Willie Thorne facts for kids
| Born | 4 March 1954 Anstey, Leicestershire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 17 June 2020 (aged 66) Torrevieja, Spain |
| Sport country |  England |
| Nickname |
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| Professional | 1975–2001 |
| Highest ranking | 7 (1986–87, 1993–94) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
William Joseph Thorne (born 4 March 1954 – died 17 June 2020) was a professional snooker player from England. He was known for his amazing skill at building high scores in snooker games. He was one of the first players to make 100 "century breaks" (scoring 100 points or more in one turn). This earned him the nickname "Mr Maximum".
Willie Thorne won one major snooker tournament, the 1985 Classic. He also reached the final of the 1985 UK Championship, where he almost won but lost to the famous player Steve Davis. After he stopped playing professionally, Thorne became a popular snooker commentator, especially for the BBC.
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Willie Thorne's Snooker Journey
Willie Thorne was born in a village called Anstey, near Leicester, on 4 March 1954. His father was a miner, and he had two brothers. Willie went to the Thomas Rawlins School and enjoyed many sports. But snooker was where he really shined!
He started playing snooker at 14 while on holiday. At 15, he left school and worked at a glass factory. In his free time, he practiced snooker a lot in Loughborough and Leicester. Willie became the national Under-16 snooker champion in 1970. He also won the National Under-19 Billiards Championship three times in a row from 1971 to 1973.
Turning Professional and Big Games
Willie Thorne became a professional snooker player in 1975. He won his only "ranking" tournament (a major event that affects a player's world ranking) in 1985. This was the Classic tournament. In the same year, he played in the final of the 1985 UK Championship against Steve Davis. Willie was leading by a lot, 13–8, but he missed an easy shot on a blue ball. This mistake allowed Davis to catch up and win the title. Willie later said he thought the shot was "certainty" and didn't focus enough.
That season was very busy for Willie. He was also a runner-up (finished second) in four other big events:
- The British Open (lost to Steve Davis).
- The Scottish Masters (lost to Cliff Thorburn).
- The Irish Masters (lost to Jimmy White).
- The Pontins Professional (lost to Terry Griffiths).
Willie reached the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship twice, in 1982 and 1986. He also won the 1986 Hong Kong Masters and the 1986 Matchroom Professional Championship. He beat Dennis Taylor and then Steve Davis in these finals.
Top Rankings and Later Career
Willie Thorne reached his highest world ranking of No. 7 in the mid-1980s. He was known for his bald head, which made him easy to spot. Some people even called him the "Homer Simpson of Snooker" because of it!
He started commentating for the BBC in the 1980s and continued for many years. He also worked for Sky and ITV. Willie was part of the fun song "Snooker Loopy" by Chas & Dave. In the song, they joked about his bald head, and Willie had a line: "Perhaps I ought to chalk it."
Willie was very good at "break-building," which means scoring many points in one turn. He was one of the first players to make 100 century breaks. He even made a "maximum break" (the highest possible score of 147 points) at the 1987 UK Championship. He was truly "Mr Maximum." In 2000, he won the World Seniors Masters.
Willie stopped playing professionally in 2001. He returned for a few senior tournaments in 2017 and 2019, but he didn't win any more matches.
Life Outside Snooker
Willie Thorne was married to Jill Saxby, a former Miss Great Britain. He had twin sons and a daughter from an earlier marriage. From 1982, he ran his own snooker club in Leicester, called the Willie Thorne Snooker Centre. Famous snooker player Mark Selby used to play in junior tournaments there.
Willie wrote two autobiographies (books about his own life): Double or Quits (2004) and Taking a Punt on My Life (2011).
In 2007, Willie took part in Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancer Erin Boag. They were voted off in the third week. He was also good friends with the famous footballer Gary Lineker. Gary was even the best man at Willie's wedding in 1985. Willie was a big fan of Leicester City football club his whole life.
Health and Passing
In June 2015, Willie Thorne was diagnosed with prostate cancer and began treatment.
On 18 March 2020, he shared on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with leukaemia. Sadly, on 16 June 2020, he became very ill in a hospital in Spain. Willie Thorne passed away on 17 June 2020, at the age of 66.
