Snooker Trick Shots.
In 2012, John Virgo appeared as himself in a radio play called Sunk. In the play, he helps a young man who dreams of becoming a snooker champion. This play was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Virgo also worked with a company called Liberty Games. They make pool and snooker tables. Together, they created a series of trick shot videos online called the Trick Shot Academy.
In 2014, John Virgo released his own trick shot app. It's called John Virgo's Snooker Trick Shots and is available on Apple and Android devices.
Personal Life
John Virgo has two children, a son and a daughter. They are from his second marriage. He separated from his first wife, Avril, in 1991. They had been together for eight years.
Career Finals
Non-ranking Finals: 6 (4 Titles)
| Legend |
|---|
| UK Championship (1–0) |
| Other (3–2) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1979 | UK Championship |  Terry Griffiths |
14–13 |
| Winner | 2. | 1980 | Bombay International |  Cliff Thorburn |
13–7 |
| Winner | 3. | 1980 | Pontins Professional | Ray Reardon |
9–6 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1980 | Champion of Champions | Doug Mountjoy |
8–10 |
| Winner | 4. | 1984 | Professional Snooker League |  Dennis Taylor |
Round-Robin |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1984 | Australian Masters |  Tony Knowles |
3–7 |
Pro-am Finals: 1
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1975 | Pontins Spring Open | Ray Reardon |
1–7 |
See also
In Spanish: John Virgo para niños
