Ray Reardon
Encyclopedia
Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh
snooker
player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships
in that decade. A genial figure, his dark widow's peak
and sharp-toothed grin nonetheless earned him the nickname Dracula
.
community of Tredegar
in Monmouthshire, Reardon left school and became a coal miner when he was just 14, as such he followed in the footsteps of his father. After a rockfall in which he was buried for three hours, he quit mining and became a police officer
when his family moved to Stoke-on-Trent. Having won the Welsh amateur title from 1950-1955, Reardon failed to win the English title when he entered the event in 1956 and 1957. Finally upon re-entering the the 1964 event, he won the English Amateur title, defeating John Spencer
11-8 in the final. This victory led to an invite to tour South Africa, this proved to be so successful that Reardon was offered the chance to tour it again as a professional. On the back of this, Reardon resigned as a policeman and duly turned professional in 1967.
His first appearance at the World Championship was in 1969
, and he won his first title the following year
, beating John Pulman
37-33 at London's Victoria Hall. After winning the title, Reardon was in big demand for exhibitions and on the holiday camp circuit. Winning the first ever Pot Black
in 1969 made him instantly recognisable, and Reardon and John Spencer were the first two men to capitalise on the snooker boom in the early 1970s.
in Manchester
when he beat Eddie Charlton 38-32, but the match of the championship was the semi-final between Reardon and Spencer, which Reardon won 23-22.
He beat Graham Miles
the following year
, and in 1975
, when it was held in Melbourne
, Australia
, he had a tough quarter-final with Spencer which he won 19-17. He then beat Alex Higgins
19-14 before meeting local hero Eddie Charlton
in the final. Reardon initially trailed by 23 frames to 29, putting Charlton two frames away from the title, but Reardon then won seven consecutive frames to lead 30-29. Charlton took the sixtieth frame to tie the match but Reardon took the vital sixty-first and won his fourth title.
Reardon won his fifth the next year
in Manchester, beating Alex Higgins 27-16. Earlier that year, he had won the Benson and Hedges Masters
in London, his second snooker title after the World Championship. His unbeaten run at the World Championship ended at the first Crucible championship in 1977
, when he lost to John Spencer in the quarter-finals 6-13, his first defeat since Rex Williams
in 1972
.
He regained the title in 1978
winning it for the sixth and final time by beating Doug Mountjoy
13-9 (after trailing 7-2), Bill Werbeniuk
13-6, Eddie Charlton
18-14 and finally Perrie Mans
25-18 in the final. Reardon remains the oldest winner of the World Championship at the age of 45 years and 6 months. Straight after this Reardon regained the Pontins Professional Title, defeating John Spencer 7-2 in the final.
Towards the end of 1978 Reardon beat Patsy Fagan
6-1 and Alex Higgins 11-9 in a high quality final to win the one-off 'Champion of Champions' event sponsored by the Daily Mirror and held at the Wembley Conference Centre.
1979 saw Reardon regain his Pot Black title by defeating Doug Mountjoy
2-1 in the final. It was Reardon's first win since he won the inaugural event in 1969, although he was runner up in 1970, 1972 and 1980. That same year Reardon joined Mountjoy and then World Champion Terry Griffiths, to win the first 'World Challenge Cup' for Wales. Defeating England (Fred Davis, John Spencer and Graham Miles) easily 14-3 in the final.
in the 1979 quarter-final, and by David Taylor
at the same stage in 1980. He went a step further in 1981, beating John Spencer 13-11 and Bill Werbeniuk 13-10 before being surprisingly beaten by fellow Welshman Doug Mountjoy in the semi-finals in what was Mountjoy's best ever World Championship performance. Mountjoy scored a championship record break of 145 during the match, which he won 16-10.
It was the rise of Steve Davis in 1980-81 that saw Reardon and his generation lose their grip on the sport. However, Reardon, despite approaching 50, did not surrender his grip easily. For the 1982/3 season Reardon returned to number one in the world rankings and the following season won two major events. Reardon also had the distinction of whitewashing Steve Davis twice during the latter's prime. Firstly 6-0 in the 1982 Highland Masters semi-final (an event Reardon went on to win) and secondly in 1988 (see below).
However, despite Davis' total domination over an 18-month period between late 1980 and the spring of 1982, Reardon remained a major force in the game. At 49, he reached the World final in 1982
, losing to Alex Higgins 15-18.
In 1982/3, Reardon's career went through an Indian summer
. In late 1982 Reardon won the Players Professional Tournament, beating Jimmy White 10-5 in the final. He reached the final of the Benson & Hedges Masters
, losing 7-9 to Cliff Thorburn
, and went on to win the Yamaha Organs International Masters
, where he beat Steve Davis 2-1 in the semi-final group stages, before defeating Jimmy White
9-6 in the final, having trailed 5-3. Reardon also regained the Welsh Professional Title, hammering Terry Griffiths 9-4 and Doug Mountjoy 9-1 in the semi final and final respectively. This led him to be fancied in some quarters for that year's World Championship, but he was beaten 12-13 in a high-quality second round match by Tony Knowles
.
After 1983, he never again looked likely to triumph in major championships although he reached the semi-finals of the World Championships once more, in 1985 (losing 5-16 to Davis). He last played at the Crucible in 1987
, losing to Steve Davis again in the second round.
were introduced in 1976, Reardon was the first number one, retaining that position until 1981/1982
. His win in the 1982 Professional Players Tournament at the age of 50 led to him recapturing the world number one position in the first set of rankings to be calculated on tournaments other than the World Championship.
Reardon remains the oldest player, at 45, ever to win a ranking tournament. He has also won the State Express World Team Classic for Wales
during the first two years of the tournament in 1979 and 1980 with Mountjoy and Terry Griffiths
. He also won the Welsh Professional Championship
in 1981 and 1983. His last final was the 1985 World Doubles
when he partnered Tony Jones and lost to Steve Davis
and Tony Meo 5-12. He was awarded the MBE in the same year.
-style glasses' later on in his career. He went out of the top 16 in 1987 but surprisingly whitewashed Steve Davis 5-0 in the third round of the 1988 British Open
. The victory was achieved with Reardon using his old cue with which he had won his world titles, having been encouraged to rebuild it, by Steve Davis. However, in the next round, played under TV lighting Reardon suffered a drying of contact lenses and lost 5-2 to David Roe
, having led 2-1.
Reardon played his last competitive ranking match in the 1991 World Championship qualifying second round. He lost 10-5 to Jason Prince (losing three frames on the black). Upon this loss, Reardon announced that 'there was no bitterness on his part' but he would not be returning. Having slipped to 127th in the provisional ranking and now aged 58, Reardon called a halt to his formal playing career. Reardon's last formal appearance in an event came in the 2000 Senior's event where he lost his opening 'match' (actually a single frame) 69-46 to Graham Miles.
Reardon maintains an active interest in the game. He also advised Ronnie O'Sullivan
on his way to his 2004 World Championship
victory, giving him psychological and technical help. He is currently the president
of the golf club in Churston
, Devon
. Reardon made a playing appearance at a Snooker Legends evening in Plymouth in July 2010.
Reardon now resides in Torquay
, Devon.
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Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
snooker
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. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships
World Snooker Championship
The 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...
in that decade. A genial figure, his dark widow's peak
Widow's peak
A widow's peak is a distinct point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. This hair anomaly is a result of a lower-than-usual position of the intersection of the bilateral periorbital fields of hair-growth suppression on the forehead.-Definition:...
and sharp-toothed grin nonetheless earned him the nickname Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
.
Early life and career
Born 8 October 1932, in the coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
community of Tredegar
Tredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
in Monmouthshire, Reardon left school and became a coal miner when he was just 14, as such he followed in the footsteps of his father. After a rockfall in which he was buried for three hours, he quit mining and became a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
when his family moved to Stoke-on-Trent. Having won the Welsh amateur title from 1950-1955, Reardon failed to win the English title when he entered the event in 1956 and 1957. Finally upon re-entering the the 1964 event, he won the English Amateur title, defeating John Spencer
John Spencer
-Earls:*John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer *John Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer , British politician*John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer , British politician...
11-8 in the final. This victory led to an invite to tour South Africa, this proved to be so successful that Reardon was offered the chance to tour it again as a professional. On the back of this, Reardon resigned as a policeman and duly turned professional in 1967.
His first appearance at the World Championship was in 1969
World Snooker Championship 1969
The 1969 World Snooker Championship was the first championship in a knockout format since 1951, following years of single matches and challenge matches. The event was held at the Victoria Hall, London...
, and he won his first title the following year
World Snooker Championship 1970
The 1970 World Snooker Championship took place in April 1970 and like the previous year the final was at London's Victoria Hall.Ray Reardon won in the final 38–22 against John Pulman, and picked up £1,225.- Notable happening :...
, beating John Pulman
John Pulman
John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....
37-33 at London's Victoria Hall. After winning the title, Reardon was in big demand for exhibitions and on the holiday camp circuit. Winning the first ever Pot Black
Pot Black
Pot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...
in 1969 made him instantly recognisable, and Reardon and John Spencer were the first two men to capitalise on the snooker boom in the early 1970s.
Entertainer
Reardon also became popular because he added a touch of humour and entertainment to his game. A deadly long potter and tactician in his prime, he played seventeen World Championship matches without defeat and won the title four years in succession. He won his second 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 :...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
when he beat Eddie Charlton 38-32, but the match of the championship was the semi-final between Reardon and Spencer, which Reardon won 23-22.
He beat Graham Miles
Graham Miles
Graham Miles is a retired English snooker player.Miles turned professional in 1969. He first gained recognition in 1974, when he reached the final of the World Championship. Although he lost 22–12 to Ray Reardon, this turned out to be the highlight of his career...
the following year
World Snooker Championship 1974
The 1974 Park Drive World Snooker Championship took place at Belle Vue, Manchester between 16 and 25 April 1974. The prelimnary round took place on the 11 April.Ray Reardon won in the final 22–12 against Graham Miles.- Notable moments :...
, and in 1975
World Snooker Championship 1975
The 1975 World Snooker Championship professional snooker tournament took place at Melbourne, Australia in 1975.Ray Reardon won in the final 31–30 against Eddie Charlton.- Notable moments :...
, when it was held in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he had a tough quarter-final with Spencer which he won 19-17. He then beat 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...
19-14 before meeting local hero Eddie Charlton
Eddie Charlton
Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...
in the final. Reardon initially trailed by 23 frames to 29, putting Charlton two frames away from the title, but Reardon then won seven consecutive frames to lead 30-29. Charlton took the sixtieth frame to tie the match but Reardon took the vital sixty-first and won his fourth title.
Reardon won his fifth the next year
World Snooker Championship 1976
The 1976 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place at two venues – the Middlesbrough Town Hall staged the top half of the draw and the Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester staged the bottom half and the final.-Notable Moments:...
in Manchester, beating Alex Higgins 27-16. Earlier that year, he had won the Benson and Hedges Masters
1976 Masters Snooker
The 1976 Benson and Hedges Masters took place in January 1976 and was held in the New London Theatre. 10 players who were invited took part. Ray Reardon who was runner-up in 1975 beat Graham Miles 7-3 in the final.-Main draw:...
in London, his second snooker title after the World Championship. His unbeaten run at the World Championship ended at the first Crucible championship in 1977
World Snooker Championship 1977
The 1977 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between the 18 and 30 April 1977.John Spencer won in the final 25–21 against Cliff Thorburn. This brought £6,000 out the prize fund of £17,000.- Notable Moments :...
, when he lost to John Spencer in the quarter-finals 6-13, his first defeat since Rex Williams
Rex Williams
Rex Williams , son of Minnie Roberts and William Williams, is a retired English professional snooker and billiards player.Williams was an excellent junior player in both snooker and billiards. His professional career began in 1951, during a period of decline in snooker...
in 1972
World Snooker Championship 1972
The 1972 World Snooker Championship, between March 1971 to February 1972, took nearly a year to complete. In a preliminary competition eight qualifiers were reduced to two, and they joined the eight other entrants in the competition proper...
.
He regained the title in 1978
World Snooker Championship 1978
The 1978 Embassy World Snooker Championship snooker tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 17 and 29 April 1978.-Notable moments:...
winning it for the sixth and final time by beating Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life...
13-9 (after trailing 7-2), Bill Werbeniuk
Bill Werbeniuk
William Alexander "Bill" Werbeniuk was a Canadian professional snooker and pool player. Recognisable for his girth, he was nicknamed "Big Bill"...
13-6, Eddie Charlton
Eddie Charlton
Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...
18-14 and finally Perrie Mans
Perrie Mans
Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...
25-18 in the final. Reardon remains the oldest winner of the World Championship at the age of 45 years and 6 months. Straight after this Reardon regained the Pontins Professional Title, defeating John Spencer 7-2 in the final.
Towards the end of 1978 Reardon beat Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan
Patsy Fagan is a retired Irish professional snooker player.A talented snooker player who won the first UK championship in 1977 , Fagan seemed destined for a long and successful professional career in the game, but he became affected by a reluctance, possibly psychological, to play shots with the...
6-1 and Alex Higgins 11-9 in a high quality final to win the one-off 'Champion of Champions' event sponsored by the Daily Mirror and held at the Wembley Conference Centre.
1979 saw Reardon regain his Pot Black title by defeating Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy
Doug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life...
2-1 in the final. It was Reardon's first win since he won the inaugural event in 1969, although he was runner up in 1970, 1972 and 1980. That same year Reardon joined Mountjoy and then World Champion Terry Griffiths, to win the first 'World Challenge Cup' for Wales. Defeating England (Fred Davis, John Spencer and Graham Miles) easily 14-3 in the final.
Indian Summer
After his sixth world title he remained one of the world's very best players for some years. He was beaten by Dennis TaylorDennis Taylor
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...
in the 1979 quarter-final, and by David Taylor
David Taylor (snooker player)
David Taylor is a semi-retired English professional snooker player. He won the World and English Amateur Championships in 1968, before the success of those wins encouraged him to turn professional. Although an excellent player, Taylor never quite reached the very top of the game...
at the same stage in 1980. He went a step further in 1981, beating John Spencer 13-11 and Bill Werbeniuk 13-10 before being surprisingly beaten by fellow Welshman Doug Mountjoy in the semi-finals in what was Mountjoy's best ever World Championship performance. Mountjoy scored a championship record break of 145 during the match, which he won 16-10.
It was the rise of Steve Davis in 1980-81 that saw Reardon and his generation lose their grip on the sport. However, Reardon, despite approaching 50, did not surrender his grip easily. For the 1982/3 season Reardon returned to number one in the world rankings and the following season won two major events. Reardon also had the distinction of whitewashing Steve Davis twice during the latter's prime. Firstly 6-0 in the 1982 Highland Masters semi-final (an event Reardon went on to win) and secondly in 1988 (see below).
However, despite Davis' total domination over an 18-month period between late 1980 and the spring of 1982, Reardon remained a major force in the game. At 49, he reached the World final in 1982
World Snooker Championship 1982
The 1982 Embassy World Snooker Championship professional ranking snooker tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 30 April and 16 May 1982.Alex Higgins won in the final 18–15 against Ray Reardon.- Notable moments :...
, losing to Alex Higgins 15-18.
In 1982/3, Reardon's career went through an Indian summer
Indian summer
An Indian summer is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs in the autumn. It refers to a period of considerably above normal temperatures, accompanied by dry and hazy conditions, usually after there has been a killing frost...
. In late 1982 Reardon won the Players Professional Tournament, beating Jimmy White 10-5 in the final. He reached the final of 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...
, losing 7-9 to Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
, and went on to win the Yamaha Organs International Masters
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
, where he beat Steve Davis 2-1 in the semi-final group stages, before defeating 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,...
9-6 in the final, having trailed 5-3. Reardon also regained the Welsh Professional Title, hammering Terry Griffiths 9-4 and Doug Mountjoy 9-1 in the semi final and final respectively. This led him to be fancied in some quarters for that year's World Championship, but he was beaten 12-13 in a high-quality second round match by Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles (snooker player)
Anthony Knowles is an English professional snooker player. He was a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s.-Career:...
.
After 1983, he never again looked likely to triumph in major championships although he reached the semi-finals of the World Championships once more, in 1985 (losing 5-16 to Davis). He last played at the Crucible in 1987
World Snooker Championship 1987
The 1987 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England between 18 April – 4 May 1987.Joe Johnson made it to the final again, but so did Steve Davis, making it a repeat of the 1986 final. However Johnson did not defend his title, as he lost 14–18 to Davis...
, losing to Steve Davis again in the second round.
World number one
When the snooker world rankingsSnooker 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...
were introduced in 1976, Reardon was the first number one, retaining that position until 1981/1982
Snooker world rankings 1981/1982
Snooker world rankings 1981/1982: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 1981/1982 season are listed below.-References:...
. His win in the 1982 Professional Players Tournament at the age of 50 led to him recapturing the world number one position in the first set of rankings to be calculated on tournaments other than the World Championship.
Reardon remains the oldest player, at 45, ever to win a ranking tournament. He has also won the State Express World Team Classic for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the first two years of the tournament in 1979 and 1980 with Mountjoy and 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...
. He also won the Welsh Professional Championship
Welsh Professional Championship
The Welsh Professional Championship was a professional snooker tournament which was open only for Welsh players. It was the first of the four home countries to revive its national professional championship on a regular basis.- History :...
in 1981 and 1983. His last final was the 1985 World Doubles
World Doubles Championship (snooker)
The World Doubles Championship, also known as the Hofmeister World Doubles or the Fosters World Doubles for sponsorship purposes, was a non-ranking professional snooker tournament held from 1982 to 1987 as the major event....
when he partnered Tony Jones and lost to 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...
and Tony Meo 5-12. He was awarded the MBE in the same year.
Retirement and Later years
Reardon began to struggle in 1982 when his father died. He also developed poor sight and started wearing 'Dennis TaylorDennis Taylor
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...
-style glasses' later on in his career. He went out of the top 16 in 1987 but surprisingly whitewashed Steve Davis 5-0 in the third round of the 1988 British Open
British Open (snooker)
The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
. The victory was achieved with Reardon using his old cue with which he had won his world titles, having been encouraged to rebuild it, by Steve Davis. However, in the next round, played under TV lighting Reardon suffered a drying of contact lenses and lost 5-2 to David Roe
David Roe
David Roe is a former English professional snooker player, and a four-time ranking tournament quarter-finalist.Roe began his professional career for the 1986/1987 season...
, having led 2-1.
Reardon played his last competitive ranking match in the 1991 World Championship qualifying second round. He lost 10-5 to Jason Prince (losing three frames on the black). Upon this loss, Reardon announced that 'there was no bitterness on his part' but he would not be returning. Having slipped to 127th in the provisional ranking and now aged 58, Reardon called a halt to his formal playing career. Reardon's last formal appearance in an event came in the 2000 Senior's event where he lost his opening 'match' (actually a single frame) 69-46 to Graham Miles.
Reardon maintains an active interest in the game. He also advised Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
on his way to his 2004 World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2004
The 2004 Embassy World Snooker Championship took place between 17 April and 3 May 2004 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.Mark Williams was the defending champion, but he lost in the second round 11–13 against Joe Perry....
victory, giving him psychological and technical help. He is currently the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the golf club in Churston
Churston
Churston Ferrers is a historic civil parish within Torbay, in Devon, England. It contains the two villages of Churston, a coastal village, and the now larger Galmpton. It is situated in between Paignton and Brixham....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. Reardon made a playing appearance at a Snooker Legends evening in Plymouth in July 2010.
Reardon now resides in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, Devon.
Performance timeline
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1987
|-
|style="background:#EFEFEF;" |
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:yellow;"|SF
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:#0f0;"|W
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:yellow;"|SF
| style="text-align:center; background:#D8BFD8;"|F
| style="text-align:center; background:#afeeee;"|2R
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffebcd;"|QF
| style="text-align:center; background:yellow;"|SF
| style="text-align:center; background:#afeeee;"|1R
| style="text-align:center; background:#afeeee;"|2R
|}
| 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 |
World Championship finals: 7 (6 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 1970 |  John PulmanJohn Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s.... |
37–33 |
| Winner | 1973 |  Eddie CharltonEddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title... |
38–32 |
| Winner | 1974 | Graham Miles Graham Miles Graham Miles is a retired English snooker player.Miles turned professional in 1969. He first gained recognition in 1974, when he reached the final of the World Championship. Although he lost 22–12 to Ray Reardon, this turned out to be the highlight of his career... |
22–12 |
| Winner | 1975 | Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title... |
31–30 |
| Winner | 1976 |  Alex HigginsAlex 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... |
27–16 |
| Winner | 1978 |  Perrie MansPerrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:... |
25–18 |
| Runner-up | 1982 | 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... |
15–18 |
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...
- 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 - Professional Players Tournament - 1982
Other 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...
- 1970, 1973 (world rankings did not begin until 1974) - Benson & Hedges 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...
- 1976 - Pot BlackPot BlackPot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...
- 1969, 1979 - Yamaha International MastersBritish Open (snooker)The British Open was a professional snooker tournament. It was a ranking tournament from 1985. The tournament has not been held since the 2004/2005 season....
- 1983 - Welsh Professional ChampionshipWelsh Professional ChampionshipThe Welsh Professional Championship was a professional snooker tournament which was open only for Welsh players. It was the first of the four home countries to revive its national professional championship on a regular basis.- History :...
- 1981, 1983