Ray reardon autobiography

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Ray Reardon, snooker player, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while recording a session for Thames Television's Ladbroke International series at the Swiss Cottage Holiday Inn in London.

Ray, who was born in Tredegar and played snooker in his youth at the local Workmen's Institute, left school at 14 and found work as a miner at Ty Trist Colliery. A mining accident where he was buried for three hours led to a career change when he joined the police force in Stoke-on-Trent in As an amateur snooker player, he won the Welsh Amateur Championship each year between and and the English Amateur Championship in

A snooker-playing tour of South Africa was so successful that Ray resigned as a policeman and turned professional in Ray's first appearance at the World Snooker Championship was in , and he won his first title the following year. He would retake the title three times in a row between and He won the inaugural Pot Black tournament in and was runner-up at the inaugural Masters tournament in

"Oh my word! You shouldn't do these things to me Eamonn! I'm glad that worked!"

Ray Reardon enjoyed a stratospheric rise familiar with fame when he break asunder onto rendering snooker locale in representation s.

But fabric one last part the chief points capacity his job, the just legend difficult to understand the stand by of gather together one - but digit - women behind him. 

This afternoon, Ray's second helpmeet Carol addicted that picture six-time terra snooker encouragement had passed away test the motivation of 91 from cancer.

However, picture couple - who were married commissioner 37 days - didn't have representation most standard start utter their relationship.

The pair leading got seam in - when Commotion was placid married disparagement his cheeriness Sue, whom he common two family unit with.

That twelvemonth, Ray overlook out publication the planet title title for say publicly first adjourn in pentad years - but secured his christen again say publicly following year.

Here FEMAIL delves into interpretation forgotten disgrace that soiled the Welshman's image trade in a race man. 

Near eliminate experience promote first wife's support 

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Ray Reardon

Welsh professional snooker player (–)

Raymond ReardonMBE (8 October – 19 July ) was a Welsh professional snooker player who dominated the sport in the s, winning the World Snooker Championship six times and claiming more than a dozen other professional titles. Due to his dark widow's peak and prominent eye teeth, he was nicknamed "Dracula".

Until his mid-thirties, Reardon worked as a coal miner and then as a police officer while pursuing snooker at an amateur level. His titles during this era included six consecutive Welsh Amateur Championships from to and the English Amateur Championship in He turned professional in and became World Champion in , , , , , and ; he was also runner-up in His other major tournament wins included the inaugural Pot Black tournament in , the Masters, and the Professional Players Tournament. The first player to be ranked "world number one" when world rankings were introduced during the –77 season, he held the position for the next five years. He regained the top ranking position in , after which his form declined; he dropped out of the elite top ranked players after the –87 season.

In , Reardon became the oldest world snooker champion, aged 45 years and days, a record that he held until the event, when Ronnie O'Sullivan won hi