Classic Alex Higgins

[vmax4steve]

WSC 1982 Alex Higgins v Doug Mountjoy second round match final frame score at 12-12.

Whoops, forgot the question
Would the miss rule have spoiled this frame ?

[mattyshinobi22]

some higgins special's there, thanks for sharing

[nrage]

WSC 1982 Alex Higgins v Doug Mountjoy second round match final frame score at 12-12.
Would the miss rule have spoiled this frame ?

Thanks for posting that. I'm not sure how the miss rule would have changed that frame at all...

[Rane]

So typical Higgins. Everytime I see a clip with him I´m so amazed about his charisma.

[spike]

Many thanks for posting this footage. This is the first time I have seen the deciding frame of this match. I have 'he People's Champion', though unfortunately it does not include this frame..

[coomsey76]

Thanks for posting..... Indeed typical Higgins, what a brown to take on and pot it in true Higgins style!!

I could watch him play all day!!

[gmg]

Many thanks for posting this footage. This is the first time I have seen the deciding frame of this match. I have 'he People's Champion', though unfortunately it does not include this frame..

Hi Spike I'm surprised you haven't seen this before as Roger Lee has it in his collection. It's sometimes a matter of looking a bit deeper into his collection as well to secure the best footage. 'The year of the 147', for instance, contains some great footage of Alex from the 1983 Championship, such as his controversial second round encounter against Willie Thorne and his quarter-final against Big Bill.
G.

[gmg]

Hi Spike I'm surprised you haven't seen this before as Roger Lee has it in his collection. It's sometimes a matter of looking a bit deeper into his collection as well to secure the best footage. 'The year of the 147', for instance, contains some great footage of Alex from the 1983 Championship, such as his controversial second round encounter against Willie Thorne and his quarter-final against Big Bill.
G.

Also meant to add that some interesting Alex related footage has popped up on YouTube. Its the unedited interview with Oliver Reed from the 'I'm No Angel' video. It's clear that the producers used the best bits for the video and Reed doesn't come across that well in the bits that were left out but intresting nevertheless. In two parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzSbg...3&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6qRN...feature=relmfu

[vmax4steve]

Thanks for posting that. I'm not sure how the miss rule would have changed that frame at all...

My mistake, I remembered the frame wrongly believing that Higgins took that brown as a free ball after laying a snooker. As an afterthought though, if that free ball situation would arise now after a snooker had been layed, would any player today take on that brown or would they simply ask for the cue ball to be replaced. With the miss rule now in place would they even have looked to see if was in fact a free ball ?
I don't believe they would have, I believe that the rule as it stood then made positive players like Higgins take on the chances that they were given rather than just play it safe by having the balls replaced all the time.

Great frame all the same and as much tension in that as the decider in the semi final against White that year. Higgins certainly had the bottle for it and played brilliantly to win the title.

[vmax4steve]

Many thanks for posting this footage. This is the first time I have seen the deciding frame of this match. I have 'he People's Champion', though unfortunately it does not include this frame..

Taken from 'The Year Of The Hurricane', which was a programme put together by the BBC and broadcast later in 1982. I recorded it on VHS at the time and later transfered it to dvd. It lasts about an hour and forty minutes and contains some really good stuff. David Vine presenting, Jack Karneham, John Spencer, Ted Lowe commentating, those were the days.

[gmg]

Taken from 'The Year Of The Hurricane', which was a programme put together by the BBC and broadcast later in 1982. I recorded it on VHS at the time and later transfered it to dvd. It lasts about an hour and forty minutes and contains some really good stuff. David Vine presenting, Jack Karneham, John Spencer, Ted Lowe commentating, those were the days.

The good old days indeed. Roger Lee has the 'Year of the Hurricane' documentary listed as 2hrs 28 mins in duration. Are you able to tell me which matches are included on it? Sounds like it's quite different from the 'Peoples Champion' video.

[nrage]

My mistake, I remembered the frame wrongly believing that Higgins took that brown as a free ball after laying a snooker. As an afterthought though, if that free ball situation would arise now after a snooker had been layed, would any player today take on that brown or would they simply ask for the cue ball to be replaced. With the miss rule now in place would they even have looked to see if was in fact a free ball ?
I don't believe they would have, I believe that the rule as it stood then made positive players like Higgins take on the chances that they were given rather than just play it safe by having the balls replaced all the time.

I reckon most players would check for the free ball, but perhaps not if it was the 3rd or 4th miss as some players seem to get set on one course and don't double check each position all the time. But, as the brown was a high risk shot, perhaps many would not take it as a free ball. The likes of Ronnie, or Trump, or Robertson, or perhaps even Higgins might take it on if they were feeling confident, specifically as it was the path to victory which left the least amount to luck and gave the least amount of chance to the opponent.

That said, if you lay a snooker and your opponent fails to escape I don't, generally, see why you shouldn't be able to put them back. I don't agree all failures to escape should be called "miss" as I think discretion has to be applied. If the escape was the easiest option (not a harder option which leaves less etc) and the player missed by very little (yet played with sufficient strength), and assuming the escape was difficult (for a pro, e.g. a 1/5 type of shot) then I believe no miss should be called.

I also think, this doesn't seem to be how the rule is applied today... but I could be wrong.