| Perhaps nowadays better
known for his television appearances with Jim Davidson, ‘J.V.’
was, from the late 1970s and through the 1980s, one of the best
players on the circuit.
A one-time bank clerk, John gained his early experience of
snooker in Potters Club in Salford, still a well known haunt
of many professionals. He won the National Under-16 title
in 1962 and the Under-19 one three years later. Fifteen caps
for England and the National Pairs title in 1976, with Paul
Medati, persuaded him to turn professional later that year.
He got through two qualifying rounds for his first visit
to the Crucible in 1977 but lost in his opening match. This
was followed by the UK semi-final. In 1978 he failed to qualify
for the Embassy but reached the UK quarter-finals and followed
this with his best ever Embassy performance losing in the
semi-final to Dennis Taylor. He ended that season, 1978/79,
with his best ever ranking on 10th,
Better still was to come when he claimed his only major title,
the 1979 UK Championship although this was not a ranking event
at the time. He beat Terry Griffiths 14-13 in the final. That
was to prove to be the pinnacle of his success on the table
and he was in and out of the top 16 over the next few years.
He did however collect the 1980 Pontins Professional title.
He always appeared glum, even miserable, at the table and
those who did not know him were surprised to hear that his
exhibitions were in great demand, for his comedy impressions
as much as his trick shots. His big opportunity came in 1982
at the Crucible. One of the semi- finals had finished early
and something had to be done to entertain the audience. John
did his act, taking off the likes of Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon
and Dennis Taylor and brought the house down. The TV cameras
were rolling and John instantly had a second career.
It was perhaps as well that he had this to fall back on as
his success at the table at that time was limited to two semi-finals
in 1982, the Jameson International and the Professional Players
Tournament, both ranking events. He would not reach another
semi until the 1986 Dulux British Open. In the meantime he
did, in 1984, win the ill-fated and short lived Professional
Snooker League but that carried no ranking points - or prize
money!
Over the next few years he rarely got beyond the last 32
in any event and in 1990/91 he only won two matches all season
and as a result dropped out of the top 16 for the last time.
During this time, apart form his cabaret act he spent two
years as chairman of the WPBSA so he could be excused for
not having time to put in as much practice as he might have
liked.
He continued to play the circuit but with diminishing enthusiasm.
He had added TV commentating to his other talents and finally
quit the tour at the end of the 1993/94 season. When the BBC
decide to launch a light hearted snooker based game show Big
Break in the mid 1990s John was offered the job as partner
to Jim Davidson. The show has been a great success and a road-show
version tours the country.
John has one minor claim to fame. When he beat Steve Davis
in the 1987 Dulux British Open, it was the first time anyone
had knocked Steve out of an event before the televised stages.
Although no longer a force as a player, John will always
earn a good living from his versatile activities probably
long after many of today’s top players are forgotten.
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