Before you begin reading I want to firstly impress upon you that I adore Jimmy White and have been a supporter of his ever since I began playing snooker and saw him play live in the Canadian Masters Tournament in Toronto in 1998. In that match he was playing against Tony Knowles and beat him 5-1. In that session Jimmy knocked in a sparkling 127 that dazzled the audience with his brilliant ease of play. Jimmy had won that tournament as he has many others. There is only one title that has forever eluded him and that’s the World Championships. What’s most incredible about this is that he was in the finals 6 times! Six times he made it into the finals and all six times he lost.
Limiting beliefs come from a fear that we have about something. I think Jimmy has a subconscious fear of winning the world championship. What could he possibly fear about claiming the greatest tournament victory ever? Well, how about this…Jimmy’s best snooker mate is Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins. After Alex won the world championships for the second time in 1982, Alex shortly had his life torn apart by booze, gambling, and a total breakdown of his life. His wife left him and Alex now lives in poverty while fighting a ten year battle with throat cancer.
Ok so seriously, if that’s how your buddy lives after winning the world championships and now you’re in the finals of the World Snooker Championships 6 times, what do you think your subconscious really wants you to do? Does winning that one title really seem that beneficial if this is the experience you’ve seen?
Check out this infamous clip of Jimmy when he was the closest ever to winning the world championships. Its the last game of the entire match and now Jimmy is at the table and needs 4 more colours to win the frame, the match, and the World Snooker Championship…
Immediately after the match and his 6th defeat at the finals, Jimmy sort of looks relieved. Its like he’s totally fine with losing yet again. Yes, Jimmy White is a classy guy and a great sportsman although, for a man to be known as the “greatest player to never have won the world Championship” really makes me wonder what’s going on in his head. Check out the anti-climactic post game interview and notice how Jimmy seems happier to have lost than the man who won, Stephen Hendry.
Jimmy, I’m a huge fan and I love what you’re doing with the Snooker Legends tour, for all the fans and for your loving support of Alex “Hurricane” Higgins.
