Reports: Hurricane Higgins Has Died

Sad news to report tonight as it appears that double world champion Alex Higgins has lost his battle with throat cancer at the age of 61. More to follow but in the meantime please feel free to leave any tributes below in the comments section of this article.

Alex Higgins 1949-2010.

The news was broken amongst other places over at The Snooker Forum by Jason Francis, organiser of the recent Snooker Legends series who posted this message:

“Today I have to share the sad news that Alex Higgins has passed away in Belfast. Everyone at Snooker Legends sends their love to Lauren, Jordan and all his family. I am sure you will all want to share your memories of one of the greatest players ever to lift a cue and pay tribute in this thread. As ill as Alex was in Sheffield at the launch of Legends, there was no way he was ever going to let his fans down, to him they were all that mattered. We will all miss you Alex, Rest in Peace.”

Images(c) david muscroft and snookerlegends

Although the news will come as no surprise to many when taking into account his well documented health problems during the past decade, it does not make it any less shocking as the man who was largely responsible for the snooker boom of the 1970’s and 1980’s now leaves us. Whatever one thinks of him as a man, the impact that he had on the sport was almost unprecedented and is impossible to ignore.