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Ssb - it's all there in colour
Here's what Steve Davis told the Kerryman newspaper this week about his infamous black ball defeat to Dennis Taylor in the 1985 World Championship final:
"It's only now you can look back on it and realise you were a part of sporting history. I would rank it above the six world titles I won."
Such sentiment seemed unlikely in the immediate aftermath of the final when he struggled to speak at all when faced with David Vine and his microphone.
John Virgo tells a story about putting his head round Steve's dressing room door to commiserate and finding him in floods of tears.
Time is a great healer and Davis can be content enough with his career to accept that this was one that got away, but that it's fondly remembered not just among snooker people but further afield.
There were 18.5m viewers still watching at midnight after all.
There will be much spoken about the 1985 final at this year's World Championship as it's the 25th anniversary.
In truth, though, it has come to be something of a millstone around the sport's neck because it gives feature writers the chance to trot out the tired old line that 'snooker never gets 18m any more.' As if any other sport does outside of really, really big occasions like an England match in the World Cup.
I'm surprised Steve ranks that final above his six Crucible victories, although he may mean it in terms of moments rather than triumphs.
I certainly hope it's not what he's remembered for because he was a great player - the best ever until Stephen Hendry came along - and should be celebrated for his achievements, which were many and glorious.
You can read the Kerryman's report of his exhibition with Taylor here.
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"It's only now you can look back on it and realise you were a part of sporting history. I would rank it above the six world titles I won."
Such sentiment seemed unlikely in the immediate aftermath of the final when he struggled to speak at all when faced with David Vine and his microphone.
John Virgo tells a story about putting his head round Steve's dressing room door to commiserate and finding him in floods of tears.
Time is a great healer and Davis can be content enough with his career to accept that this was one that got away, but that it's fondly remembered not just among snooker people but further afield.
There were 18.5m viewers still watching at midnight after all.
There will be much spoken about the 1985 final at this year's World Championship as it's the 25th anniversary.
In truth, though, it has come to be something of a millstone around the sport's neck because it gives feature writers the chance to trot out the tired old line that 'snooker never gets 18m any more.' As if any other sport does outside of really, really big occasions like an England match in the World Cup.
I'm surprised Steve ranks that final above his six Crucible victories, although he may mean it in terms of moments rather than triumphs.
I certainly hope it's not what he's remembered for because he was a great player - the best ever until Stephen Hendry came along - and should be celebrated for his achievements, which were many and glorious.
You can read the Kerryman's report of his exhibition with Taylor here.
More...
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