Cliff was the first player ever to achieve a 147 at the crucibal. For that alone, the mans a legend. Fantastic interview, cheers!

@ArtistFormerlyKnownAsShitlord

Жыл бұрын

@Old Man New too Powerlifting Channel Even though it took 3 days. 😃

@obi-potobi790

Жыл бұрын

And he invented the dump shot. Some may not like it ie it can make for a tactical game, but it's an important shot and Cliff deserves the recognition for coming up with it and a superb 147 must've been so much pressure being the first one.

@sarcastaball

Жыл бұрын

Where's the crucibal?

@dannygray-mi3xn

Жыл бұрын

@@sarcastaball wherever you want it too be

@sarcastaball

Жыл бұрын

@@dannygray-mi3xn in my butt?

Love Cliff. He looked 60 in 1980 and looks 60 in 2023….amazing! Lots of these seemingly boring great players are actually really interesting chatty blokes! Who knew!

@MetteC5

Жыл бұрын

Most of us did

@danielsmith411

Жыл бұрын

@@MetteC5 Cliff is boring

@TheEricthefruitbat

Жыл бұрын

Well, maybe 65 now.

@brianmacpherson4913

Жыл бұрын

mustachio men can somehow pull this off easier.

@peaceandLove220

Жыл бұрын

I removed my like to make it 147

Imagine having Cliff Thorburn say "I've always admired you!" Thoroughly enjoyed this, two absolute legends!!!

What a gentleman and a superb player in his day. This is now the best snooker channel on KZread by miles.

Cliff is a gentleman. I'll never forget his crucible 147. I used to try and emulate his tremendous pot on the yellow (badly). Great ambassador for snooker through the years

"Always admired you, man." Class act is Cliff.

I went to see Cliff play Jimmy White in Glasgow years ago, I had the impression that Cliff was a dour, serious deep kind of guy but I changed my mind. He was very personable, funny and gracious with the audience, he smiled and chatted a bit with those sitting closest to him in between games.

What a true gent of the game. I was watching an interview with him recently about his 147...one of the most amazing and fondly remembered moments in Snooker history, yet when Cliff rang his wife after the match to tell her he got a 147 she told him that she had a miscarriage :( ...how hard that must be that every time a fan of the sport that made him a star sees him he gets asked about this moment they remember so fondly, yet to him is eternally tied to such a tragic moment in his life...yet he still conducts himself with such good grace!

@defaultroute

Жыл бұрын

Didn’t know that story. Honestly, I wish she’d just managed to keep that for a different moment.

Always good to see Classy Cliff doing his thing and listen to his endless stories.

Two men who were legends chatting together. Can’t beat it. The stories could’ve chatted for hours. Brilliant.

So happy for you bringing cliff on! This is incredible and he’s a true gentleman and legend. Ray reardon next?

@jamesk6126

Жыл бұрын

Don’t think ray reardon is in the right shape to do that

@Bloxdio_God

Жыл бұрын

@@jamesk6126 He was still playing made a 83 break last week.

Wow cliff thorburn is one of the most charismatic charming characters I’ve ever seen around a snooker table! What a joy this series is, hearing stories from legends, hearing great insight from current competitors, Hendry really is blessing us with this content ❤️

Had the great pleasure of having an evening of playing chess and drinking brandy with Cliff , after he had played in a tournament in Torquay. I was chef at the hotel he was staying at , and after the match, I cooked him dinner. We had a talk and he asked if I played chess. I did and we played for the next 4/5 hours. He gave me a signed poster with to kev, a fantastic chef an Great chess player. I've still got it

It is so great to see Cliff Thorburn (147) play and have chat with Stephen Hendry. I grew up in Northern Ontario Canada. I remember watching snooker. I was born in the 70s and remember watching snooker championships in the UK. I was so proud and in awe seeing a Canadian play and win the championship. I also later remember watchin Steve Davis play and it seemed he could never lose for a while. Then later someone near my age seemed to come out of nowhere and start winning and later dominating, it was Stephen Hendry. I loved watching him play. Then when I was in my 20s in London Ontario at a snooker / pool hall, called Strokers Billiards at its original location. I went their one weekend to play, and there was a snooker tournament going on, and my heart almost stopped as I seen my hero as a child, Cliff Thorburn play. It was one of those Wow moments. I never got a chance to say hi, but I was so happy to see him play. All the the best to Cliff Thorburn and Stephen Hendry, so many great memories watching you both play and excel. Cheers

Was lucky enough to meet Cliff at a Legends event some years back. Absolute gentleman and had so many stories for everyone.

Incredible guest, incredible story to tell!

For anyone interested in snooker trivia, at 13:06 they are talking about the 1987 International Open semi-final, where Cliff beat Stephen 9-1 with breaks of 129, 94, 88, 73 and a whole bunch of granite safety. Steve Davis then beat Cliff in the Final.

@markstockton6918

Жыл бұрын

I remember that match. Cliff was superb!!

The content Hendry is putting out week on week is incredible. Thank you- so rare to see such a great conversation with a true legend.

I like how genuine Stephen and his guests are in these interviews

@brianmacpherson4913

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. Only thing is Stephen is more interested in winning these table talk games lol. He needs some interviewing coaching from BBC to keep the flow going.

@SMITH-lw3rv

Жыл бұрын

Nah he needs no interviewing coaching as this is what makes it real and special.

@Topazium1

Жыл бұрын

@@brianmacpherson4913 the table talk games flow pretty much exactly the same as any conversation you have while playing snooker, that pause in conversation as a shot is lined up and then before the ball is potted or missed you're back up talking, it gives it a very familiar feel they're just missing the beer and crsips :)

It’s great that you do these with some of the older players. I only really got into Snooker 4 or 5 years ago so whilst I’ve heard of Cliff, have never heard him speak or knew much about him before this. It’s nice to learn Snooker history

@TooMuchInfoSir

Жыл бұрын

Me too, and hearing the passion in these players is inspiring!

Here's to Cliff. Great player and character. First ever 147 at the crucible. Superb!!

I had the privilege of seeing Cliff Thorburn in action at Queen's University, showing off with trick shots! I think, looking back, that was right after he had won the World Championship, so sometime between Sept. 1980 and April 1981! I started watching snooker in the 2nd half of the 1980's, when it was televised on Cable TV in Seattle, and I caught it in Victoria, BC! Those were the days. Nowadays I get to enjoy it on KZread!

Absolute pleasure, indeed. I think this is the longest I've heard Cliff speak and as always your interviews aren't long enough.

Great to see Cliff looking well and playing some good shots.

To hear him say he learned using different type of balls makes his skills and prowess around the table in the early 80s even more impressive!! A classy player who never lost his cool

@sharpvidtube

Жыл бұрын

Apart from the legendary cue extension incident😂 kzread.info/dash/bejne/nap72K6HlNq7haw.html

@dabiguy77

Жыл бұрын

​@@sharpvidtube was just gonna say that. He was really pissed that day!

@kimreeves2702

Жыл бұрын

@@sharpvidtube That is a pretty mild reaction to neither the ref nor Higgins honouring his call on the green. The ref, sure but Higgins knew what the call was!

@sharpvidtube

Жыл бұрын

@@kimreeves2702 He definitely lost his cool, because Alex Higgins won easily after that incident, Cliff was so angry, he couldn't concentrate. Should've just laughed it off.

I remember first seeing Stephen late 80s making snooker look effortless and noticing how much better he was to anything else we had seen.

Very interesting listening to the grinder and good to see he can still pot a few.

Best one yet steven. Cliff is the og. Stories from these make me smile.. 👍

Soooo nice to see Cliff again!!

I remember you were so seemingly shy when you came on the snooker scene. To watch you now as you share your sense of fun and joy within the snooker community, I am humbled and excited to see your shows. Thanks mate.

The sharpest dresser back in the day, and still with a great head of hair. That was a great chat !

I haven’t seen cliff for years. Good to see he is looking well and still able to knock them in like crazy.

Snooker tables in bowling alleys, must have been a Canadian thing in the 70s-80s because that's exactly where I started playing in Canada! I was in a shopping mall in '95 and who do I stumble upon promoting a new Dufferin store? None other than Cliff, and for a few bucks you could play a fun game of 9-ball (which I waited in line to do). Standup guy, Great stories, wonderful to see Cliff back in the Crucible :)

What a brilliant character. Love the old school players. It's really hard to believe he's 75. Looks great.

@garyhilyer64

Жыл бұрын

Love cliff, I'm old enough to remember the 80 final

I met Cliff back in the 80s when he played an exhibition match with Willie Thorne at the Holiday Inn in Leicester in front of an audience of sporting and other celebs. I was an amateur Billiards & Snooker referee at the time and had the honour of refereeing the match. Cliff & Willie were a right pair of comedians. It was a great time.

Was my snooker hero as a kid. The Grinder! What a nickname!

Was always a class act and looking good at 76yrs of age. Great to hear his stories from back in the day.

Yes Cliff's yellow on his 147 was superb!!

@johnmc3862

Жыл бұрын

It’s legendary!

@ianwatkins6202

Жыл бұрын

@@johnmc3862 It sure is!😊And the green was top class also!😃

I remember watching Cliff playing on a small black and white TV back in the day. Always looked forward to his matches. True legend in my book. Still remember those classic commentators lines such as "for those watching in black and white, the brown is to the side of the red"

Canada went snooker crazy in summer 1980,after Cliff won the world title! I had a game every day with residemts in a condominium,Dixie rd,Missisauga,with residents who had never played before and i remember they put on a snooker show in the mornings,Kirk Stevens,Bill Werbenuik etc! I remember Peter Sellers passing away during that time!

What a bloody legend!!

Cliff makes my Canadian heart warm. I met the man about 25 years ago at a exhibition. Playing 9 Ball I broke. Made a ball and fluked a hook for the run out. I was walking on clouds for a week. He's a National treasure.

Great interview Stephen, Cliff is an all time great and gentleman, immortalized forever as World champion and the first to achieve the elusive 147 at the Crucible theatre! 💚

Wow, what a guest! He spoke of snooker very differently to how the modern game is today. Fascinating. I was just a kid when Thorburn hit a 147 at the crucible. Just magic.

A legend is in town. Great stuff.

Fantastic interview. If there was ever a biopic of Cliff Thorburn’s life, Harrison Ford would be the perfect actor to play him.

Great lads Cliff & Stephen

Thanks Stephen for your wonderful programme and chosen players.

Another great episode Stephen and to have Cliff as your guest was extra special for me. I'm from Alberta and it was nice to see that Cliff is still in good health being our one and only World Champion. I wish we had more interest in Canada when it comes to snooker. There are few places anymore to play snooker. What we call pool halls are getting very rare outside of the larger centers. When I was a kid there were pool halls in every little town and snooker was a common game growing up if we could sneak in and play. A person was supposed to be 16 years of age to enter the pool halls legally. Shortly after reaching the golden age of 16, I began noticing that many pool halls were shutting down and it wasn't long before the one in our town followed suit. Pool tables in bars became the norm and they were just 4x8 or smaller and only for pool games and no snooker and of course you had to be 18 to enter liquor selling establishment. Anyway enough rambling, I look forward to your next episode.

@brianmacpherson4913

Жыл бұрын

It was same when I was a teenager, there were snooker tables in most smaller towns even, then they just started disappearing. I think Cliff drove so much of the national interest but by the mid-90s it was much harder to find a table, mostly because the sheer amount of space they took up probably wasn't making them financially worthwhile. There is only one snooker table left in Halifax where you can pay to play, in a Dooley's nonetheless, which is pretty sad :(

Just wow, 2 legends. Great to see Cliff. Love this channel.

It’s a shame Cliff has never been a regular commentator at the crucible, he’d be brilliant, him and Taylor together.

Fantastic episode! Cliff was my favourite player as a kid and it’s such a thrill to see him with Stephen again. Tremendous!

Alot of love for Cliff wonderful personality

I liked the way Cliff was explaining what he was trying to do with the cue ball , great content

I was lucky enough to get to meet and have a couple lessons with Cliff in Toronto. Very nice man and just it's just like talking to an old friend of yours.

It's a real shame there doesn't seem to be much of a Canadian scene left

@DanGamsby

Жыл бұрын

There isn't unfortunately. As a snooker player, it's dark times here in Canada.

@MrAndydavis78

Жыл бұрын

I’m out of Calgary - you fellas? There is a league in Edmonton I know of…

@DanGamsby

Жыл бұрын

@@MrAndydavis78 Sudbury, Ontario here.

@gerdsfargen6687

Жыл бұрын

Kirk Stevens I want to see.

Cliff is an absolute class act. Something about your interviews with ' the old boys' is so much bettter. The snooker world seemed to peak and the stories are all so much more romantic. Cliff's story is almost The Color Of Money.

Huge thanks for this great to see Cliff on the channel i have been fortunate enough to meet him on a handful of occasions and he has always been a class act

Cliff The Grinder what a legend, one of the best tactical players of all time.

I once had the pleasure of playing against Cliff at an exhibition. well, I say pleasure - he made a 144 clearance and that was that!

@sonicdiablo8968

Жыл бұрын

Wow, when was that?

@jimm.3845

Жыл бұрын

@@sonicdiablo8968 That would have been 1985/6, at a Matchroom club in Kent. He broke, I made what I thought was an ok safety. I came back to the table to find myself in all kinds of trouble and it was all downhill from there. 😞

If the BBC made this an actual TV show, it would be huge.

@alanoshea2132

Жыл бұрын

It wouldn't be as popular I think, it's a great addition to KZread's platform.

@johnmc3862

Жыл бұрын

@@alanoshea2132 Oh yeah and how does he think? 😂😂😂

Cliff is such a gentleman. Even as he describes his relationship with Alex Higgins 'It was a love-hate relationship, well, there was no love'! But he says it without any malice. What a legend. Thank you for inviting him.

Another fantastic, fascinating vlog with a great gent and champ in Cliff. Wonderful stuff

Our home towns are 4 hrs apart so what amazes me is how he got to such a high level while growing up on Vancouver Island where snooker players were few and far between. To me it makes his accomplishments even more impressive.

Just discovered this KZread channel - been binge watching video after video today - Stephen Hendry is a legend and these interviews and insights from some of the games best are fantastic 🎱

Another lovely interview and so nice to listen to those former champions and greats.

Brilliant and great seeing cliff look so well.

Great too see the grinder, one of the best of the 80s. Class guy.

What an absolute treat - wonderful to see The Grinder on your channel! Fascinating insight into Cliff's journey to the heights of snooker success. Thank you so much for this episode, Stephen.🙏

Fantastic! Thanks Steven for doing what you do.

What a fantastic episode Stephen. Boring little story... when I was 14 (in Canada) I discovered the "big table" at the pool hall. At that time, our national sports channel (TSN) carried snooker and that was in 1990 so guess who was on my TV MOST of the time. Mr. Stephen Hendry. The only names that stick out to me from the time were, Stephen, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and Nigel Bond. No Cliff Thorburn. I didn't learn who he was until 2010 when I started following snooker close on the Internet. They stopped showing it on television for good in the mid 90's. I'm so happy for the internet. I've met loads of fans and pros alike on Twitter. There's also a careless fellow I became quite fond of by the name of snookerbacker. 👍😉 Him and his wife are some of the good ones. Give his blog a read, you won't be disappointed. Outspoken, funny dude. I know Stephen knows him (from Twitter and in real life). If you're still reading, I appreciate it. lol. Sorry for rambling but it's fun to remember and I don't have many real life friends who enjoy snooker. It's a shame really. Most play pool buy have no interest in snooker. 🤷‍♂️

Cliff Thorburn… such a lovely, friendly gentleman & a cracking snooker player. Absolutely loved this. Thanks again Stephen for the great videos. Cheers!

Great interview. Gotta love Cliff. Such a great story teller.

This series is amazing, I never thought I'd see Cliff play at the table again - and the conversations in-between are so much fun to hear! Thank you, Stephen, I hope we can see you and the Grinder get through some more stories in the future! :)

Lovely to hear Cliff chatting about snooker, absolute legend of the game. I remember his 147 on Saturday afternoon on grandstand - one of the defining moments of the sport.

This series is like revisiting your childhood. Hard to believe that so much is packed into one frame. It is a good historical record of the game of snooker and the characters who shaped it. Well done Stephen.

2 legends of the game well done chaps

You need a best of 3 framer to get the stories this guy has in, leaving the beauty of Canada for Bolton during a coal strike tho haha

Stephen Hendry hats off sir for this channel :)

Brilliant video Stephen, love the stories you guys tell.

Cliff Thorburn & Doug Mountjoy my two favourite players from back in the day 😊😊

Outstanding...love this channel! Heaven for a non playing snooker anorak like me!

Hi Stephen. I'm from Aberdeen, currently living in Shanghai. I was never so into snooker, but I grew up knowing you were a legend. I think you're channel is really good - you're really good at interviewing people and asking great questions. Keep up the great work!

This channel just keeps getting better 👍

This channel is fantastic. I love these interviews, chilling over a frame on snooker. Great format.

Loved this interview. Stephen giving the legends the respect they deserve, and really enjoy seeing Stephen's personality come out. Quite humourous at times as was Cliff.

Loved seeing Cliff here. I didn't know a ton about him, so this was a treat. Seems like a great genuine fellow.

This is a fantastic channel, thank you Stephen! Can’t go wrong with Cliff Thorburn, love his personality and stories. Still enjoy watching his Crucible 147 in 1983. Really enjoyed this!

Wonderful episode, could listen to Cliff for hours!

Love your videos when you interview the big players of the past, especially the 80's & 90's era which is the period when I really got into watching the game on TV. Thanks Stephen.

What a lovely man Cliff is, and with a great sense of humour. His battles with the greats of his day are legendary. Fantastic content as usual Stephen.

Take note Ronnie. No nonsense. Cliff is a true gent both on and off the table. Class act.

@sharpvidtube

Жыл бұрын

They're just different characters, it would be boring if they were all the same. Cliff had his moments as a younger person too, punching Alex Higgins and getting a ban when he tested positive for cocaine. Still like him and Ronnie.

@bbwnpat

Жыл бұрын

@@sharpvidtube yeah i guess.

Cliff is a real gent, could listen to him for hours, wonderful stories from an era when I first became interested in snooker.

In 1978 I played Cliff when he was touring the clubs doing exhibitions…I managed to win when he left me all the colours on their spots….The County Champion who also played him said, ask him to sign something because if it had been Alex Higgins, he would have broken the cue over your head…😂. Of course Cliff did sign something for me and was an absolute gentleman…I lived on that for months…He beat the next player 132 - 0 and made a 110 break. A highlight of my life…

Just discovered these chats with legends, Awesome work Stephen. Watching them miss on occasion shows how tough this sport really is

Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Stephen, for getting my all-time favourite player on your channel. Thank you, Cliff, for being on it. I still can see Bill Werbeniuk looking around the barrier to watch your historic 147.

The only man to deck Alex Higgins with a single punch.

@mytmt1613

Жыл бұрын

would not have took much to be honest higgins weighed about 9 stone.

This is a real treat. Thanks.

What a guy. Absolutely love him.

Love Cliff. A gentleman. Thrilled to watch him in the early 80s. Saw him in an exhibition in Brighton about 8 years ago. Great memories.