Dennis Taylor
Encyclopedia
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker
player, and current BBC
snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events
, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship
, beating World number one Steve Davis
on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals. He also won the Grand Prix
in 1984 and the Masters
in 1987. Taylor is also well known for his sense of humour and his trademark oversized spectacles.
, narrowly losing to Cliff Thorburn
in the first round. After world semi-final losses in 1975 and 1977, Taylor reached his first major final – the World Championship – in 1979
, but lost 24–16 to debutant Terry Griffiths
.
Having reached the semi final of the World Championships in 1984, losing to Steve Davis, Taylor was playing very well as he began the 1984–85 season. In September, however, he was devastated by the sudden death of his mother, which caused him to withdraw from the Jameson International. His first ranking event win came later in 1984, when he won the Rothmans Grand Prix
by beating Cliff Thorburn
10–2 in the final.
, where he faced Steve Davis, world number one, reigning world champion and the dominant player of the 1980s. Taylor trailed 8–0 after the first session, but bounced back to trail 7–9 and 15–17 and then level at 17–17. In an incredibly tense final frame, the score was 62–44 to Davis with only the brown, blue, pink and black still on the table. While Davis needed only the brown, Taylor needed all the colours. He potted a long brown, which he says is one of his best ever under pressure. A tricky blue and a difficult pink also went in, bringing the score to 62–59 to ensure that, for the first time ever, the title would be decided on the black ball. Taylor eventually potted the black after Davis had missed a tricky cut into the top pocket and, amid euphoric scenes watched by over 18 million viewers well after midnight on live BBC television, the Irishman finally took the lead on the final play having trailed Davis throughout the match to lift the much-coveted cup at the relatively advanced age of 36. Davis later drily commented that the match had all been there "in black and white".
The World Championship win added to Taylor's popularity. On his return to Coalisland with the world trophy he was mobbed by the town's inhabitants, and he appeared widely on television thereafter.
final again in autumn 1985, and again faced Davis in a match that went to a deciding frame, but this time was beaten 10–9. As with all other first-time world champions so far, Taylor succumbed to the "Crucible Curse
" on his return to the Crucible Theatre
the following year
and lost 10–6 to Mike Hallett
in the opening match, humorously acknowledging defeat by putting his handkerchief on the end of his cue to resemble a white flag
. He won the Benson & Hedges Masters
in 1987, beating Alex Higgins
9–8 in the final.
Taylor had a well-publicized row with Higgins at the 1990 snooker World Cup in which the Northern Ireland team were beaten by Canada
in the final, which ended with Higgins threatening to have Taylor shot, a threat Taylor understandably took seriously. Shortly afterwards they met in the quarter-finals of the Irish Masters
, and a determined Taylor won 5–2. The match was attended by a young Ken Doherty
. Taylor also beat Jimmy White
6–5 in the semi-finals but, emotionally drained by the Higgins match, lost 9–4 to Davis in the final. Taylor and Higgins were later reconciled.
Taylor was renowned for the glasses he wore during matches, with their large frame and unusual 'upside-down' structure that is required to avoid a player looking over the top of the lenses when down on a shot. As a member of the Matchroom group of players (managed by promoter Barry Hearn
), Taylor performed on the hit single with Chas & Dave, "Snooker Loopy
", which peaked at #5 in the UK singles chart. His perceived bad eyesight was parodied in the song with the lines "them long shots, he never ever got. Why the old mind boggles. But nowadays he pots the lot" with Taylor himself singing "'cos I wear these goggles". He was also one of the first players to develop a relative competence in using his left hand to play the game, though he himself said this was partly because he hated to play shots with the rest.
Taylor's form deteriorated gradually in the 1990s and he dropped out of the top 16 after the 1994 World Championship, the last remaining player who had been in the original world rankings in 1976. He retired from playing professionally in 2000. He now commentates on the four televised
snooker tournaments each year for the BBC
, alongside the likes of Terry Griffiths, John Virgo
and Clive Everton
. He has also made guest appearances on Big Break
, They Think It's All Over
, A Question of Sport
and The Weakest Link
.
In 2005 he was one of the celebrities taking part in the third series of the successful BBC show Strictly Come Dancing
, reaching eighth place with his partner Izabela Hannah.
Taylor currently lives in Llay
near Wrexham
and has been a resident of the village since April 2003. His son Damien is a professional golf coach. His autobiography is entitled Frame By Frame.
1974 !!1974/
1975 !!1975/
1976 !!1976/
1977 !!1977/
1978 !!1978/
1979 !!1979/
1980 !!1980/
1981 !!1981/
1982 !!1982/
1983 !!1983/
1984 !!1984/
1985 !!1985/
1986 !!1986/
1987 !!1987/
1988 !!1988/
1989 !!1989/
1990 !!1990/
1991 !!1991/
1992 !!1992/
1993 !!1993/
1994
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Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player, and current BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events
Snooker world rankings
The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association...
, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship
1985 World Snooker Championship final
The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, commonly known as the black ball final, was played on the weekend of 27/28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was contested between defending World Champion Steve Davis and Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor, appearing in his second...
, beating World number one Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals. He also won the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
in 1984 and the Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
in 1987. Taylor is also well known for his sense of humour and his trademark oversized spectacles.
Early career
Taylor turned professional in 1972 and made his world championship debut in 1973World Snooker Championship 1973
The 1973 Park Drive World Snooker Championship snooker tournament took place at the City Exhibition Hall, Deansgate, Manchester between 16–28 April 1973.Ray Reardon won in the final 38–22 against Eddie Charlton.- Notable moments :...
, narrowly losing to Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
in the first round. After world semi-final losses in 1975 and 1977, Taylor reached his first major final – the World Championship – in 1979
World Snooker Championship 1979
The 1979 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 16 and 28 April 1979.Terry Griffiths won in the final 24–16 against Dennis Taylor.-Notable moments:...
, but lost 24–16 to debutant Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
.
Having reached the semi final of the World Championships in 1984, losing to Steve Davis, Taylor was playing very well as he began the 1984–85 season. In September, however, he was devastated by the sudden death of his mother, which caused him to withdraw from the Jameson International. His first ranking event win came later in 1984, when he won the Rothmans Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
by beating Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
10–2 in the final.
The 1985 final
Later that season he reached his second world final in 19851985 World Snooker Championship final
The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, commonly known as the black ball final, was played on the weekend of 27/28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was contested between defending World Champion Steve Davis and Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor, appearing in his second...
, where he faced Steve Davis, world number one, reigning world champion and the dominant player of the 1980s. Taylor trailed 8–0 after the first session, but bounced back to trail 7–9 and 15–17 and then level at 17–17. In an incredibly tense final frame, the score was 62–44 to Davis with only the brown, blue, pink and black still on the table. While Davis needed only the brown, Taylor needed all the colours. He potted a long brown, which he says is one of his best ever under pressure. A tricky blue and a difficult pink also went in, bringing the score to 62–59 to ensure that, for the first time ever, the title would be decided on the black ball. Taylor eventually potted the black after Davis had missed a tricky cut into the top pocket and, amid euphoric scenes watched by over 18 million viewers well after midnight on live BBC television, the Irishman finally took the lead on the final play having trailed Davis throughout the match to lift the much-coveted cup at the relatively advanced age of 36. Davis later drily commented that the match had all been there "in black and white".
The World Championship win added to Taylor's popularity. On his return to Coalisland with the world trophy he was mobbed by the town's inhabitants, and he appeared widely on television thereafter.
Later career
Taylor reached the Rothmans Grand PrixGrand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
final again in autumn 1985, and again faced Davis in a match that went to a deciding frame, but this time was beaten 10–9. As with all other first-time world champions so far, Taylor succumbed to the "Crucible Curse
Crucible Curse
The "Crucible curse" refers to the fact that no first-time snooker world champion has retained his title the following year since the event moved to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1977...
" on his return to the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
the following year
World Snooker Championship 1986
The 1986 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 19 April – 5 May 1986.- Notable moments :* Joe Johnson was a 150–1 outsider at the start of the championship...
and lost 10–6 to Mike Hallett
Mike Hallett
Mike Hallett is an English professional snooker player and television sports commentator.-Career:Hallett was a consistently solid snooker player, but never achieved the very top ranks...
in the opening match, humorously acknowledging defeat by putting his handkerchief on the end of his cue to resemble a white flag
White flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
. He won the Benson & Hedges Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
in 1987, beating Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
9–8 in the final.
Taylor had a well-publicized row with Higgins at the 1990 snooker World Cup in which the Northern Ireland team were beaten by Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the final, which ended with Higgins threatening to have Taylor shot, a threat Taylor understandably took seriously. Shortly afterwards they met in the quarter-finals of the Irish Masters
Irish Masters (snooker)
The Irish Masters was a professional snooker tournament. It was founded in 1978, following on from the successful Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament .-History:...
, and a determined Taylor won 5–2. The match was attended by a young Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
. Taylor also beat Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
6–5 in the semi-finals but, emotionally drained by the Higgins match, lost 9–4 to Davis in the final. Taylor and Higgins were later reconciled.
Taylor was renowned for the glasses he wore during matches, with their large frame and unusual 'upside-down' structure that is required to avoid a player looking over the top of the lenses when down on a shot. As a member of the Matchroom group of players (managed by promoter Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
), Taylor performed on the hit single with Chas & Dave, "Snooker Loopy
Snooker Loopy
"Snooker Loopy" is a humorous song which was released as a single in May 1986 and entered the UK Singles Chart, reaching #6. It was written and performed by Chas & Dave and featured snooker players Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Willie Thorne, Terry Griffiths and Tony Meo, as backing vocalists under...
", which peaked at #5 in the UK singles chart. His perceived bad eyesight was parodied in the song with the lines "them long shots, he never ever got. Why the old mind boggles. But nowadays he pots the lot" with Taylor himself singing "'cos I wear these goggles". He was also one of the first players to develop a relative competence in using his left hand to play the game, though he himself said this was partly because he hated to play shots with the rest.
Taylor's form deteriorated gradually in the 1990s and he dropped out of the top 16 after the 1994 World Championship, the last remaining player who had been in the original world rankings in 1976. He retired from playing professionally in 2000. He now commentates on the four televised
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
snooker tournaments each year for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, alongside the likes of Terry Griffiths, John Virgo
John Virgo
John Virgo is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.- Career :...
and Clive Everton
Clive Everton
Clive Everton , is a Welsh veteran BBC snooker commentator, journalist and author. He began his BBC career on the radio, but has been commentating on the television from the 1978 World Championship through to the present...
. He has also made guest appearances on Big Break
Big Break
Big Break is a British game show based around the game of snooker, mixed with traditional game show elements. It was broadcast on BBC1 between 30 April 1991 and 9 October 2002...
, They Think It's All Over
They Think It's All Over (TV series)
They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
, A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport is a long-running BBC quiz show which started on 2 December 1968 and continues to this day. It is currently recorded at The Studios, MediaCityUK...
and The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
.
In 2005 he was one of the celebrities taking part in the third series of the successful BBC show Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, reaching eighth place with his partner Izabela Hannah.
Taylor currently lives in Llay
Llay
Llay is a village and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
near Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
and has been a resident of the village since April 2003. His son Damien is a professional golf coach. His autobiography is entitled Frame By Frame.
World Championship finals: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | 1979 |  Terry GriffithsTerry Griffiths Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have... |
16–24 |
| Winner | 1985 |  Steve DavisSteve Davis Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire... |
18–17 |
Performance timeline
1973 !!1973/1974 !!1974/
1975 !!1975/
1976 !!1976/
1977 !!1977/
1978 !!1978/
1979 !!1979/
1980 !!1980/
1981 !!1981/
1982 !!1982/
1983 !!1983/
1984 !!1984/
1985 !!1985/
1986 !!1986/
1987 !!1987/
1988 !!1988/
1989 !!1989/
1990 !!1990/
1991 !!1991/
1992 !!1992/
1993 !!1993/
1994
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| Performance Table Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | Failed to qualify | #R | Lost in the early rounds |
| QF | Lost in the quarter-finals | SF | Lost in the semi-finals |
| F | Lost in the final | W | Tournament winner |
| A | Did not participate in the tournament | NH | Tournament was not held |
Ranking wins
- World ChampionshipWorld Snooker ChampionshipThe World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
– 1985 - Rothmans Grand PrixGrand Prix (snooker)The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
– 1984
Non-ranking wins
- Irish Professional ChampionshipsIrish Professional Snooker ChampionshipsThe Irish Professional Championship was an invitational professional snooker tournament for mostly Irish and Northern Irish snooker players.- History :...
– 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987 - Canadian MastersCanadian Masters (snooker)The Canadian Masters was a professional snooker tournament.The tournament was held four times from 1985 to 1989 in Toronto, Canada, at a time when Canadian snooker was at its peak. The 1989 tournament was a ranking tournament. Jimmy White won, beating Steve Davis 9–4 to win £40,000.-Winners:...
– 1985, 1987 - Thailand Masters – 1985/86
- Carslberg Challenge – 1986
- Carling Challenge – 1986
- MastersMasters (snooker)The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
– 1987 - Tokyo Masters – 1987
- Kit-Kat Break for World Champions-1985 *Australian MastersAustralian MastersThe Australian Masters, currently known as the JBWere Masters for sponsorship reasons, is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament was founded in 1979, and was co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the first time in 2006, with a significant 20% increase in the prize...
-1986