A look at the career of People’s Champion, Jimmy White
James Warren White born on May 2, 1962 also known as the Whirlwind and the People’s Champion is the only player who has reached six world snooker championships final but unfortunately has lost all of them.
His attacking way of playing has made him the People’s Champion. However Jimmy has been a UK champion, World Amateur Champion, Worlds Doubles Champion with Alex Higgins and has also been a World Cup winner at three occasions with England. He is also
the first left handed ever and second of all-time, after Steve Davis, to make a 147 in 1992.
Jimmy White has compiled over 250 centuries in his professional career and is among the top 8 players in this regard. Though losing all six world championship finals he has reached, he’s been found consistent until 2000 but a defeat in the first round
of the 2006 world championship put him out of the world top 32. It then turned to the number 65 later on but now he has regained his place a bit by putting himself at the 56th number.
Jimmy White started playing snooker from a very young age when he used to be found missing in his school, playing snooker. He played many money matches with Tony Meo at different venues since an early age and that playing made him a renowned player
all over the world later on. He became the youngest ever player to win an English Amateur Championship at the age of 18 in 1979.
He was diagnosed with a testicular cancer in a routine check up in 1995 but had himself operated immediately and recovered. Soon after he got married to his wife Maureen White and the couple have four children. However when he was diagnosed with the
cancer, his game went way.
Jimmy White has also been a part of the controversy when in a match against Peter Francisco in South Africa news came that huge amount of money was involved in the match and was placed on Jimmy to keep the winning by an eventual score line. However,
investigation report came and Francisco was found guilty and there was a five years ban put on him. On the other hand Jimmy was not found with any wrongdoing as there was no evidence found against him and was cleared completely.
Jimmy White is a player which has been found always with his own unique style, conceding the match after missing simple blue, throwing away the cue on a bad miss etc. but he was liked by the people the most because of the aggressive play he always
presents.
One of the most memorable matches he has ever played was with Tony Drago in 1992 at the Crucible Theater. Jimmy produced the second televised 147 ever. Jimmy was leading Drago by a 8-4 frame score. He had also said before the tournament that he is
in his best form. Drago attempted a long pot, as he also has always been an attacking player, leaving Jimmy with an easy pot to come up for the black.
Jimmy made it all look so easy, although there were a few impossible shots that he played, and made a fabulous 147 break raising his hand to the crowd afterwards. Tony Drago came up and hugged Jimmy White on his great accomplishment and the Crucible
crowd at that time was noteworthy.
Jimmy White’s game with the passage of time has declined but still whenever he appears anywhere in the tournament the commentary is always worth listing and his fans would not want him to retire but rather would want him playing for many more years
to come.
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