Vintage Higgins

[Enfeeblement]

Cool, but no way that's a full size table (despite the obvious video screw up)

[outdoorpooltable]

@Enfeeblement it is a full size

[sloppysmusic]

Alex inspired me back in the Eighties...had pleasure of seeing him, as well as White & Hendry play in their young prime....oh well my first century here was a slowcoach 6 mins!!

[MrRogersjon]

Alex was the best ever player to watch along with Patsy Houlihan.

[LatinPercussion]

where can we watch him lift the trophy in 1972 (vs. John Spencer) ?

[TEXBATES]

Bloody legend!

[MeatloafTribute1]

RIP Alex, thanks for the memories and inspiration

[77754321]

What a legend.He palyed shots nobody else could and still can't.A true genius.RIP Hurricane Higgins.

[SyndromRecordsVideo]

RIP Alex

[thurstons]

RIP Hurricane. He invented modern day attacking snooker and led the way for White, O'Sullivan to follow.

[fitz303]

RIP HIGGINS the best and always will be

[MrTonysaab]

Does anyone know where this was filmed? I am guessing that it was a pub in Blackburn, as that is where Alex used to practice at the time, giving locals a handicap and playing them for money. Would love to see the rest of this programme.

[smooooothoperator]

This man was decades ahead of his time. A superchaged Ford Mustang amongst Mk2 escorts....

[TheArif01]

I just watched an Alex documentary and I have to say this guy was the greatest of all time. Now, I'm all for stats and what have you and plenty will say Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis, but my goodness this guy was something else.

When you watch Alex and even Jimmy, you're in love with snooker. Who cares about positional play when you know he's going to go for the pot that others wouldn't and take you on a roller coaster ride. If Alex practiced like a Hendry, he'd have won 10 titles!

[calvers72]

He had a personality as well unlike alot the guys playing the game then, during and after Alex finished with snooker.

[2strong2cool]

If anyone can, Hurricane!

[simonbodd]

Doddy little table :) I want one.

[partridgecaravan]

at the end of the day the ball has to go in to the pocket and the cue ball has to be prepared for the next ball, thats what we all need to do. Is there any precise cue action that God delivered to this world that some self appointed guardian of snooker talks about ? Those fancy cue action and head still , looking at the object ball etc didn't work against this genius. if those cue action were better than his then those players would have beat alex in every occasion.Those robotic potting machine

[fitz303]

Hi there, this is amazing! Thanks for posting. Im thinking about making a documentary on Mark Allen, another NI wizard. Crazy aspect ratio though! Pillarboxed 4x3?? Would it be possible to get a mpeg of the programme please mate?

[rouncer74]

terrible cue action. he dips and stabs. but it worked for him.

[jr280188]

@rouncer74 yeah certainly you wouldn't coach a young player to play with his cue action but you've got to admire his natural talent.

[heno8888]

Genius

sounds like someone in the crowd has an orgasm after Alex knocks that first red in!

[jpjames1]

He never had a bad cue action just different. The actual striking of the ball is great. Ain't he similiar to O'sullivan

[djwwragg]

Not bad for someone who according to everyone has a piss poor cue action. What everyone needs to understand is that he is perfectly still at the instant the cue is delivered. The rest doesn't matter!!!! Genious at work!!!

[philhare]

Those detractors who (still) make a massive living from the game playing 'snooker by numbers' , AND who think this guy is a now a waste of space, should be locked in a room and forced to watch this. Their attitude is a bit like BMW denying the existence of Henry Ford!

[Broomehall]

Whatever else he was, there will never be another player like him, God bess you Alex.

[bruceleeC64]

those narrow tables are easier to play..(joke)

[hynes0505]

that was dirty

[jamesybecks13]

higgins,white/o,sullivan the most naturally gifted cueists the world will see...all with there troubles as has every genius

[BarneveldDarts]

higgins should come back

[salstream]

pure genius

[dretety]

notice his grip,, no index finger pointing downwards on this clip.

[HurricaneDb]

Marvellous

[quietman18]

And I thought Ronnie was quick !

[Mrphilharmonic]

Unbelievable. He made the poor ref run around like the race horses he used to back! Someone should have sacked the cameraman though! Dreadful coverage! Love the very 'British' commentary though.

[mattyhiggins2583]

trully great, the only reason why snooker came to the t.v. pure genius. poor cameraman couldnt keep up!

shame u werent born today alex!

[louthesz]

The greatest

[STEPASAUR]

Bliss....

[shakercoola]

natural player. He was the Hurrican Higgins for a reason!

[yankorusev]

the greatest ever.really miss the excitement he generated.

[DLPBurke]

cameraman is on drugs that is the WORST filming I have ever seen. Great break:)

and today we know that someone has come along who can do a 147 in 5 min 20. This guy had potential to be so much more.

[atisjdm]

Brilliant video, never expected to see something from this far back.

Really when you think he did that way back then with equipment not nearly as good as they have today it really is quite an achievement.

Without a doubt, on his day, Higgins was (and possibly still is) the best ever. Only trouble with Alex was there were so many off days :-(

[BarneveldDarts]

wow!

[JamesT2K]

The Bruce Lee of snooker.

[Voxac100b]

Alex was so quick sometimes the commentators got it wrong about the next shot they thought he was going to play.

[deepscrew68]

genius. legend. there will never be another like him, simply because the game has changed so much. not given enough credit by some idjits - but ask the likes of Davis or O'Sullivan who was the greatest and they'll tell you Higgins

[youngerx]

Actualy O'Sullivan has stated a number of times he thinks Hendry is the greatest player ever.

But you are right, even including Ronnie this is the most natural snooker player ever. And probs the greatest aswell. Breathless.

[KETTLEPLUG]

Opening red is majestic. Unexpected treat to see Alex around the time he won his first World title in 1972.

[dretety]

Nice table, proper billiard table.

Crystalite balls, and NO kicks!

I'd like to see these bums today play with that stuff.

[vincemartin2]

If you read the BBC sport forums you'll find a pack of gobshites argueing who is the greatest player of all time. One says Hendry, the next O'Sullivan, and so on.

There was only ever one player. He was asked by ITV news outside his mansion "Alex, can you survive without snooker?"

He replied in a second "Can snooker survive without me?"

Looking at the coverage and viewing figures today we know the answer to that.

[Inthethickofit]

A genius. Ruined by drink.

[sharpy2010]

What the fuck is that cameraman doing?

[geekyviking]

A truly unique snooker player! The first red defies belief.

[kamikazeVX]

What tha hell!!!That was unreal!The camera man had trouble keeping up with him!What's he made of???Pure wind and telescopic eyes?!?!Holy mother of god!!!

[sillywalks111]

Interesting that he doesn't jump on his shot like he does in later years. I wonder how or why he developed that habit.

[jjddww12345]

Higgins was the best! Great opening shot!

[bhamboy05]

marvellous

[Delboywww]

Anyone got this on dvd?

Higgins was the best no question.

Del

[kasusknaktus]

alex higgins plays unbelievable there!!

a hundret break in under 3min.fantastic!

i read that higgins did a 124 break in 2:45min (world record)

[russe1111]

omg, hes faster then ronnie o'sullivan!!!!!!!!!

what a fantastic break that was!!

[thurstons]

awesome break from Hurricane!

[harryxr]

where's the rest of this programme?

[TheBilliardsArchive]

Hi can transfer the rest from VHS to > Vob > mpeg if you want...PM me and I'll sort something out.

btw the program is only about 30 minutes long

[JayElWu]

makes all modern players except Ronnie WIMPS~