Mr Virgo the legend, that is when snooker was not over serious. And full of characters. 80s was the best in my opinion.

@kevinhoughton9134

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, I loved Snooker back then.

@JayJay-tm9gx

3 жыл бұрын

100%, we’ve had great players after this era, but the 80’s had the best ever personalities !!

@dagnut

3 жыл бұрын

everyone was on banger thats why

@pmacc3557

3 жыл бұрын

Whats banger? Copa cabana?

@dagnut

3 жыл бұрын

@@pmacc3557 charlie

Classic! The 80’s was the best decade for everything. Glad I was there to live through it!

For those who remember this will confirm that this was a must see.....today's audience will be wondering what's funny,and those reminiscing will have big smiles...

His Alex Higgins was spectacularly accurate 😂😂😂

Good memories:) I remember watching this live when I was 9 years old and I thought this was a real treat. Thank you John.

I had this recorded as a kid on VHS, i lost that tape years ago, nice to see it again ❤

I'm a yankee that just got into snooker via youtube this year, but I love the game, and love all these old clips. I especially appreciate that so many personalities and characters have stayed around the game for decades and continue to play and commentate on the game. I think the guys that play today have just as much character or personality, it's just that they e emulated Steve Davis's game so much, Davis has become the textbook prototypical snooker player, that stuff, business like approach and delivery, but we know Steve is a real character now. Henry has shown it in his life away from the table (and now returning!) and I'd wager more would be willing to be like this at the table if Ronnie didn't kick their asses left handed for 20 years.

I met John Virgo about ten years ago at an exhibition match with Jimmy White. He was a lovely bloke and made time to speak to everyone after. 🎱

His Alex was spot on. Loved watching snooker as a kid with my awesome uncle and brother in the eighties. Its never been the same since.

John Virgo doing his Willie Thorne impression was the best. JV would put on a bald-head “wig” with hair at the sides and, halfway through the routine, he’d knock it askew and say, “This thing keeps coming off. I don’t know how he keeps his on”. Fab stuff, and a good-hearted takeoff of one of snooker’s finest. RIP Willie Thorne.

@JOGAMIGMOG

3 жыл бұрын

Lol. 😁 Loved the Ray Reardon no 2 won it joke. Vaguely remember watching this routine first time around. Still equally as funny now.

Willie Thorne RIP

@haroldkane9714

3 жыл бұрын

Fond times

@count7340

3 жыл бұрын

His hair's all gone...

@kalodner666

3 жыл бұрын

@@count7340 I think he ought to chalk it!

@TrenosUK

3 жыл бұрын

This man has been middle aged for 40 years.

@stevens5541

3 жыл бұрын

Hahahaha

Oh I do miss the old days.

For those of us who saw this live. For those of us who remember these amazing characters. Those few of us that are so lucky as we will never see the like again.

@2strong2cool

6 ай бұрын

He was touched for the very first tam

This is one of my all time favourite comedy moments, and there have been a good few.

From a golden age. Takes me back to my childhood. Many thanks.

When snooker was fun and nobody was covered in tacky logos

@phillipe124

Ай бұрын

Everything is about money these days. Literally everything. The world is obsessed with more, more, more.

@MJ-ce6tv

Ай бұрын

@@phillipe124For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil - 1 Timothy 6:10

The brilliant John virgo. .good player entertainer...and show man..!! Great entertainment and the crowd enjoyed it...😋👍

Wonderful! John Virgo is a natural. He has a marvellous comic gift. Better than many a variety performance I've seen.

@michelleryan4712

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely gifted with the imitations of the great snooker players

Used to watch pot black with my Dad growing up in Australia! (1980’s) Always loved snooker! Great memories! We need a modern version!

The 80s really were the golden times of snooker. So many unique characters. Each was highly skilled just as today's are, but they were more real by the way they just showed their true natural character and mannerisms. Today its so professional, gleaming and over poshed, it's lost its soul. The 80s were full of individuals not afraid to just be themselves more - and be allowed to be just that, not over burdened by over bearing etiquette rules. . Great characters and I miss them all. Those that have since past away, may you all rest in peace and thank you for sharing with us your very true self.

@Si-ew3ff

Ай бұрын

Yeah, it was similar to the way the light entertainment performers learned over years in the tough working men's clubs in the 50s 60s and then when they hit the television in the 70s, they had all the skills and character fully formed and their personalities were unique. It was exactly the same for the snooker players. To survive and hustle in those clubs meant they all had to develop those unique characters. A great time to watch snooker.

from the time when snooker was gripping, spontaneous and ENTERTAINING - today it's a bunch of machines.

I never realised back then what a paradise 1970s 80s Britain was back then

Remember seeing this live that year. Still makes me smile. 🙂

John Virgo. Classic comic and a fantastic iconic snooker player

As a kid I loved catching these, genuinely still hilarious after all these years, Virgo was just a snooker player but during these skits he held the room and.entertained like a pro performer, that always impressed me

@stephenwhiteman8481

Жыл бұрын

❤

I remember watching these sessions in 86. Brilliant.

Ah, simpler times. These provided such wonderful moments of levity. If he told that joke now though, he'd be out the door and banished by the BBC forever. What horrible times we now live in - where did it all go wrong?

When snooker was worth watching !

Marvellous!. Thoroughly entertaining, He should've been an actor.

@johnanthony6092

Жыл бұрын

He was. He spent years playing the part of a snooker player!

I can't believe l've only found this now. But brilliant.. absolutely brilliant 👍👍👌👌

Feels like it was yesterday watching this. Couldn't do this today. No real characters to rip the piss out of & the Pontins joke would upset too many. THIS is why the 80's were snooker's golden years

@nickwalton8864

3 жыл бұрын

Well said!

@colinglen4505

3 жыл бұрын

Spot on Paddy!

@paddyk3079

3 жыл бұрын

@Christopher Horner So why don't they then? Left wing loony

Christ Almighty, that was 36 years ago, and I remember it as if it were only yesterday!! Still wonderful, John!!

Utterly brilliant , brings back happy memories. Snookers best time , regarding top notch players and characters.

John Spencer must have loved the powder!

Never get tired of watching this

Watched and found hilarious at the time still do watching again so better days back then

I love his impressions brilliant

A master class impersonator and so accurate too

The golden era. Loved watching this as a kid. Virgo the Legend.

I watched this when I was 16! I treasure this footage!

Absolutely nailed every legendry snooker player. Virgo rocks.

I remember this. Joe Johnson had finished his semi quite early 16-8 against Knowles. And this was as a filler in before the final session of Davis against Thorburn, which was 11-11 going into the final session

Wonderful ! Johns Impressions were Fabulous ! We have had Some Great Characters in this Game ! Thae Audiences Always got their Money's worth and Far Over that ? I'm glad I came throught that Era Too ! Thank you for Sharing this Magical Segment ! Pure Joy ! ❤ ❤ ❤ 😊

This is around the time I fell in love with the great game...... 😌

This was when 🎱 was snooker enjoyable to watch good memories of the old snooker player watched every tournament my favorite player was Steve Hendry bring back the old days when snooker was a pleasure to watch

@patagualianmostly7437

3 жыл бұрын

@Mickey Finn I gather even a "later great" Ronnie O'Sullivan, has decried the talent in the game today. Ah well, we have our memories.

Virgo funnier than people think

The good old days when snooker players had personalities.

Apart from Rocket Ronnie, in my opinion there are no characters in the modern game. They all seem robotic and soulless. In the 80's you had real characters: Higgins, kirk Stevens,John Virgo, Jimmy White, Bill werbenuik,ray reardon, Tony Knowles. The list is endless. Heaven help the modern game when Ronnie retires.

@thecultofjohnnydelr.soulsw7010

3 жыл бұрын

They all sold their souls to the corporations hence the advertising boards. All for the money but more for greed.

@jamsheadaziz3999

3 жыл бұрын

@Paul Not humanely possible, unless he uses the force to feel his shots.

@francishunt562

Жыл бұрын

@@thecultofjohnnydelr.soulsw7010 can't blame them for trying to earn extra cash. Got to remember thar players only started earning decent money in the 80s. Players scraped a living in the 1970s, and it could be argued it was largely due to characters like Alex Higgins thar brought in the TV money. The total prize money for the 1972 world championship was £8000.

@swaldron5558

Жыл бұрын

Yes true, same as darts.

@Si-ew3ff

Ай бұрын

Even the boring players of the day had more character such as Cliff Thorburn and Eddie Charlton.

Brilliant.what a top man Virgo is

Brilliant. I used to watch snooker religiously then as a lad with my Dad. Memorable individuals.

Haven't seen it for decades. Still funny.

Loved that. Yep the game doesnt have these sorts of characters anymore.

What a fabulous trip down memory lane . Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant

JV was brilliant scary that a snooker player in the 80s is funnier than majority of todays comedians.

The golden age of snooker - so many great characters - todays players are better - the standard is much higher but they will never be loved the way the players of this era were , and they will never have the charisma of those guys

@martm216

3 жыл бұрын

Is the standard so much higher today? It always seemed pretty high to me in those days. But certainly there was more character in the game. Those players had real personalities. I wonder if it was because they had perhaps done other things in life than play snooker? Or perhaps the professional snooker experience was different in those days? When those players were younger there was only a fraction of the money that eventually came with the spread of colour television and Pot Black, and the moving of the World Championship to the Crucible and it becoming a big television event. For example when Alex Higgins first won the title in 1972 it was played in a club somewhere, over many many more frames, and a prize of something like £200 if my memory serves.

@chrisdowling8094

3 жыл бұрын

@@martm216 The game has developed a bit but the standard is about the same (if you look back at some old Pot Black's on here) especially considering the improvement in equipment.

@stephenreeds3672

3 жыл бұрын

Don't think Cliff Thornton or Eddie Charlton were over charismatic.

@BatMan-oe2gh

3 жыл бұрын

@Ra HoWa The best thing about now is that White people are getting put into their place these days. Called Karma you racist dog.

@50kevind

3 жыл бұрын

Stephen Reeds watching Eddie Charlton play was about as exciting as watching paint dry. We went to see a match at the crucible, he was playing Kirk Stevens. The other table had played all 8 frames of their session whilst Eddie and Kirk were still on the 4th frame

I remember he did this just before Davis and Thorburn came out for the final session of their semi, it was 11-11. Joe Johnson had beaten Tony Knowles 16-8 earlier so they had a bit of spare time

Remember watching this on BBC2 years ago, made me laugh big time 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Got to meet John once. Lovely man.

Alex Higgins RIP .. Peoples Champion!

Absolutely fantastic. Top notch 👍👍👍

I remember watching this .....brought back some great memories

Anyone remember ' Whispering ' Ted Lowe's commentary when the great Fred Davis was struggling to line up a shot along the rail, viz, "Fred Davis is having trouble getting his leg over ". It brought the house down. 😂

@Mackeson3

3 жыл бұрын

@Moggs . My favourite commentator's ' bloomer' is the classic from Cricket commentator Brian Johnson: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey" 🤣

@Zarkava8

3 жыл бұрын

@@Mackeson3 😂🤣😂🤣

@Zarkava8

3 жыл бұрын

Remember that 😂😂

@johnanthony6092

Жыл бұрын

The best one from Ted Lowe whilst commentating was this one: _"For those of you watching in black and white, the brown ball is next to the blue."_ It might sound kind of a dumb comment but it was actually a good comment to make. The brown was almost indistinguishable from the reds on a black and white tv but when Ted made that comment the blue was actually on its spot with the brown ball very close to it.

Absolutely brilliant

I'd like to do Steve Davies but wouldn't we all 😁

Cheers John that cheered me up!

I remember this from my youth. Virgo always did a turn at a big tournament. Same impressions every time but it was riveting, hilarious TV.

@Wally-H

Жыл бұрын

He has refined the routine over the years. I saw another video on here where he is doing Higgins and he looks at the bottle of water on his table with disgust before unscrewing the cue and pretending to down something alcoholic hidden in the bottom half. Back in the 80's of course players were allowed to drink alcohol so I guess as a joke that made a natural progression for modern rules.

Love willie Thorne. Sad miss

A time when people weren’t so easily offended

@anthonymcgivney713

3 жыл бұрын

If someone said now that they didn’t mind being a judge at the contest because of all the beautiful ladies there would be pandemonium over it, sad state of affairs

@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888

3 жыл бұрын

Tired, tired comment. Nobody is offended except you.

@johneccar4926

3 жыл бұрын

@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888 No he's dead right political correctness has confined us miserably.

@johneccar4926

3 жыл бұрын

@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888 Futhermore it's loonies like you that give us the challenge of waking up in the morning to face the day.

@paulfuray8557

3 жыл бұрын

Funny how that’s not done now. Probably offend some snowflake now a days. Or probably not “diverse” enough.

Amazing guy. Great player too.

It’s these days. Some of my heroes on here on John is speaking about.

Simply the best era of snooker brilliant characters and so enjoyable not all about money

Classy John Virgo brilliant

I thought it was gonna be the world championship of impressions. clicked straight away

Great to see John Spencer and Willie Thorne

Top class very entertaining

Legend!

One of my favourites. Hilarious! ^_^

Iv seen him do this last night , he is a funny but nice man

@martm216

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, very decent human-being. Remember his kindness to a wayward Kirk Stevens many years ago.

@thesoultwins72

3 жыл бұрын

@@martm216 .......I have always had a 'soft-spot' for John Virgo and love his no-frills and humorous approach. This respect for him started way back in the mid-1970's when the company I worked for sent me to their Manchester office to 'shadow' one of their best managers. [whom I will call 'Ken']. Like me, 'Ken' was an avid snooker fan - and every night after work we would end up at his snooker club having a frame or ten! One night though, he took me to Manchester YMCA as there was this highly touted, up-and-coming young player appearing in a match who 'Ken' wanted to see. His name was Terry Fitzgerald and talk was, that he was going to be the next Alex Higgins! Coaching Fitzgerald and with him that night was none other than John Virgo! So it was a real thrill for me to see them both. Sadly, Fitzgerald lost the match [he missed a relatively simple blue off its spot into the middle pocket] and I clearly remember Virgo patiently consoling his young prodigy. I never knew whatever happened to Terry Fitzgerald - I never heard of him again. But seeing John Virgo was a real pleasure and his voice was greatly missed at this year's snooker World Championships.

Superb!

The Higgins one was incredible

Have always loved watching John Virgo he as always made me laugh

He should have said No 69 won the beauty contest!

@joandar1

3 жыл бұрын

Pincho Paxton, I will add, 96 in the Southern Hemisphere and 181 in Metric plus the bonus of Two Can Chew. I had to comment after I read your post, Thumbs up John Australia.

@dagnut

3 жыл бұрын

@crissgran although it was about teenage girls

@patagualianmostly7437

3 жыл бұрын

Pincho: Good one!...but I doubt the Beeb would have been too happy.

@patagualianmostly7437

3 жыл бұрын

@@dagnut Who said they were "teenagers"? Is a woman "past-it" being in a beauty contest after 19? Why the bias? Morecambe & Wise made many jokes about much younger girls being desirable....or do they now "offend you" along with the rest of the ultra-sensitive, easily-offended bunch? Lighten up.

When snooker was brilliant to watch

The excellent Mr Virgo

Legend of the game. Growing up always enjoyed him. Never seen this until today but some great snookering impressions. Shame you cant still have a beer at the crucible. Beer and a burger and big bill werbenuik would have waited a bit longer for heaven.

I Wish John could try and Impersonate some of today's players.

@Wally-H

Жыл бұрын

Most of them are boring, that's the problem. To be funny you need personality traits that you can exaggerate - in the modern game players are so ultra-professional and straightforward, there is nothing for John to go at.

@SRC267

Жыл бұрын

Need to impersonate Ebdon and Sullivan

@eclectica1

28 күн бұрын

​@@SRC267He'd need about three times as long as this whole segment to impersonate Ebdon alone.

Great memories…JV was great at these impressions

What a talent John Virgo was, both on and off the baize. [retired now]

John V, the legend

Brilliant!

1980s. The golden era of snooker.

Put a smile on your face that, what a guy Virgo is 👍

John's impressions were better than his Snooker playing. He should have been a comedian John is a legend 👍🏻👍🏻😁😁

brilliant from JV,

Fantastic

The characters have disappeared from snooker.

@gavpowell7864

3 жыл бұрын

Spoken like someone who hasn't bothered to follow the sport in the past 2 decades but loves the personalities Barry Hearn invented for most of the players.

Absolute class 👏

Legend

I love snooker.

RIP David, Alex and Willy.