'ONE OF THE GREATEST'
GARY LINEKER and Piers Morgan have led the tributes to snooker legend Willie Thorne after he passed away aged 66 following respiratory failure.
The popular former Strictly contestant died peacefully listening to his children after going into septic shock last night, his friend and carer said today.
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The tragic news was announced on his this morning. Julie O'Neill who set up the page, wrote that Thorne stopped responding to treatment and the decision was made to turn off the machines.
O'Neill had thanked fans for their support, and had urged them to pray for their unwell hero.
She added that the money raised on the page will now pay for the snooker legend's funeral.
O'Neill wrote: "Thank you so very much to everyone that has been involved in Willies care you have all been absolutely amazing and Willie couldn’t have asked for better.
"Thank you for all the donations that enabled him to get the care he needed!"
Thorne, who was given the name ‘Mr Maximum’ for the number of 147 breaks he regularly rattled in during practice – though he only made one in competition, was taken to hospital last week with a dangerously low blood pressure as he bravely battled leukaemia.
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But the star sadly lost his fight - leaving his legion of fans devastated.
Lineker, who like Thorne is from Leicester, revealed his pain at the loss.
The Match of the day host, 59, tweeted: "Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life's great characters. A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who's potted his final black way too soon. RIP Willie."
Huge sports fan and TV presenter Morgan, 55, added: "Great snooker player and wonderful character. Sad news."
Stephen Hendry, who won the world title a record seven times, said of his former rival and BBC colleague: "Very sad news. Willie was one of my favourite people in snooker. I know he had faults and weaknesses (we all do), but he was one of the game's greatest ever characters. I'll miss him."
Thorne was married to former Miss Great Britain Jill Saxby but their 24-year marriage came to an end in 2019. He suffered from a gambling addiction, losing an estimated £1m.
He leaves behind three children of his own and two step children.
Thorne became a household name in the snooker world in the 1980s and reached the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1982 and 1986.
He was a huge character within the game and was part of the 1986 single 'Snoopy Loopy' which was written and performed by Chas & Dave.
The snooker legend competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007.
He was paired up with Erin Boag before being voted off early into the show - coming in 12th out of 14th place.
Former world champion and close friend Dennis Taylor – and three-time world champ Mark Selby who grew up practising in the Leicester club bearing Thorne’s name - also hailed the icon.
Taylor, the 1985 Crucible king, said: “He was a great friend, one of the great and most recognisable characters and just great company. It is very sad, it was all just too much for him.
“We have laughed around the world together and enjoyed some unbelievable times, and he had a great sense of humour.
“Sometimes he would walk into the players’ room full of maybe six world champions and jokingly say ‘Right, who was the most famous person in here until I arrived?’
“He’d often say in recent years when he met someone ‘Pleased to meet you, Willie Thorne, big star in the 1980s’. Or ‘I used to be Mr Maximum, now I’m Mr Minimum’.
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“He probably should have won more, I used to practise with him and he wanted to make maximums all the time, not just win the frame.
“Maybe with a little more work on the tactical side he would have won more because he was so naturally talented player, and good to watch.
“But he was a huge part of that 1980s scene, we would go out a lot with Cliff Thorburn and with those two you would never stop laughing.
“Willie was very comfortable with people outside snooker and from all walks of life.
“He did have the gambling and betting addiction, and I genuinely believe that also stopped him winning more, it side-tracked him.”
Selby, also from Leicester, grew up practising in the Willie Thorne family-run club in the city.
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He said: “I used to practice with him when I was a kid. When I was ten he’d give me advice and watch me play, then his brother Malcolm took me under his wing.
“So I got close to Willie then, and later obviously around the scene with him commentating at the big tournaments.
“He was a legend in Leicester even though he didn’t win so many titles, being friends with Gary Lineker and a real recognised face in the city and around the UK.
“It just a really sad day and my thoughts go to his family, and it is also a sad day for the snooker family.
“The fact he went on to have a really good career after playing, doing Strictly and the TV work, just shows what a great character he was. He was a big face, and a big name.
“His commentary was fair if sometimes harsh, and I though he was one of the best. He was a brilliant break-builder himself, so he knew the shots.
“He could be a bit critical, the only bit I didn’t like was when he’d say ‘This is a great frame-winning opportunity’ after you’d potted the first red! No pressure there, then!”
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Thorne had been receiving treatment for the disease since March, and a was created by Julie O'Neill on which fans donated to help get him the care and support that he needed.
But things worsened on Sunday when Thorne went into respiratory failure and was placed into an induced coma, with medical ventilation.
He was put on three separate courses of antibiotics as he battled three types of infections.
Thorne previously underwent three blood transfusions and treatment for a virus after his diagnosis in March as well as MRI scans and heart checks following his admission to Torrevieja Hospital on May 2.
On top of that, the icon was also faced with both gout, which causes swelling and pain around the joints, and a water infection once treatment for the leukaemia began.
The popular Thorne made his professional snooker debut in 1975, reaching a career high ranking of No7.
And he was also a well-recognised voice on BBC's snooker coverage, having made appearances since the 1980s.
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