ALEX HIGGINS - AT IT AGAIN

Dougal Maguire · February 19, 2009, 09:45:52 PM

Higgins in 'mad man' snooker rant

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Snooker player Alex Higgins has been dropped from a charity event in Limerick next month after he allegedly threatened and verbally abused spectators and a referee at a separate match.

The Belfast-born former snooker world champion is reported to have reduced a 10-year-old boy to tears, threatened to smash a snooker ball into a spectator's face and told the referee at last Thursday's exhibition match in Kildare that he would stick his cue "up your a***".

Higgins' latest debacle took place in Athy, Co Kildare during a game against Jimmy White.

As a result, Limerick and North Tipperary Carer's Association, who had arranged for the 59-year-old to play in a charity match in Limerick next month, have dropped him from the schedule and replaced him with seven-time world champion, Stephen Hendry.

Sports Editor with the Kildare Nationalist newspaper, Brendan Coffey, acted as referee at last week's match and experienced Higgins' abuse and threatening demeanour at first hand.

Mr Coffey claimed Higgins behaved like a "mad man".

"Alex didn't seem drunk. He wasn't acting like a drunken man, just a mad man," he said.

"At one stage he picked up the cue like someone with a spear in Braveheart and said that if anyone annoys him, he'd stab them in the chest with it.

"He shoved a ball in front of one person's face and said he smash him between the eyes with it if he distracted him again," Mr Coffey claimed.

Higgins was also alleged to have scolded a 10-year-old boy sitting in the front row for apparently distracting him. The boy was reduced to tears.

Puckoon · February 19, 2009, 09:47:41 PM

Alex higgins in behaviour shocker.

Stephen Hendry must love being the reservist.

longball · February 19, 2009, 09:49:14 PM

Russell Brand and Jon Ross must be rolling in their graves.

dodo · February 19, 2009, 09:52:11 PM

This man doesn't even deserve pity at this stage.....leave him to playing fellow pi$$heads in bars for £5 a match.

Orior · February 19, 2009, 10:00:02 PM

Well did he qualify for the tournament or was he invited?

Either way, a boot up the arse is beckoning.

Orior · February 19, 2009, 10:16:28 PM

Okay, a slipper up the arse

Square Ball · February 19, 2009, 10:21:29 PM

The guy was a snooker great, bit he is just a pain in the arse.

see him in the pubs in Belfast with pool tables "play ya for a pint", he must have put his prices up Dodo, you can tell everyone you played Alex Higgins he said.

He was barred from he West club on the Falls road years ago for getting his own drink from behind the bar.

Eoghan Mag · February 20, 2009, 12:21:48 AM

My brother has a black mark under his eye because of Alex Higgins! A few year ago there was a stage show performed that was based on Mr Higgins and his lifestyle. My brother and his girlfriend went to the show and ended up afterwards in the same hotel bar where the snooker player was drinking. My brother was walking with a number of drinks in his hands when he slipped on a wet patch on the floor and fell into a glass topped table that shattered. He was pumping blood from a cut under his eye and dazed at the time when Alex Higgins decided to pounce on the incident. Mr Higgins insisted that the best way to stop the bleeding was to rub cigerette ash into the wound. My brother's head was spinning so he was unable to answer yes or no to the cue-man's approach. So Mr Higgins waved away staff of the hotel who had first aid training and dealt with it in his way. The colour of the glass scar ended up staying black as a result. T'is the mark of the devil methinks!

haranguerer · May 09, 2010, 03:54:10 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8670984.stm

Alex says he turned down several bribes to throw games.

He never turned down anything in his life, the sc**bag!

longrunsthefox · May 09, 2010, 04:21:02 PM

Jees! whatever about people's feelings about Alex Higgins the photos of him in today's paper are shocking. he can't be long for this world now.

Hurler on the Bitch · May 09, 2010, 09:34:58 PM

Was passing through Robinsons last year and there was a rugby game on at Ravenhill that had attracted quite a few Welsh fans over. While they were having a few pre-match beers, some of them spied Higgins in the corner while he was studying the form in the paper and went over to shake his hand / buy him a drink. The invective that followed from yer man was like this "why don't you **** *** and leave me alone, I am trying to have a drink on my own you welsh p****!!.. The barman then intervened apologising to them and saying that "he doesn't really bother that much" ......... suck a w***** is Higgins .. perhaps the tourist board should sign him up? .. I saw him on Thursday last in the bookies and he looked worse than ever. Everyone was just ignoring him. Sad way for a talented man to end up. Those stories he's putting about are all fine and well but he was well paid I'd assume and who in their right mind could take him seriously now?

Maiden1 · May 09, 2010, 10:46:49 PM

F^&k it. He is a piss head who says stupid things when he is drunk. We all probably have an old uncle that we avoid at weddings if they have had a couple of JDs. I wouldn't get too offended by him.

ardmhachaabu · May 10, 2010, 09:22:14 PM

Me and the Mrs had went out for a quiet pint the other week and yon wee ballix was in the bar, drunk as a skunk, insulting everyone within earshot really. I saw him outside smoking with some people as we were leaving to go somewhere else and he was pretending to have sex with some bloke from behind, the bloke didn't look too amused mind you.

Minder · May 10, 2010, 09:24:22 PM

Quote from: ardmhachaabu on May 10, 2010, 09:22:14 PM
Me and the Mrs had went out for a quiet pint the other week and yon wee ballix was in the bar, drunk as a skunk, insulting everyone within earshot really. I saw him outside smoking with some people as we were leaving to go somewhere else and he was pretending to have sex with some bloke from behind, the bloke didn't look too amused mind you.

Did he sink the pink?

ardmhachaabu · May 10, 2010, 09:30:58 PM

Quote from: Minder on May 10, 2010, 09:24:22 PM
Quote from: ardmhachaabu on May 10, 2010, 09:22:14 PM
Me and the Mrs had went out for a quiet pint the other week and yon wee ballix was in the bar, drunk as a skunk, insulting everyone within earshot really. I saw him outside smoking with some people as we were leaving to go somewhere else and he was pretending to have sex with some bloke from behind, the bloke didn't look too amused mind you.

Did he sink the pink?

I think the bloke was about ready to give him black and blue balls