I won UK Snooker Championship but can’t remember any of it – all I can recall is the afterparty
JOHN HIGGINS has revealed how he barely remembers winning his first UK Championship.
The former World No.1 has won the UK Championship three times from five appearances in the final.
His first appearance ended in defeat to Stephen Hendry in 1996.
But two years later the “Class of 92” star was able to celebrate becoming the UK Champion after beating Matthew Stevens in the final.
The 49-year-old has admitted he doesn’t remember much of the match itself too well, but does have memories of the afterparty.
When asked about his memories from the first win in 1998 in Reach’s UK Championship publication, Higgins said: “None at all.”
Higgins even questioned: “Matthew Stevens in the final?”
He continued: “All I can remember is having a great party after it.
“Me, Matthew and our dads, we had a right good drink and a right good party.”
He said: “Back in the day, that’s what you used to do at tournaments.
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“Win or lose, you enjoyed it. It’s not the same anymore.”
His first UK Championship came off the back of his first World Championship crown.
The Wizard of Wishaw would go on to add two more UK Championships to his name in 2000 and 2010 after beating Mark Williams in both.
Higgins believes the “stand out” one was his win in 2010.
But speaking about how the sport has changed, he said: “It’s just different now.
“Obviously back then [in the 90s], you had tobacco sponsorship and stuff like that. It’s now a bit sterile behind the scenes.
“But it’s obviously more professional. People are winning the big events and then having their own party elsewhere. Back in the day, it was different.
“Nowadays, you’re older, you’ve got kids and I don’t drink now. It’s a different part of your life.”
Higgins enters the 2024 UK Championship on Monday against Guoqiang He in the last-16.
He added: “I’ve had a great career, this game has given us so much. I’ve only got good things to say about the game.
“I’ve always said I’m a lucky boy playing this game for a living.”
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 – Ray Reardon
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 – Steve Davis
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 – Dennis Taylor
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 – Stephen Hendry
- 1991 – John Parrott
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 – Ken Doherty
- 1998 – John Higgins
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 – Mark Williams
- 2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 2002 – Peter Ebdon
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 – Shaun Murphy
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 – Mark Selby
- 2015 – Stuart Bingham
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 – Judd Trump
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 – Luca Brecel
- 2024 – Kyren Wilson
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins