Terry Griffiths’ remarkable rise from postie to world snooker champion

From miner to snooker world champion, via stints as a bus conductor, postman and insurance salesman, Terry Griffiths, who has died aged 77 after a long battle with dementia, was an unconventional sporting hero with impeccable working-class credentials.

“From being a miner at 15 years of age in Pontarddulais, then I was a bus conductor and a postman and then went on to work in insurance,” the proud Welshman recalled. “Next thing I was champion of the world. It was a great thing for me – the pinnacle of my career.”

Having turned professional in 1978, he became world champion at his first attempt aged 31 – beating Dennis Taylor in the 1979 World Championship final at the Crucible – and one of the biggest names in the golden age of snooker when millions of viewers tuned in on primetime TV and the sport moved from smoky halls to one of the world’s biggest spectator sports.

Fans loved Griffiths’ underdog background, optimistic outlook and elegant playing style on the green baize.

His signature, coiffured appearance was immortalised in Chas & Dave’s 1986 novelty hit, Snooker Loopy, when he subtly mocked himself by singing: “I’ll buy another eight hairbrushes for me barnet”.

Famed for his slow, steady and methodical play – sometimes described as “tortoise to the hare” and a far cry from some of the game’s more flamboyant players like Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins, Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White and, later, Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan – Griffiths would nonetheless enjoy a four-decade career playing, coaching and commentating. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the teetotal Griffiths didn’t court controversy away from the table.

He would become one of only 11 players to complete snooker’s illustrious ‘triple crown’ – winning the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship two years later. Although those were his last ranking titles, Griffiths reached a second World Championship final in 1988, where he was beaten by six-time world champion Steve Davis.

During seven encounters at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, he was never to beat Davis but the pair remained firm friends as well as rivals during the sport’s imperial period.

While never a prolific winner of titles, Griffiths racked up more than £1million in prize winnings and remained a favourite among fans and fellow professionals.

After hanging up the cue in 1998, Griffiths became an accomplished coach to the likes of Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire, Ding Junhui and Mark Allen, as well as an acclaimed TV pundit and commentator, quick with his insight and humour.

Having reached a world ranking of number three, he was made an OBE in 2007 for his services to the sport. “People still come to me for a photograph and an autograph and I finished playing 21 years ago,” Griffiths recalled in 2019.

Announcing his death on Sunday, the star’s son Wayne, also a snooker coach, wrote: “To our friends and snooker followers in general, we are deeply saddened to share the news of our loss. Terry Griffiths OBE passed away peacefully after a lengthy battle with dementia. He was surrounded by his family in his beloved home-town in South Wales.

“A proud Welshman, Terry was born in Llanelli, brought pride to Llanelli and now he has found peace in Llanelli. He would not have had it any other way.”

Griffiths’ final match was the first round of the 1997 World Championship, where he was beaten in a final-frame decider by his fellow Welshman Mark Williams, who he would eventually coach to a world title. Last night the three-time world champion described Griffiths as a “mentor, coach, friend, legend”. He posted on social media: “RIP. Looked after me since playing in HSI Club every Sunday since I was 12. What a legend.”

Current world number one Judd Trump said: “It is incredibly sad news. He is a legend of the game. Terry was a very witty guy. Whenever I was at the Welsh Open, he would come over and make a joke. I had a good connection with him.

“It is hard to connect with some of the older generation but he was someone I felt I could get along with. It is a sad day for Welsh sport.”

When Trump’s own hairstyle attracted attention on social media, he said: “I want to be like Terry Griffiths. Hopefully I can play as slow as him one day as well.” Griffiths, who was born in the rugby town of Llanelli on October 16, 1947, was expelled from grammar school for truancy before becoming a secondary modern pupil where he played rugby union. He started playing snooker at the age of 13, finding his sport and becoming a top Welsh amateur player.

Away from the table, he was a miner aged 15 after leaving school, then worked as a bus conductor – because it gave him more time to practice snooker – and a postman, before becoming an insurance agent. He became the youngest winner of the Llanelli and District snooker championship at age 16. Inspired by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon, who won six world titles between 1970 and 1978, he turned professional during the era that would see snooker’s best player become the most recognisable British sportsmen.

Having turned professional in June 1978, he embarked on a run at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre the following April that would change his life for good. Griffiths enjoyed 13-8 and 13-12 wins over South African Perrie Mans and Higgins before beating Australian Eddie Charlton, another famously slow and steady player, 19-17 in a semi-final which finished at 1.40am – the latest finish of any match at the time.

He then beat future champion Dennis Taylor 24-16 to collect the trophy and winner’s cheque of £10,000. “Dennis and me were good friends and we had to go to the reception, but I didn’t have a car,” recalled Griffiths. “So I asked him if I could put the trophy in his boot and he said, ‘Yes of course’. But afterwards he said, ‘I can’t believe you asked me to put the trophy in the boot’. I was just asking him a favour!”

Griffiths was married to Annette and had two sons Wayne and Darren, a PGA golf professional. The closest Griffiths came to controversy, according to promoter Barry Hearn, was quite unwittingly when he smoked a joint allegedly given to him by Jimmy White during a trick shot contest at the Hong Kong Masters. Hearn, who was master of ceremonies, claimed in his memoir: “We held the best back to last. I gave it the big build-up, ‘Now, the 1979 world champion and a great trick-shot artist, the one and only TERRRRRY GRIFFITHSSS’.”

Griffiths initially failed to appear then came out “walking like a drunkard”. Asked if he was okay, he reputedly replied: “I’ve just had one of Jimmy’s fags. Those big roll-your-own ones. They’re great, aren’t they?” Hearn observed that “Terry messed up every shot”.

Last night a statement from World Snooker said: “We are deeply saddened tonight to hear that Terry Griffiths, a former world champion and all-time snooker great, has passed away at the age of 77… He was loved and respected by everyone in the sport.”

Mark Allen wrote: “What a legend of a man, who helped shape my career and life both on and off the table.”