Memorial Service for John Virgo Held in Sheffield
Prominent figures from the snooker world gathered in Sheffield, the sport's home city, to pay tribute to former player and commentator John Virgo.
Virgo, who passed away in February at the age of 79, had a notable career including reaching the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 1979. He was a professional player for 18 years before transitioning to broadcasting with the BBC in 1994.
Prior to the commencement of this year's World Snooker Championship on Saturday, a memorial service was held in Virgo's honor at Sheffield Cathedral, located a short distance from the Crucible.
Attendance and Tributes
Among those attending the service on Thursday were former world champion and current pundit Ken Doherty, who described Virgo as a "wonderful character" whose voice was "synonymous with snooker."
Other notable attendees included seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor, John Parrot, and Virgo's widow, Rosie Ries.
Several players participating in this year's tournament were also present, such as Shaun Murphy, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen, and Mark Williams.
Outside the cathedral, snooker enthusiast Jim Fitzpatrick wore a shirt featuring a snooker table design and Virgo's name. He reflected on Virgo's personality, saying he would remember him as "funny" and someone who "didn't take sport too seriously."
Legacy and Career Highlights
Born in Salford, Virgo was widely regarded as the voice of snooker. Although he achieved a career-high world ranking of 10, he was perhaps best known for his broadcasting career after retiring from professional play.
Virgo co-presented the popular snooker television show Big Break alongside comedian Jim Davidson from 1991 to 2002, in addition to his extensive commentary work.
His final commentary for the BBC was in January, 17 days prior to his passing, covering the 2026 Masters final.
Remembering John Virgo
Reflecting on his friend and former colleague, Ken Doherty said:
"The way he could draw a listener in, tell a story and build the drama, that's an art in itself.
It was just wonderful to share so many times in the commentary box with him and have so many laughs with him as well."
Listeners can hear highlights from South Yorkshire on and catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
