Northern Irishman Alexander Higgins was a professional billiards player who is remembered as one of the most iconic figures in the snooker game. Alexander Gordon Higgins was born on 18 March 1949 in Belfast; he died on 24 July 2010, better known as Alex “Hurricane” “Higgins, a Northern Irish professional snooker player, was a two-time world champion and two-time runner-up. Alexander Gordon Higgins won the British Championship in 1983 and the Masters in 1978 and 1981, making him one of 11 players to complete the treble of snooker. Although snooker player Alex Higgins was a five-time Irish professional champion and won 24 professional titles in 19 years, including the British Championships in 1983, there was a lack of renown in the Championship after 1972. The “ranking” success shows that he is not as good as some of his contemporaries.
Audiences wanted another Higgins hit, to the point that Steve Davis once remarked that he felt like he was playing in a crowd, as did snooker player Alex Higgins. Still, he remained elusive until 1982, when he started calling himself ” champion.” The turn was a decision that quickly proved true when he became World Snooker Champion in 1972. It made Higgins the youngest champion of the era, at 22 years old. By the time snooker player Alex Higgins was 16, he had completed his first maximum break of 147 points. In 1968 confirmed his rising talent, becoming the World Amateur Snooker Champion of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Higgins was the youngest world titleholder when he defeated John Spencer in the final.
However, most would instead remember snooker player Alex Higgins as a former snooker player nicknamed “The Hurricane” for his speed of play which became a sports superstar. One of the most outstanding players would have celebrated his 73rd birthday in March, and few will forget the impact of the flamboyant The Hurricane in blowing up the World Snooker Championship in a trendy new television era. One of his greatest champions of all time made his way from the streets of Belfast and introduced his dashing style and infamous fickle temperament to a sport known for its belt-covered decor and smoky gentleman’s clubs. “The Hurricane” was a nickname that could easily be applied to Higgins’ life away from the base, though even the infamous quiet snooker arena had witnessed no small number of storms.
Higgins became known as the “people’s champion” due to his popularity and is often credited with bringing the snooker game to a broader audience, contributing to the game’s peak popularity in the 1980s. Higgins, champion in 1972, was extremely popular with fans of the sport, and Steve Davis credits the competitive nature of the Northern Irish as what made him so beloved by the public. Higgins’s speed at the table, ability to pot balls quickly, and striking style earned him the nickname “Hurricane Higgins” and made him a very famous player. Alex Higgins will always be remembered in the snooker industry for his remarkable display of play and his jolly nature.
