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Former world snooker champion Terry Griffiths has died at the age of 77 after a prolonged battle with dementia, as confirmed by his family.
Griffiths emerged victorious through the qualifying rounds to clinch the 1979 Crucible title as a qualifier. He also secured the Masters and the UK Championship, achieving the sport’s coveted ‘triple crown’.
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In his later career, Griffiths evolved into an accomplished coach, guiding prominent players such as Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, and Mark Allen.
Three-time world champion Williams was one of the first to pay tribute to Griffiths on social media, describing him as a “mentor, coach, friend, and legend.”
Allen expressed, “What a remarkable individual who greatly influenced my career and life, both on and off the table. Truly heartbroken. He was more than a coach; he was family.”
Wayne, Griffiths’ son, posted on Facebook: “To our friends and snooker enthusiasts, we are deeply saddened to share the news of our loss.
“Terry Griffiths OBE peacefully passed away on December 1st, after a long struggle with dementia.
“He was surrounded by family in his beloved hometown in South Wales.
“A proud Welshman, Terry hailed from Llanelli, brought great pride to the town, and he has now found peace there.”
“He would not have wanted it any other way.”
Griffiths was consistently among the top players in the sport during the 1980s and early 1990s, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship for nine consecutive years and making another final appearance in 1988.
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He ended his competitive career following a first-round defeat to Williams at the 1997 World Championship.
Griffiths was married to Annette and fathered two sons, Wayne, who is a snooker coach, and Darren, a PGA golf professional.
UNDAUNTED RESILIENCE
Recognized for his thoughtful and methodical approach, Griffiths’ career as both a player and a coach shone brightly for over four decades.
Despite often being viewed as the tortoise compared to the hares like Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White, Griffiths avoided controversy outside the arena.
Nevertheless, he maximized his abilities and played a pivotal role in ushering a new era for snooker during the late 1970s and 1980s, standing up to his flashier contemporaries.
“Even after 21 years since I retired, fans still approach me for photos and autographs,” Griffiths shared during a 2019 BBC interview.
He made history by winning the world championship on his maiden attempt in 1979, becoming the first qualifier to achieve this milestone.
A year earlier, he was working as an insurance agent.
People still come to me for a photograph and an autograph, and I finished playing 21 years ago.
Terry Griffiths
The Welshman turned professional in June 1978, and in April the following year, he began a transformative journey at Sheffield‘s Crucible Theatre.
Griffiths celebrated 13-8 and 13-12 wins over Perrie Mans and Higgins before overcoming Eddie Charlton 19-17 in a semi-final that concluded at 1:40 am—the latest finish for any match at that time.
He then bested future champion Dennis Taylor 24-16 in the final, securing the winner’s prize of £10,000.
“Dennis and I were good friends and had to attend the reception, but I didn’t have a car,” Griffiths recounted. “So, I asked him if I could put the trophy in his boot, and he kindly agreed.”
Afterwards, he laughed, saying, ‘I can’t believe you asked me to put the trophy in the boot.’ But I was just asking him for a favor!”
The public related to Griffiths’ underdog story as snooker transitioned from smoky halls to mainstream television and became a significant business.
Griffiths’ affable nature charmed many, and his stylish look was famously featured in Chas & Dave’s ‘Snooker Loopy,’ where he sang, ‘I’ll buy another eight hairbrushes for me barnet.’
When Judd Trump‘s hairstyle became a hot topic on social media nearly four decades later, the 2019 world champion quipped: “I aspire to be like Terry Griffiths. Hopefully, I can also play as slowly as him one day.”
Born on October 16, 1947, in the rugby town of Llanelli, Griffiths started playing snooker at the age of 13 and soon emerged as a top Welsh amateur player.
I want to be like Terry Griffiths. Hopefully, I can play as slow as him one day as well.
Judd Trump
Outside of snooker, he began working in a mine at 15 years old, later working as a bus conductor and a postman before becoming an insurance agent.
Inspired by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon, who captured six world titles from 1970 to 1978, Griffiths turned professional, marking the start of an era when snooker’s elite began to emerge as highly regarded figures in British sports.
Although not a frequent tournament winner, Griffiths claimed the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, establishing himself as one of the 11 players to have achieved snooker’s Triple Crown.
Griffiths consistently made it to the quarter-finals of the World Championship for nine consecutive years between 1984 and 1992, with a second final appearance in 1988, where he fell 18-11 to Steve Davis.
Upon retiring from professional play in 1997, Griffiths’ elegant style remained timeless.
Nevertheless, he continued to be a prominent figure in the snooker world as a respected commentator and established himself as a leading coach in the sport.
World champions Hendry and Williams, along with players like Ali Carter, Stephen Maguire, and Ding Junhui, were among those he coached, and he also served as the director of the South West Snooker Academy.
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